The Samsung Galaxy S24+: A Bigger, Brighter, and More Sustainable Mid-Range Option
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ is often seen as the middle child in the Galaxy S lineup, a phone that falls short of the Ultra’s flagship features yet commands a hefty price tag. While many might be tempted to opt for the more powerful Galaxy S24 Ultra or the budget-friendly Galaxy S24, the S24+ has a lot to offer for those seeking a bigger display, a longer-lasting battery, and improved build quality without breaking the bank. It’s more than just a larger version of the S24, offering significant upgrades that make it a compelling choice in its own right.
Samsung Galaxy S24+ Price in India
The Galaxy S24+ certainly isn’t cheap! It’s available in India with two storage options: the 12GB + 256GB variant priced at Rs. 99,999 and the 12GB + 512GB variant costing Rs. 1,09,999.
Galaxy S24+ supports 45W fast charging but doesn’t include a charger
The phone comes in Cobalt Violet and Onyx Black, with Sapphire Blue and Jade Green available exclusively online. Our review unit featured the Cobalt Violent finish with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. The box includes the phone, paperwork, a SIM ejector tool, and a USB Type-C to Type-C cable.
Samsung Galaxy S24+ 5G Review: Design
The Galaxy S24+ retains the familiar design language of its predecessors, essentially mirroring the Galaxy S24 and its earlier counterparts like the Galaxy S23 and S22. However, it boasts improved materials, like a stronger Armor 2 aluminium frame, offering enhanced durability. Nonetheless, it might feel a bit bulky compared to the Galaxy S24, but its slim bezels create a sleek and minimal look.
The Galaxy S24+ features an Armor 2 aluminium frame
The phone’s 6.7-inch display feels comfortable in hand, especially for those with larger hands. Despite a weight of 197 grams, it maintains a slim profile at 7.7mm, achieving a premium feel and the promise of durability. The front features uniformly slim bezels, an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, and a slit for the earpiece. The rear boasts a familiar triple-camera system housed in individual metal rings, with the LED flash positioned below the cameras. Both the front and back are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and boast an IP68 rating, ensuring resilience against water and dust.
Samsung Galaxy S24+ Review: Specifications and Software
The Galaxy S24+ shares most of its specifications with the Galaxy S24, with the notable exception of its larger battery. Within its sleek frame lies a powerful 4nm Exynos 2400 SoC, paired with the Xclipse 940 GPU, up to 12GB RAM (compared to 8GB on the Galaxy S23+), and up to 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. The phone lacks expandable storage.
Samsung has promised seven years of software updates on the Galaxy S24+
Connectivity options include tri-band Wi-Fi 6E, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 LE, a USB Type-C 3.2 port, and GPS support. The phone’s ultrasonic fingerprint reader offers reliable performance, making it a superior choice to optical sensors, known for their occasional hiccups.
The Galaxy S24+ houses a 4,900mAh battery, a significant upgrade from the 4,000mAh cell in the Galaxy S24 and slightly larger than the 4,700mAh unit in its predecessor. Despite the larger capacity, the phone retains the same 45W fast charging and 15W wireless charging capabilities as last year’s model.
However, a significant improvement lies in its software support. Samsung now promises seven years of Android OS and security updates for the Galaxy S24+. This significant commitment to longevity ensures the phone stays secure and gets the latest software features for years to come. It runs Android 14-based One UI 6.1 out of the box, bundled with the new Galaxy AI suite of features.
Samsung Galaxy S24+ Review: Performance
The Exynos 2400 SoC within the Galaxy S24+ delivers flagship-level performance across the board. While benchmark results might reveal a slight advantage for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy SoC, the difference in real-world usage or gaming is negligible. Benchmarks show scores comparable to the Galaxy S24, with the AnTuTu score reaching 1,457,608 points. On Geekbench, it achieved a single-core score of 1987 and a multi-core score of 6137.
The display on the Galaxy S24+ offers a peak brightness of 2,600nits
The larger surface area in the Plus model likely contributes to its slightly better cooling performance. Similar results were observed on GFXBench.
The 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED 2x display is undoubtedly the standout feature of the Galaxy S24+. Its QHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate deliver a crisp and smooth visual experience. Notably, the peak brightness of 2,600 nits ensures excellent readability even under direct sunlight, making outdoor use a breeze.
The hybrid dual speaker setup delivers loud and clear audio with respectable bass. Call quality is excellent, ensuring crystal-clear conversations.
Gaming on the Galaxy S24+ is a seamless experience, comparable to the Galaxy S24. Every game runs smoothly at the highest settings with no noticeable lag. However, prolonged gaming sessions can lead to noticeable heat generation. Benchmarking tests also resulted in a quick increase in temperature.
The phone did heat up when charging and while playing games
The generous 4,900mAh battery is a major advantage. In our HD loop test, the phone lasted a remarkable 19 hours and 17 minutes with the screen resolution set to QHD+. Naturally, the high-resolution display consumes more power, but lowering the resolution can extend battery life further. With typical usage, the Galaxy S24+ easily lasts over a day, needing a charge only towards the end of the day with heavy usage. Charging takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes using a 45W+ charger and a high-rated cable. However, the phone ships with a 3A-rated cable supporting only 25W fast charging, so those with high-speed chargers will need to purchase a compatible cable separately.
Samsung Galaxy S24+ Review: Cameras
The Galaxy S24+ sports the same camera setup as the Galaxy S24, resulting in identical photo and video performance. It features a 50-megapixel main rear camera with OIS, a 10-megapixel telephoto sensor offering 3x optical zoom, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide unit with a 120-degree field of view. For selfies, a 12-megapixel sensor with auto-focus is included.
The Galaxy S24+ takes excellent photos in daylight conditions
Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy S23+, the camera system exhibits slightly less saturation and more contrast. Ultra-wide shots perform well, but the lack of autofocus can lead to blurry images, especially in low light conditions. Night shots from the primary camera are impressive, capturing good detail and minimizing noise.
Main rear camera samples: Top – Daylight; Bottom – Lowlight (Tap to expand)
Ultra-wide camera samples: Top – Daylight shot. Bottom – Lowlight (Tap to expand)
3x Telephoto samples: Top – Daylight. Bottom – Lowlight (Tap to expand)
For more detailed camera samples, refer to our Galaxy S24 review.
Samsung Galaxy S24+ Review: Verdict
While the Galaxy S24+ has gained more appeal with its upgrades, it still faces stiff competition in the market. Some strong contenders include:
- OnePlus 12: Offers a larger display, slightly better cameras, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, larger battery, faster charging, and a more affordable price tag.
- Google Pixel 8 Pro: Boasts superior camera performance, particularly in stills, additional AI features, similar or better software experience, and a more affordable price tag than the Galaxy S24+. It also boasts a better telephoto camera.
- iPhone 15 Plus: Offers durable battery life and performance, but lacks a telephoto camera.
- Galaxy S23 Ultra: Delivers better performance, similar display size, S-Pen support, larger battery, and better camera capabilities, often available at a comparable price to the Galaxy S24+.
It’s true that the Galaxy Plus variant often gets overlooked as it only offers a larger screen and battery compared to the standard S model. However, the Galaxy S24+ breaks that stereotype with its significant improvements. The brighter display, improved build quality, standard 12GB RAM, and extended seven years of software updates bring it closer to the Galaxy S24 Ultra in terms of specifications.
If you are looking for a premium phone experience with a larger screen and battery without the exorbitant cost of the Ultra, the Galaxy S24+ stands as a compelling and practical choice. It offers a more sustainable experience with its seven-year software support, making it a smart investment for users who value a long-lasting and reliable device.
