Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra First Impressions

I used to love big phones. I had one of the first Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones. In the past few years, though, I've gotten accustomed to smaller phones (Google's Pixel 7a, iPhone 15 Pro) that fit in the back pocket of my favorite jeans. The S24 Ultra does not fit in any of my pants' pockets. It barely fits into the pocket of my winter jacket.

Once I got over that and looked at the S24 Ultra as more of a phablet (remember those?), I have to admit it's a good-looking phone with a beautiful screen. Plus, it comes with a built-in S Pen.

Design: Phablet With Gorgeous Screen

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is a 6.4 by 3.1 by 0.34 inches (HWD) phone that's unwieldy to use with one hand. It has a big screen to match--the front glass is flat, making it feel bigger. The flat surface makes the S Pen easier to draw with, though. Previous models, including the S23 Ultra, had a curved panel.

If you like to use your phone one-handed, the S24 or S24+ models are smaller and more manageable.

The S24 Ultra has a titanium build with a display made of Corning Gorilla Armor, which promises to be up to four times more scratch-resistant and reduce glare by up to 75% in different lighting situations.

Galaxy AI: Lots of Potential

The most significant update to the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the addition of a variety of features powered by Galaxy AI.

Circle to Search is a neat trick that lets you circle an image or text in an app and learn more about it. For example, you could circle a plate of food and find a recipe or restaurant, or an article of clothing to find out the brand and where to buy it.

It's a feature you have to get used to using since it's almost second nature to open any browser and type in a search, but I can see it becoming indispensable.

Browsing Assist is another cool feature that summarizes and translates search results and websites for you. I can see that being helpful if you're researching a broad or complex topic that can't be easily distilled.

Samsung AI also powers a handful of translation tools for texts and phone calls a boon if you frequently travel or communicate with others in different languages. I could see it even helping you learn a new language-not on its own but in addition to a lanuage app or class.

The Chat and Note Assist feature, which helps you with tone and style, is a bit awkward at first, but I could see it becoming more useful if it can learn from you.

Cameras Powered by AI

Galaxy AI also powers some of the camera improvements. The phone will suggest photo edits and make them easier to execute. You can select an object and move it or erase it without worrying about manually fixing the background.

Conclusion: An Excellent Choice for AI Enthusiasts

I'll continue to update this review as I explore more of the S24 Ultra's features in detail. For now, I can say it's a must-have if you want to sink your teeth into its many AI-powered features, but if those don't interest you, it's a harder sell. Stay tuned for more!