S24 Ultra: 1 Year Later

    

  The S24 Ultra is about a year old now, and I’ve been daily driving it for eight and a half months. In that time, I’ve updated the software to One UI 7.0 beta, broken the S Pen, dropped the device, used it in the rain, and put it through long hours of use. So, what’s good—and what’s not?

Storage and Performance

This phone comes with 512 GB of storage, which is a significant upgrade over my previous device. Months later, it’s only about two-thirds full—roughly 312 GB in total. I’m not a prolific photographer, but there’s still plenty of room for 8K clips, slow-motion footage, notes, databases, and tech articles.

Most of the storage is filled with podcast clips ripped from YouTube, which I then download and edit on the device. This is when the phone’s processing power and 9 GB of RAM really come into play. My editors of choice—LumaFusion (a $20 purchase) and Motion Ninja (for $60)—work well and are relatively fast, as long as they’re open. If I switch to another task, however, they tend to stutter or lag.

Galaxy AI and Software Features

Getting the S24 Ultra also meant I could continue experimenting with Galaxy AI—a feature that debuted on my S22+ via a software update. It’s honestly been one of my most-used features. Whether it’s text editing in the Samsung Keyboard, image editing, or drawing, I appreciate that features like transcription and limited text editing work on the device. I’m also glad to have been among the first to test out One UI 7 beta, and to have enjoyed a fully functional S Pen (when it was working, that is).

The Downsides

Battery Life:

The battery life is horrid. Even in power-saving mode, I barely get 5 to 5.5 hours of use. Whether I’m reading, streaming YouTube, or using GPS, this isn’t a device for long days. If my day starts at 6 AM, I’m usually dead by 4 PM.

Screen Issues:

The screen gets smudged easily and sometimes doesn’t reach full brightness when I adjust it manually. On a dim, shady day (I measured around 1000 lux), even at or near maximum brightness the screen is hard to see.

Thermal and RAM Management:

The phone heats up quickly during light tasks, and the software could be more efficient with its RAM management. Running 9 GB of RAM daily, it occasionally stutters or lags—even allowing secure folder apps to open without unlocking the device.

Software and Camera Performance:

Google Gemini feels half-baked, and the native text-to-speech could use some improvement. The cameras don’t perform as well in low light as I’d like and are a bit slow to load, though the zoom capabilities are phenomenal.

Durability

        On the durability front, the S24 Ultra excels. Its Vuctus 2 glass and titanium frame have kept it free of scratches or cracks—even after drops onto hard floors (usually cushioned by a case).

Conclusion

      Overall, the S24 Ultra is a good, durable flagship phone that’s missing a few features (like microSD support, top-of-the-line cameras, and a better battery) to truly be the king of smartphones. Despite these shortcomings, it’s a powerful device but it lacks demanding apps that can stress the Snapdragon chip.

God bless amd Tech Talk To You Later!!