UP
Our takeEditorialAt $769 refurb, the most camera and screen for the money on the Android side, S Pen included — older silicon, but everything else still flagship.
Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, Titanium Orange
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
8.0/10 UpPhone score
Samsung's 2024 camera flagship at $769 — 200 MP main, real 5x optical telephoto, S Pen built into the body, titanium frame.
Screen
6.8"
Chip
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SM8650-AB
Camera
200 MP
The verdict, & two little voices
Should you actually get the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
The editor weighs in — flanked by the optimist on her shoulder and the cynic on the other.
“Two years later the camera reach and S Pen are still without a peer at this price.”
“Two years later the chip is two generations behind, with the S26 Ultra sitting in the same store.”
Our take
Samsung's 2024 camera flagship at $769 — 200 MP main, real 5x optical telephoto, S Pen built into the body, titanium frame.
The S24 Ultra was the camera-centric peak of Samsung's 2024 lineup, and two years on it has aged into a sensible buy at refurb prices. The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED still pushes 2,600 nits in direct sun, the S Pen still slots into the body — a feature no other phone offers — and the 200 MP main sensor with a real 5x optical telephoto plus a 3x mid-range telephoto is the rear-camera setup most 2026 phones still benchmark against. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy is now two generations behind the silicon in the S26 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but in everyday use it still opens apps quickly and edits photos without complaint. Galaxy AI features (Circle to Search, Live Translate, Note Assist) shipped here first and have been refined through software updates since. At $769 outright on Verizon — well below the $1,299 launch price — the math finally works.
What we love
- 200 MP main with a real 5x optical telephoto plus a 3x mid-range tele — the most flexible rear-camera kit in the price band
- S Pen built into the body, the only mainstream phone that still does this
- 6.8-inch display hits 2,600 nits in direct sun — no squinting at the beach
- Titanium frame and Gorilla Glass Armor — the build that aged best of the 2024 flagships
- 5,000 mAh battery routinely runs a full day with screen-on time to spare
- Seven years of OS and security updates from launch — supported through 2031
- IP68 water resistance, dual SIM (physical plus eSIM)
What we don't
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy is two generations behind the chip in the S26 Ultra now — heavy gaming throttles harder than newer flagships
- 45W wired charging is fine, not fast — full charge takes about an hour
- 232 grams is heavy in the pocket, especially for one-handed use
- Galaxy AI features that launched as Samsung exclusives are now on cheaper Galaxy phones too — less of a differentiator at refurb pricing
- Only available at AT&T and Verizon in this configuration
Full specifications
Display
Size6.8"
TypeDynamic AMOLED
Resolution3088 x 1440 px
PPI501
Performance
ChipSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 SM8650-AB
RAM12 GB
Storage256 GB
OSAndroid 15
Camera
Rear camera200 MP
Rear camera 250 MP
Front camera12 MP
VideoYes
Design
Dimensions162.3 x 79.0 x 8.6 mm
Weight233
ColorsTitanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, Titanium Orange
Form factorSlate
Connectivity
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.3
NFCYes
USBUSB 3.2 (5 Gbps)
SIMNano-SIM + eSIM
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra on individual carriers
All 16 plans with Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
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Frequently asked questions about the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
What kind of display does the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra have?
A 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel running 120 Hz adaptive refresh, 3088x1440 resolution, 2,600 nits peak brightness. Bright enough to read in direct sun without squinting — that 2,600-nit number was the brightest on any phone when this one launched and only the iPhone 17 Pro Max and S26 Ultra have meaningfully passed it since. The flat panel (Samsung dropped the curved edges with this generation) makes the S Pen actually usable to the corners. Colors run vivid by default with a Natural mode for accuracy. One of the dimensions where the S24 Ultra still feels current.
What kind of camera does the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra have?
The reason the S24 Ultra still gets recommended in 2026. A 200 MP main sensor with pixel binning that produces sharp 12 MP shots in good light and detailed 50 MP RAWs when there's room for the file. A real 5x optical telephoto at 50 MP — closer to a separate camera than a crop — plus a 3x telephoto at 10 MP for portraits and a 12 MP ultrawide. Reviewers placed it among the top Android cameras of 2024 (DXOMark in the high 140s). The Pixel 10 Pro pulls ahead on computational photography and the iPhone 17 Pro Max has tighter color science across the lenses, but the reach the S24 Ultra offers — true 1x, 3x, 5x, plus crops to 10x and 100x with Space Zoom — is still the most flexible rear kit at this price.
What is the battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
5,000 mAh on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy that's tuned for efficiency. A full day of normal mixed use is comfortable — call, scroll, photo, browse — with charge to spare by bedtime. Heavy days with navigation, hotspot, or sustained gaming will have the charger out by evening. 45W wired charging gets to full in about an hour with a compatible brick (not in box). 15W wireless on Qi pads, 4W reverse wireless to top off earbuds. Not the longest-lasting flagship of its year, not the shortest either.
What processor does the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra use?
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy was the fastest Android chip at launch — Samsung's overclocked variant of Qualcomm's flagship — and it ran hot under sustained load in 2024 reviews. By 2026 it is two generations behind the silicon in the S26 Ultra. Day-to-day it still feels quick: apps open immediately, photo edits process without a wait, the 120 Hz refresh stays smooth. Heavy gaming and 4K video editing reveal the gap with newer chips, and the chassis warms up faster than the latest titanium frames manage. Paired with 12 GB of RAM here, which is the version that holds Galaxy AI features in memory better.
How much storage does the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra have?
256 GB UFS 4.0 internal storage on this configuration, no microSD slot. About 235 GB usable after the system partition — room for thousands of photos and a generous game library. Anyone shooting 50 MP RAW or 8K video will fill it faster. The S24 Ultra also ships in 512 GB and 1 TB versions but only the 256 GB model appears at this price tier on the carrier refurb lists.
What kind of speakers does the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra have?
Stereo setup with a bottom-firing main speaker and the earpiece doing duty as the second channel. Loud, clear, with more low-end body than most phones thanks to the larger chassis. Dolby Atmos tuning sounds noticeably wider on supported content. Fine for podcasts, calls, and casual video — not a replacement for a Bluetooth speaker, but among the better phone speakers of its generation.
Does the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra support fingerprint or face unlock?
Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor (Qualcomm 3D Sonic Gen 2) plus face unlock via the front camera. The ultrasonic reader is the strongest implementation Samsung has shipped — works through screen protectors, reads wet fingers reliably, doesn't flash a bright square at night. Face unlock is camera-only here, not a 3D depth sensor like Face ID, so it works for unlocking but not for payments. Use the fingerprint for banking apps.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra water-resistant?
IP68 rated, which Samsung specifies as 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Standard flagship rating — survives a drop in the sink, a swim in the pool, rain at a concert. Not a dive watch. Salt water voids the rating; rinse with fresh water if it happens.
