Samsung introduced its new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S24, at the January Galaxy Unpacked event. This new lineup includes the base model S24, the larger S24 Plus, and the top-tier S24 Ultra. It’s one of the first major smartphone releases of the new year.
After spending some time with the base Galaxy S24, here are my (very positive) initial impressions of the device so far.
The size is very similar to the S23
One of the things I loved about the Galaxy S23 from last year was the size. I’m a person who prefers smaller phones, and the S23 was great because it was relatively compact compared to most of the competition and comfortable to hold and use for extended periods.
When the Galaxy S24 was announced, I was initially concerned about the increased display size, but I found that the bump to 6.2 inches is not as noticeable as I thought. The Galaxy S24 is still quite small and compact, making it a good size for me. It’s about the same as my iPhone 15 Pro but lighter due to the aluminum frame. It’s been comfortable to use, which I’m thankful for.
The new design is good, but also very familiar
Samsung decided to refresh the look of the S24 and S24 Plus this year by moving to a flat-edged frame instead of the rounded curves from the S23. The flat edges are reminiscent of what Apple has done since the iPhone 12 and up to the current iPhone 15 lineup. I like the flat edges as it makes the S24 a bit easier to hold and looks much more elegant and clean
But it also feels like a double-edged sword because it’s not actually anything new — it’s been done before. As much as I like the flat edges, it feels like smartphone design has plateaued, at least with the major brands. It works well on the S24, but it’s also a potentially troubling sign of what all smartphones could look like over the coming year.
Circle to Search is incredible
Circle to Search was a feature that intrigued me when I heard about it, and I couldn’t wait to check it out for myself. I’m always scrolling through my social media apps, and I often come across things that catch my attention, but I have no idea what the name is or what it’s called. Circle to Search is a game changer.
This is a convenient feature that all phones should have, not just the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8. Hopefully, it just becomes a standard feature in the near future.
There’s still a lot more to like
Aside from the new design changes and AI-powered tools like Circle to Search, the Galaxy S24’s display is brighter than ever, and its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip is snappy and fast. The battery life is also impressive, though I wish Samsung would bump up the charging speed for the base model S24 like the rest of the lineup.
I’ll be putting the S24 through the paces more in the coming days for a full review, so stay tuned!
