No phone is perfect, and the Galaxy S24 series certainly has a few shortfalls. Samsung’s latest trio makes for some of the best Android phones around, but we’ve got plenty of complaints. Some software and performance issues rank higher on our list of what we’d like to see addressed for the S24, or at the very least, tweaked for the upcoming Galaxy S25 series set to arrive early next year. The Galaxy S24 series is good, but not perfect, and here are five things we’d like to see fixed.
1 Camera issues overshadow performance
Photos are hit or miss for the S24
A picture may say a thousand words, but a camera that isn’t able to deliver a quality photo is going to get more than a thousand complaints. That has been the case with the Galaxy S24’s camera. Aside from the lens placement — which many feel detracts from the stylized design of past generations — it’s what happens behind the lens that disappoints. While the performance on different models in the series varies to some degree, photos of objects in motion come out blurrier than intended. The camera also has lighting issues that can lead to darker images or overexposure.
Its three or even more lenses do more damage than mar the clean design of the S24 series phones. For example, the three distinct bump-outs in the S24 include a 50MP f/1.8 camera, a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, and a 10MP f/2.43x telephoto. The Ultra has additional lens cutouts. With all that power at your fingertips, one would expect crisp photos. The series suffers from shutter lag that produces blurry subjects when motion is involved. The autofocus doesn’t compensate for the shutter issues.
Camera performance is an ongoing problem for the Galaxy brand. While Samsung says it intends to fix the problem, we can at least hope it is addressed by its next big release — the S25.
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2 The titanium S24 Ultra is still heavy
Samsung’s material swap didn’t lighten up our pockets
As a ceramic-based metal, titaniumis revered for several qualities, including strength and its overall cool factor. One of its most notable properties is its weight, in that it is lighter than steel but stronger than aluminum. However, it seems that Samsung missed the point with the Ultra.
At 233 grams — which is roughly the same number on the scale as the S23 Ultra — it is on the heavy side of what we’d expect, and we can only imagine how much heftier it could have been if it hadn’t used titanium. It’s not likely for the Ultra to drop a few grams in the current generation. It is hoped that it will be both sleek and slim when the S25 series reaches carriers.
3 Speed up the charging speed already
Slow charging is frustrating, Samsung
The Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra support up to 45W speeds, while the standard S24 is stuck at a relatively sluggish 25W. Adding insult to injury, that 45W rating can only be achieved with a PPS charger — sold separately. Compared to the competition, this just doesn’t quite cut it in 2024.
To remain competitive, Samsung needs to support OnePlus-style fast charging, allowing for full top-ups in around 30 minutes. The phone should also include a PPS-supported fast-charger in the box, especially when it amounts to a $1,300 Ultra.
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4 Consistent ultra-wideband communication
UWB support didn’t make it to the smallest S24
Samsung may have missed the boat when it left ultra-wideband (UWB) communication off the features list of the S24. The Ultra and + versions offer UWB support for connectivity with devices such as secure digital keys, smart home integration, wearables, location services, and short-range controls. The S24 lacks such connectivity.
Sure, it has a lower price tag, but users still want to find their location tags like the rest of the Galaxy S24 owners. Google now has its Find My Network offering, and Samsung would be wise to offer this across all Galaxy phones. Perhaps this was a cost-trimming issue, or Samsung just didn’t have space with all the other extras it packed into the S24, but let’s hope UWB makes it into the S25 when it’s released.
5 Improve Samsung’s One UI 6.1 with Galaxy AI
Partnering with a third party would help
Samsung has baked its own Galaxy AI into its One UI 6.1 platform. AI offers some enhancements, such as real-time translation and Chat Assist. It also boasts enhancements to photography in the form of Photo Assist and a zoom feature in low-light photography. That is a lot and might be enough for some. The results of some of these AI features, however, don’t deliver on the widely assorted offering.
In itself, the offering includes three forms of translation (in-ear, interpreter, and live translation), an entire suite of photography features, three chat assist features, and Google’s Circle to Search action. The AI could be further simplified by merging some of this repetition, and going deeper into each. Does someone really want to have to select between In-ear Translation, Interpreter, and Live Translate when someone is querying them in Farsi? It would be easier to have the three features streamlined, then at some point to select which mode, if necessary.
While Samsung was working out the details of integrating Google’s Circle to Search function, it might have considered partnering on a larger AI offering. Then again, Samsung might just be using Galaxy AI users as beta testers, as there are rumors that it will start to charge for some of these AI features at a later date.
Samsung might not make this right for the S24, but should get there for the Galaxy S25 series
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series is still the one to beat in the smartphone space. That reputation can easily become difficult to live up to, as it requires constant innovation and an impressive offering in order to maintain. Some of these fixes, updates, and upgrades could come in the form of an update to appease those who upgraded with the S24 edition, while others require design changes, hardware upgrades, and larger fixes to accomplish. We’d like to see some of these addressed for the release of the Galaxy S25, if not sooner.
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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
$1150 $1300 Save $150It’s not an overhaul by any means, but even small changes like (finally) swapping back to a flat touchscreen and seven years of system updates help the Galaxy S24 Ultra stand apart from its predecessors. Galaxy AI’s suite of features are front and center, as well as Google’s latest utilities like Circle to Search, and this AI craze even brings its magic to the Ultra’s cameras for after-the-fact super slo-mo.
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Samsung Galaxy S24+
With a plethora of AI-powered tools, a brighter screen, and a sleek one-piece design, the Samsung Galaxy S24+ offers the big screen and fuller features of the S24 Ultra without its price tag being nearly as much of a gut punch. Seven years of updates and the continued revisions of One UI 6.1 help the software shine on a phone with largely the same hardware.
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Samsung Galaxy S24
The smallest of Samsung’s 2024 flagships packs possibly the most significant upgrades of the series, with a significantly brighter and 1-120Hz adaptable refresh rate screen, cameras that finally match the S24+, and an even more polished build than the last two years.
