The Galaxy S24 series is doing well for Samsung, and that’s no surprise. While each model is an iterative upgrade over the S23 series from last year, all three phones in the series are excellent. They weren’t created equal, though. The S24 Ultra switched to Gorilla Armor for its display, eliminating 75% of reflections compared to the Victus 2 used by the S24 and S24+. The anti-reflective glass is one of our favorite parts of the S24 Ultra, and you can replicate most of that experience on the S24 and S24+ for just $30.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Anti-Reflecting Screen Protector review: As reflective as a black hole
It’s the best way to protect your phone without losing the Ultra’s best upgrade
What is the Anti-Reflecting Screen Protector, and is it any good?
Regular screen protectors negate the anti-reflective qualities of Gorilla Armor, so Samsung made a screen protector that helps prevent that. It isn’t as good as using the display without any protector, but it provides about 95% of the experience while protecting the phone from scratches.
Does reducing reflections make much of a difference? Yes, it does. The S24 Ultra has been a joy to use for many reasons, but the way the screen deals with sunlight is big, even in sunny England. The phone might have a ridiculously bright display, but it doesn’t need to max out as often because it isn’t fighting reflections. For the first time with any phone, I’ve sometimes lowered the brightness, even in the sun. This leads to better battery life and thermal performance as well.
5 things Samsung needs to fix with the Galaxy S24 series
Many features on the Galaxy S24 series need fine-tuning and upgrades
It feels almost as smooth as glass despite being a plastic screen protector. I suspect it’s made of the same material Samsung uses for the pre-applied screen protectors on the Z Fold and Flip series, as they feel identical to the touch.
As an official Samsung product, this protector works perfectly with the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. The S24 series, in general, has had better luck with its fingerprint scanners and screen protectors than older models, but this one is still better than the rest.
Unlike most plastic screen protectors, durability shouldn’t be much of an issue. I used the S23 Ultra version of this product all of my time with that phone. Eventually, it built up a few scratches, but they weren’t too bad. And thanks to its two-pack availability, it was simple to refresh the protector when needed.
This isn’t a perfect product. Since it’s a plastic screen protector, fingerprints are shown more easily than glass, so you’ll be wiping it down regularly. It’s also worse at providing impact protection, as evidenced in the photo above. These screen protectors used to come pre-installed on Samsung phones, and back in 2021, I dropped a Pixel 4 on my S21 Ultra, and as you can see, it lost the fight.
Should you buy one for an S24 or S24+?
Yes, you should
It’s worth using. This screen protector feels excellent and can bring even some of the S24 Ultra’s best upgrades to the S24 and S24+. The Ultra is far too big for many people, and for a long time, we’ve wanted some more of the Ultra’s features to come to the smaller models. This addition helps achieve that.
-
Samsung Anti-Reflecting Screen Protector for Galaxy S24
$23 $30 Save $7The Galaxy S24 is one of the few smallest flagships left, and it’s a shame that many of the S24 series’ best features are reserved for the bigger models. This screen protector replicates one of those upgrades, and the results are fantastic.
-
Samsung Anti-Reflecting Screen Protector for Gaalxy S24+
$23 $30 Save $7The middle Galaxy S model is almost always the most popular, and that’s the case this year with the S24+. It’s the sweet spot between the other two models, and this official screen protector lets you bring the best upgrade from the Ultra to the more popular model.
