The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra did not win our Best Smartphone of 2024 award, capping a particularly lackluster year for Samsung. The company’s phones were not awful, but people are starting to expect more innovation for the premium Samsung charges. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is a particularly egregious example of Samsung’s malaise, but it’s not the company’s only offender.




By comparison, Google and OnePlus are on the rise, releasing their best devices in years, with plenty more on the menu for 2025. Samsung was rudderless in 2024, and if it wants to remain the world’s top smartphone manufacturer, things must change in 2025.


Galaxy S24 Ultra didn’t bring much new to the table

Running it back one too many times

A Galaxy S24 Ultra edited to look like it has an extremely smudgy screen.

I can’t believe Samsung didn’t make more changes to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It was the most uninspiring phone I’ve used in years, which was impressive, given that I had just switched from the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The company felt we’d be excited by a new titanium construction and anti-glare screen layer. It still features premium specs and flagship performance, but it is hard to recommend an upgrade if you purchased a Samsung Galaxy Ultra in the last three years. A lower price tag would’ve made the lack of upgrades forgivable, but once again, Samsung charged full boat for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, almost $1,300 for a base model.


The Galaxy S24 Ultra sitting on two Blu-rays with the S Pen out.

Read our review

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is still the best, unless you take photos

Samsung’s latest phablet feels like a do-over

The problem is that Samsung has succeeded in playing it safe in the last few years. Google suffered a string of spotty hardware releases, and I often held my breath during software updates, hoping my Bluetooth or Wi-Fi would still function afterward. OnePlus had similar software woes and battled an identity crisis with its hardware. Samsung usually won by default.

That’s not the case anymore, as Google has cleaned up its act with the impressive Pixel 9 series. OnePlus is right along Google’s side. The OnePlus 12 was the company’s best offering in years, and the OnePlus 13 promises to be even more impressive. Samsung can’t win by standing still anymore.




Foldable flops in 2024

Samsung will be making fewer foldables

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 half-opened on a concrete ledge outside.

I wish Samsung had confined its timidness to the Galaxy S24 series, but it bleeds into the company’s foldables. I liked the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s design refresh, but I can still admit it wasn’t a significant departure from its predecessors.

Phones are rarely worth upgrading after a year. Even if you had a Galaxy Z Fold 4, you wouldn’t have a strong case for shelling out more money. It also didn’t help that Samsung ignored customer complaints about the Z Fold series and had its head in the sand. At the same time, overseas competitors and the OnePlus Open continued to innovate. Customers didn’t take to the Z Fold 6, and sales suffered in 2024, causing the company to announce it planned to produce 40% fewer foldables in 2025.

I was equally encouraged and frustrated when I saw the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition released overseas.


The Galaxy Z Flip 6’s copy-and-paste design approach didn’t help, especially since we could buy the fantastic Motorola Razr+ in the US. I think the Z Flip 6 was a missed opportunity. Smaller foldable smartphones are lighter on the wallet and more straightforward to sell to people transitioning from regular smartphones. They don’t significantly change the user experience. Samsung didn’t upset the apple cart with the Z Flip 6 either, opting for the same outer display size and limited new features.


All hope is not lost yet

Samsung knows better

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G out against some trees in Winter



I was equally encouraged and frustrated when I saw the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition released overseas. Samsung at least proved it could listen to customers with the long-awaited design changes it made to the Special Edition. It’s thinner, features better cameras, and sports larger displays than the standard Z Fold 6, with additional RAM for good measure. I wish that were the version we got in the US, but there’s hope for the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 didn’t get a Special Edition, but a rumored SE for 2025 would compete with Motorola’s less expensive flippable. It’s a step in the right direction.

One UI notification shade on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

Samsung’s midrange and budget devices were high-quality, so the year wasn’t a total loss. I loved the Galaxy A15, as it offered decent performance with a great display for excellent value. I warmed to the Galaxy S24 FE after it was available at a discount, and the Galaxy A55 was one of my favorite devices of the year available overseas. I hope Samsung keeps up the good work in 2025 with devices priced under $500.



I hate to see resources go to waste

Samsung is like a gifted child who doesn’t have to try hard to succeed in school, but times are changing. The company will have to apply itself and take risks it has seemed averse to ward off strong challenges from Google and OnePlus. One UI is still the most reliable software on Android, and Samsung has no shortage of resources to turn things around. I doubt the company will take a considerable design swing with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Still, the Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7 will be reliable indicators of whether Samsung is taking softening sales as a warning or is content with its orderly management of decline.