Galaxy S24 Ultra has a revolutionary reflection-free screen: we test it against iPhone and Pixel

Galaxy S24 Ultra has a revolutionary reflection-free screen: we test it against iPhone and Pixel،

When Samsung introduced the new Galaxy S24 Ultra, everyone was talking about the new Galaxy AI features. And it's understandable: AI is the new hype train and Samsung is the first to adopt it to such depth.

However, there is one seemingly minor hardware change made by Samsung that surprised and amazed us. And it's such an impressive change that we think it will become nothing less than a requirement for future flagships. Curious to know what it is? Well, the S24 Ultra comes with a revolutionary new display.

And yes, “revolutionary” here is not just a metaphor, it is well justified.

The S24 Ultra is the first phone to use the new Gorilla Glass Armor heat-tempered glass. Typically, Gorilla Glass products are responsible for improving the drop and scratch resistance of your smartphone screen, but this latest generation is focused on reduce screen glare. The result is stunning: a phone with so little reflection that at first glance it almost looked like a matte screen.

While companies have all raced to create the brightest screen, the truth is that screen brightness alone cannot solve all the problems associated with outdoor use. Screen brightness and almost zero reflectivity? That combination can.

Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra

The S24 Ultra's screen (left) looks almost unbelievably glare-free compared to the S23 Ultra (right).

It's difficult to capture the full dynamic range of a smartphone screen fully blown out on a sunny day on camera, but hopefully these images can at least give you a rough idea of how big a difference that this new technology does.

Compared to Galaxy S23 Ultra, which uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 technology, the S24 Ultra looks like a huge step forward in reducing glare. In real life, it seems almost reflection-free.

Comparison of Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max exterior displays

Galaxy on the left, iPhone on the right. The higher brightness is one thing, but the lack of highlights is a game changer here.

Using the Galaxy S24 Ultra outside on a sunny day is easy. No need to squint to read text and… practically no reflections!

Comparison of Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro exterior displays

S24 Ultra on the left, Pixel 8 Pro on the right. The difference is notable.

THE Pixel 8 Pro gets very bright, but it picks up more reflections and is nowhere near as easy to use outside on a sunny day.

Comparison of Galaxy S24 Ultra and OnePlus 12 exterior displays

The OnePlus 12 (right) claims an incredible peak brightness of 4,500 nits, but in a real-world outdoor situation the Galaxy S24 Ultra's screen (left) is much easier to read.

Finally, the OnePlus 12 was supposed to be the S24 Ultra's biggest challenge. OnePlus claims it reaches 4,500 nits of peak brightness, making it the brightest in the world.

We've yet to see this figure verified by independent sources, but below you can find our own screen tests. Keep in mind that we are using a different measurement using a completely white screen, which is why the results are considerably lower than the official maximum figures quoted.

Galaxy S24 Ultra screen measurements:

During our tests, we found that the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers a nice upgrade over the previous generation.

The S24 Ultra hits 1,280 nits, compared to the 1,086 nits the Galaxy S23 Ultra can muster. It also beats the iPhone 15 Pro Max by a wide margin. Interestingly, the OnePlus 12, which can reach 4,500 nits in very specific conditions (1% white image, 99% black), also seems to lose to the S24 Ultra in our testing conditions (100% white image).

However, in actual testing, the glare-free screen of the new Galaxy S24 Ultra is so much easier to use outdoors!

Are you as impressed by all of this as we are?

Samsung may not have advertised this new feature as much as all the Galaxy AI innovations, but we think it should have, it really made a big impression on us.