Here's why you should skip the Galaxy S24 Ultra and get the Galaxy S24 Plus instead

Here’s why you should skip the Galaxy S24 Ultra and get the Galaxy S24 Plus instead،

After spending some time with both devices, it's clear as day that the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the most exciting device, because it's the flagship Samsung wants you to buy. However, after examining the Galaxy S24 PlusI'm convinced it's the one that ultimately offers the best value for money and it's the phone you should get.

With the latest hardware, great displays, equally fast charging and seven years of software support, the Galaxy S24 Plus and the Galaxy S24 Ultra share many common features, not to mention Galaxy AI which is pretty much the same on both devices.

There are some good reasons why you might want to consider Galaxy S24 Plus instead of Galaxy S24 Ultra. Let's explore what that could be!

Smile for the camera! (Image credit – PhoneArena)

1. The Galaxy S24 Plus is actually the best feature phone

With the exception of the built-in S Pen and different camera configurations, one could argue that the Galaxy S24 Plus and the Galaxy S24 Ultra offer pretty much the same experience. Judging by our reviews and comparative tests, it is even true that the Galaxy S24 Plus beats the Ultra in some key aspects.

Both Galaxy S24 Plus and Ultra come with the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip (at least in the US), meaning you can expect the same performance from both phones. But above all, the Galaxy S24 Plus achieved slightly better battery life as measured in our testing, despite a slightly smaller battery, which is a key potential upgrade one might want to take advantage of.

This is important because the best battery life has always been reserved for the Galaxy S Ultra flagships, which have the largest battery capacity. The efficiency of today's high-end phone chipsets proves that either modern device can potentially last for days, and yet the Galaxy S24 Plus gets better endurance.

2. Much better value: Get most features at a much lower price

Most certainly due to the switch to titanium, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a sticker price of about $100 more than last year's Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung's latest device starts at $1,299.99 for the base 256GB model, and while Samsung usually gives you plenty of ways to save, we can't beat around the bush and ignore the obvious price hike .

The Galaxy S24 Plus, which is essentially the same device, starts at $999, the same as its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Plus, and the one before it, the Galaxy S22 Plus. This means you can get virtually the same experience at a much lower entry-level cost.

The Galaxy S24 Plus is an attractive phone (Image credit – PhoneArena)

3. You don't care about having the best camera setup possible, but you could get away with slightly less

Truth be told, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is by far the best camera phone available on the market today, fixing the majority of lingering issues and addressing the squeaky wheels that have marred the Galaxy S23 Ultra. A spectacular, versatile camera that produces great photos, that's what you get with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

But guess what, even though the Galaxy S24 Plus does not have an additional 5X telephoto lens and has a main camera with fewer megapixels than the one adorning the Galaxy S24 Ultra, it's still a perfectly capable camera that also delivers great results. And when viewed from a certain angle, it has the most versatile camera setup.

Judging by our reviews of both Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy S24 PlusSamsung has improved the algorithms over last year's Galaxy S23 series, achieving much more natural and arguably better image processing, putting it ahead of the curve.

I mean, there's a quantifiable difference, as our camera tests above demonstrate, but does 4 points really matter that much? Spoiler alert: they don't.

The same goes for video.

4. The S Pen is not about you: the exclusive gimmick-y feature

THE Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with an S Pen, and it's really cool. It lets you do a whole new range of extracurricular activities on your phone… but let's be real, it's also a bit gimmicky. Granted, many users can't live without this accessory, but it's also true that most phone users wouldn't necessarily benefit from a stylus.