I’m planning to upgrade from my A71 soon but can’t decide between the S24 Ultra and S24 FE. The Ultra is almost double the price and I can’t find a solid reason to spend that much. I don’t really take pictures or game much. I just use my phone for Messenger, YouTube, and social media apps. I’m mainly looking for good battery life, S Pen support, and something that will last for at least 5 years. Help me out, should I just go with the S24 FE or splurge on the Ultra?
The S24 Ultra has a Corning Gorilla Armor screen and titanium frame, while the FE has Victus+ and aluminum. It also comes with an S Pen that has Bluetooth integration and motion sensors. The Ultra screen is brighter (700 nits more) and has a sharper display (505 PPI vs 385 on the FE). The Ultra is also powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 compared to the Exynos in the FE. The camera is a big difference too—200MP on the Ultra vs 50MP on the FE, plus it has laser autofocus. If you don’t care about photos though, I don’t know why I’m bringing it up! The Ultra also has better sound with 32-bit/384kHz audio, tuned by AKG. The battery is 300mAh bigger and supports 45W charging, whereas the FE is 25W. The Ultra also has reverse wireless charging that’s faster.
@Finley
Just a heads up, the S24 FE also supports wireless DeX.
@Finley
You missed a big one: the S24 FE doesn’t have a proximity sensor, so it can guess when it’s near your ear. It’s a bit of a nuisance, honestly.
@Finley
Good points! The Ultra is the first with an extra level of screen hardness (Level 7), which is super resistant to scratches. I also imagine the titanium frame is harder to damage than aluminum. I’ve had a titanium watch for years, and even though I’ve banged it on door latches, it still looks perfect. By the way, does the FE not have an accelerometer and gyro? I didn’t know that!
@Finley
I wouldn’t use the 200MP camera as a key selling point. The sensor isn’t literally 200MP (even a $1000 Canon R50 only has a 24MP sensor). But the sensor size does matter, and it is larger on the Ultra.
@Vaughn
The sensor literally has 200 million pixels in it. Whether it benefits you over the 50MP or 12MP sensors is up for debate. But it’s worth noting that the sensor uses a Quad Bayer pattern, which means each color filter covers 16 pixels. This doesn’t mean you’re getting a true 200MP photo, but for color info, it’s definitely at 200MP.
The main features that set the Ultra apart are the S Pen and the 5x/10x telephoto zoom lens. If those aren’t important to you, then the S24 FE will probably be a better choice.
You could also consider picking up an older Ultra, like the S23 or S22 Ultra. If you want something cheaper, the Note 20 or Note 10 might be good options too. Note that the older Notes no longer get software updates, but they still have the S Pen and are good for media consumption. Even the chips in those phones can run PS2 and Wii games, so they’re still fast enough for regular use. You could also wait for the S25 to drop, it’s coming in January.
@Zahari
I thought about those options, but I’m a little wary of getting a used phone. You never know what it’s been through or the condition of the battery. I’m hoping the S25 will bring the S24 series prices down a bit!
@Fane
Buying renewed phones on Amazon can be pretty safe. They go through a quality check, and even if the battery’s not in great condition, you can replace it later for a relatively low cost.
If you mainly use your phone for social media, do you really need the upgrade? I’d recommend sticking with the A71 for a few more years since the experience won’t change that much unless you mind it getting a bit slower. If you’re looking to save money, the S24 FE should be enough. If you want something with better performance, maybe consider the S24+ instead. But you don’t need the Ultra if you’re not going to use the camera much. You could also check out the S23 Ultra deals, depending on where you live.
@Emerson
I’ve been really happy with my A71 for 4.5 years, but the battery is dying and the microphone issues are getting really annoying. It’s still a solid phone, but I need to replace it. The S23 Ultra was my first choice, but I can’t find a new one where I live, and I’m not sure about buying used—battery health is my main concern.
@Fane
Buying used is actually a great option if you get it from a trusted seller. You can usually get a refund if something goes wrong, and if the battery’s not in good shape, replacing it isn’t too expensive.
If your A71 was still fine for you, the S24 FE should serve you just as well and last a long time. It’s way cheaper, but if you can snag an S24 Ultra at a good price, then it could be worth it.
Samsung phones with 8GB of RAM tend to be a bit laggy for me. One UI isn’t the smoothest, and 8GB seems to cause some frame drops and stutters. With 12GB of RAM, the performance is much better. I have both the S24 FE and the Ultra, and the Ultra definitely feels smoother and stays cooler since it’s using Snapdragon instead of Exynos.
Personally, I think the S23 Ultra gives you better value. The camera upgrades from the S22 to the S23 were noticeable, but the jump from the S23 to the S24 isn’t that huge.
S-Pen.
If the A71 isn’t causing you many issues, I don’t think the S24 Ultra is worth double the price. Many of the features on the Ultra probably won’t matter to you. If price is not an issue, you could go for the Ultra, but if you just want a solid phone, the S24 FE is perfectly fine. If you really want the S Pen, maybe check out the S23 Ultra instead.
Exynos vs Snapdragon, S Pen, better audio, and faster charging… that’s basically the main differences. 