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| Samsung Galaxy S24: The Compact Flagship Steal Mid-October |
Compared to the newly launched iPhone 16, the cheaper Galaxy S24 is an appetizing bargain – a powerful yet petite sub-20 million VND flagship.
Earlier this year, Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S24 lineup with the intelligent Galaxy AI and advanced camera system. The compact Galaxy S24 is regarded as a direct rival to Apple's latest iPhone 16.
A Premium Yet Wallet-Friendly Compact Flagship
As premium small flagships, the Galaxy S24 and iPhone 16 share many similarities. However, the Galaxy S24's retail price is currently tens of millions VND cheaper. Specifically, the 256GB variant now only costs 16,990,000 VND, while the 512GB model is slightly higher at 21,490,000 VND.
For budget-conscious buyers or anyone seeking an affordable Android flagship that packs top-notch performance in a petite package, the Galaxy S24 is an enticing option this season.
Sleek, Slim, and Ergonomic Design
The Galaxy S24 sports the usual sleek Galaxy S aesthetic of its predecessors. It closely resembles the Galaxy S23 but has slightly curved frame edges for a softer, more ergonomic feel that prevents hand strain despite prolonged use.
The Galaxy S24 effortlessly earns brownie points for its svelte dimensions, measuring just 7.6mm thin and weighing a mere 167g. With its compact size and featherlight build, the phone promises immense comfort even for the most discerning users.
Immersive Viewing with an Expanded Display
The phone flaunts a flat AMOLED display, bumped up from 6.1 inches on the S23 to 6.2 inches, with FHD+ resolution and a buttery 120Hz refresh rate for seamless visuals. The expanded screen allows for better multitasking, gaming, and media consumption.
The display also reaches an astounding peak brightness of 2600 nits for excellent legibility in any environment, enabling users to enjoy optimal entertainment.
Flagship-Grade Performance with Exynos 2400 Chip
The Galaxy S24 is powered by Samsung's own Exynos 2400 processor built on an advanced 4nm process, delivering robust performance and power efficiency. With an AMD GPU based on cutting-edge RDNA 3 architecture, the phone promises incredible graphics and smooth gameplay.
Revamped Camera Hardware and Software
While the Galaxy S24's camera specs seem unchanged from the S23, Samsung has optimized the external lenses and enhanced in-phone image processing for sharper, more detailed photos.
Given sufficient light, the Galaxy S24 captures great shots with the wide lens, impresses with high dynamic range, and produces vivid colors. The 3x telephoto camera is also stellar at rendering clear images at every zoom level, with only minor graininess.
AI capabilities further refine image quality, ensuring both the scene and subjects are reproduced naturally and accurately.
Intelligent AI-Powered Functions
Apart from the camera, AI enhances various other applications to excel at work, academics, and play. Some key AI features are the intelligent browser, Note AI assistant, and professional-grade AI photo editing.
All-Day Battery Life
The Galaxy S24 offers decent but not exceptional battery life. While battery capacity got a bump up to 4000 mAh from 3900 mAh on the S23, real-world usage times stay similar at just over 5 hours of screen-on time. Frequent charging at least twice a day is unavoidable.
The phone supports 25W charging – not the fastest but still fully juicing up its small battery within 1 hour.
Our Verdict: A Worthy iPhone 16 Alternative
For shoppers wanting to pinch pennies or find an Android flagship phone delivering compact size, flagship-level performance, top-tier photography, and intelligent AI assistance, the Galaxy S24 is a compelling choice this season. Its markedly lower price point compared to the iPhone 16 makes it a smart purchase for the savvy consumer.
Design - Compact Yet Ergonomic Build
While retaining the familiar Galaxy S design identity, the Galaxy S24 sets itself apart with a few subtle but impactful enhancements. The gently curved frame edges lend a smooth, rounded feel that prevents dig-in and discomfort during extended use.
Weighing just 167g and measuring 7.6mm thin, the phone is incredibly lightweight and slim. These portable dimensions mean single-handed use is very doable, while the featherlight construction helps avert wrist strain.
Ultimately, the Galaxy S24 succeeds at delivering flagship-level specs and features without compromising on long-term, real-life comfort and ergonomics - a rare achievement in today's smartphone landscape.
Display - Immersive Viewing Experience
The Galaxy S24's 6.2-inch screen strikes the ideal balance between maximizing display real estate for immersive viewing while maintaining compact overall size for portability.
The AMOLED panel renders true blacks and vivid colors. Matching the visuals is an excellent peak brightness of 2600 nits, ensuring flawless legibility even under harsh direct light.
With a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, animations and transitions flow seamlessly without lag or jerkiness. This high refresh rate also translates to very responsive gameplay.
Altogether, the display offers a top-notch viewing experience whether for general use, media consumption or gaming.
Performance – Speedy and Power Efficient
Outfitted with Samsung's own Exynos 2400 chip based on cutting-edge 4nm architecture, the Galaxy S24 delivers speedy performance for demanding apps and graphic-intensive games without draining battery life.
The integrated AMD GPU ramps up graphics capabilities to new heights. It enables sophisticated features like ray tracing in mobile games for ultra-realistic lighting effects and reflections.
On the efficiency front, the advanced 4nm process keeps power draw low despite the high speeds. Work and play all day with juice left to spare.
Camera – Software and Hardware Refinements
While retaining the same triple camera setup as previous Galaxy S models, Samsung has tuned both hardware and software to take mobile photography to the next level.
The lenses boast upgraded optical quality for superior light capture and clarity. Images stay sharp across the frame with high details and minimal aberrations.
Enhanced processing steps like more advanced noise reduction retain details and cut back on graininess, especially in low light. AI photo algorithms intelligently adjust settings to optimize scene reproduction.
Altogether, users can expect true-to-life vibrant images ready to share straight out of the camera app.
Battery Life and Charging
With a 4,000 mAh battery, the Galaxy S24 has slightly more juice than its predecessor but still only manages around 5 hours of screen time given the power-hungry processor and display. Plan on charging at least twice daily with heavy usage.
On the bright side, the phone supports 25W fast charging. So despite the limited battery life, it takes just over an hour to go from zero to 100 percent, letting you quickly top up during short breaks in the day.
While no battery champ, the Galaxy S24 incorporates some optimizations like AI-assisted adaptive power saving to squeeze out every last drop of juice when you need it.