The Best Samsung Phones in 2024

Unlike previous generations, where the middle-of-the-pack Plus edition was more similar to the standard model than the Ultra, the Galaxy S24 Plus adopts key elements from its more expensive sibling this time around.

This includes a gorgeous high-resolution and brighter Quad HD display with a dynamic 1-120Hz refresh rate, more RAM, and faster charging.  Samsung is known for its display prowess, and I loved playing games, watching videos, or just scrolling through websites on the S24 Plus’s fantastic display.

While its camera hardware is identical to its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus has new artificial intelligence-powered editing tools for photos and videos. You can easily remove objects from the background or tap and hold any video in your gallery to immediately turn it into a slow-motion playback.

While you can still take excellent photos and videos with the S24 Plus, its 50MP primary camera has remained the same since the Galaxy S22 Plus. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a better camera setup if that’s what you’re looking for.

One of the S24 Plus’s best features is its battery, which is 200mAh larger than its predecessor. Even after a full day of use, I couldn’t drain its battery even with a few hours of gaming. The S24 Plus now also offers the same 45W fast charging as the Ultra, so if it runs out of juice, it doesn’t take long to be up and running again. You should get a 65% charge in just 30 minutes.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus comes in two models that differ only in their storage space. Their RAM, cameras, and chips remain unchanged.

You also have a wide range of colorways, including Onyx Black, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, and Marble Grey, along with Samsung.com exclusives like Jade Green, Sandstone Orange, and Sapphire Blue.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus offers outstanding performance and battery life, making it the best Samsung phone for the money — ideal for gamers and all-day use. Although the S24 Ultra offers a better camera setup, the S24 Plus also has all of Samsung’s new AI tools.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s titanium frame gives it a premium feel, though it is fairly heavy compared to my other picks on this list. If you don’t like the S23 Ultra’s curved screen, the S24 Ultra’s flat display will impress you. It’s also well-protected with Gorilla Glass Armor.

Taking photos or watching videos on your phone won’t be an issue, even in direct sunlight. In testing, I increased the screen brightness to around 70% and could comfortably read off the S24 Ultra’s display, something that can be difficult with other phones.

Samsung made noticeable improvements to its flagship phone’s camera this year, with the S24 Ultra’s 200MP rear camera producing better shots than any Samsung phone before it. It makes colors look more natural than its competitors, and I found that it preserves a solid amount of details in dark, dim, and mixed-lighting environments. It certainly gives every other smartphone camera a run for its money, including the best iPhones and Android phones like the latest Google Pixels.

Of course, the S24 Ultra is plenty powerful, with the latest processing package and 12GB of RAM. It can handle anything you throw at it, from graphic-intensive gaming to binge-watching your favorite movies and TV shows. Excellent battery life and fast charging (you’ll get back 65% in just 30 minutes) make everything a breeze.

Like the Galaxy S24 Plus, the S24 Ultra models have 12GB of RAM and are split into three pricing tiers based on their storage. Power users will appreciate a 1TB storage option, although that substantially increases the price.

You also have up to seven colorways to choose from here, including Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Black, and Titanium Gray, along with Samsung.com exclusives like Titanium Green, Titanium Blue, and Titanium Orange.

The Samsung phone with the best camera and numerous AI photo and video editing features, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is ideal for anyone interested in photography. It’s also a superb choice for shooting video, as it can record 4K at 30, 60, or 120fps or 8K at 24 or 30fps.

As the A series phone with the largest display yet, the Galaxy A35 offers more screen space than most competitors, making it a solid choice for streaming videos and gaming. Its 6.6-inch display supports a 120Hz refresh rate for a smooth experience, and the Vision Booster technology automatically adapts the screen’s brightness to its surroundings.

Although its cameras can’t match the S-series, I was pleasantly surprised at the A35’s camera capabilities, with its crisp images and vibrant colors. Its front camera is ideal for selfies, as it keeps the foreground sharp while blurring the background without sacrificing image quality. The macro camera feels like a waste, though, and seems tacked on for marketing to say “triple-camera setup.”

Design-wise, holding the A35 feels as good as holding any S series model since it borrows the design language of the flagship line, albeit with a plastic frame instead of metal from the flagship line. However, the A35 is one of the few phones in this price range to come with an IP67 (Ingress Protection) rating for dust and water resistance.

The Galaxy A35, priced at $399.99, has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and is available with a microSD card slot for expandable storage up to 1 TB. If you’re worried about the low built-in storage, the great news is that it has a microSD card slot.

Color options are limited, too, with the choice between Awesome Navy and Awesome Lilac.

If you want an AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, and a high-quality camera for less than $400, the Samsung Galaxy A35 is the phone to get.

The Z Fold 6 received no battery or camera upgrades compared to its predecessor. Although its 4,400 mAh battery can last a full day, the 25W wired charging speed falls behind Samsung’s other top-notch phones.

However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a significant upgrade from the previous iteration of the foldable. It weighs 14 grams less than the Z Fold 5 and has an IP48 rating for dust and water resistance for the first time. It’s also thinner than its predecessor, and it didn’t feel awkward in my hand.

I loved using the phone when unfolded to play games and watch videos. It’s comfortable to hold, and the center crease is barely noticeable now. The only catch is that while it would have been great for video calls, the inner 4MP under-display camera is still not up to the mark, so I still had to rely on the cover camera.

Like the S series, the Z Fold 6 leverages AI technology to help you edit, create, and transform images you take or download. It’s also the best Samsung phone to use if you need the company’s new auto-translating feature, as it will display your conversation on one screen while translating it in real-time on the other.

The Z Fold 6 is also a performer. It can run even the most demanding mobile games at maxed-out settings without issue. Of course, the big selling point is that you can “unfold” the phone into a small tablet, ideal for playing games and watching videos, while the improved cover display provides a more traditional smartphone experience.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is Samsung’s priciest phone this year, and choosing a model with more storage space increases the cost.

Samsung doesn’t shy away from color options. The Z Fold 6 is available in Navy, Pink, and Silver Shadow, while White and Crafted Black (a carbon fiber finish) are exclusively available directly from Samsung.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the best Samsung phone for multitaskers and professionals looking to maximize screen space on a device that provides the functionalities of a phone while doubling as a tablet.

The Galaxy S24 uses the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor as other S series models, making it powerful enough to run the latest games. Its performance is well-complemented by its 4,000mAh battery, which can comfortably last a whole day.

Although its design hasn’t improved much compared to the Galaxy S22 and S23, the Galaxy S24 supports all the newest software features Samsung offers, including Circle to Search. You can encircle anything on your Samsung phone’s screen to immediately look it up on Google, including images, videos, and text.

The phone also includes Samsung’s new seven Android version updates policy, meaning you won’t have to switch it for a different device until 2031. You’ll receive all UI and security updates for the next seven years.

One of the biggest upgrades for the S24 is the 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate range. That means your S24 will automatically lower its refresh rate as you view static images or low-motion content to save battery. Likewise, it will ramp your phone’s refresh rates while you play games or scroll to provide the best experience.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 comes with 8GB of RAM and two storage options. Unlike its larger siblings, its base storage is just 128GB, which may not be enough for some, and there’s no expandable storage available via microSD card.

You get the same color options as the S24 Plus here, including Onyx Black, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, and Marble Grey, along with Samsung.com exclusives like Jade Green, Sandstone Orange, and Sapphire Blue.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 offers all the new features Samsung released with its One UI 6.1 and Galaxy AI. It’s not as good as its larger siblings, with its 1080p display and comparatively slow charging, but it stands out because of its compact size.

Like most of my picks, the Z Flip 6 supports Samsung’s new AI-powered features and will receive software support for seven years, making it a future-proof choice. It uses the same processor as the S series models and delivers an immersive viewing experience with its 6.7-inch AMOLED display.

Compared to the Z Flip 5, its rear camera received a significant upgrade, from 12MP on last year’s phone to a 50MP main sensor and 12MP ultrawide. It’s also the first Z Flip model to feature a cooling chamber, which ensures better performance as you play games or use it extensively.

What I liked the most about the Z Flip 6 is its user-friendly outer display, which now lets you chat using suggested replies. It also has a special selfie mode, FlexCam, that lets you use its improved rear camera for high-quality selfies.

The Z Flip 6 offers two storage options, both of which have 12GB of RAM.

Samsung goes all out with the color options for the Z Flip 6, including Yellow, Mint, Silver Shadow, and Blue, plus online exclusives like Crafted Black, Peach, and White.

The Z Flip 6 is the best Samsung phone if you’re after a pocket-sized flip phone that transforms into a regular phone or a split-screen device at a whim. It’s also the only phone on my list that lets you take a selfie and reply to messages without even opening it.

The Galaxy A15 is the best affordable Samsung phone and is surprisingly well-equipped for a budget device. Its 90Hz 6.5-inch AMOLED screen delivers beautiful visuals as you stream content or browse the web, and it includes Vision Booster.

The only flaw I noticed with the display is its brightness. Its 800-nit screen does not provide much visibility in direct sunlight, but it’s still one of the best displays you can get at this price point.

Its 50MP main camera delivers satisfying results for the price. It improves upon the Galaxy A14’s camera by having a better color balance and taking solid pictures in darker areas. That said, you’d be better off with the Galaxy A35 if you value high-quality selfies more.

The phone offers good performance for everyday tasks and activities, such as browsing the web, switching to other apps, scrolling through videos, and streaming shows and movies. It’s understandably not the best for gaming, although I did play titles like Diablo Immortal without issue at lower settings.

It’s also a great option if you want incredible battery life. The phone’s hardware isn’t as demanding, so the large 5,000mAh battery comfortably lasted a couple of days before I needed to find a charger.

Like the other A-series smartphones, the Galaxy A15 has only one iteration, with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It is available in Light Blue or Blue Black and costs $199.99.

The Galaxy A15 doesn’t offer the best gaming performance or selfie camera, but it’s the best budget phone from Samsung this year. It is affordable, has a beautiful 90Hz 6.5-inch display, and a long-lasting battery.