Samsung always offers a broad lineup of phones, including the A series, S series, FE range, and foldables, and they’re all vying for your attention, so it can be overwhelming to choose. Thankfully, we’ve put the work in to test these devices to help you select the right one. So, whether you’re here for the best Android phone available or a more wallet-friendly option, there’s a Samsung phone that will meet your needs.
We’re late in the typical Galaxy release cycle, which means we’ve had time to put all this year’s releases through their paces and reach established conclusions — and we’re quite happy with the 2024 Galaxy crop from top to bottom. For that matter, with Black Friday approaching, it might be the best time yet to consider one of these, as the S25 family’s predicted January release means many will see significant discounts between now and the end of the year.
Samsung’s top Galaxy phones
Best overall
Samsung Galaxy S24+
The middle child is also the favorite
$895 $1000 Save $105
The Galaxy S24+ might lack the S Pen and fancy zoom of the S24 Ultra, but it packs some serious upgrades over the S23+ from last year. The battery is almost as big as the Ultra, clocking in at 4,900mAh. Combine that with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and you have a phone that can last all day while breezing through anything you throw at it.
- Brighter, sharper display
- More RAM
- Larger battery
- Same cameras as last year
- Aging design
- Exynos 2400 outside of the US
The Galaxy S24+ gets the biggest upgrades this year. The display is 6.7 inches, despite being mostly the same size as last year, and the resolution has been bumped up to 1440p, although you have to enable that in settings. Other improvements will make a noticeable difference to battery life and performance, with the RAM being increased to 12GB instead of 8GB, and the battery is now 4,900mAh, only 100mAh smaller than the S24 Ultra. Our review of the S24+ calls it the one to buy, and it’s easy to see why.
Those on-paper specs translate to a great experience in the real world. One UI 6.1 makes some welcome changes to Samsung’s software skin, from tiny quality-of-life improvements to new ways to use Google Search. Speaking of software, Samsung has decided to match Google, promising seven years of OS upgrades and security patches for the S24 series. That means this phone will be updated through to 2031 when Android 21 is released.
The cameras largely mirror last year, with the same 50MP primary camera, 10MP 3X telephoto, and 12MP ultrawide. These cameras aren’t bad by any means, but they haven’t changed in several generations and are starting to fall behind phones from other brands.
Read our review
Samsung Galaxy S24+ review: A safe bet
AI gimmicks aside, this is a very easy-to-recommend flagship
Battery life takes a big leap thanks to the larger cell. It lasts almost as long as the S24 Ultra, so unless you spend all day gaming on 5G with the brightness maxed out, you won’t kill it before bedtime. If you do want to do that, though, the phone will be more than capable. The new 1440p display reaches a ridiculous 2,600 nits, and it can now vary its refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz, so it’s more efficient than before.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is also shaping to be an excellent chip, and combined with 12GB of RAM and at least 250GB of UFS 4.0 storage, this phone is lightning fast. We should note, however, that outside of the US, the S24+ uses an Exynos 2400. It’s a great chip, but performance enthusiasts will notice it’s a step behind Qualcomm’s category leader.
The battery can be recharged at 15W wirelessly and 45W over USB-C, so long as you have a compatible PPS brick.
Premium pick
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Finally flat
$1070 $1300 Save $230
The S24 Ultra is an incremental upgrade over last year’s phone, but the changes are good ones; this is the best version of Samsung’s Ultra flagship yet. The new 5x 50MP telephoto takes better photos across all zoom levels, and the flat display is welcome, especially for those of us who use the S Pen extensively.
- Flat display with anti-reflective coating
- Imrpoved 5X telepoto lens
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in all regions
- Aging design
- $100 more expensive in the US
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best Ultra Samsung has made yet. There are upgrades here, but all foibles have been carried over with the now-aging design. The cameras are fantastic for taking photos of scenic landscapes and static objects, but they still struggle with movement. This has been a problem for half a decade now, and there’s no excuse for it.
Thankfully, the rest of the phone is mostly positive. The new 50MP 5X telephoto is better than the old 10X ever was. The problem with previous phones was the lack of quality between 3X and 10X, which this fixes, still taking better photos than the old 10X lens through to 30X.
When the S20 and S21 Ultra came out, they started with 12GB of RAM. The S22 and S23 Ultra lowered that to 8GB and made you pay for increased storage to get the extra RAM. Samsung has reversed that decision now, and all S24 Ultra models have 12GB of RAM. The phone also follows in the S23 Ultra’s footsteps by using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 worldwide, unlike the smaller S24 and S24+ that use the Exynos 2400 internationally.
Battery life is slightly better than last year thanks to improved efficiency from the display and chipset, but it’s not groundbreaking as the battery size is the same 5,000mAh.
Read our review
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is still the best, unless you take photos
Samsung’s latest phablet feels like a do-over
The display is flat this year, a welcome change for those of us who like glass screen protectors and use the S Pen extensively. Its new Gorilla Armor Glass has a new party trick — it’s 75% less reflective than conventional tempered glass. There’s a notable difference. The display maxes out at 2,600 nits; but in direct sunlight, I can easily turn the brightness down to 75% thanks to the lack of reflections, something I’d never do on anything else.
Best value
Samsung Galaxy A25 5G
Making all the right compromises, with few major drawbacks
$250 $300 Save $50
After skipping a generation, Samsung’s upper-entry-level A20 series finally hits the US again. It offers Samsung’s characteristically great software, and packs just powerful enough hardware for a smooth day-to-day experience. It even boasts premium features like an OLED screen and four years of Android updates.
- Cameras work better than anticipated
- An OLED panel on a budget phone?!
- One of the best values of any brand
- Annoying bezel and notch designs
- Not particularly powerful
Typically, spending $300 on a phone means you should prepare yourself for some pretty big sacrifices. But Samsung did a great job with the Galaxy A25 by cutting the corners it needed to keep the price low, but still delivering a competent device that should satisfy less picky consumers who don’t want to shell out for an S series.
Its FHD+, 120Hz, 1,000-nit OLED display is one especially satisfying feature, and you’ll rarely find similarly priced phones that look as good. The cameras also perform great for the cost, with a good level of detail and capable image processing, although it does lack the AI tools its more costly relatives boast.
Read our review
Samsung Galaxy A25 5G review: Better than budget
At this point, Samsung’s cheap phones can’t get much more reliable
With that said, you won’t mistake this for an S series like you might one of the upper-tier A series Galaxies. In particular, it not only retains the somewhat invasive notch from phones of years past, but also a frustratingly off-center bezel and screen arrangement. Considering how the overwhelming majority of smartphone use involves looking at the screen, it’s disappointing Samsung couldn’t line up the panel and body better. But as long as you’re not super picky, you’ll probably get used to it.
The rest of the specs and experience aren’t terribly surprising; the Exynos 1280 SoC won’t impress anybody coming from a Snapdragon-powered Samsung, and it plus the 6GB of RAM limit multitasking and resource-intensive app use considerably. But for a pure smartphone experience, it’s hard to top the A25’s value for the money.
Best midrange
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
Awfully close to a flagship
$550 $650 Save $100
The Galaxy S24 FE offers the refined Samsung experience users love, at prices considerably lower than the S24+ that it’s sized similarly to. While it’s a minor step down in terms of performance and materials, it still delivers impressive performance and the long software lifespan that should satisfy all but the most demanding enthusiasts.
- Exynos 2400e chipset actually pulls its weight
- Plenty of bright, bold screen space
- Satisfying, upgraded camera experience
- Typical slow Samsung charging
- Makes little sense at full price
At first glance, the S24 FE almost seems like a phone without a home. Other than display size, it offers no selling points above the base model S24, despite its sticker price approaching the higher-tier model’s. However, just months after its release, it’s already seeing decent discounts, and if you pick it up through a carrier deal, it could be outright well-priced.
In that light, it’s easy to justify the S24 FE’s minor sacrifices compared to its premium siblings. The Exynos 2400e does a better job at mimicking flagship performance and, notably, battery life, than any Samsung-fabricated system-on-a-chip before it. The screen and camera results, while objectively lower-quality than the high-end versions’, look better than most similarly priced competitors’. And it carries the same elegance as the flagship series’ bodies, even though the materials don’t feel quite as nice.
Of course, hardware is just one part of the Samsung experience. The popular, streamlined, highly customizable One UI Android implementation continues to place Samsung phones above most others. What user-friendly features Samsung hasn’t arranged exactly to your liking, are easy to iron out exactly how you want. Also notable is the overall improved camera performance, which eliminates one of our main gripes with the Galaxy S23 FE. Even the AI feature integration’s advancement is chugging along, which can’t be said for all midrange phones.
Read our review
Review: The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is one step away from greatness
It faces stiff competition
Power users will probably be able to pick out its shortcomings compared to true flagships. We also don’t recommend shelling out the full price for the Fan Edition this year. But at even a moderate discount, it’s one of the best sub-flagship phones you can buy.
Best small Galaxy
Samsung Galaxy S24
Phenomenal power, small design
The Galaxy S24 hasn’t changed much from last year, but there are still improvements to be mildly excited about. The display can now dynamically change its refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz vs the 48 to 120Hz of its predecessor. That, combined with a slightly larger battery and more efficient chip, leads to a more manageable battery life.
- Brighter display
- Larger battery
- Larger screen in the same sized phone
- Aging design
- Only 8GB of RAM
- 128GB base storage
The Galaxy S24 is the pocket flagship many would have you believe died years ago. The S24 packs a 6.2-inch display into a frame that’s only 2mm taller than the Asus Zenfone 10, which settles for a 5.9-inch screen. That screen is backed up by flagship specs as well, although there are some caveats.
The display is still 1080p, but it’s more efficient now. It can adjust its refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz versus the 48 to 120Hz from last year. That means it’ll sip power when sitting on the always-on display or when you’re watching a 30fps video. The screen is brighter this year as well, reaching 2,600 nits, while the S23 maxed out at 1,750. It’s a shame the S24 and S24+ are missing the anti-reflective glass we find on the S24 Ultra, but at least they’re bright enough to be more than usable in even the harshest of sunlight.
As with the S24+, the cameras are good, but not class-leading, which is a shame. Hopefully, after this many years with the same optics, the S25 will shake things up. Performance is good on the S24 thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but international models use the Exynos 2400, which we haven’t tested. The S24 didn’t see any RAM or storage upgrades, sadly. It’s only available with 8GB of RAM, and the 128GB still uses UFS 3.1, stepping up to UFS 4.0 on the 256GB model. If you want more than 256GB, you’ll need an S24+.
Read our review
Samsung Galaxy S24 review: Small but super
Bright screen, flat sides, can’t lose
Battery life is a pleasant surprise. The battery grows from 3,900mAh to 4,000mAh, which offers a meaningful uplift when combined with the more efficient display and processor. Sadly, charging is still limited to 25W. It’s not intolerable with a battery this small, but it lags far behind what other OEMs are offering.
Best big foldable
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
The foldable to beat
$1450 $1900 Save $450
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the latest foldable that takes on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and other foldables on the market. It comes with minor, but meaningful refinements over its predecessor that include an improved camera, performance, and slightly wider cover display with new Galaxy AI features.
- Thinner and lighter
- Refined design
- Optimized foldable experience
- Front display still feels cramped
- Galaxy AI feels a bit gimmicky
- $100 more expensive than its predecessor
The new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a great foldable and one of the best Samsung has to offer. There’s nothing wrong with the device, and it still features one of the best and most optimized user interface we’ve tested, and the added bonus of the phone receiving seven years of OS and security updates make it even more appealing for many.
The Fold 6 comes with a 6.3-inch cover, and a 7.6-inch main display, both featuring an AMOLED panel and 120Hz refresh rate. They’re equally great for consuming content, using your favorite apps, and even gaming. They’re bright, colorful, and the main screen continues to support the S Pen. The crease is smaller and less noticeable, and the hinge received a big upgrade that’s more protective against water and dust.
The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, coupled with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. It’s plenty fast, and ideal for gamers who want to play on the large display for hours at a time. We haven’t found anything out of the ordinary during our tests, and we’re happy with how the phone performed under various loads.
The camera is an area where the Fold 6 didn’t receive much of an upgrade compared to its predecessors. It still sports the same triple camera setup, and while it takes decent photos, it still fails to impress anyone, especially at the asking price. The battery can comfortably last a full day, but once again, the charging speed fell behind, and it takes a while to fully charge it up.
Read our review
Review: The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has cost Samsung its head start in the foldable race
A real tortoise-and-hare situation
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a great foldable for those wanting to try out the versatile form factor for the first time, but the recent price increase, and lack of major upgrades make it hard to recommend for those sporting a recent foldable. For everyone else, it’s still a great foldable, and it’ll certainly deliver a unique and solid experience with brand-new Galaxy AI features.
Best flip phone
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
The small phone with double displays
$850 $1100 Save $250
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is one of the best flip phones on the market right now. It features a beautiful and bright cover and main display, a larger battery, and a dual camera setup that takes decent photos in most lighting conditions. It comes with new Galaxy AI features, and the cover screen offers unique features that let you use the phone without opening it.
- Better battery life than ever
- Fantastic inner screen
- The best design yet
- Limited outer screen
- Still only 25W charging
- It costs $100 more
If you’re looking to jump on the foldable bandwagon and don’t want to shell out $1,800 for the latest Galaxy Z Fold 6 – not to mention you appreciate a smaller form factor, then the Galaxy Z Flip 6 might be the best device for you.
The new Galaxy Z Flip 6 sports a 6.7-inch main and 3.4-inch cover AMOLED display. It’s powered by the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, coupled with 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Thanks to the new cooling solution, it’s powerful enough to power all of your daily needs, and it can even play more demanding games with ease.
The phone also features new Galaxy AI features that promise to make life easier and more fun in many situations. You can easily edit photos, summarize websites and voice recordings, among many other features. The phone will also receive seven years of OS and security updates, making it a great future-proof flip phone for those looking to hold on to it for the long-term.
Read our review
Review: Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 is great but it’s no longer the slam dunk foldable choice
The best one yet, but is that good enough?
The Flip 6 comes with a decent dual camera setup, and a larger battery than last year’s model. While the camera is nothing to write home about, it’ll take okay photos for the most part, in most lighting conditions. The battery will last a full day on a single charge, but sadly, we haven’t seen any noticeable upgrade when it comes to charging speeds. With that said, if you’re happy with the fun form factor, unique features, and small, but more refined changes, the Flip 6 remains one of our favorite foldable flip phones.
Bargain basement
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G
A barebones device delivering an acceptable experience
$180 $200 Save $20
It’s not fancy, it’s not fast, it doesn’t have cutting-edge AI features, but the Galaxy A15 is as good as you can get for $200. Despite significant cost-cutting measures inside and out, it offers reasonable performance for people who don’t put their phone through a lot of heavy use.
- Price is almost impossible to beat
- Works for basic, day-to-day tasks
- Gets Samsung’s 4-year Android/5-year security update plan
- The main camera is pretty good
- Mediocre performance
- Subpar low-light and ultrawide images
- Useless macro lens
As long as you keep your expectations in check, the Galaxy A15 5G absolutely lives up to its $200 price. You won’t find many others this cheap with a 90Hz, FHD+, 800-nit screen that actually works OK. And the MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ powering it, while worlds below the flagship class, isn’t a ton slower than the Exynos 1380 that does a fine job in Samsung’ midrange models.
Heck, even the cameras are considerably better than we’d expect from this price range. Or, the camera, we should say, because the primary lens is the only one we got consistently good results from — but they were, nonetheless, quite good (in the right lighting, at least).
The A15 has everything a basic phone user needs. That includes microSD expansion, a big battery and efficient hardware, a headphone jack, NFC connectivity, and even sub-6 5G support. It is limited to 25W charging, but so are most Samsung phones, and it’s hardly any slower than the company’s 45W spec, anyway.
Read our review
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G review: Everything you need for only $200
It’s not flashy, but the A15 gets the job done for people who don’t read reviews or care about specs
If you plan on doing anything other than basic tasks on your phone, steer well clear of the A15. But if you just need a reliable device with a straightforward interface and long, reliable lifespan, at an impressively low price, it’s hard to pass up. Amazingly, it’s even slated to receive new OS versions through Android 18, and security patches for at least a year after that. Despite its poor SoC performance and piddly 4GB of RAM, it’s a capable way for those on a budget to stay connected.
Why do people like Galaxy phones so much?
Samsung isn’t the leading Android manufacturer just because of its marketing. There are quite a few objective and subjective reasons why it sells more phones every year than any company not named after fruit:
- Reliable hardware and build quality: As the industry leader, Samsung has the resources to ensure its quality assurance is top-notch.
- The OneUI Android interface: This is a subjective one, but Samsung’s software implementation gets high marks from longtime experts and consumers of all kinds for its intuitive layout, extensive feature set, and high degree of customizability
- Versatile multitasking features: Among the productivity-focused tools within OneUI is Samsung DeX, which essentially turns your phone into a tiny, ARM-powered desktop PC when you connect the right peripherals
- Samsung Smart Tags: Given Galaxy phones’ popularity, Samsung’s relatively upstart Bluetooth tracker network shows more promise than any other in the Android space
- AI features, and the future: Love or hate the marketing and terminology, what we call “AI” today enables a wide and expanding range of novel features that range from convenient and nice-to-have all the way to borderline mind-blowing (or creepy, to some)
- Long-term software support: A Galaxy S series devices (tablets included) now receive 7 years of Android OS and security updates, while A series phones get 4 and 5 years, respectively; Nobody but Google competes at the moment
4:02
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What’s next for the Galaxy S series?
It could be in for some changes
Galaxy phones have represented some of the most refined options since Android first gained popularity, but all good things must come to an end. After apologizing for stagnating innovation, Samsung indicated it may actually abandon the long-running “Galaxy” nomenclature of its high-end devices. While seemingly drastic, it’s a refreshing change in a sea of big-name companies that could benefit from a change of pace.
On top of a potential branding shakeup, rumors are starting to swirl surrounding new Galaxy offerings. The most interesting is the increasing buzz surrounding a Galaxy S25 Slim model, which could theoretically arrive a few months after the S25 series’ expected January 2025 due date. There’s also the specter of a more affordable Z Flip version, which can only help expand the adoption of the novel form factor. Helpfully, there’s also the potential for more streamlined update delivery within the mainline S25 family. While none of those are set in stone, they’d surely be welcome developments.
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Saying “sorry” isn’t too common for big tech
The best Samsung phone for you
The Galaxy S24+ and S24 Ultra are our top recommendations this year. The S24+ saw a huge upgrade to its display and battery. The S24 Ultra has a lot to offer with the S Pen, 200MP primary camera, and 50MP 5X telephoto, but it’s hard to justify the $300 difference over the S24+ if you aren’t an avid S Pen user. Both phones have some of the best displays you’ll see, offer seven years of OS updates and immaculate build quality.
If you want something more exotic and unique, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 are solid contenders. The Fold 6 isn’t just a standard smartphone, and it can unfold to be a decently-sized tablet. Samsung may not have delivered everything we’ve asked for in 2024, but it remains one of the best foldable flagships when it comes to reliability, support, and a sturdy design that provides an excellent overall experience. The Flip 6 manages to feel like a normal phone when open, which is no mean feat when it has to fold in half.
As much press as Samsung’s top-tier devices get, its midrange and entry-level offerings are legitimately better than ever. The A25 delivers, quite frankly, a better experience than a roughly $250 handset has any right to. Even the A15 is more than passable, as long as you know what you’re in for. The S24 FE, while not highly desirable at MSRP, turns into one of the top midrange phones once it gets a discount — which is already common for the relatively new device.
Best overall
Samsung Galaxy S24+
The middle child is also the favorite
The Galaxy S24+ might lack the S Pen and fancy zoom of the S24 Ultra, but it packs some serious upgrades over the S23+ from last year. The battery is almost as big as the Ultra, clocking in at 4,900mAh. Combine that with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and you have a phone that can last all day while breezing through anything you throw at it.
- Brighter, sharper display
- More RAM
- Larger battery
- Same cameras as last year
- Aging design
- Exynos 2400 outside of the US