S24+ / S24 Ultra, or.....?
Discussion
I mentioned on another thread that App updates are beginning to cause me problems because they no longer work with my phone (Note 9) - so I'm considering a new phone. The problem is, I don't really want one so need a little convincing.
My Note 9 was already being phased out when I bought it in 2020, but I bought it because features I wanted didn't appear on the newer models (SD card, headphone socket, status LED) so I got the last model "new" phone I could that had those (although I don't use the headphone socket these days).
I prefer Samsung - I have a Samsung watch and tablets, but might be persuaded by other brands if they offer me something positive. However, it's very unlikely I'd buy Motorola - I had their "premium" phone (Startac) many years ago and it was utter garbage.
Since there is no SD card, I want at least 512GB.
If you can still buy them, I'd consider S23s - but since I'm having to replace mine due to lack of support - buying an "old" model seems like a dumb idea.
So the favourites are S24 Ultra and S24+. Problem is - I like having the stylus (even though I use it rarely) which means Ultra over plus, but the Ultra is one of the ugliest things I've seen. The plus is a much better form factor.
I don't care about camera quality - I rarely take photos and as long as they're adequate I'm happy.
I don't care about 5G, although I assume I'll get it anyway with a newer phone - although I'm unlikely to upgrade my plan.
I would like dual SIM support with eSIM as the second SIM. We're going to Barbados later this year, and EE don't do any roaming deals there which means the phone is pretty useless. A local eSIM might be handy.
It must have fingerprint as biometrics - face recognition is rubbish.
Any suggestions for why an S24 Ultra or S24+ would be a good thing - or something else that would be better? I feel like I need to spend a chunk of money and not really get anything new that I need - simply to get my apps working again. That - plus the hassle of setting up a new phone - make me a bit reluctant to bother, even though I should be excited about a new shiny phone!
I could also wait for S25 next year, but I suspect that will basically be a slightly shinier S24 that still doesn't offer anything I want but costs more.
I do not want iPhone.
My Note 9 was already being phased out when I bought it in 2020, but I bought it because features I wanted didn't appear on the newer models (SD card, headphone socket, status LED) so I got the last model "new" phone I could that had those (although I don't use the headphone socket these days).
I prefer Samsung - I have a Samsung watch and tablets, but might be persuaded by other brands if they offer me something positive. However, it's very unlikely I'd buy Motorola - I had their "premium" phone (Startac) many years ago and it was utter garbage.
Since there is no SD card, I want at least 512GB.
If you can still buy them, I'd consider S23s - but since I'm having to replace mine due to lack of support - buying an "old" model seems like a dumb idea.
So the favourites are S24 Ultra and S24+. Problem is - I like having the stylus (even though I use it rarely) which means Ultra over plus, but the Ultra is one of the ugliest things I've seen. The plus is a much better form factor.
I don't care about camera quality - I rarely take photos and as long as they're adequate I'm happy.
I don't care about 5G, although I assume I'll get it anyway with a newer phone - although I'm unlikely to upgrade my plan.
I would like dual SIM support with eSIM as the second SIM. We're going to Barbados later this year, and EE don't do any roaming deals there which means the phone is pretty useless. A local eSIM might be handy.
It must have fingerprint as biometrics - face recognition is rubbish.
Any suggestions for why an S24 Ultra or S24+ would be a good thing - or something else that would be better? I feel like I need to spend a chunk of money and not really get anything new that I need - simply to get my apps working again. That - plus the hassle of setting up a new phone - make me a bit reluctant to bother, even though I should be excited about a new shiny phone!
I could also wait for S25 next year, but I suspect that will basically be a slightly shinier S24 that still doesn't offer anything I want but costs more.
I do not want iPhone.
BlueJazz said:
Have you considered a Galaxy Fold? They too use the stylus (need to option it in and pick a suitable case) and have a much bigger screen due to the folding. The camera system isn't much to write home about but works well in most circumstances.
A new model is due soon so there's plenty of opportunity for discount or getting a refurbished one.
I have actually - and that would make it more like a new toy. I've seen people using them and I do like them.A new model is due soon so there's plenty of opportunity for discount or getting a refurbished one.
I'm not sure I fully trust the screen to last - and I think I'll find it too thick to fit comfortably in my pocket - but I do need a proper look at them.
Sadly - if the new model is released in a couple of weeks, it's likely I'd buy that
ETA : I just happen to have a laptop power dock thing which is roughly the same dimensions as the Fold 5 - certainly the same thinkness, albeit very slightly shorter / narrower.
That fits in the pocket fine - and the Fold 5 is actually shorter and narrower than the Note 9 anyway - so I don't think it will be a problem.
Thanks for the suggestion. Read a few Fold 5 reviews this morning, and I think there is a very good chance I'll be buying a Fold 6 in a few weeks....... rather than being reluctant, I'm actually quite excited at the prospect now! Even though the price has probably just jumped significantly.
I was also waiting for the Watch 7 to be announced, so July might be a rather expensive month.....
Edited by davek_964 on Friday 28th June 10:14
Luke. said:
Had a Fold 3 and now on a Fold 5. Brilliant devices and a bit of a game changer. The 6 is going to be a couple of mm wider and with squarer corners. Same camera and battery as the 5, so nothing to write home about really.
I picked my 5 up from GiffGaff as used but in new condition for £799. It arrived absolutely spotless with the protective plastic coverings in place. So worth having a look around. The 6 is likely to be ££££....
Yeah. Rumours seem to suggest that it will probably be over £2k, especially for the 512GB / 1TB versions.I picked my 5 up from GiffGaff as used but in new condition for £799. It arrived absolutely spotless with the protective plastic coverings in place. So worth having a look around. The 6 is likely to be ££££....
If the fold 6 was a bit more conventional size when folded, and integrated the s pen - I might be willing to spend that. But it looks like it won't be significantly different from the Fold 5 - that's the same kind of money as the S24 Ultra at ~£1,350. The fold 6 needs to be significantly better to justify me spending an extra £1k, especially since that would cover the watch 7....
Currys don't even list the fold 5 now but a local CEX had one so we went to take a look.
Quite nice to hold and the folding / unfolding felt good - it was stiffer than I expected it to be. I'm not a big fan of the outside screen form factor though.
By chance, the salesman had previously owned a fold 5 and was very helpful. He pointed out something that I'd noticed in reviews - that even unfolded, because of the aspect ratio you end up with big black bars above / below videos which means that the viewable area is barely larger than a traditional phone - particularly the S24 Ultra.
That would be a bit annoying because it would mean when flying short hall - which we do 4 or 5 times a year - I'd probably still want to take a tablet and that's a bit of a big negative.
Unfolded would work well for browsing etc, although the salesman said he did that less than he expected and used the front screen most of the time simply because it was there / quicker.
I'll see what the 10th July brings - I suspect it won't be different enough from the 5 to convince me and I'm not sure I'd order a 5 in preference to S24+ or ultra. But I have 10 days to think about it.
Quite nice to hold and the folding / unfolding felt good - it was stiffer than I expected it to be. I'm not a big fan of the outside screen form factor though.
By chance, the salesman had previously owned a fold 5 and was very helpful. He pointed out something that I'd noticed in reviews - that even unfolded, because of the aspect ratio you end up with big black bars above / below videos which means that the viewable area is barely larger than a traditional phone - particularly the S24 Ultra.
That would be a bit annoying because it would mean when flying short hall - which we do 4 or 5 times a year - I'd probably still want to take a tablet and that's a bit of a big negative.
Unfolded would work well for browsing etc, although the salesman said he did that less than he expected and used the front screen most of the time simply because it was there / quicker.
I'll see what the 10th July brings - I suspect it won't be different enough from the 5 to convince me and I'm not sure I'd order a 5 in preference to S24+ or ultra. But I have 10 days to think about it.
I play games on a PS5, but I never play games on my phone or tablet and doubt I ever will.
I think that part of the appeal of the fold phones is that I don't really want to upgrade my phone - especially since I don't really like the look of the S24 Ultra - and at least the fold is different, and hence gives me "something" back for having to change.
Most of my use is listening to music (where it would be folded), and then browsing / email / spreadsheets / banking etc. - all of which would be good with it in tablet form. Videos when flying, and as I said - the fact that won't be much better than a phone might be an issue.
The OnePlus does seem to be a better phone from the reviews - and perhaps I could even live without wireless. But I'm a bit wary of buying something that seems a bit niche. I can't buy it from Amazon / Curry's - and equally, while I could buy a 100 different cases etc. for a Samsung, that's not going to be the case with the OnePlus.
I will do some more research over the next few days though.
I think that part of the appeal of the fold phones is that I don't really want to upgrade my phone - especially since I don't really like the look of the S24 Ultra - and at least the fold is different, and hence gives me "something" back for having to change.
Most of my use is listening to music (where it would be folded), and then browsing / email / spreadsheets / banking etc. - all of which would be good with it in tablet form. Videos when flying, and as I said - the fact that won't be much better than a phone might be an issue.
The OnePlus does seem to be a better phone from the reviews - and perhaps I could even live without wireless. But I'm a bit wary of buying something that seems a bit niche. I can't buy it from Amazon / Curry's - and equally, while I could buy a 100 different cases etc. for a Samsung, that's not going to be the case with the OnePlus.
I will do some more research over the next few days though.
justin220 said:
I'm another fan of the Samsung Fold. I currently have the 3, and no major issues to report of over the last three years. I mainly use it for media when travelling and things like Netflix/Youtube are brilliant on it. I've not felt the need for a tablet since I bought it. Its fantastic having the inner screen open for multitasking.
I don't agree that the screen isn't much bigger than the slab phones, I guess it depends on how much bigger you need. Sure it will never be a full size tablet, but its noticeably bigger than my wife's iPhone when watching video.
The real disappointment with the Fold's are the cameras. The 3 is OK at best, its a real shame Samsung don't put the S24 ultra camera into them, and its significantly better. Again as a comparison to my wife's iPhone, hers is miles ahead.
Tempted to upgrade to the Fold 6 when its launched, but the camera is holding me back. I'd massively miss the screen however if I go for the S24+
Thanks, that's useful. I don't agree that the screen isn't much bigger than the slab phones, I guess it depends on how much bigger you need. Sure it will never be a full size tablet, but its noticeably bigger than my wife's iPhone when watching video.
The real disappointment with the Fold's are the cameras. The 3 is OK at best, its a real shame Samsung don't put the S24 ultra camera into them, and its significantly better. Again as a comparison to my wife's iPhone, hers is miles ahead.
Tempted to upgrade to the Fold 6 when its launched, but the camera is holding me back. I'd massively miss the screen however if I go for the S24+
I don't think the cameras will be a big issue for me - and I'd guess the 6 will be a bit better even if not S24 Ultra better
OK - decision made.
S24 Ultra : Ruled out because it is just too big, and with the square corners - too ugly. I really don't have any desire to own it. I want S-pen, but the reality is I've used the S pen in my Note 9 about 3 times in 4 years.......
S24+ : The right kind of size / form factor - very similar to my Note 9. But that's a double edged sword - I don't want to spend ~£1k on a phone that looks pretty much like the phone I already have just so that my apps work. Seven years worth of updates was tempting though.
Fold 5 : Tempting, but I don't like the folded form factor. It does have S pen, but it's not integral which means I'd never have it with me anyway. It's a phone I think I could live with, but it's not a phone I want.
Fold 6 : Obviously not out yet, but it's hard to believe that it will be significantly different from all the leaks. Which means - although it is slightly wider, and slightly less tall - we're talking the order of mm, and it's still not a form factor I like. Plus - it seems it's followed the Ultra square corner design which is horrible - so when closed it's not only the wrong form factor, it's damn ugly too.
The simple fact is, while it is probably better than the Fold 5 - the differences are simply not big enough (and some, like the square corners are a backwards step) and since it's likely to be a £2k+ phone (I wouldn't buy one with less than 512GB) that's just not good enough. Samsung have the resource to have done better - particularly since this is the type of phone they've made for years now - and it's not a big enough step from the Fold 5.
So I've ordered a OnePlus Open. Pretty much every review rates it above the Fold 5, and it is the form factor I want. The fold is much less visible when in tablet mode than the Samsung - it was obvious in many videos, and mentioned by the reviewers too (although the fold 6 might be better I guess).
Lack of wireless charging will be a bit irritating - but I only really use that to charge the phone overnight - and a phone that will charge from empty to 100% in 40 minutes means that overnight charging seems a bit unnecessary now anyway.
I will lose some Samsung apps - I do use Samsung Notes for a few things, so will need to move them to Keep notes (which I also use). And I guess it will take some time to get used to the non-Samsung way of doing things (although I use Nova Launcher anyway).
I have some reservations. I know from having broken my screen before that official Samsung repairs can be done on my driveway from a van - I think Oneplus will be a little more painful. This is a bit of a concern with a phone that has a folding screen - which is presumably the weak point - and of course one day it may need a new battery.
But the reality is that for me, the current Samsung's just don't give me what I want. I am wary about moving away from them - but time will tell whether it's the right decision.
It's currently estimated to arrive on Friday.
S24 Ultra : Ruled out because it is just too big, and with the square corners - too ugly. I really don't have any desire to own it. I want S-pen, but the reality is I've used the S pen in my Note 9 about 3 times in 4 years.......
S24+ : The right kind of size / form factor - very similar to my Note 9. But that's a double edged sword - I don't want to spend ~£1k on a phone that looks pretty much like the phone I already have just so that my apps work. Seven years worth of updates was tempting though.
Fold 5 : Tempting, but I don't like the folded form factor. It does have S pen, but it's not integral which means I'd never have it with me anyway. It's a phone I think I could live with, but it's not a phone I want.
Fold 6 : Obviously not out yet, but it's hard to believe that it will be significantly different from all the leaks. Which means - although it is slightly wider, and slightly less tall - we're talking the order of mm, and it's still not a form factor I like. Plus - it seems it's followed the Ultra square corner design which is horrible - so when closed it's not only the wrong form factor, it's damn ugly too.
The simple fact is, while it is probably better than the Fold 5 - the differences are simply not big enough (and some, like the square corners are a backwards step) and since it's likely to be a £2k+ phone (I wouldn't buy one with less than 512GB) that's just not good enough. Samsung have the resource to have done better - particularly since this is the type of phone they've made for years now - and it's not a big enough step from the Fold 5.
So I've ordered a OnePlus Open. Pretty much every review rates it above the Fold 5, and it is the form factor I want. The fold is much less visible when in tablet mode than the Samsung - it was obvious in many videos, and mentioned by the reviewers too (although the fold 6 might be better I guess).
Lack of wireless charging will be a bit irritating - but I only really use that to charge the phone overnight - and a phone that will charge from empty to 100% in 40 minutes means that overnight charging seems a bit unnecessary now anyway.
I will lose some Samsung apps - I do use Samsung Notes for a few things, so will need to move them to Keep notes (which I also use). And I guess it will take some time to get used to the non-Samsung way of doing things (although I use Nova Launcher anyway).
I have some reservations. I know from having broken my screen before that official Samsung repairs can be done on my driveway from a van - I think Oneplus will be a little more painful. This is a bit of a concern with a phone that has a folding screen - which is presumably the weak point - and of course one day it may need a new battery.
But the reality is that for me, the current Samsung's just don't give me what I want. I am wary about moving away from them - but time will tell whether it's the right decision.
It's currently estimated to arrive on Friday.
SP_ said:
I think you need to look at the actual prices. £1k for an S24+ is wildly out of the real world price. You can get one for nearer £500.
I did look at real prices. For a 512GB S24+ - from sites I use - it is about £1k.I am aware that there are places online that are cheaper, but I tend to order from places I trust and have used before. And that would mean ~£1k.
SP_ said:
davek_964 said:
SP_ said:
I think you need to look at the actual prices. £1k for an S24+ is wildly out of the real world price. You can get one for nearer £500.
I did look at real prices. For a 512GB S24+ - from sites I use - it is about £1k.I am aware that there are places online that are cheaper, but I tend to order from places I trust and have used before. And that would mean ~£1k.
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/samsung-galaxy-s2...
It's a tad academic though. I said that I didn't want to spend about £1k for a phone that didn't really offer anything (other than up to date Android) over my existing phone, and that is equally true for a £700 phone.
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