The Samsung Galaxy S24 line launched back in January, so at the time of writing this series of phones – including the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – is over four months old.
In some industries four months is hardly anything, but a lot can change in four months in the smartphone world, as new models from other brands launch and the next Galaxy S generation gets closer.
So should you still buy a phone in the Samsung Galaxy S24 line? Well, that depends on your needs, but below we’ve detailed some circumstances where you should, and some where you shouldn’t.
Buy it if you specifically want Samsung (and don’t want a foldable)
If you’re a fan of Samsung and plan to buy a Samsung handset for your next phone, then in most cases you won’t go wrong with a Galaxy S24 or one of its siblings.
It’s unlikely that the Samsung Galaxy S25 will launch before January 2025, so that’s still a long wait, and in the meantime the only Samsung phones that might be better are the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
But these are foldable phones, so they’re a very different prospect, and you probably already know whether you want a foldable phone or not.
If not, then you can safely buy a Samsung Galaxy S24 – or for the best possible option a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Regardless of what else happens in the smartphone market these are likely to remain among the best phones for many months yet, so they’re ideal for Samsung fans.
Don’t buy it if you’re interested in what’s on the horizon
As noted, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 are on the way, with both phones probably landing in July.
But that’s not all. There’s also the iPhone 16 line probably launching in September, the Google Pixel 9 series likely landing in October, and various other major phones on the way, such as the OnePlus 13.
So there are lots of exciting alternatives that could land in the next few months – and then of course there’s the Samsung Galaxy S25, though we don’t expect to see that until early 2025.
Buy it if you don’t plan to upgrade again for a while
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and its siblings are powerful, feature-packed phones that aren’t likely to feel slow or dated for years yet.
Better still, they come with the promise of seven years of Android updates, so they’re ideal phones for hanging on to for a long time; at least in theory.
So if you’re not always chasing the newest model then buying a Samsung Galaxy S24 now would make for a good choice.
Don’t buy it if you want better cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and especially the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra all have great cameras. In fact, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra currently tops our list of the best camera phones.
But leaks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra are mostly so far focused on the cameras, and suggest that they’ll be even better.
While there’s some disagreement among sources, we’ve heard that it might have an improved main sensor and a variable zoom lens, which can optically zoom to multiple focal lengths.
And other brands also have promising camera phones on the way. The iPhone 16 Pro Max for example could have a new 48MP ultra-wide camera, along with an upgraded main sensor. And the Pixel 9 Pro is likely to have excellent cameras too.
Buy it if you want a great phone now
Ultimately, you won’t go wrong if you buy a Samsung Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, or Galaxy S24 Ultra.
With the arguable exception of the iPhone 15 line there’s not really anything better around right now, and while we might see some better phones later this year, they’re unlikely to be vast improvements.
So unless you’re really holding out for another model or a feature that the Samsung Galaxy S24 series lacks, there’s little reason not to buy one.
Plus, with the Samsung Galaxy S24 series not being brand new anymore, you can often find these phones for slightly less then their launch prices. Wait longer and you might get them for cheaper still, especially in sales periods like Black Friday, but by then there will be more competition too.
So if you’re itching for a new phone now and aren’t put off by anything we’ve mentioned above, then there’s little reason to hold off on buying a Samsung Galaxy S24.