The best Samsung phones in 2024

Anurag Singh
Image showing 4 people holding Samsung Galaxy S24 series in their hands and smiling for the camera.

Choosing the best Samsung phone could get confusing given the number of options available. To help you out, we’ve gathered the best Samsung phones you can buy right now.

If you go looking to buy a smartphone, you’ll definitely come across a Samsung phone. The Korean company makes phones in all shapes and sizes and across all price ranges, whether you want a flagship, a budget phone, or a foldable device.

Even our best lists are crowded with Samsung phones, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra leading the pack for the best Android phone, and the Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A14 being some of our favorite budget-friendly options. It’s clear that if you’re looking to buy a Samsung, you’ve got more choices than you might realize.

You can narrow things down by defining the features you really want. Do you want a phone that’s all about top-notch performance, with killer cameras and battery life? Or are you more about finding something that does the job without breaking the bank? Maybe you’re even into checking out foldable phones. To cut down on the hunt, we’ve listed all of our favorites below. 

1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: The best Samsung phone

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra design
  • Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  • Display: 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED,1440 x 3120, 120 Hz refresh rate
  • Battery: 5,000 mAh
  • OS: Android 14
  • Memory: 12GB
  • Storage: 256 GB,512 GB, 1TB
  • Price:  $1,300
ProsCons
Display and performanceToo expensive
Long battery lifeBig and heavy
Impressive cameras

Samsung announced the Galaxy S24 Ultra earlier this year as its latest flagship, and it’s the best smartphone in the market right now. It packs Samsung’s best camera system to date, featuring a 200MP main camera. There’s also a new 50MP periscope telephoto and a pair of regular 10MP ultrawide and telephoto lenses.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra packs several AI tools you won’t find on cheaper Samsung models. One notable feature is Circle to Search, where you just circle something on your screen to find out what it is. Plus, there’s Live Translate, Interpreter, and Chat Assist, letting you translate in real-time with voice or text.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra packs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which crushes any task or game you throw at it. In our benchmarks of the chip on the OnePlus 12 and iQOO 12, the chip delivered lag-free performance with impressive efficiency. The battery life on the Galaxy S24 Ultra is also no slouch, lasting up to 8 hours of screen on time. Plus, it charges quickly thanks to 45W fast charging.

Another major highlight of the phone is its software support. Samsung is promising a whopping seven years of updates, which means you’ll get it with Android 14 out of the box and keep getting updates all the way up to Android 21 in 2031.

2. Galaxy A54: The best Samsung mid-range phone

Samsung Galaxy A54 in black color option
  • Processor: Exynos 1380
  • Display: 6.4-inch AMOLED,1080 x 2340, 120 Hz refresh rate
  • Battery: 5,000 mAh
  • OS: Android 14
  • Memory: up to 8GB
  • Storage: 128 GB, 256 GB
  • Price:  $450
ProsCons
Big, vibrant screenPoor cameras
Long battery lifeSlow performance
Affordable price

Not everyone needs the highest-end specs, some of us just need a smartphone that gets the job done. Samsung understands this, and released the Galaxy A54 in 2023. It offers a good balance of affordability and features. Its excellent 6.4-inch display with a fast 120Hz refresh rate ensures you get a good viewing experience while watching movies or scrolling through social media.

The Galaxy A54 gets the Exynos 1380 processor which isn’t exactly a powerhouse. But for the price, it delivers decent, lag-free performance for everyday tasks. Don’t expect to enjoy super demanding games like Genshin Impact or PUBG on high settings. But, browsing, social media, and most other apps will run smoothly.

The phone rocks a 50-megapixel F/1.8 main rear camera with optical stabilization, like what you get with the S23 and S23 Plus. There’s also a 32-megapixel selfie camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 5-megapixel macro lens. The camera performance is also pretty decent in daylight, so just make sure you don’t try to snap any photos at night, and you should be golden.

The Galaxy A54 packs a 5,000mAh battery and supports 25W charging. Unlike the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the A54 only gets four major Android updates— which is still impressive for a budget phone.

3. Galaxy Z Fold 5: The best Samsung foldable

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 against a blue background
  • Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  • Display: 7.6-inch AMOLED main screen, 2176 x 1812-pixel, 120 Hz refresh rate
  • Battery:  4400 mAh
  • OS: Android 14
  • Memory: up to 12GB
  • Storage: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1TB
  • Price:  $1800
ProsCons
Powerful performanceToo expensive
Improved hingeLong-term durability is still uncertain
Good software support

Samsung burst onto the foldable smartphone market in 2019, and it’s since become a leader within the segment. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the brand’s latest, and best foldable, offering balanced specifications alongside solid durability. Samsung has also equipped the phone with a new teardrop-shaped hinge which makes it a bit thinner and lighter than the Z Fold 4. The hinge also allows the phone to fold flat, which is less common than you might think for foldable devices. 

The Z Fold 5 measures 13.4mm thick when closed. The Fold 4 was 14.2mm thick. It’s also about 10g lighter, down to 253g. It carries the same IPX8 rating for water resistance as last year’s model but gets the latest Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and inner screens for better durability.

The 7.6-inch inner screen sticks with the same 2,176 x 1,812-pixel resolution, 4:3 aspect ratio, and 120Hz refresh rate of the Fold 4, but with 1,750 nits peak brightness compared with 1,000 nits. The 6.2-inch outer screen of the Z Fold 5 is also the same with a resolution of 2,316 by 904 pixels, a 23.1:9 aspect ratio, and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and is promised to receive four years of major OS updates and five years of security patches.

4. Galaxy Z Flip 5: The best clamshell foldable

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip in a table with oranges
  • Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  • Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED main screen, 2640 x 1080, 120 Hz refresh rate
  • Battery:  3700 mAh
  • OS: Android 14
  • Memory: up to 12GB
  • Storage: 256 GB, 512 GB
  • Price:  $1000
ProsCons
Usable battery lifeLackluster cameras
Improved hingeLong-term durability is still uncertain
Versatile cover display 

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is one of the best flip phones you can get. While many brands make book-style foldable, Samsung and Motorola are the only brands selling flip phones in the US. While Motorola’s Razr Plus is a good and affordable flip phone, it’s the Z Flip 5 that gives you the best value for your money.

The flip phone comes with a 6.7-inch Full HD+ (2640 x 1080) AMOLED main display with an adaptive 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate. It uses a 3.4-inch 720 x 748 60Hz AMOLED cover display, which is almost 80% larger than the Z Flip 4. The Z Flip offers a solid performance thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.

Samsung hasn’t made many hardware changes to the phone’s camera, but it still manages to deliver small but consistent improvements to image quality. It packs a 3700 mAh battery that offers decent battery life of around six hours. Charging remains at 25W over the wire and 15W wirelessly. Just like the Z Fold 5, the Z Flip is promised four years of major updates.

5. Galaxy A14 5G: The best cheap Samsung phone

Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
  • Processor: Exynos 1330
  • Display: 6.6-inch LCD, 1080 x 2408, 90 Hz refresh rate
  • Battery:  5000 mAh
  • OS: Android 14
  • Memory: up to 8GB
  • Storage: 128 GB
  • Price:  $200
ProsCons
AffordableSluggish performance
90Hz refresh ratePoor cameras
Good software support

The Galaxy A14 5G may not be the best budget phone at its price, but it’s worth considering if you can snag it on a carrier deal. This phone is often discounted pretty heavily, and you might even be able to score one for free with a new contract. Screen-wise, you’re looking at a big 6.6-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a sharp resolution of 2,400 by 1,080 pixels.

It gets decently bright too, but don’t expect perfect performance under direct sunlight when compared to flagship devices.  For the price, the performance is also very respectable. Samsung is also promising four years of Android updates for this phone, which is a plus. It packs a big 5000mAh battery and a basic, but functional camera system.

What is the best Samsung phone to buy?

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best Samsung smartphone you can get in 2024. It packs a powerful processor, a flagship-grade display, and a large battery. But if you’re not looking for the absolute best performance, get the Samsung Galaxy S24+ which brings a good mix of features and costs less than the Ultra model. If you’re on a budget, check out the Galaxy A54 or Galaxy S23 FE.

Which is best Samsung series: A or S?

The Samsung series S is better because it features top-of-the-line phones like the S24 Ultra and S24 Plus. However, the A series is great for those who are looking for inexpensive phones that get the job don with no frills.

How to shop for a Samsung phone

To choose the best Samsung phone for yourself, look for the features that are important to you. An ideal Samsung phone should offer respectable performance, a bright display, 5G connectivity, and long software support within your chosen budget.

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About The Author

Anurag is a Tech writer at Dexerto. He is an expert in laptops, smartphones, and wearables. Anurag has previously covered major brands like Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft. He's previously written for publications like Android Police, Neowin, MakeTechEasier, Gizmochina, and more. Get in touch at Anurag.singh@dexerto.com.