Switching to the S24 Ultra: 48 Hours Later

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Last weekend, I left my iPhone at home while I went about my business elsewhere. I travelled to the studio, visited the gym, and did stuff out and about with the family.

Without my iPhone.

For the first time in ten years.

The only problem I encountered was the fact that I missed a few texts from important people – and that’s only because I’m still waiting for an eSIM QR code from EE to switch my main number to the S24 Ultra.

Everything else was hunky dory. My watch (currently a Garmin MARQ Commander), Whoop band, credit cards, favourite apps, and various other Bluetooth devices all played very happily with my new daily driver.

And before you ask – no green bubbles aren’t a concern. Because I use WhatsApp. And, regardless, it’s just text messaging; who cares?

Here’s what I’ve discovered about being a full-on Samsung Person for 48 hours.

That display!

I’ve never suggested that the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a poor display, because that isn’t the case – it’s as superb as the iPhone display has always been. But it isn’t the S24 Ultra display.

That anti-reflective coating, those squared-off edges, and the sheer expansiveness of it make for such an enjoyable ownership experience.

I’m not one of the small proportion of S24 Ultra owners who took to Reddit and YouTube comments threads to moan about a perceived ‘washed out’ display – nor did I notice or care that the Vivid colour option wasn’t working out of the box (it has since been fixed via a software update). I just love this display.

In fact, I’d forgotten what it’s like to continually glance at your phone and marvel at how lovely it looks.

The camera

I need more time with the S24 Ultra’s camera to assess how reliable it is compared to the ever-dependable iPhone 15 Pro Max, but we’re off to a good start.

This isn’t the first time I’ve used the S24 Ultra’s camera, obviously – I gave it a right old battering during the review period (and numerous times thereafter). I can confirm that, thanks to the addition of a 5x optical zoom and a much faster shutter speed, it is a huge upgrade over the S23 Ultra camera system.

I used it recently for an Instagram photo post, and the results have left me questioning why on earth I always reached for the iPhone for that task in the past – even when the S24 Ultra was also by my side.

The S24 Ultra will also feature as my main short-form camera now. That’ll be a serious test for it, but initial tests suggest that, once again, my reliance on the iPhone as the only device capable of such a job might have been misplaced.

Exploring new stuff

Since switching to the S24 Ultra, I’ve found myself more inclined to try new things for longer. For instance, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 have become my gym earbuds of choice – a role previously only ever occupied by the AirPods Pro 2 (unless I was reviewing a new set of earbuds).

I have a feeling this is going to keep happening. Being unleashed from the grasp of the iPhone has left me wanting to explore what lies beyond the strict compatibility of iOS.

Features like Samsung DeX are calling my name. I’m actively seeking a new podcast app (suggestions in the comments section, please), and I’m even thinking about occasionally wearing the Galaxy Watch6 Classic again.

I’m rather liking this New Me.

Trying to use the S Pen more

Ok, here’s the deal, folks – I’ve poked fun at the S Pen before, and I’ve toyed with the emotions of the ‘Spen’ Massiv, but, deep down, I really want to like and use Samsung’s stylus.

Now that the S24 Ultra is my main phone, I want to give the S Pen a chance. The problem is that I’m still struggling to find use cases for it.

I know I can use the S Pen to activate the camera’s shutter button remotely, but opportunities to do so only arise at family gatherings where someone suggests a group photo is appropriate (that’s never me). I’m also aware that it could, potentially, replace my Moleskine daily notebook.

That’s where the problems begin, I’m afraid. As much as I’ve tried, I can confirm that I hate writing with the S Pen. You can’t rest your wrist on the display, and I find myself constant interacting with the user interface, rather than writing stuff. It’s a delicate, painful experience that does not replace a good, old-fashioned notebook and pen setup. Sorry.

Whenever I’ve raised concerns about the S Pen in the past, its fans have bombarded me with reasons I’m an idiot and why I should give it more time. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten everything they said, so, once again – suggestions in the comments section, please!

Apple ecosystem regrets

Referring to the stuff I’m missing from the Apple ecosystem as ‘regrets’ perhaps isn’t fair – I had accepted that I’d encounter a few challenges after ditching the iPhone.

I’ve found it rather fascinating what I’m missing, though – because it doesn’t feel particularly obvious or atypical of a long-term iPhone user. It does, however, illustrate how smart Apple is at locking you in.

There’s the obvious: transferring stuff between my phone and Mac. With the iPhone, it is laughably easy; pretty much anything can be almost immediately sent between both devices, from media to the contents of the clipboard. There are workarounds for this with Samsung devices, thankfully, and I will soon be forced to adopt one of them. I’ll report back.

Now, onto the less obvious stuff for which I’m having to recalibrate my brain following its disappearance.

The Apple TV Remote feature. Anyone with a small child will know that the ability to use your phone rather than the inevitably lost or destroyed physical remote control for your Apple TV is all too regularly useful.

Find My. Yes, just like every other iPhone user, the constant reminders that I’ve left an Apple device where I know I’ve left it are irritating (I know you can tell Find My to stop doing so), but the sudden inability to check where members of my family are was initially disconcerting. That was, until I realised I didn’t really need to know where they were, anyway. Because I knew where they were.

The biggest problem I’ve encountered so far has come as the biggest surprise. I use Whoop to track my daily health goals and, as noted earlier, I’m now a Garmin Person. On the iPhone, both of those devices connect fairly effortlessly to Apple Health, which means my workout data is all synced. On the S24 Ultra, it’s a bit of a mess.

I’ve genuinely forgotten what doesn’t talk to what, but the net result is that Whoop no longer automatically imports the workouts I track with my Garmin watch – even after opening and syncing the Garmin Connect app (which is something you have to do even on the iPhone).

I’ve tried installing an app called Health Sync, but that has made no difference. It appears as though I’m going to have to track workouts in real time on Whoop, as well as on the Garmin – which feels like a task peppered with missed opportunities.

I’m sure there’ll be more hangovers from my iPhone days that return to haunt me. We’ll just have to see how scary those episodes turn out to be.

Wrapping up

It’s early days with the S24 Ultra. It still feels a bit like a honeymoon.

How long will this relationship last?

Stay tuned for future updates!

Before you go