The flagship phone market moves fast, but last year's flagship rarely stops being excellent. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra arrived with a titanium frame, a 200 megapixel camera system, a built in S Pen, and the first wave of Galaxy AI features, and it remains a genuinely elite phone. This review covers the renewed 256GB version in Titanium Gray, locked to Verizon, which brings that flagship experience down to a far friendlier price. I used it as my daily phone for a month to judge The Cameras, the AI tools, the battery, and the practical realities of buying renewed and carrier locked.
Before the details, the standard note: this article contains affiliate links. If you buy through one of them, the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you, and that commission never changes what I test or recommend.
Design and Build
The S24 Ultra is a large phone, and it is honest about it. The 6.8 inch display sits inside a flat titanium frame with squared corners, which gives it a serious, architectural look and a comfortable grip for large hands. The Titanium Gray finish is understated and premium, and the Armor Aluminum frame resists scuffs. The phone is heavy, over two hundred grams, and it is impossible to use comfortably with one hand, but that is the trade you accept for the screen and the S Pen.
Every edge is finished to a high standard. The S Pen nests in a slot at the bottom edge, clicking in with a satisfying action, and the built in speaker grille and USB C port are machined cleanly. The phone carries an IP68 rating, so it survives dust, rain, and a splash without concern. As a renewed unit, this example arrived with only the faintest signs of use, and after a wipe down it looked effectively new, which is the best case for the renewed process.
Key Features
The camera system is the headliner. The 200 megapixel main sensor captures exceptional detail, and the dual telephoto lenses, a 3x and a 5x periscope zoom, cover the range most people actually use with clarity that rivals dedicated cameras. The 12 megapixel ultrawide rounds out the setup, and the whole system is backed by Samsung's computational processing, which balances exposure, sharpness, and color in ways that make almost any shot look professional.
Galaxy AI is the software story. Circle to Search lets you circle anything on screen to search for it. Live Translate provides real time translation in calls and messages. Photo Assist gives tools like object erasing and generative edits directly in the gallery. These tools are genuinely useful rather than gimmicks, and they run locally on the phone's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, so they work without an internet connection for many tasks.
The 6.8 inch QHD+ AMOLED display is among the best on any phone, with a dynamic 120 hertz refresh rate, enormous peak brightness, and accurate color. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy keeps everything instant, and the 5,000 milliamp hour battery combined with 45 watt charging delivers a full day of heavy use and a fast top up when you need it.
Real-World Performance
The camera delivered in every setting I threw at it. Daylight shots are crisp with natural color, low light shots stay bright and clean, and the 5x periscope zoom captured details across a park that would have been unreadable on most phones. Portrait mode edge detection is accurate, and the ultrawide keeps its detail at the edges. For the way most people use a phone camera, the S24 Ultra is effectively overkill in the best way.
Video recording is equally strong, with stable 8K capture for the few times you want it and rock solid 4K at sixty frames for everyday footage. The microphones pick up clear audio, and the camera app's pro mode exposes full manual control for anyone who wants it. During a night event, the low light processing kept faces bright and colors honest without turning the scene into an over processed glow, which is a balance many phones still miss.
Galaxy AI earned a permanent place in my workflow. Circle to Search saved me constantly, Live Translate handled a brief text exchange in another language convincingly, and Photo Assist removed a stray person from a beach photo with no visible trace. The AI processing is fast, running mostly on device, and it does not feel like a toy feature bolted onto the software.
The renewed condition deserves an honest mention, because it is the reason the price is where it is. This unit arrived in a retail style box with a charging cable, and the battery reported a healthy capacity in the phone's diagnostic view. Cosmetic inspection found only a microscopic mark near the USB port that was invisible during use, and a fresh screen protector and case made the phone indistinguishable from a new unit. Amazon's renewal process includes a ninety day warranty, which is the safety net that makes the condition acceptable for most buyers.
The battery and performance matched the flagship billing. A typical day with heavy camera use, navigation, and streaming ended with thirty percent or more remaining, and the 45 watt charging took the phone from empty to a day's worth in under an hour. The S Pen is a genuine productivity tool for notes and photo editing, and the display is a joy for video. The only real complaints are the ones every large flagship shares: the weight, the single hand difficulty, and the premium price even when renewed.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Exceptional 200MP camera with a clean 5x periscope zoom
- Built in S Pen for notes, editing, and precision work
- Galaxy AI tools that work well and run largely on device
- Best in class AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
- All day battery life with fast 45 watt charging
- Renewed pricing makes flagship hardware affordable
Cons:
- Large, heavy body is awkward for one handed use
- Locked to Verizon, so it needs an active Verizon line
- Renewed condition can vary between units
- Premium price even in renewed form
How It Compares
The renewed S24 Ultra is often weighed against a new Galaxy S25 Ultra and against the regular Galaxy S24 Plus. The table below shows how they line up.
| Feature | Galaxy S24 Ultra (Renewed) | Galaxy S25 Ultra | Galaxy S24 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Lower, renewed | Full price | Mid tier |
| Main camera | 200 MP | 200 MP | 50 MP |
| S Pen | Yes, built in | Yes, built in | No |
| Display | 6.8 inch AMOLED | 6.9 inch AMOLED | 6.7 inch AMOLED |
| AI features | Galaxy AI | Galaxy AI plus | Galaxy AI |
| Carrier | Locked to Verizon | Unlocked or carrier | Varies |
The S25 Ultra is the incremental upgrade, but the renewed S24 Ultra delivers nearly all of its camera, display, and S Pen experience for substantially less money. Against the S24 Plus, the Ultra wins clearly on the 200MP camera and the S Pen, making it the better choice for anyone who values those tools. The tradeoffs are the Verizon lock and the renewed condition. For detailed comparisons of Samsung flagships, CNET has thorough coverage: CNET phone reviews.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the renewed Galaxy S24 Ultra if you want a true flagship camera and S Pen without paying full retail, and you already have or are willing to start a Verizon line. It is ideal for photographers, power users, and anyone who keeps a phone for years and wants the hardware to last.
Skip it if you are not on Verizon, if you prefer a smaller phone, or if a renewed device's condition makes you uneasy, in which case a new mid tier phone may suit you better. You can check the current price of the renewed Galaxy S24 Ultra on Amazon for available units.
How We Test
I used the S24 Ultra as my daily driver for a month, taking photos across daylight, low light, and zoom ranges, running Galaxy AI tools including Circle to Search and Photo Assist, and timing battery life and charging speed under realistic heavy use.
I also verified the Verizon lock behavior, checked the renewed unit for cosmetic wear and full functionality, and compared the camera and display against a new flagship reference phone.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Questions People Ask
What does renewed mean for this Galaxy S24 Ultra?
Renewed units are professionally inspected and restored to like new condition by Amazon and its sellers, with a 90 day warranty and any cosmetic wear fully disclosed.
Is the phone locked to Verizon?
Yes. This unit is locked to Verizon, so it needs an active Verizon line to activate, which makes it the right choice only for current Verizon customers.
How good is the S24 Ultra camera?
The 200MP main sensor and dual telephoto lenses produce sharp, detailed photos in daylight and strong low light shots, with a 5x periscope zoom that stays impressively clean.
Does the S24 Ultra include the S Pen?
Yes. The S Pen is built into the bottom edge of the phone, and it works for notes, on screen writing, and photo editing without any extra purchase.
If the flagship experience above fits your budget and carrier, the renewed Galaxy S24 Ultra listing on Amazon shows the current price and condition options.
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