Let me start by saying the S24 Ultra is an absolute beast. The 200MP camera? Mind-blowing. I filmed my kid’s soccer game in 8K, and the footage was so crisp you could see individual blades of grass. The 100x zoom is borderline spy-movie material—perfect for sneaky concert shots (not that I’d endorse that).

The titanium black finish feels premium, and the S Pen is smoother than my attempts to justify buying this phone to my spouse. Battery life? I binge-watched three episodes of The Bear at 50% brightness and still had juice for doomscrolling afterward.

BUT—big but—the 'unlocked' claim is shaky. Like other reviewers, I hit a snag: no AT&T data, just calls/texts. Verizon users are out of luck too. Samsung, this ain’t it. Also, the fingerprint reader? Lightning-fast… until your thumb’s slightly damp. Then it’s a stubborn vault.

For creators or specs-hungry users, this phone delivers (if your carrier plays nice). Just double-check compatibility before swiping that credit card.