In my years of reviewing and using Samsung phones, I’ve come to expect top-notch displays from them. Samsung’s Galaxy flagships have some of the sharpest and brightest screens, and the same was expected from the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
When the smartphone launched last week, I was looking forward to the new Galaxy AI features and the 5x optical zoom. But in my four days of using the Galaxy S4 Ultra, its the display that took me by surprise – for good reason.
The 2024 Samsung flagship uses a new Corning product called Gorilla Armor, which is an enhanced version of Gorilla Glass. It features better durability and scratch resistance. According to the company, Gorilla Armor improves both scratch and drop resistance. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display is now scratch-resistant by “over four times” and drop-resistant by “up to three times” when compared to “competitive aluminosilicate cover classes,” which is a vague term and not a direct comparison to the Gorilla Glass lineup.
However, these are welcome changes because I don’t like having a screen protector, and scratches appear on your screen over time with regular wear and tear. But you are unlikely to notice these two improvements in the initial few days. The major upgrade comes in the form of an “optical experience.” Gorilla Armor’s surface reflection has been lowered by “up to 75%,” which improves the visibility of the screen in harsh lighting.
Going beyond the arbitrary numbers, the reduction in reflectance is one of the biggest improvements in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, in my opinion. In my time with the device, the lowered reflectance has enhanced my reading and content consumption experience – both indoors and outdoors.
It’s rare to get some sun in Delhi on winter mornings, but when it’s there, I like to sit and read on my balcony. Usually, I need to adjust the angle of my phone and wipe the screen to get a readable experience. But with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, I could read without adjusting the display angle. It’s a similar situation indoors in harsh lighting that makes it more comfortable to read while relaxing on the sofa.
As can be seen in the above images, when compared to the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display fares better in direct sunlight. It might seem like the angle was different, so I switched them around. In both cases, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display had better visibility.
Due to the lower reflectance on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, you get a better content consumption experience. I read and watched content at the exact same angle on all three phones one by one, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra was the most comfortable of all of them. I didn’t find myself adjusting the angle of my phone for the best visibility.
In my experience, the improved anti-reflectivity of Gorilla Armor also makes the blacks look better without affecting the color vibrancy. You still get the same big, sharp screen with a 1440p resolution, plus an improved 2,600 nits peak brightness. At maximum brightness on all three phones, the Galaxy S24 Ultra was the most legible.
During a roundtable, I asked John Baybe, senior vice president and general manager of Mobile Consumer Electronics at Corning, whether the better anti-reflectance is built into the Gorilla Armor or if it’s a separate coating like before. “It’s a coating technology,” he replied.
With it being a coating, I have my doubts about how long it would last. However, Baybe said that it is supposed to last the “lifetime of the device.” Only time will tell how the new anti-reflective coating fares in the long run on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. But,at least right now, it makes the Samsung flagship one of a kind.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.
Apple's first foldable phone is now on shelves, in short supply, but with an unreal amount of buzz around it. After all, it's the first foldable iPhone, and there's plenty that this phone gets right. But there's also a lot that is either broken or underwhelming. What's peculiar is the dialogue around this phone, and how it has completely overshadowed every other attempt at making a phone with a similar form factor.
I've spent some time with the iPhone Duo, and I've used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for almost three months now. In my opinion, Samsung deserves more credit. When the Galaxy Z Fold 8 arrived earlier this year, it was celebrated in some circles and ridiculed in others for supposedly copying what Apple would eventually deliver with the iPhone Duo. The dialogue was pretty odd, for multiple reasons. Samsung has been making foldable phones for years, so claiming that it copied a product Apple hadn't even launched was simply absurd.
For years, Samsung’s Galaxy A phones have been some of the easiest recommendations for anyone who wants to go the Android route without paying flagship prices. But that part of the lineup could soon become harder to find at a good price.
According to South Korea’s Electronic Times, Samsung is cutting Galaxy A production by about 20% in the fourth quarter compared to its original plans. Component orders have reportedly dropped by a similar amount, which could mean roughly 10 million fewer phones over the year. Samsung is also said to be considering another production cut of more than 10% next year.