For the Samsung Galaxy S24 series in Malaysia, only the range-topping S24 Ultra features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. The other two devices in the series, the S24 and S24+, feature Samsung’s very own Exynos 2400 chip instead. Exynos processors don’t exactly have the best track record, but the Exynos 2400 is…well, actually quite interesting.

After using the Galaxy S24+ as my daily driver over the past few weeks, I can say with confidence that the Exynos 2400 chip can offer flagship-tier performance. Of course, while the S24+ itself does have its fair share of shortcomings, it is still a phone worth considering, especially if you don’t need the S24 Ultra’s farther-reaching camera or S Pen.

What It Is

On paper, the Galaxy S24+ has hardware befitting of a flagship smartphone. While its triple camera system is relatively unchanged from its predecessor, it does get a larger, brighter display with 2,600 nits peak brightness and 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

Beyond that, there’s also the bigger 4,900mAh battery – exactly 200mAh more than last year’s S23+ – and of course, the Exynos 2400 chipset. For the most part, the Samsung-made chip is really quite capable; I’ll talk more in-depth about it in the next section.

The Good Stuff

To be honest, I was a little apprehensive to switch to the Galaxy S24+ after using the higher-end S24 Ultra as my daily driver. I do quite a bit of mobile gaming, so I was worried the Exynos 2400 wouldn’t be able to offer a good level of performance in comparison to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Thankfully enough, the Exynos 2400 is more than capable of providing a pleasant gaming experience.

Whether it’s Honkai: Star Rail or Genshin Impact, which are pretty demanding mobile games, the Exynos 2400 can run both games smoothly at maxed out graphics settings. That being said, there are some stuttering in Star Rail with certain character’s Ultimates, and the game also crashes occasionally at startup.

While these issues can be quite annoying, I reckon they can be rectified with software updates. It is unlikely a hardware problem, as only Star Rail has these issues from my testing. Anyway, outside of gaming, the Exynos 2400 feels fast and responsive, even as I’m juggling and multitasking between different apps.

Next, there’s the bright and vibrant 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display of the Galaxy S24+. Without a doubt it is a pleasant screen to look at with vivid colours, wide viewing angles, and deep, true blacks. The quality of the S24+’s screen is really a testament to Samsung’s expertise in the display industry.

In terms of battery life, the Galaxy S24+’s 4,900mAh battery can last quite a bit on a single charge. On average, I can get about six hours of screen on time, which is more than enough to get through a typical work day with battery to spare.

Next, we have the slew of Galaxy AI features that are offered on all devices in the Galaxy S24 series. Whether I want to do AI photo editing, quickly look up anything on my screen with Circle to Search, or even translate a conversation in real time with the Interpreter app, the S24+ can do it all seamlessly, though AI photo editing has mixed results sometimes.

I also want to touch on the build quality and design of the Galaxy S24+. Although it doesn’t get the S24 Ultra’s fancy titanium frame, the Armor Aluminium frame of the S24+ still feels great to the touch. Its flat sides also make it easy to get a good, comfortable grip on the phone; more so than the slightly rounded sides of the S24 Ultra, in my opinion.

Last but not least is the camera performance of the Galaxy S24+. Even though the triple camera system (50MP primary + 12MP ultra-wide + 10MP telephoto) is relatively unchanged from last year’s S23+, it can still perform well in all kinds of lighting conditions.

However, as I was testing the camera of the S24+, I do miss the farther-reaching zoom of the S24 Ultra’s more sophisticated camera system. That is not to say the S24+’s camera isn’t up to par, of course; it can still take great-looking shots.

The Bad Stuff

There’s really only one big negative with the Galaxy S24+: pricing. Compared to its predecessor, the S24+ is a tad more costly. Now retailing at RM4,899 and RM5,399 for the 12GB/256GB and 12GB/512GB models respectively, this is a RM200 price difference. While this is not quite as drastic as the RM600 price hike for the range-topping S24 Ultra, it’s still a price increase.

Granted, for that kind of money, the Galaxy S24+ does bring a number of notable upgrades over the Galaxy S23+, such as a sharper, brighter display; bigger battery; and of course, Galaxy AI, even though the AI-centric features – but not all of them – will be trickled down to the S23 series as well sometime in the first half of this year.

Is It Worth It?

It comes down to what you look for in a flagship smartphone. As I’ve mentioned before, if you don’t need the S24 Ultra’s fancy camera or S Pen, the Samsung Galaxy S24+ is a great option to consider. After all, it has many of its higher-end sibling’s features, including Galaxy AI and the same great software experience.

Plus, the Galaxy S24+’s Exynos 2400 chip is truly a high-end chipset that can keep up with my demands. That, paired with other winning features of the S24+, make for a rather complete flagship smartphone, though you do have to fork out quite a bit of money for it.