It’s that time of year to look back at our favorite brands and hand out our report cards. Samsung was the world’s largest smartphone maker in 2024, a huge win. Its midrange and S series phones were very popular, but foldables didn’t have the best of times. Let’s dig in.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy A16 and A16 5G
Both Samsung’s entry-level Galaxy A16 and A16 5G are hugely popular and for good reason. Both phones have good displays, solid battery life and 50MP main cameras. They also have IP54 dust and splash resistance. Starting at just €200 they are already doing extremely well in a number of markets.
Winner: Galaxy A55
Samsung’s Galaxy A55 is the joint-most popular Galaxy in our database. It starts at around €320 and has flagship killer specs. It has a 120Hz Super AMOLED display, 4nm chipset, 5,000mAh battery and IP67 water and dust protection. Its camera is also capable.
It also features Samsung’s proven One UI and the promise of 4 major Android updates – an unprecedented feat in its price range. The phone easily outsells any device not called an iPhone in most of Europe and North America.
Winners: Galaxy S24 FE and Galaxy S24+
We argued in our Galaxy S24 FE review that the S24+ was arguably the better deal. But, the thing about Samsung and its unparalleled distribution network is that it covers so many markets that most of its devices find their niche. So, it’s either a non-issue or a win for Samsung. You’re buying one of its phones anyway.
The Galaxy S24 FE and S24+ are very similar in specs with a slight edge for the Plus. Still, both are highly capable flagships and share Samsung’s commitment to seven-year OS updates. Either is a safe choice if you’re looking for a good upmarket smartphone from an A-list phone maker. And both will likely sell well.
Winners: Galaxy S24
Last year’s Galaxy S23 was outsold by both the S23 Ultra and S23+. This year the smaller Galaxy S24 outsold the Plus model. It’s a win for Samsung and means there’s still hope for the world’s compact phones.
Winner: Galaxy Watch Ultra
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch lineup is a bit confusing. There’s the regular model, the Classic (with rotating bezel), we had a Pro in 2022, and in 2024 we got the Ultra. A direct competitor to the Apple Watch Ultra, the Galaxy Watch Ultra fills that slot for the Wear OS lineup and will likely be the Android default for some time.
It brings solid credentials along with a great smartwatch experience. And it has a unique design with a square body and round sapphire watchface.
Loser: Galaxy Watch7 (no Watch7 Classic)
But while the Ultra won out, last year’s Galaxy Watch6 Classic was the only option for fans of the classic model with a physically rotating bezel.
The Galaxy Watch7 doesn’t bring much in terms of improvements over the Galaxy Watch6 – you get double the storage at 32GB, and a 30% more efficient processor, but the display is the same, and so are the health-tracking features.
Winners: Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and S10+
Samsung’s top-tier tablets performed well and Samsung maintained its second position in slate shipments behind only Apple. Its Galaxy tablet is versatile with a stunning Super AMOLED display and S Pen support.
Loser: Galaxy Z Fold6
Samsung has enjoyed an uncontested run with book-style foldables in markets outside of China for a few years. But it’s all changing and fast. Devices like the OnePlus Open and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold have larger cover displays than the Galaxy Z Fold6, making them better at using the Fold and challenging it on all fronts. But the Honor Magic V3 makes the Galaxy Z Fold6 look pedestrian with a much slimmer body and superior camera system.
Now that the competition is moving into the software department as well, Samsung needs to reactivate its Fold lineup and it needs to do it in 2025.
Winner: Galaxy Z Flip6
The Galaxy Z Flip6, on the other hand, was meaningfully better than its predecessor. It improves on battery life and zoom shots and was the easy choice of flip-foldables in many global markets this year. It sure helps that the competition isn’t paying as much attention to this segment yet, though.
Winner: Galaxy S24 Ultra
Every year, Samsung’s biggest winner is its Galaxy S Ultra and 2024 is no different. Samsung’s most popular phone in 2024 and its most profitable, the Galaxy S24 Ultra added a 50MP 5x telephoto camera and the latest chipset. The changes proved to be all that was needed – the phone sold tremendously and is one of the most popular flagships in people’s hands.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra isn’t without its rivals – Chinese flagships beat it on the camera and battery side in the second half of the year – but few of them still enter global markets to challenge Samsung.
Still, Samsung may need to step up its flagship game before it starts looking as vulnerable as the Z Fold6.
