Transformative technology

It is rare that I get to experience a piece of technology that completely changes how I use something. Samsung’s new do-it-all Galaxy S24 Ultra is one such device. And don’t be dissuaded by the familiar design — this is very much a “don’t judge a book by its cover” situation. Sporting a new, flat, Corning Gorilla Armor display — a screen that reduces reflection by up to 75% and is more resistant to scratch-es and scuffs — and a new titanium rail, this looks and feels like a luxury item. However, it’s the under-the-hood changes that are the most interesting. Galaxy AI, Samsung’s name for the suite of artificial intelligence features baked into the entire S24 line, is one of the most impressive and genuinely useful upgrades to any smartphone in years. Features include image editing, live translation on calls, an interpreter that allows people standing next to each other to see text-based translations of the conversation in their own language, Chat Assist (which can change the tone of what you’ve typed), Note Assist (which creates AI-generated summaries of your notes), and Transcript Assist (which can transcribe, summarise, and translate audio recordings). The other standout feature is Circle To Search, which lets you search anything you see in an image without leaving the app you’re in.

From R29 999. samsung.com/za