I have to agree with SparkE! that the implementation of phantom powering in most portable, (relatively) low-cost recording equipment is substandard. That affects different microphones differently, but is definitely something that equipment reviewers ought to test and report on, in my opinion. People may assume that they're giving a microphone a good honest try while in fact they may be "testing" the power supply that it's operating from.
As for 24-Volt phantom powering, section 7.4.5 of the current DIN/EN/IEC standard for phantom powering still not only describes it, but says (translating from the German): "While 12-V and 48-V arrangements are still in use, 24-Volt arrangements are recommended for new developments." Meanwhile the official German version of this standard has a "national remark" attached as a footnote: "The 24-Volt supply arrangement did not become a practical success. Proposals for an amendment [to section 7.4.5] are under advisement."
I know of only one manufacturer that ever made a microphone publicly available specifically for standard 24-Volt phantom powering--and it accepted standard 48-Volt phantom powering as an alternative! Apart from certain "packaged systems" (such as P.A. systems for fixed installation in churches and meeting halls) I know of no mixer, recorder or preamp that has ever offered it, either.
If reliable, miniature DC/DC converters been available in the 1960s when phantom powering was first adapted for powering microphones (before that, it was a system for powering telephone equipment), then 24 Volts would have been a very sensible choice, and a lot of trouble might have been spared. But that's just not how things went--the proposal for 24-Volt phantom powering simply came too late, after the 12- and 48-Volt methods had already been well established.
The issue of equipment compatibility is serious, especially since the standard value of 1.2 kOhm for the resistors is too low for some existing P12 microphones--they can be damaged if they're connected to a P24 socket. Just because a spec sheet says "9-52 Volts" doesn't mean that a microphone can handle the maximum supply current for any voltage in that range!
--best regards