Before starting, let me note certain statements with you. They will save you time on angry comments about how little has changed in the new Samsung Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. Because, on one hand, the situation seems like there are even fewer changes in the smartphones than in the S23 series compared to the S22.
Video from the presentation of Samsung Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra
But, firstly, things that work great don’t need to be changed. The S23 Ultra outperformed even the iPhone 15 Pro Max much more often than not. Don’t break what’s already working well – and Samsung isn’t breaking it.
Secondly, there are significant changes in the new lineup. It’s just that the most significant ones relate to artificial intelligence. And here I will be VERY careful because the progression of the so-called Galaxy AI even impressed me. And I couldn’t care less about artificial intelligence.
“Every other” rule
In this material, I will focus on the main differences in the S24 lineup from the previous one. The “every other” rule remains unchanged – if you own a smartphone from the S23 series, upgrading to the current lineup won’t bring you critical changes. However, if you own a smartphone from the S22 series, you might consider upgrading now because there are indeed more than enough accumulated changes from both S24 and S23 in succession.
I would like to remind you that the Samsung Galaxy S23 series received enhanced video shooting quality, improved support for ray tracing, and significant improvements to the interface. Along with the S24 series, a visual change has been introduced.
Appearance
The smartphones have become even flatter as they have completely eliminated the curvature of the screen and the back glass.
They are not as sharp as iPhones, and considerably lighter than they may seem.
Indeed, the standard S24 is as light as a feather, especially compared to the older models. The “sub-flagship” with a 6.2-inch display will have a very decent and powerful configuration, the “mid-flagship” with a 6.7-inch display still boasts vibrant exclusive colors, and the “flagship of flagships” with a 6.8-inch display retains the S-Pen.
The display in all S24 models is identical in every aspect except for the diagonal size. The brightness goes up to 2400 nits, the refresh rate ranges from 1 to 120 Hz, and it supports HDR with excellent color quality. However, during the presentation, we compared the S23 Ultra with the S24 Ultra.
And the latter had a noticeable blue tint on the display when viewed at an angle. However, I did not capture it on video as it seemed like a pre-release sample with an imperfect screen. Besides, the brightness in the new model is supposed to be 40% higher than its predecessor, while the sample had a screen with barely lower brightness.
The comparison between S23 and S24 Ultra revealed how minimal the visual changes would be, yet how these changes actually impact the overall experience. In the new model, the frame edges do not encircle the device like a belt on the sides but rather form a metal cage around the smartphone.
I REALLY like this detail because it feels like a reinforced skeleton or a rugged protective case. Even now, custom metal bumpers for protection are often assembled with a metal cage around the body. Oh, and the cutout for the front camera on the new model is slightly smaller from the front.
Technical specifications
The processors are new. The S24 and S24+ will feature the Exynos 2400, with 8GB of RAM in the base version, 12GB in the mid-range, and, surprisingly, the same 12GB in the Ultra version, which runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Storage options include 128GB or 256GB for the base model, 256GB or 512GB for the mid-range, and from 256GB to a terabyte for the top-tier model. I also note that there may be models with different memory configurations globally, but the memory type will always be UFS 4.0. Memory card support is, of course, absent.
Charging speeds are 25W for the base model and 45W for the others. The battery capacity is 4000mAh, 4900mAh, and 5000mAh, respectively. All smartphones feature IP68 protection and Bluetooth 5.3, but the Ultra version will also support Wi-Fi 7 instead of 6E like its predecessors. A quick note on the cameras – optical stabilization has been added to the ultrawide module, and improvements have been made to both optical and night zoom capabilities.
As for all the other details, I think we’ll delve into them in the upcoming reviews on our channel – make sure to subscribe if you haven’t already. What’s crucial is that Samsung has placed a significant emphasis on software features.
Software
More precisely, on Samsung AI. I am working on a comprehensive review of this system, although I have been quite passive about artificial intelligence for a long time. However, Samsung has demonstrated that these features, firstly, will work WITHOUT the Internet. Secondly, they will support the Ukrainian language either from this summer or a bit later. And thirdly, functionalities similar to Samsung’s artificial intelligence are ALREADY being used by me and the majority of regular users.
Translation by artificial intelligence and contextual image search—I use this. However, only when there is an Internet connection. Additionally, the new Samsung phones will feature a conversation style change, resembling professional, social media, private chat, and more.
Automatic real-time translation of phone calls with voice generation is another feature. Regarding voice functions, I don’t expect to see support for the Ukrainian language in the near future, but all other text and media functions will either have support or may not require it.
Samsung Galaxy S24/S24+/S24 Ultra summary and price
What interests me personally, but I didn’t have the opportunity to test it at the presentation? Video recording, its quality and stability, especially at night. The real charging speed, its stability over time. Progress in DeX mode – because (spoiler alert) a video about Galaxy S20 FE in DeX mode was supposed to be released last year. And this mode has become really adequate, even on the weakest Samsung smartphones. And I even want to edit videos in it on new devices.
And the last point – the price. Officially, no one told me anything, but leaks suggest that the cost of the Samsung Galaxy S24 will start from €900, which is €50 cheaper than its predecessor. The starting price of the Samsung Galaxy S24+ will be €1149 – the same situation. However, the price of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will increase by €50. It will be €1450 for the base version, and up to €1809 for the one with a terabyte of storage.
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