Samsung has announced its flagship smartphone lineup for 2024, with three models to select from once again. But how can you select which Galaxy S24 phone is best for you? The Galaxy S24 vs S24+ vs S24 Ultra have different specifications, features, and prices. Choosing which one to go with is difficult.
This post seeks to make that decision easier. Here are all of the important distinctions you should be aware of.
Differences between Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra
Samsung’s latest flagships resemble last year’s models. However, this is not surprising given that Samsung has always maintained the same fundamental architecture.
One of the most significant aspects of a phone is its appearance and feel; you want a phone that you’ll love carrying and using.
The standard Galaxy S24 is compact and lightweight, measuring 70.6 x 147 x 7.6mm and weighing 168g. In contrast, the somewhat bigger Galaxy S24+ measures 75.9 x 158.5 x 7.7mm and weighs 197g. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the biggest and heaviest, measuring 79 x 162.3 x 8.6mm and weighing 233g, thanks in part to its titanium rather than aluminium body.
Which one you prefer will all depend on what you’re looking for. Fans of a compact phone will enjoy the regular S24, while the S24+ is a better choice if you want a bigger screen. Meanwhile, the Ultra adopts a heavier and more angular design, as it packs in extra premium features.
Given how frequently and for what purpose you use your phone, selecting the appropriate display size is critical. This is how things stand with the Galaxy S24 series.
The Galaxy S24 has a 6.2-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy S24+ has a bigger 6.7-inch QHD+ display that maintains the same dynamic 120Hz refresh rate.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra upgrades to a 6.8-inch QHD+ AMOLED display while maintaining the dramatic 120Hz refresh rate. All three use LTPO technology, which allows the refresh rate to automatically vary between 1-120Hz while saving battery life when not needed.
Of course, the resolution is also crucial. All three phones boast brilliant colours and great contrast ratios, but the Galaxy S24+ and S24 Ultra’s bigger and more adaptable QHD+ screens outperform the basic S24 and its FHD+ panel.
It’s worth noting that the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the only variant with Corning’s Gorilla Armor. Samsung claims that its glass is four times more durable than normal glass and minimizes reflections by up to 75%. All versions, however, include Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back and are water and dust resistant, certified IP68.
There is also some difference in chipsets, at least in the United Kingdom.
Only the S24 Ultra includes the overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. While many territories, notably the United States, will get the whole S24 family powered by this CPU, the United Kingdom and others will have to make do with Samsung’s own Exynos 2400 for Galaxy.
Although we’ll have to wait for benchmark results, the 8 Gen 3 is expected to be more powerful. So performance on the ordinary S24 and S24+ should be equal, but expect a significant boost on the S24 Ultra.
The Galaxy S24 is available with 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of storage. Meanwhile, the S24+ has 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. The Galaxy S24 Ultra goes one step further, with 12GB RAM and additional storage choices, including 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
With no expandable storage on any of the devices, make sure you select one with adequate storage. Few people require 1TB of storage on a smartphone, while 128GB may be a stretch if you want to download a large number of games or save data locally. 8GB of RAM on the standard S24 may also degrade performance in some applications.
The Galaxy S series smartphones are known for their long battery lives, and the S24 devices should be no exception.
The Galaxy S24 is powered by a 4000mAh battery, and Samsung claims that cable charging can reach 50% in around 30 minutes using a 25W adapter. The S24+’s larger 4900mAh battery allows for quicker cable charging at 65% in around 30 minutes with a 45W adapter.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra outperforms them both with a 5000mAh battery, although it uses the same 45W wired charging as the S24+. All three phones support the Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 standard and Wireless PowerShare, which allows you to charge other Qi devices.
These are fairly typical battery capacities for modern flagships, with the regular S24’s smaller battery offset by a smaller display. None of the charging speeds are particularly fast, but Plus and Ultra models are a big step up.
On paper, all three devices feature great camera systems, as one might expect from a Samsung phone. However, the Ultra offers something special.
The Galaxy S24 and S24+ both include a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP wide camera with OIS, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP front camera for selfies.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra, on the other hand, has a 200MP primary sensor and a 12MP ultrawide lens, as well as 10MP 3x telephoto and 50MP 5x telephoto lenses. The 12MP front-facing camera remains the same.
As previously stated, the S24 Ultra is equipped with a quad telephoto array, as Samsung describes it. The new 5x lens complements the current 3x lens, which can also shoot optical zoom images at 2x. The fourth option is a hybrid zoom, which should be of greater quality than ordinary digital zoom.
In comparison, the S24 and S24+ include a dual telephoto configuration with 2x and 3x choices. As a consequence, the S24 Ultra is undoubtedly more versatile and powerful if you’re serious about shooting.
All three S24 phones come pre-installed with Android 14 and the Samsung One UI 6.1 overlay.
One of the many new features is that Samsung promises to provide seven years of updates for all three new phones. That matches what Google promises for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, implying that it will receive Android 21 and upgrades until 2031.
What is most essential about the Galaxy S24 series is its AI capabilities. It has features like Circle to Search, Transcript Assist, Live Translate for calls, Chat Assist, and generative photo editing.
All versions feature 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3 for network and communication.
Price & availability
The Galaxy S24 series is available in a variety of finishes.
The S24 Ultra comes in Titanium Grey, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow. Meanwhile, the S24 and S24+ are available in onyx black, marble grey, cobalt violet, and amber yellow. Some other colors will be available directly from Samsung.
In the US, the Galaxy S24 starts from $799, the Galaxy S24+ at $999 and the Galaxy S24 Ultra at $1,299. In the UK, Galaxy S24 starts at £799, the Galaxy S24+ at £999, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra at £1,249. All the phones will be available via many different retailers and carriers in both countries.
You can pre-order one now from Samsung UK or Samsung US, ahead of all three phone being released on 31 January 2024.
Specs
Galaxy S24:
- Android 14 with One UI 6.1
- 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
- Exynos 2400 for Galaxy (some markets), Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (some markets)
- 8GB RAM
- 128/256GB storage
- Cameras:
- 50Mp f/1.8 main camera
- 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide camera
- 10Mp f/2.4 3x optical telephoto camera
- 12Mp f/2.2 front facing camera
- 5G
- Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Stereo speakers
- USB-C
- 4000mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
- 15W wireless charging
- 4.5W reverse wireless charging
- IP68
- Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- Armor Aluminium 2.0
- 70.6 x 147 x 7.6mm
- 168g
Galaxy S24+:
- Android 14 with One UI 6.1
- 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
- Exynos 2400 for Galaxy (some markets), Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (some markets)
- 12GB RAM
- 256/512GB storage
- 4900mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
- 15W wireless charging
- Cameras:
- 50Mp f/1.8 main camera
- 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide camera
- 10Mp f/2.4 3x optical telephoto camera
- 12Mp f/2.2 front facing camera
- 5G
- Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth 5.3
- IP68
- Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- Armor Aluminium 2.0
- 75.9 x 158.5 x 7.7mm
- 198g
Galaxy S24 Ultra:
- Android 14 with One UI 6.1
- 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
- 12GB RAM
- 256/512GB/1TB storage
- 5000mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
- 15W wireless charging
- Cameras:
- 200Mp f/1.7 main camera
- 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide camera
- 10Mp f/2.4 3x optical telephoto camera
- 50Mp f/3.4 5x optical telephoto camera
- 12Mp f/2.2 front facing camera
- 5G
- Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth 5.3
- IP68
- Corning Gorilla Armor
- Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- Titanium build
- 79 X 162.3 X 8.6mm
- 233g
