Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series debuted in early 2023, quickly becoming the preferred set of Android smartphones for many people. The Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra wowed us, but each has potential for growth. That makes the Galaxy S24 series highly appealing. And with the launch event already confirmed, there won’t be long until the formal unveiling. Here’s all you should know.
When will the Samsung Galaxy S24 be released?
Samsung has revealed that their next Unpacked event will take place on January 17, 2024. In an official blog post advertising the event, the company said that we would witness “the new Galaxy S Series”.
There are several methods to view the event live and hear the announcements as they happen.
Typically, the time between announcement and release is roughly two weeks. If this pattern holds, the phones should be available by the end of January.
However, you do not have to wait until the launch to receive a discount. There’s already a method to save at least £50/$50 on any Galaxy S24 series phone.
For context, here’s when the previous generations were announced:
- Samsung Galaxy S23 – February 2023
- Samsung Galaxy S22 – February 2022
- Samsung Galaxy S21 – January 2021
How much will the Samsung Galaxy S24 cost?
We’re not sure of the exact price yet, but we can make good guesses based on the prices of previous models:
Regular model
- Galaxy S23: $799/£849/€959
- Galaxy S22: $799/£769/€879
- Galaxy S21: $799/£769/€849
Plus model
- Galaxy S23+: $999/£1,049/€1,219
- Galaxy S22+: $999/£949/€1,079
- Galaxy S21+: $999/£949/€1,049
Ultra model
- Galaxy S23 Ultra: $1,199/£1,249/€1,419
- Galaxy S22 Ultra: $1,199/£1,149/€1,279
- Galaxy S21 Ultra: $1,299/£1,149/€1,249
As you can see, Samsung appears to have landed on very stable pricing in the US, with just slightly more change elsewhere – mostly price increases in the UK and Europe in 2023, driven by inflation. Hopefully, that has settled down.
According to leaker Anthony on X (previously Twitter), the S24 Ultra will cost the same as its predecessor in the United States: $1,199. The same site summarizes some of the phone’s main features:
Galaxy S24 Ultra
• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
• 2600 nit peak brightness
• 6.8″ flat QHD+ Dynamic Amoled 2X Display
• 200/50/12/10 cameras
• 12gb ram & 256/512/1TB storage
• 5000mah battery
• Titanium frame
• One UI 6.1~$1199
Reserve here: https://t.co/Jz00eoAjMF pic.twitter.com/EMjdycAC1w
— Anthony (@TheGalox_) January 9, 2024
What specs and features will the Samsung Galaxy S24 have?
Samsung announced the 17 January Unpacked event via a blog post, invitation video, and teaser trailer. Aside from the use of AI, none of these reveal anything about the phones.
A further teaser trailer, starring Marvel’s Doctor Strange within the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, reveals nothing new either.
Rumours and leaks are the best sources of information at this point.
Design
The design of the S24 and S24 Plus appears to remain mostly unchanged. Leaker Revegnus tweeted in May that they’ll “keep the same design as their predecessors,” but there may be some small changes.
According to OnLeaks renderings (via Smartprix), the standard S24 will feature a flat frame rather than the rounded edges seen on earlier variants. It also appears that the bezels are smaller than on the S23:
It’s the same scenario with the S24 Plus, with further OnLeaks renderings (this time via GizNext) showcasing a completely flat screen. The camera flash has also been lowered slightly:
Then there’s the S24 Ultra (via Smartprix), which looks very similar to the S23 Ultra but may also ditch the curved screen. It also looks like the bezels are even slimmer:
This move away from the curved screen is something leaker Ice Universe also believes will happen, at least on the Ultra:
Guessing from the 79mm width and some other information, the S24 Ultra is likely to be a flat screen.
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) August 22, 2023
However, an OnLeaks renders suggests it won’t be fully flat:
It seems the #Samsung #GalaxyS24Ultra display drives many you crazy…😁
Flat or Curved?… I would say in between… But here a close up shot which should answer that question once and for all… You're welcome…😉 pic.twitter.com/IVnLfmsCbs
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) September 29, 2023
Samsung has progressively transitioned away from curved screens in recent years, so this will not be a significant shift. But that may make the S24 Ultra simpler to grip.
According to Forbes, the S24 Ultra may also be built of titanium, joining the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max in doing so. This appears to have been shown in a now-deleted post on Taiwanese social networking site Sogi, which has been re-uploaded to X (previously Twitter):
Top: S23 Ultra
Bottom: S24 UltraTitanium looks quite beautiful. pic.twitter.com/l80AMeHrJx
— Revegnus (@Tech_Reve) December 6, 2023
Recent evidence appears to confirm at least the titanium variety. The Galaxy S24 Ultra was recently featured in Titanium Gray in leaked photographs from Brazil that have since been erased, with the only other distinguishing feature being two mics along the top edge.
The picture above hints at two of the possible colors, but leaker Ice Universe believes we’ll get a lot more:
Color options for Galaxy S24 series:
Black, gray,violet, yellow, green, blue, orange.— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) November 2, 2023
However, they may not all be accessible as regular editions or on all three phones. Samsung also offers Bespoke versions of several phones, which allow you to completely customize the design.
According to leaker Ross Young, and as implied by Ice Universe, the orange, light blue, and light green variants will only be available online.
Display
Samsung presently employs 120Hz displays on all three Galaxy S23 phones, but a report from SamLover suggests that this might be increased to 144Hz on the S24 Ultra. This should make the gadget scroll silky smooth, as well as unleash all of its capabilities and make it a mobile gaming paradise.
However, the “Expected Specifications” section of Smartprix still mentions a 120Hz refresh rate.
Ice Universe also predicts that the S24 and S24+ will include LTPO OLED panels, letting its refresh rate to dip all the way to 1Hz, exactly like the Ultra. Currently, these versions can only go down to 48 Hz.
Another Ice Universe tweet suggests that the S24+, like the S24 Ultra, will have a higher-quality WQHD+ resolution.
The first version of the Samsung Galaxy S24+ rendering, this time the S24+, the four sides including the middle frame are 2.5mm (S24 Ultra 3.4mm), the bezel part of the screen is about 1.5mm, and the middle frame is about 1.0mm. The rendering is as follows. The key is the top… pic.twitter.com/LhJesJIa74
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) August 29, 2023
And in a subsequent tweet, Ice Universe seems to be impressed with the S24 Ultra’s design:
S24 Ultra real mobile phone looks great, better than I expected. The black bezel is symmetrical, and the Hole has also changed. It has become smaller and moved down a little.
Every man will like this design.— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) November 2, 2023
Performance
As you would expect from a flagship phone, the chipset inside will be of the highest quality. And it appears that this will be Qualcomm’s freshest and finest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
In an official video displaying the company’s 200Mp Isocell cameras, Samsung claims the functionality is “accelerated by the Qualcomm AI Engine”. Given the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 200MP camera and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, this is quite plausible.
According to SamMobile, the new processor may feature a GPU that is around 50% quicker. According to prominent leaker Ice Universe, it will be branded as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, implying another overclocked version of the core processor, as well as a record-high maximum clock speed:
8Gen3 For Galaxy
GPU 1000MHz— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) November 2, 2023
Will we see the 8 Gen 3 across all S24 models? According to Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon (via The Elec), the range will be divided between the newest Qualcomm processor and Samsung’s Exynos 2400.
According to GSMArena, the most likely scenario is that the normal S24 and S24+ use Exynos in Europe, while the S24 solely uses Snapdragon. In North America, all models will most likely employ the 8 Gen 3.
That is what leaker Revegnus said in September 2023.
S24/S24+
SD 8 Gen 3/Exynos 2400
M13 LTPO Display8/128 12/256~
S24 Ultra
SD 8 Gen 3
M13 LTPO Display16/256~ 16/2T
— Revegnus (@Tech_Reve) September 15, 2023
However, Giznext says that the S24+ will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the United States or the Exynos 2100 in India and “other markets”.
Indeed, GSMArena believes the Galaxy S24+ will include Snapdragon and Exynos CPUs. Geekbench 6 listings from October 12 and 27 indicate machines with 8GB or 12GB of RAM, although this appears to be limited to Korean variants.
If you choose an S24 Ultra, you may anticipate exceptional performance, based on benchmark results. A Geekbench 6 listing, thought to be for the phone, reveals scores that are comparable to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and far higher than the S23 Ultra.
Cameras
The cameras on the Galaxy S23 phones are already fantastic, and it appears that Samsung is using that as an excuse to make little changes, at least on the Ultra.
We’ve heard some slightly contradicting accounts here. In June, Ice Universe leaked information on the Ultra model’s back camera specs, revealing four lenses that are nearly identical to those used in the previous generation. In reality, the only hardware change was to the 10x telephoto, which is supposedly upgrading to the IMX754+ sensor – but it will be a minor upgrade over the present IMX754.
According to Korean sources,The S24 Ultra rear camera has not changed except for the negligible adjustment of 10x. pic.twitter.com/wGTaStUAQ0
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) June 11, 2023
This story contradicts earlier leakers’ reports that Samsung intends to reduce the Ultra’s back lenses to three. RGcloudS originally revealed that Samsung intended to remove one lens, consolidating the 3x and 10x telephotos into a single variable zoom lens.
SamMobile reports that Samsung will use a 5x optical lens for the Ultra, which appears to be a reasonable midway. Ice Universe now agrees, calling it “the truth”.
However, rival leaker Tech_Reve has already refuted this allegation, as OnLeaks renderings (via Smartprix) show four rear cameras. It remains to be seen what happens in the finished result.
And leaker Anthony has hinted several major S23 Ultra camera features on X (previously Twitter).
Almost 2x bigger vapor chamber, AI Zoom, Super Resolution, 10x zoom images with 12mp like resolution & more
Galaxy S24 Ultra, the next generation AI Samsung flagship. Reserve here: https://t.co/Jz00eoAjMF
— Anthony (@TheGalox_) January 10, 2024
Elsewhere, in a now-deleted news article (reported by GSMArena), Samsung appeared to describe 200Mp telephoto cameras as “the next big thing in smartphone photography”. Does that mean we’ll see an improved one on the Galaxy S24 Ultra?
It’s looking possible, judging by an October 2023 Samsung video:
This ‘Isocell Zoom Anyplace’ lens, shown in the video above, allows you to capture both wide-angle and zoomed-in footage at the same time. You may also use it to monitor subjects as they move across the frame.
A recent leak has revealed a new function on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra dubbed ‘Nightography Zoom,’ which is intended to improve the sharpness of photos taken from a distance in low-light circumstances.
Furthermore, there is evidence indicating that the S24 Ultra will have a camera function that is not often available in many smartphones: 4K video recording at 120fps.
With the 4K 120fps video recording function of Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, you can make clear and artistic video
shooting at higher-than-normal frame rates pic.twitter.com/8fzmP2iJ3d— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) January 2, 2024
This notable tidbit comes from notorious leaker Ice Universe, who also stated that the S24 Ultra will have seamless zoom at 4K 60fps. However, it should be noted that the 4K@120fps video recording feature is presently being tested and may not be included in the final version.
Battery and charging
With that much power on tap, the Samsung S24 will require an efficient and capacious battery to keep the show running. This shouldn’t be a problem if a GSMArena story is accurate. This indicates that Samsung is developing a novel stacked battery design inspired by electric vehicles.
This would allow a greater density cell to be crammed into the same area as the older ones, providing an immediate boost and resulting in longer periods between recharges. If Samsung can pull it off, expect this to become the industry standard in the coming years.
Charging speeds are one of the 2023 phones’ main flaws, with the S23 restricted to 25W and the S23 Plus and Ultra topping out at 45W. However, RGCloudS, a leaker with a usually strong track record, predicts that charging will peak at 65W.
1/3
Stacked battery is on track, but limitedMost likely only for 24U & 24+
or just 24Umeanwhile,
apple used it on entire iP15 lineup24U & 24+ have "rated" 5000 MaH
But 24U stacked structure is different
to make it cooler, they applied cooling gel. for 65W & stability https://t.co/8khM2oAToc— RGcloudS (@RGcloudS) July 12, 2023
However, it appears that this may just be for the S24 Ultra. It may not even make it there, since Smartprix suggests the phone will still be restricted to 45W.
According to the X article, the S24 Ultra will keep its 5000mAh battery, but the Plus will join it at that capacity (up from 4700mAh). There’s no news on whether the 3700mAh cell in the ordinary S23 will be improved.
Software
The S24 series will very definitely run Android 14, with Samsung’s One UI 6 layer on top. Of course, this will not be limited to the S24 family; other earlier devices will receive the upgrade.
There is no reason for Samsung to abandon its present commitment to four years of Android version upgrades and five years of security patches. The only reason to extend this would be if the manufacturer wanted to match Google’s seven-year warranty on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.
Samsung has also apparently opted to continue with Google as the phone’s primary search provider, after making news for considering a move to Bing. The Wall Street Journal says that Samsung performed an internal assessment and determined
AI also appears to be a major priority for the S24 series, with Samsung introducing its own LLM (long language model) in November. This might be used to fuel a variety of creative AI capabilities on forthcoming smartphones.
Another leak revealed two AI-powered capabilities that would be available on the Galaxy S24 lineup: Live Translate and Generative Edit.
Galaxy Eureka AI-Software pic.twitter.com/HCMQ7sGlpT
— Arsène Lupin (@MysteryLupin) December 29, 2023
According to X user Arsene Lupin, who uploaded a photograph of what looks to be an incomplete shop listing, Live Translate is advertised as a function that allows for real-time communication in many languages through on-device processing.
Meanwhile, Generative Edit appears to be Samsung’s reaction to Google’s Magic Editor, as it requires a Samsung account and an active internet connection, implying that processing may occur in the cloud.
The leaked graphic also lists three other features: Nightography Zoom, High Resolution, and Screen Display. However, it is unclear whether any of these capabilities will involve AI.
