The three new high-end smartphones from Samsung are official and, as always, we will provide you with detailed tests of each individual model as soon as possible. But until then, let’s first take a look at the spec sheets and see which hardware and functions Samsung wants to score points with this year.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, S24+ and S24 in comparison:
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| Review | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra hands-on | Samsung Galaxy S24+ hands-on | Review: Samsung Galaxy S24 hands-on |
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Table of contents:
Display and design
If you look at the picture comparing the S24 Ultra with its predecessor, you’ll see that Samsung hasn’t really gone down a completely new design path. The back of the Ultra is almost identical, but the front now has a flat display glass. Samsung also opted for a titanium frame, while the new Gorilla Glass Armor from Corning is used at the front and back.
Samsung also remains true to itself with the Galaxy S24 and the S24+ and relies on a largely tried-and-tested design. The company uses Armor aluminum for the frame and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ at the front and back. This makes all three phones more robust than the 2023 models. Logically, all three 2024 devices are also IP68-certified and the Ultra once again has an exclusive S-Pen on board.
Samsung also delivers another top-class display, increasing the peak brightness of all three smartphones to 2,600 nits—almost as bright as if you were staring directly into the sun (yes, I know that comparison is an exaggeration). While the Ultra remains at 6.8 inches, the two smaller siblings are each 0.1 inches larger, growing to 6.2 and 6.7 inches respectively. Interestingly, this is achieved without the devices themselves becoming larger.
All three displays offer us a variable refresh rate between 1 and 120 Hz. However, there are differences in the resolution: The S24 still offers the FHD+ resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 px, but the Plus model now switches to Ultra in the QHD+ camp. It is also worth mentioning that the Ultra’s display is less reflective than the other two models thanks to the new Gorilla Glass Armor.
Performance and connectivity
First things first: In the US, the entire Galaxy S24 Series is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy SoC. However, Samsung thought it was time for something new and installed different SoCs in the new flagship series in regions like Europe and Latin America.
This time, the Snapdragon for Galaxy is reserved exclusively for the Ultra. The S24 and S24+ have to make do with the Exynos, but this is not such a big deal, as a look at our first benchmark test shows:
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, firmware not final) | Samsung Galaxy S24+ (Exynos 2400, firmware not final) | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy) | Redmagic 9 Pro (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) | Pixel 8 Pro (Tensor G3) | |
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| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test |
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The performance of the Qualcomm SoC is slightly higher than that of Samsung’s own Exynos 2400. But it is also clearly more powerful than last year’s Snapdragon in the Galaxy S23 Ultra (review) and also clearly outperforms the Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8 Pro (review). However, this is only a very first impression; we will go into more depth in our detailed tests.
Since nextpit operates in Germany, we were able to gain hands-on experience only with the Exynos variants. Consequently, this meant we couldn’t perform benchmarks on the standard models that come equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy.
There is also a performance gap in terms of RAM: Ultra and Plus score with 12 GB of RAM, while 8 GB is enough for the basic model. There are also differences in storage space, which cannot be expanded in all three models: 128 GB and 256 GB are available in the S24, the S24+ gives you the choice between 256 and 512 GB and the Ultra offers three alternatives with 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB, as in the previous year.
Let’s talk briefly about connectivity: Only the Ultra already supports Wi-Fi 7, while the S24 and S24+ support Wi-Fi 6E. Ultra-wideband, on the other hand, is available for the two more expensive/larger devices, with only the S24 missing out.
Cameras
The camera section is likely to be disappointing for all those who were hoping for major improvements in the Galaxy S24 and S24+. The triple camera line-up is exactly the same as last year’s models! Specifically, this means that you will find the 1/1.56-inch 50-megapixel Isocell GN3 sensor in the main camera.
The 3x telephoto camera with the small 1/3.94 inch 10 MP sensor stagnates, as does the ultra-wide-angle cam with 12 MP and a 1/2.55 inch sensor area. Too bad, there would have been more to it, even though the new SoC and new AI features should still result in better image processing and new features.
At first glance, the changes to the S24 Ultra are not really huge, as the Galaxy S24 Ultra uses the same 200-megapixel Isocell HP2 sensor as the Galaxy S23 Ultra. However, the 1/1.3-inch image sensor will be equipped with a new image processor in 2024.
The ultra-wide-angle and selfie cameras also rely on the same sensors as last year. This means that you get a sensor size of 1/2.55 inches with a 12 MP resolution for the ultra-wide angle, while the selfie camera offers 1/3.2 inches and also 12 MP.
However, there are changes to the telephoto sensors: although there is still a 10 MP sensor with 3x zoom, the other telephoto cam now has a 5x zoom and 50 MP instead of a 10x zoom. We will see what effects this will have in the detailed test. However, you can already take a look at our first test photos:
Before you turn away disappointed: The 2024 camera game changer could be the Galaxy AI. Artificial intelligence is supposed to be able to remove reflections from photos, move objects in photos, or create slow-motion videos, for example. Again, please be patient until we have put the AI to the test in detail.
Software
In 2024, you can’t imagine a sophisticated smartphone without the manufacturer relying on artificial intelligence. Of course, this also applies to the Galaxy S24 series, for which Samsung has even created its own platform with the aforementioned Galaxy AI. Galaxy AI can be found on all three devices and will also be extended to other Galaxy devices.
In addition to the camera features mentioned above, the new devices will be packed with AI features. These include live translations during phone calls: You talk in your own language and the other person hears it translated directly into their ear.
The Samsung keyboard also has a typing assistant, you can create summaries, transcriptions, and much more. For more details, be sure to check out our first test of the Galaxy AI, in which Stefan can tell you much more about the new AI features.
The Galaxy S24 phones don’t just want to impress us with artificial intelligence, but also with their longevity. To this end, Samsung has once again significantly boosted its update promise: The boxes delivered with Android 14 and One UI 6.1 will actually receive seven major Android updates and security updates over seven years! If you’ve done the math quickly, you’ll see that you’re theoretically safe until 2031 and Android 21.
Battery life and quick charging
Uh, can we please skip this section? Seriously—just read our article on the Galaxy S23 series because it says almost the same thing! In plain language, this means that the S24 Ultra and S24+ once again stop at 45W fast charging and the S24 is still stuck at the stone-age charging power of 25W. Rumor has it that it is quicker to screw together a complete S24 yourself than to charge it once. You can still charge wirelessly with 15 W.
The S24 Ultra retains the capacity of 5,000 mAh, but the two smaller models have at least made some gains here: the S24+ now offers 4,900 mAh and the basic model 4,000 mAh. And since we value tradition, nothing has changed in the scope of delivery: The chargers are still NOT included in the packaging.
Price and availability
Let’s move on to something more pleasing: The Galaxy S24 Ultra in the smallest size with 256 GB is available from $1,299. However, the good news is that the S24 (from $799) and the S24+ (from $999) will actually cost the same as last year.
Galaxy S24 price overview
| Device | Memory | Device price |
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| Samsung Galaxy S24 | 128 GB | $799 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 | 256 GB | $859 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24+ | 256 GB | $999 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24+ | 512 GB | $1,119 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | 256 GB | $1,299 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | 512 GB | $1,419 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | 1 TB | $1,659 |
Once again this year, there are pre-order promotions that you can benefit from if you choose one of the devices that can be pre-ordered now by January 30. You will once again benefit from a free memory update, there are also cashback promotions, and you can once again claim a trade-in bonus.
Conclusion
If I had to describe the conclusion in one word, the term “product care” would probably come to mind first. The two cheaper models in particular only have very manageable updates, which essentially consist of slightly better performance, longer software support, and greater robustness. The Ultra is likely to see a bigger leap in performance, and the camera line-up also sounds promising.
However, the big difference this year will be everything that Samsung can tease out of the three devices with the help of artificial intelligence. Some of these AI features actually sound super exciting, but we’ll have to see in the respective tests whether Samsung can deliver.
The fact that some of the prices have been maintained is a good thing. All in all, I think Samsung has pulled a very sensible update out of the hat with improvements that are not significant but should still be noticeable.
We will provide you with the finished reviews as soon as possible, but I would already like to know what you think, at least on paper, of what Samsung has delivered here for 2024. Are you excited about the Galaxy AI and have you already picked a favorite among the three devices?
