At its first 2024 Unpacked event, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S24 series, offering a mix of familiar design, cutting-edge hardware, and AI advancements. Let’s explore the Galaxy S24 and S24+, deciphering their key features, specs, and price to help you navigate your upgrade decision.
Read: Nvidia launches the RTX 40 Super range
Design
The Galaxy S24 retains the sleekness of its predecessor, sporting a flat glass back with individual camera cutouts. Gorilla Glass shields the front, while an Armor Aluminium frame provides solidity. IP68 dust and water resistance remain unfazed. While we hoped for a design shakeup, the evolution leans toward refinement.
The Galaxy S24+ echoes this approach, retaining its glass-sandwich build and familiar button layout. However, it embraces the trend of flatter displays, adopting a sleek, iPhone-esque profile.
The Galaxy S24 boasts seven launch colours, including Cobalt Violet, Onyx Black, and Marble Gray. But adventurous souls can unlock Sandstone Orange, Sapphire Blue, and Jade Green.
Display
The Galaxy S24 series offers a larger canvas for your content with subtly expanded displays. The S24 boasts a spacious 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED, a hair’s breadth bigger than its predecessor. Boasting a buttery-smooth 120Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 2600 nits, it’s perfect for immersive gaming and vibrant visuals under any lighting.
The Galaxy S24+ takes it up a notch with a stunning 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED. Witnessing content come alive with incredible detail and razor-sharp resolution, you’ll find yourself lost in movies, photos, and even everyday browsing. This display flaunts the same adaptive refresh rate (1Hz-120Hz) and sun-defying 2600 nit brightness as its smaller sibling, ensuring smooth scrolling and comfortable viewing regardless of the environment.
Hardware Specs
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series takes a two-pronged approach to processors. US users will get the boosted Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, featuring a souped-up Cortex-X4 core for lightning-fast performance. Elsewhere, regions like Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia will encounter the homegrown Exynos 2400, Samsung’s latest chip aiming to challenge Qualcomm’s dominance. We’ll keep you posted on the exact regional breakdown.
Samsung and Google have joined forces to inject the Galaxy S24 with cutting-edge AI smarts. Leveraging Google Cloud, the phone tackles complex AI tasks securely in the cloud. But that’s not all! It also houses Google’s powerful Gemini Nano AI model (as seen in the Pixel 8 Pro) for on-device magic.
This potent AI duo unlocks exciting features like real-time conversation translation customizable text tones across languages, and effortless text summarization with a tap.
The Galaxy S24 runs the slick OneUI 6.1 based on Android 14, and Samsung commits to a generous 7 years of software updates, matching Google’s Pixel 8 series. Plus, stay future-ready with cutting-edge connectivity options like Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
Camera
The Galaxy S24 and S24+ camera setups might feel like déjà vu, but hold your horses before hitting “pass.” While the hardware echoes last year’s models, that doesn’t mean stagnation. The 50MP main sensor, backed by OIS and Super HDR, still captures stunningly detailed shots in any light. The 12MP ultra-wide lens lets you squeeze the big picture, and the 10MP telephoto brings your subjects closer with 3x optical zoom. On the front, the 12MP selfie camera with auto-focus ensures your close-ups stay sharp and vibrant.
So, why stick with familiarity? Refinement lies in the details. We expect improved image processing from the upgraded Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, potentially delivering richer colors and better low-light performance. Plus, Samsung has promised AI-powered camera tricks that haven’t been revealed yet.
While a complete verdict will need to wait for hands-on testing, there’s reason to believe the Galaxy S24 and S24+ cameras will hold their own, even against newer competition. If last year’s cameras met your needs, these iterations could prove to be a reliable and refined upgrade.
Battery
The Galaxy S24 battery sees a modest 100mAh bump to 4,000mAh. While not a huge leap, it might suffice for users who found the Galaxy S23 just a tad shy in terms of endurance. Charging speeds stay the same: 25W wired and 15W wireless.
The Galaxy S24+ gets a more generous 200mAh boost, reaching 4,900mAh. Considering the larger display and potentially more power-hungry Snapdragon chip, this increase makes sense. We expect solid battery life, similar to the Galaxy S23+. Keep an eye out for our review of the Exynos variant, though, as battery performance might differ.
While battery capacities changed, charging specs remain unchanged for both phones. The Galaxy S24+ enjoys 45W wired charging, juicing up to 65% in just 30 minutes. You also get 15W wireless charging and the convenient 5W reverse wireless charging for other devices.
