Samsung Galaxy S24
Samsung S24 Series Adds More AI, Updates the Hardware
Samsung has unveiled its lineup of flagship phones for 2024, the Galaxy S24 series. The phones sport multiple upgrades in both hardware and software compared to last year's models. Larger displays, larger batteries, and more RAM are among the hardware improvements. New "Galaxy AI" on-device AI leverages Qualcomm and Google technology to power a long list of unique new features. These include live two-way language translation for voice calls and messaging (even in third-party apps), one-tap removal of reflections in photos, and auto-summarization in Notes. A new "Circle to Search" feature lets you highlight anything in any app (including text and photos) to Google that. There is a new setting to explicitly turn off any cloud-based AI processing to protect privacy and enterprise security. Samsung is also committing to a full seven years of OS upgrades and security updates for these phones. The Galaxy S24 and S24+ are similar in size to last year's models, but a thinner bezel means slightly larger (by 0.1") displays. The batteries are also slightly larger (by up to 6.6%). The larger "plus" model also gets a boost to a QHD+ resolution display and 12 GB of RAM standard. All models now incorporate gyroscope data to improve noise reduction in photos. Other camera specs and most other features remain largely the same compared to least year. The top-end Galaxy S24 Ultra retains a built-in stylus but switches to a flat (instead of curved-edge) display and titanium frame. This permits a body that's slightly thinner overall. It also now comes with 12 GB of RAM standard. The camera system has improved (wider-angle) optical stabilization and larger pixels on the main sensor to take in more light. The Ultra still offers 10x zoom, but now accomplishes this with a 50 megapixel sensor behind a 5x lens, (instead of a 10 megapixel sensor behind a 10x lens.) All three models — at least in the US — are powered by a Qualcomm's "Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy" (a version of the 8 Gen 3 with slightly faster peak CPU speeds of up to 3.4 GHz.) This also enables Wi-Fi 7 on the Ultra model, and Qualcomm's unique ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. Storage options are: 128 or 256 GB for the standard model, 256 or 512 GB for the plus model, and 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB for the Ultra. The standard and plus models still start at $800 and $1,000, respectively, while the Ultra now starts at $1,300. This year's color options for all models are violet, yellow, gray, and black. Three more colors — green, blue, and orange — are available exclusively from samsung.com. The Samsung Galaxy S24 series is available for pre-order and ships January 31st. Pre-orders come with a free upgrade to the next storage option, including up to 1 TB on the Ultra.
