The Samsung Galaxy S24 is official. As expected, there are three variants: the standard S24, S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra. They're filled to the brim with AI-focused features, camera upgrades and a brighter, flatter screen on the flagship Ultra model.
There's a lot to get stuck into, so here's everything you need to know about these new Samsung smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy S24 series at a glance
- Available now (released on 31st January 2024)
- Three models: Samsung Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra
- Dynamic refresh rate OLED displays on all models (1Hz to 120Hz)
- QHD+ on the S24 Plus and Ultra, FHD+ on the S24
- S24 Ultra cuts analogue zoom from 10x to 5x, but retains 100x digital zoom
- Samsung Exynos 2400 / Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (depending on device and region)
- Prices start at £799/ $800 / AU$1349
Samsung Galaxy S24: release date
Pre-orders for all three Galaxy S24 models opened during Samsung Unpacked on 17th January. Shipping began on 31st January.
- Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review
- Samsung Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14: which is better?
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: battle of the big boys
Samsung Galaxy S24: price
After years of prices slowly creeping up across the smartphone market, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the Samsung S24 series doesn't follow this trend. The S24 and S24 Plus are cheaper than last year's models, while the S24 Ultra stays at the same price.
Pricing for all three models is as follows:
| Storage | S24 | S24 Plus | S24 Ultra |
| 128GB | £799 / $800 / AU$1349 | N/A | N/A |
| 256GB | £859 / $859 / AU$1399 | £999 / $999 / AU$1699 | £1249 / $1299 / AU$2199 |
| 512GB | N/A / AU$1599 | £1099 / $1119 / AU$1899 | £1349 / $1419 / AU$2399 |
| 1TB | N/A | N/A | £1549 / $1659 / AU$2799 |
It's worth noting that the S24 comes with 8GB of RAM for all storage options, whereas the S24 Plus and Ultra feature 12GB of RAM.
We anticipate the outgoing S23 series will remain on sale for the foreseeable future too, and we hope at a cheaper price than launch. You can find the best deals on the S23 Ultra below.
Samsung Galaxy S24: specifications
Samsung has outfitted the S24 Ultra with the latest and greatest processor from Qualcomm. This is the first mainstream phone we've seen with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, and as was the case with the S23 Series, it's a special "For Galaxy" version with a slightly higher clock speed for enhanced software performance. We expect more phones from the likes of OnePlus and Sony to also feature this processor later in the year.
Unfortunately, the S24 and S24 Plus won't be getting this processor, at least in the UK, which is a step back from last year as all S23 models were given the Snapdragon treatment. Instead, the S24 (and S24 Plus) get the latest Exynos processor directly from Samsung; we'll have to test for ourselves if there are any noticeable differences in day to day performance.
Samsung Galaxy S24: design
Samsung is sticking to a close design formula for its new devices, although some appreciated tweaks have been made. There are two big developments for the S24 Ultra, the first being a flat display. Samsung's flagship phones have featured curved screens that melt over the edges for nearly a decade now, but that trend has finished. Instead, you'll find a flat 6.8-inch display; more on this shortly.
It's also thinner and tougher this year, with Corning Gorilla Armour featuring on the display to provide four times improved scratch resistance, and a claimed 75 per cent reduction in reflectivity.
It also uses upgraded materials in its build, with a new titanium frame wrapping around the edges of the device. Samsung really wants you to know that it's using titanium on this phone, which is why it's named its colours accordingly. You'll be able to get the S24 Ultra in four colours: Titanium Black, Titanium Grey, Titanium Yellow and Titanium Violet, as well as Samsung web store exclusive colours: Titanium Blue, Titanium Green and Titanium Orange.
The S24 and S24 Plus instead use an Aluminium Armour frame and One Mass design with a smooth gapless design between the frame and glass panels. It comes in Onyx Black, Marble Grey, Amber Yellow and Cobalt Violet as well as the Samsung-exclusive Sapphire Blue, Jade Green and Sandstone Orange.
This year's devices ditch the glossy frame in favour of a flat, matte finish with a satin glass rear panel. It isn't miles away from the iPhone 14 in design.
Samsung Galaxy S24: display
Samsung has given all three models in the lineup the same dynamic refresh rate capabilities, with a range of 1Hz to 120Hz. Each model uses a Dynamic AMOLED display, meaning black depths should be a highlight, although it's worth mentioning that the S24 uses a Full HD screen, while the Plus and Ultra get a boost to Quad HD.
Brightness also gets a major boost, up to 2600 nits to be exact. Samsung highlights the benefit of better outdoor visibility, but our mind shot straight to improved picture performance. Highlights should have a boost, while the punchy, saturated nature of Samsung's displays should also benefit here.
Samsung Galaxy S24: camera
The S23 Ultra has one of the best cameras on any smartphone. In our review, we called it "brilliant, fusing top-notch performance with intuitive software, meaning even the most amateur of photographers can snap a quality image."
In a shocking twist, Samsung will tweak the camera specs for the S24, and will actually downgrade it in one respect. However, it's for a good reason, as the S24 Ultra will replace the 10x optical zoom with a 5x mechanism. This shouldn't diminish its zooming abilities too much, as it will keep the 100x digital zoom, as well as allowing for enhanced stabilisation for zoomed-in shots without the need for a tripod.
Otherwise, the same 200MP main lens, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto lens remain. The second 10MP telephoto lens on the S23 Ultra has been replaced with an enhanced 50MP sensor on the S24 Ultra for enhanced zoomed performance.
Samsung Galaxy S24: early verdict
It's been another year of iterative updates for the S24 series, although the AI enhancements are certainly proving to be interesting additions. In our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review, we noted that a couple of these are genuinely useful, but others less so.
Just like Samsung's TVs, the S24 Ultra is bright and bold, but could do with more subtlety in the picture. And it's sonically impressive, though not quite as good as the Sony Xperia 1 V. How will it compare to the iPhone 16? We'll have to wait and see...
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