It’s been a busy year for Samsung. At the beginning of 2023, the company launched its Galaxy S23 series. And this past summer, we got the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 — two of the year’s best folding phones. However, it is never too early to anticipate the company’s next lineup of smartphones. If Samsung sticks to its previous calendar schedule, we can expect to see the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra announced early in 2024.
What can we expect from these phones regarding their specs, design, price, and more? Let’s look at everything we know (so far) about the Samsung Galaxy S24.
Samsung Galaxy S24: release date
There’s no official date for when Samsung will announce its newest Galaxy smartphones. Recent history, however, suggests the new Galaxy S24 handsets will be announced in January or February 2024.
In 2023, Samsung announced the Galaxy S23 series on February 1, with a release date of February 17. A year earlier, the Galaxy S22 series was launched on February 9, with a release date of February 25. In 2021, the Galaxy S21 series was announced on January 14, with a release date of January 29.
According to one report from The Elec, Samsung may announce the Galaxy S24 series on January 17, 2024, at an Unpacked event in San Jose, California. This wouldn’t be the first time Samsung launched its new Galaxy S series in January, but it would be the first time in three years for the company to do so.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is now tasked with approving the three new handsets as filings for model numbers SM-S921U, SM-926U, and SM-928U have commenced. These are the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra, respectively. FCC documents like these are always a strong indicator that a product is launching soon, meaning the Galaxy S24 series shouldn’t be too far away now.
Samsung Galaxy S24: price
Prices for Samsung’s Galaxy handsets have been mostly stable in recent years, with the entry-level S23 model starting at $800 in the U.S., the S23 Plus model starting at $1,000, and the S23 Ultra model starting at around $1,200.
It looks like Samsung is en route to keep the same pricing for the S24 series as before, unlike competitors like Apple and Google raising prices by $100 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8 series. This means that the base model Galaxy S24 will start at $800, the S24 Plus will begin at $1,000, and the flagship S24 Ultra will be at least $1,200. They’ll still be expensive phones, but we’ll never complain about not having to deal with a price increase.
Samsung Galaxy S24: design
A few rumors in recent months have suggested there will be a few changes on the design front for the S24 series. In September, Smartprix (in collaboration with @OnLeaks) shared purported renders showing the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Ultra. We also received Galaxy S24 Plus renders from GizNext in early October.
If the renders are correct, we’ll see flat screens this time, with no curved edges like in previous generations. Because there’s no more curved glass, expect ever-slimmer bezels, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra possibly having the slimmest bezels to date for a Samsung smartphone. Beyond this, the S24 series could look very similar to the S23 series. Again, according to Smartprix, the S24 Ultra is expected to have flat metallic side rails with rounded edges — just like the S23 Ultra.
Like the iPhone 15 Pro series, the Galaxy S24 Ultra could feature a titanium frame for the first time, according to The Elec. This would undoubtedly bring the weight of the Galaxy S24 Ultra down considerably, perhaps as much as 10%.
It should be noted, however, that overall, the designs for the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra should be strikingly similar to the current models (via @Tech_Reve).
We received the “best look yet” of the Galaxy S24 series early in December — specifically, a few new renders that look like leaked marketing images of the phones. The only two key changes are a different material for the frame of the Galaxy S24 Ultra and a couple of new colors. One of the more noteworthy things is the new yellow color for the S24 Ultra, which looks stunning.
Samsung Galaxy S24: specs
We’ve seen a few other key specs about next year’s phones get leaked. When talking about specs and rumors, it’s always important to note that there could be some variance from the actual specs, especially this far out from their release. However, the actual specs should come to light as we get closer to the big reveal.
On X, formerly Twitter, Ice Universe noted that the Galaxy S24 Ultra should feature a 6.8-inch WQHD display with a 1440p resolution. Instead of the 1,750 nits peak brightness found on the S23 Ultra, the S24 Ultra could max out at 2,500 nits.
Ice Universe says the S24 Plus could feature a 6.7-inch WQHD display for the first time. The S24 should feature a 6.2-inch FHD display. In August, the same leaker said, “Yes,” the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus would feature LTPO screens. Notice these are bigger screens than the 6.1-inch S23 and 6.6-inch S23 Plus.
One of the biggest surprises about the S23 series is that Samsung didn’t use its Exynos chipsets in any models. Instead, it used the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip across the board. For the S24 series, Samsung could return to form and partially use Exynos chipsets alongside the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip.
This news came from Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon (via The Elec), who claims the processor used will vary by region for both the S24 and S24 Plus models. The S24 Ultra, however, will use a Qualcomm chip everywhere the model is sold.
Samsung Galaxy S24: cameras
On the camera front, all the rumors so far have to do with the S24 Ultra. Like the previous model, this phone should once again feature a 200MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera. We’re also expecting 50MP 5x zoom and 10MP 10x zoom telephoto cameras.
There were previous reports that the maximum zoom could drop down to 5x with a higher sensor resolution, but it looks like Samsung will keep the 10x sensor, in addition to a new 5x option, according to a report from The Elec.
There could also be an Instagram camera shortcut on the Galaxy S24 series.
Samsung Galaxy S24: battery
Typically, but not always, the larger a smartphone’s battery, the longer its battery life. If this holds into 2024, all three Galaxy S24 models could see improvements.
According to Dutch news outlet Galaxy Club, the Galaxy S24 will have a 4,000 mAh battery, matching the one used on the Galaxy S21. The Galaxy S22 and S23 have 3,700 mAh and 3,900 mAh batteries, respectively.
Over on the S24 Plus, we could see a 4,900 mAh battery, which compares very nicely to the S23 Plus’ 4,700 mAh cell. Meanwhile, rumors suggest the S24 Ultra will remain the same at 5,000 mAh.
Samsung Galaxy S24: software and updates
Finally, when it comes to software, the entire Galaxy S24 series should launch with Android 14 preinstalled with either Samsung One UI 6 or 6.1. The Android 14 update has just started to arrive for the S23 series.
What will be interesting to see is how many years of Android updates Samsung will promise for the S24. For the Galaxy S23, Samsung offers a respectable four years of Android updates. This doesn’t come close, however, to what Google is promising with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro — at least seven years of support. Will Samsung match this? It’s hard to say for sure, but we certainly hope so.
Samsung Galaxy S24: artificial intelligence
According to the Korea Times, the Galaxy S24 series is expected to have a new feature called Samsung Gauss, a proprietary generative AI model. Samsung showcased Gauss in early November, and the model partially runs locally on a device. It is named after Carl Friedrich Gauss, a legendary mathematician who established the normal distribution theory.
Samsung Gauss has three components: Samsung Gauss Language, which can generate text, translate languages, and answer questions; Samsung Gauss Code, which makes it easier for developers to write and edit code; and Samsung Gauss Image, a tool for generating images. Gauss would be a very interesting addition to the Galaxy S24 family, and in a world dominated by ChatGPT, Google Bard, and other AI apps, it wouldn’t be surprising in the least.
New reports give us even more of an idea of what to expect with Samsung’s AI elements in the S24 series. One of the confirmed AI features will be real-time phone call translation. Another leak indicates there will be generative AI wallpaper similar to what we already have on the Google Pixel 8 series. It looks similar to what Google has on the Pixel 8 because it relies on Google’s AI engine. If that’s the case, it will also have the same limitations as the feature on the Pixel 8, which restricts you to specific themes and categories for the prompts.
One UI 6.1 – Generative AI Wallpapers IN ACTION!!!
Generative AI wallpapers will work seamlessly and with ease, allowing for a unique wallpaper every time, like no her!
This is running off Google's own AI apparently as a Google account is required to run it!
OMGGGG!!!#OneUI6… pic.twitter.com/BAWmjmXeAO
— BenIt Bruhner Pro (@BennettBuhner) December 10, 2023
Using AI, Samsung will also have a photo editing tool that will work similarly to Google’s Magic Editor, allowing you to move people, pets, and objects in the Samsung Gallery app. You could take things a step further and even drag subjects from one image to another.
Other possible enhancements with AI include Samsung Notes, which would have an AI-powered auto-format feature, converting blocks of text into bullet point lists to flow better when necessary. There may also be new weather and portrait effects on the lock screen with Samsung One UI 6.1.
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