Samsung has unveiled its latest lineup of flagship phones, the Galaxy S24 series. As is tradition, there are three models to choose from: the base S24, larger S24+, and premium S24 Ultra. While not dramatically different from last year’s S23 series, these new phones bring iterative improvements and refinements.
Let’s take an in-depth look at what’s new with the Galaxy S24 family and how the models compare to help you decide if an upgrade is worthwhile.
Refined Design with Familiar Looks
At first glance, the Galaxy S24 series looks very similar to the S23 and even S22 models before them. Samsung seems to have settled on a design aesthetic that works, choosing refinement over reinvention.
The phones have a familiar camera bump on the rear with the modules laid out vertically. The overall shape retains the rounded corners and nearly bezel-less front from previous years. The phones are still made of premium materials like aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus.
While not a radical departure visually, Samsung has made subtle tweaks. The new models are slightly larger than their predecessors, thanks mostly to slimmed down bezels rather than increased body size. They also employ next-gen Victus 2 glass on the front and back for added durability. The high-end S24 Ultra swaps aluminum for titanium sides, which Samsung says provides more resilience against drops and scratches.
Improved Displays with Higher Brightness
The displays on the S24 series are improved over earlier models. All three screens now support up to a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and animation. They can also adjust dynamically from 120Hz down to 1Hz depending on usage, helping conserve battery life.
Additionally, Samsung has boosted the peak brightness significantly to 1,750 nits for the S24 and S24+, and 2,200 nits for the S24 Ultra. This ramps up visibility and clarity when using the phones outdoors in bright sunlight.
One of the biggest variables between the S24 models is the display size:
- Galaxy S24 – 6.2-inch screen
- Galaxy S24+ – 6.7-inch screen
- Galaxy S24 Ultra – 6.8-inch screen
If you want a more compact phone for pocketability and one-handed use, the standard S24 is your best bet. But those who enjoy bigger screens for immersive video watching and multitasking will appreciate the S24+ or Ultra.
Flagship Performance and Lengthy OS Support
As expected, the Galaxy S24 series is powered by the newest flagship mobile processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This chip delivers cutting-edge speeds and efficiency for Android. Even the base S24 comes well-equipped with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The S24+ boosts this up to 12GB/256GB, while the Ultra gets 12GB/512GB.
Samsung is also promising up to 7 years of Android OS upgrades for these phones. This matches Google’s own Pixel phones and means you can expect to go from Android 13 now through Android 20 in the future via software updates. That’s an industry-leading level of extended software support.
Solid Upgrades to Camera Hardware
The Galaxy S24 series retains the triple camera array on the rear first introduced on the S22, with changes to some of the sensors and lenses.
The base S24 and S24+ share the same setup: a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 10MP 3X optical telephoto camera. This is a slight bump up from the prior models and provides quality images along with versatility.
The S24 Ultra stands apart with its 200MP primary camera. This extremely high resolution sensor uses pixel binning to create sharp 12MP photos. The S24 Ultra also has dual zoom cameras: a 10MP periscope with 10x optical zoom and a new 12MP camera with 3x optical zoom. This set up provides excellent flexibility when zooming in on distant subjects.
All the phones feature improved AI-enhanced Portrait mode shooting with better subject detection and processing. Overall low-light performance is better as well.
Big Batteries With All-Day Life
Battery life is crucial, and the Galaxy S24 series appears equipped to handle heavy use. The S24 has a capacious 4,000mAh battery, while the S24+ includes an even larger 4,900mAh capacity. The Ultra model tops out at 5,000mAh.
Combined with display refinements that reduce power draw and advanced chipset battery optimizations, these new phones should easily provide all-day battery life for most people, even with heavy use. When it does come time to charge, fast wired and wireless charging are supported across the lineup.
Which Galaxy S24 Model Should You Buy?
With only incremental changes from last year’s already impressive S23 series, whether to upgrade at all is questionable unless your current phone is aging or broken. But if buying a new device, the Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra offer something for everyone.
The S24 is the most affordable at $800 (Indian price ₹79,999) and best for those prioritizing smaller size and portability. The S24+ costs $1,000 (Indian price ₹99,999), adding a bigger screen, battery and some enhanced specs over the base model. Power users who want max performance, incredible camera capabilities, and an enormous display will be drawn to the S24 Ultra at $1,300 (Indian price ₹129,999).
While not radically different from their predecessors, the Galaxy S24 series brings welcome improvements. For those ready to upgrade from an older phone, these are compelling options that continue Samsung’s smartphone dominance. But more patient consumers may want to wait another year for a more significant overall upgrade.
