Samsung’s next-generation flagship phones, the Galaxy S24 series, are set to be unveiled on Wednesday — January 17th. Among them, the Galaxy S24 Ultra stands out as the most premium offering, expected to bring some exclusives to the table. While rumors and leaks have offered glimpses of its features, we’ve compiled them to offer a preview of what to expect from the Samsung S24 Ultra.
Titanium frame and flat, bright display
The Galaxy S24 Ultra will retain the familiar look of its predecessor, the S23 Ultra, but with a couple of key design updates. The most noticeable change is the switch from a curved screen to a flat display.
Whether you like this change might depend on your preference for flat or curved screens. But flat screens should be more practical for stylus use. And of course, the S24 Ultra comes with the familiar S Pen tucked away.
The back panel will also go flat this time around, and Samsung will be using titanium alloy for the middle frame which should bring the phone’s weight down a few grams.
Samsung is even expected to bring a new “Titanium” color range for the S24 Ultra, featuring shades like Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, and Titanium Gray. Additionally, there will be some online exclusive colors that will be available through Samsung’s retail stores.
The display parameters on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra are also nearly identical to the already excellent screen on the S23 Ultra. That is, there will be a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x panel with a sharp 1440×3088 resolution. The refresh rate will remain at smooth 120Hz, but the brightness will get a significant bump, reaching a peak of 2600 nits for even better outdoor visibility.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with AI magic
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is the generational update we all are expecting, but it will be exclusive to the Ultra model — sort of! Unlike last year, when all S23 phones used the Snapdragon processor, the Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 are switching to the Exynos 2400 processor in most markets, except for the US and Canada.
Like it or not, this isn’t the first time Samsung has made such a change. However, we’ll need to see how the Exynos 2400 actually performs before we can fairly judge Samsung’s decision.
In other news, the entire Samsung Galaxy S24 series is set to focus heavily on AI. Samsung is even touting them as the “smartest AI phones ever.”
These phones will feature an on-demand Live Translate feature which lets you communicate in different languages directly via the Phone app and get real-time translations. They’ll also introduce other AI-driven features like a Dynamic Lock Screen and a Smart Keyboard, all part of the new One UI 6.1.
New 50MP telephoto, the rest is the same!
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s cameras will keep things familiar while offering some nice tweaks. Expect the same 200MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide lens with autofocus, and a 10MP periscope telephoto with 3x zoom.
But, the the long-range telephoto lens is rumored to receive an upgrade in resolution to 50MP, while sacrificing some zoom range (5x instead of 10x). Don’t worry though — the 100x Space Zoom feature will remain intact for capturing distant objects like the moon.
The selfie camera will maintain its 12MP resolution While hardware changes are pretty minimal, the new ISP (image signal processor) and software processing should effectively deliver better image quality. Rumors suggest AI integration within the gallery and camera apps as well.
Battery & Memory
Moving further, the Galaxy S24 Ultra keeps the reliable 5,000mAh battery with familiar charging speeds — 45W wired, and 15W wireless. Plus, you can expect to reach 65% battery in just 30 minutes, just like before.
Excitingly, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is expected to add emergency texting via satellite feature, a first for Samsung phones. However, its availability and costs may vary by market, just like iPhones.
Price
Memory options for the Galaxy S24 Ultra include 12/256GB, 12/512GB, or the whopping 12GB/1TB configuration. Prices are expected to start at €1,449 in Europe.
Additionally, Samsung will offer some attractive pre-order perks. One notable benefit rumored is the chance to get double the storage for the same price. This means you will get a 512GB model of the phone if you order the 256GB version.