Samsung debuts Galaxy AI on brand-new Galaxy S24 series, beats Apple with extended software support

Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 series of smartphones today at Unpacked San Jose, right next door to Apple HQ. The line-up boots three models— Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. Per usual, the Ultra gives you the most specs and a stylus while the standard and plus options are for those seeking the latest and greatest of Samsung at a bit more affordable pricing.

As was told and teased, well in advance, Galaxy AI is one of the hottest features of these new Galaxy smartphones. But an even bigger deal, which was both expected and unexpected, is Samsung’s big sustainability push not just with respect to using more environmental-friendly materials but extended support through software updates. Samsung is taking a page out of Google’s textbook and committing to updating its new Galaxy S24 devices for up to seven years (versus four years from before), one-upping Apple’s 5-year guarantee.

Samsung Galaxy S24 series — all you need to know

In terms of hardware, the Galaxy S24 line-up is everything you’d expect a high-end Galaxy to be at this point. And so, generally speaking, they are more about small, small tweaks that together make for big show and feel experience. The S24 and S24 Plus fit slightly bigger displays in very nearly the same footprint as their predecessors.

The S24 is 6.2-inch while the S24 Plus is 6.7 (the S23 was 6.1- and S23 Plus 6.6-inch). The bigger draw though is the switch to LTPO and so, for the first time, these phones can switch from 1-120Hz dynamically like the ultra. The S24 Plus is also getting a resolution bump to 1440p from 1080p in the previous generation (the S24 is still a 1080p phone). The Galaxy S24 Ultra keeps things consistent with its 6.8-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate. The panels in all the three phones can top 2,600 nits, a step up over the S23 series’ 1,750 nits. Biometrics are handled by an in-screen fingerprint reader.

Powering the S24 Ultra is Qualcomm’s fastest chip— the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 — while the S24 and S24 Plus will ship with Exynos 2400 in most markets (except for the US and Canada where Samsung is selling a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 based version). RAM and storage can go up to 12GB and 1TB in case of the ultra, up to 12GB and 512GB in S24 Plus, and up to 8GB and 256GB in the S24. All the three phones pack slightly bigger batteries— 5,000mAh in ultra, 4,900mAh in S24 Plus, and 4,000mAh in S24. Charging speeds remain unchanged at up to 45W wired (25W for S24), 15W wireless and 4.5W reverse.

The Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus have the same cameras as the S23 and S23 Plus— 50-megapixel wide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto, and 12-megapixel ultrawide. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is getting an all-new 50-megapixel 5x periscope telephoto paired to a 200MP wide, 10MP 3x telephoto, and 12MP ultrawide (same as the S23 Ultra before it). On the front, all the three phones have a 12-megapixel camera for selfies

Design-wise, the Galaxy S24 series phones look a bit nicer and sharper than before even if the base template hasn’t changed by much. What’s changed is the outer frame, at least in the ultra. It’s made of Titanium alloy though unlike the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it doesn’t amount to a weight reduction (Samsung seems to be going for durability instead). Samsung’s choice of colours for the ultra includes black, gray, violet and yellow. The S24 and S24 Plus frames are made out of a second-generation Armour Aluminium. You’ll be able to get them in similar hues as the ultra, under different marketing names of course.

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