Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: What you need to know
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: What you need to know
The “Ultra” variant within the Galaxy S series of smartphones has been credited as the best Android smartphone for the last few years. Since the decommissioning of the Note lineup, the Ultra smartphone from the South Korean giant offered the best of both worlds and this year, the company seems to be further pushing the envelope both in terms of hardware and software capabilities.
Scheduled to launch on January 17, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is expected to set a benchmark both in terms of features and specifications, and here is everything you need to know about Samsung’s upcoming non-foldable premium flagship, launching at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024.
Introduction of “Galaxy AI”
The year 2023 gave us a glimpse of what generative AI can do to our lives, and with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung is likely to offer more use cases of generative AI by embedding the same within the smartphone. Samsung is likely to offer a few more use cases of the on-device generative AI technology. As per the leaks, Samsung is expected to offer features like an AI-backed wallpaper generator for easy customisation, real-time voice translation, enhanced Bixby (finally), and optimised smartphone performance.
While these features might not sound that exciting at first, as some of these are already available on devices like the Google Pixel 8, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung will democratise these features, and more people will get access to the same. As these processes happen on-device, thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, it will be more private and secure compared to similar services, powered by cloud computing.
@juniornannetti quiosques da samsung no Brasil ja estão com o material promocional do S24 pic.twitter.com/zodcxA0GXY
— d tsz (@DontMatterToYou) December 31, 2023
Not just that, Samsung is also doing something called “AI Zoom” on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Ultra series of smartphones were already known for their zooming prowess, and with the S24 Ultra, the company seems to be combining the power of hardware, software, and AI to further elevate the zooming capability by smartly reconstructing the subject using generative AI. Here are some of the promotional content published by Samsung that highlights the AI Zoom feature on the upcoming Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The camera specifications of the Galaxy S24 Ultra seem to be identical to the Galaxy S23 Ultra. As per the leaks, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will include a 200 MP primary camera, a 12 MP ultra-wide angle lens, a 3x optical zoom lens, a 5x 50 MP periscope zoom lens, and lastly a 12 MP selfie camera. The only difference between the two generations of Samsung Galaxy Ultra smartphone is the secondary zoom lens, where, the upcoming variant has a high-resolution 50 MP sensor with 5x optical zoom and 10x lossless hybrid zoom, while the S23 Ultra has a 10 MP periscope zoom lens with 10x optical zoom.
Best-performing Android phone
Considering the post by Qualcomm India on X (previously Twitter), the Galaxy S24 Ultra is almost confirmed to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, one of the first Android smartphone processors with on-device generative AI capability. While there are many phones with the same chip, readily available in the market, there isn’t any device that fully benefits from this new chip, and this is set to change with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Samsung has been known for introducing new software capabilities ahead of Android, in fact, Google takes hints from the Samsung OneUI or TouchWiz and implements the same on the core Android. This year, we are expected to see several such features. Again, the smartphone is expected to ship with Android 14-based OneUI 6.1 with many new features.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra might retain a 5,000 mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging and the device might gain new Qi2 wireless charging support, which could introduce MagSafe-like capability on a Galaxy for the first time.
Most premium Samsung Galaxy, period
The iPhone 15 Pro currently holds the most premium smartphone tag, thanks to the use of titanium, which is lighter and more durable than stainless steel. Samsung, on the other hand, is also going straight from aluminium to titanium, which should get the same premium status as the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colours,which is the most beautiful?? @android_fhd pic.twitter.com/Aoomv39cCJ
— Anirudh Pai (@AnirudhPai5) January 3, 2024
While Samsung might not benefit from any weight reduction as Apple did, as aluminium is lighter than titanium, there will be minimal weight gain with the amplification of premiumness. On top of that, Samsung is also speculated to have opted for a flat panel display, marking a massive shift in the smartphone trend, especially at such a time, when, more and more smartphone makers are launching budget devices with curved displays, and it is no longer related to being a premium feature. The display is reported to retain its 2K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, and it is also expected to pack an improved ultra-sonic fingerprint sensor, all protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Galaxy S24 Ultra is reported to come in colour options like titanium black and titanium grey. And, as per EVLeaks, the smartphone is expected to be available in some exclusive colour options like orange, blue, and green, available exclusively on Samsung.com.
All this might come at an expense
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, despite looking similar to its predecessors seems to pack better hardware and software with added generative AI capabilities. This means the Galaxy S24 Ultra could easily be the most expensive non-foldable smartphone that Samsung has ever launched, period. Hence, we could expect to see the price surpass the Rs 1,50,000 barrier for the non-foldable Samsung smartphone.
For the latest news from across India, Political updates, Explainers, Sports News, Opinion, Entertainment Updates and more Top News, visit Indian Express. Subscribe to our award-winning Newsletter Download our App here Android & iOS