As we edge towards the end of 2023, Samsung is preparing to launch its new range of Galaxy S flagships earlier than ever before, with some reports pointing to a mid-January Unpacked event. If accurate, this means we could wait less than a month for the Galaxy S24 series to become a reality. In the meantime, we've got some freshly leaked renders and, perhaps more importantly, a leaked spec sheet for the trio of Galaxy S24 models.
Extended Software Support
According to AndroidHeadlines, Samsung has a great surprise in store for Galaxy S24 buyers in the form of an even longer software support period. With Google having one-upped Samsung with the Pixel 8 series, which benefits from 7 years of software support, Samsung will reportedly offer the same commitment.
It's unknown whether Samsung will offer this for previous flagship phones, such as the Galaxy S23 series, but we'll no doubt find out more on January 17th.
Once considered one of the worst OEMs for supporting its devices with software updates, Samsung has flipped that opinion on its head in recent years thanks to it rolling out Android OS updates promptly. And its not just Android updates, Samsung often beats Google to the punch when it comes to the monthly security patches for its flagship devices.
There is a reported fly in the ointment, though, with it also being claimed that Samsung could charge users for access to its Galaxy AI features after a certain period of time. If true, it's a controversial move by Samsung for sure.
$50 Off Samsung Pre Orders!
You can set yourself up for a $50 discount as soon as pre-orders/sales for the Galaxy S24 series goes live. This is an official Samsung promotion, on Samsung.com.
There is no commitment, just enter in your name and email address and if you decide to purchase the phone, you get an instant $50 off!
Click here to sign up to the promotion.
Official Specification Sheets Have Leaked
Just a week before the official launch of the Galaxy S24 series on January 17th comes the leaked specifications of the three flagship handsets courtesy of the folks at WinFuture. According to the leaked spec sheets, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will sport an entirely flat display, which is something that will please S Pen users. It also seems that there is some good news for Europeans in that Ultra will also be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and not Samsung's Exynos 2400 SoC.
It's not all good news, though, because the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ will be powered by the Exynos 2400 in Europe. Still, at least the two models gain a bump in battery capacity, with the base S24 having a display that is an inch bigger than its predecessor.
| S24 | S24+ | S24 Ultra | |
| Model Number | SM-S921B | SM-S926B | SM-S928B |
| Software | Android 14.0 / One UI 6.1 | ||
| Display | 6,2″ FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, 120 Hz (1-120 Hz), HDR10+, Always On, Eye Comfort Shield, Vision Booster, 2340 x 1080 Pixel, 418 ppi | 6,7″ QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, 120 Hz (1-120 Hz), HDR10+, Always On, Eye Comfort Shield, Vision Booster, 3120 x 1440 Pixel, 516 ppi | 6,8″ QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, 120 Hz (1-120 Hz), HDR10+, Always On, Eye Comfort Shield, Vision Booster, 3120 x 1440 Pixel, 505 ppi |
| Processor | US: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Europe: Samsung Exynos 2400 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, 64-bit, 4 nm, Octa-Core (3,39 GHz, 3,1 GHz, 2,9 GHz, 2,2 GHz) | |
| Memory | 8GB | 12GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 128/256GB | 256/512GB | 256/512GB/1TB |
| Network | 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, 4G LTE FDD, 4G LTE TDD, 5G Sub6 FDD, 5G Sub6 TDD | ||
| Main Camera | Wide angle lens: 50MP, F/1.8, dual pixel autofocus, OIS Telephoto lens: 10MP, F /2.4, 3x optical magnification, phase detection autofocus, OIS Ultra wide angle lens: 12MP, F/2.2, 120° field of view | Wide angle lens: 200MP, F/1.7, Super Quad Pixel autofocus, OIS, Super Clear Lens Duo telephoto lens: Telephoto lens 1: 50MP, F/3.4, 5x optical magnification, Quad Pixel autofocus, OIS Telephoto lens 2: 10MP , F/2.4, 3x optical magnification, dual pixel autofocus, OIS Ultra wide angle lens: 12MP, F/2.2, dual pixel autofocus, 120° field of view | |
| Front Camera | 12 MP (F/2.2), Dual Pixel Autofocus | ||
| Camera Features | Zoom: 100x Space Zoom (S24 Ultra only), 30x Space Zoom (S24, S24+) Video: Nightography video, Super HDR, 12-bit HDR, 8K -Video recording, 8K video snap, portrait video with bokeh effect, Photo: Portrait -Mode with bokeh effect, Pro mode, panorama, night mode, food, selfie, group selfie, single take, automatic scene optimization, Bixby Vision, AR zone, QR scanner, ExpertRAW Photo App – 50 MP raw photos, Astrophoto, Multi-Exposure, digital ND filter | ||
| Video | Max. Resolution recording: UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) at 30 FPS Max. Resolution playback: UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) at 60 FPS | ||
| Sensors | Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope, compass, hall sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor | ||
| Features | IP68, Armor Aluminum frame, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Armor, Wireless PowerShare, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, Samsung Health, Wireless Samsung DeX, Link to Windows, blue light filter, Bixby Assistant, Bixby Routines, Secure Folder, Concentration Mode, Samsung Knox | S Pen, IP68, titanium frame, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Armor, Wireless PowerShare, Wireless Samsung DeX, Link to Windows, blue light filter, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, Samsung Health, Bixby Assistant, Bixby Routines, Secure Folder, Focus Mode, Samsung Knox | |
| Battery | 4000 mAh | 4900 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charging | 25W Wired Charging | 45W Wired Charging | 45W Wired Charging |
| Wireless Charging | 15W, Wireless PowerShare | 15W, Wireless PowerShare | 15W, Wireless PowerShare |
| SIM | Dual-SIM, 2x Nano-SIM, eSIM | ||
| Connectivity | USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6e, WiFi-Direct, Miracast, NFC | USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6e, WiFi-Direct, Miracast, NFC, UWB | USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 7, WiFi-Direct, Miracast, NFC, UWB |
| Navigation | GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS | ||
| Colors | Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Onyx Black, Marble Gray | Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow | |
| Samsung Store Exclusive Custom Colors: | Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, Sandstone Orange | ||
| Dimensions | 70,6 x 147,0 x 7,6 mm | 75,9 x 158,5 x 7,7 mm | 79,0 x 162,3 x 8,6 mm |
| Weight | 167 grams | 196 grams | 232 grams |
| Price | €899 | €1149 | €1449 |
Software Features
Thanks to WinFuture's discovery of a premature Walmart listing, we now know what new software features we can expect from the Galaxy S24 series when it launches in January. We also know the tagline that Samsung will use with the new phones will be “Epic. Just Like That.”
“Epic. Just Like That”.
As for the software features, the Walmart listing gives the following details:
- Live Translate – Speak foreign languages immediately, right from inside the Samsung Phone app, with Live Translate.
- Nightography Zoom – Bring your night into the light. Incredible low-light shots made it easy.
- Generative Edit – Move or remove objects. Fill in the empty space with Generative Edit. It requires a Samsung account log-in and internet connection.
It would appear that Samsung is going to offer something akin to the Astrophotography mode with the Nightography Zoom feature and that AI is going to bring some magic to image-taking, although it doesn't seem to be an on-device process.
There's also a reference to the Galaxy S24+'s 50MP main camera and its capability, but it's quite vague.
- High Resolution – Share more of life’s most share-worthy moments in natural, true-to-life color with a 50MP camera.
Finally, as we already know from previous leaks, the Galaxy S24 series will benefit from ultra-bright displays capable of up to 2,500 nits peak brightness, ensuring easy viewing even in direct sunlight.
- Screen Display – See it all in stunning detail on the bigger and brighter screens* of Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus. Look at your pics outside without squinting or looking for shade. And wind down before bed with your screen at just the right brightness, thanks to Eye Comfort Shield. No matter where you are, see what you love clearly. *As compared to Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus.
Galaxy S24 Price Leak
Details of how much Samsung will ask for its upcoming Galaxy S24 series have surfaced (via GalaxyClub). In Euroland, at least, it appears to be good and bad news, depending on which model you are interested in. First, the good news is being reported that both the base Galaxy S24 (128GB) and the middle sibling S24+ (256GB) will cost around €50 cheaper than their predecessors, with pricing for the two phones starting from €899 and €1,149 respectively.
As for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, this is where the bad news comes in because the report claims that it will cost €50 more than the Galaxy S23 Ultra. This news should, of course, be offset by the 12GB of RAM that will reportedly be present on the S24 Ultra. Right now, it seems that 12GB of RAM is as far as Samsung is willing to go with the Galaxy S24+ and S24 Ultra despite other brands preparing to launch phones sporting up to 24GB of RAM, but at least they have moved on from the 8GB option.
Remember that this report pertains to the Galaxy S24 series pricing in Europe. As such, it remains to be seen how, and indeed, if they relate to the US market given how much influence carriers have with smartphone manufacturers, even one as big as Samsung.
We don't have long to wait until Samsung launches the Galaxy S24 series, although the company has yet to confirm exactly when it will hold the Unpacked event.
More Of The Same
Jumping into the leaked renders, which come courtesy of Arsène Lupin's post on X/Twitter, we can see that the overall design of the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra looks almost identical to that of the Galaxy S23 series from earlier this year. It's not a bad design by any means, but it is getting a little samey, and if I'm perfectly honest, I find it to be bland and a long way away from the boldness of the Galaxy S21 aesthetic.
The leaked renders show the trio of Galaxy S24 models in each of their ‘standard' colorways consisting of Marble Gray, Onyx Black, Cobalt Lilac, and Amber Yellow. These color options will go on sale via retailers and carriers such as Amazon, Best Buy, and the likes of Verizon and AT&T, with Samsung likely to offer more exciting colorways directly from its web store.
What's Under The Hood?
Despite Samsung going all in on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with the Galaxy S23 series, the smartphone maker is allegedly returning to its strategy of incorporating its Exynos processors into models headed for regions other than the US. If the reports are accurate, European buyers of the Galaxy S24 can again expect inferior battery life and overall performance compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered models sold in the US.
The S24 Ultra is the biggest of the bunch, as you would expect, thanks to its 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, which sports QHD+ resolution and up to 2600nits peak brightness. You'll find Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays on the plus and vanilla models, with the former's QHD+ panel being only slightly smaller than the Ultra thanks to its 0.1-inch increase in size to 6.7 inches. The base Galaxy S24 also gets a bump in size to 6.2 inches with an FHD+ resolution.
As a previous leak alluded to, consumers shouldn't expect to see a bump in memory options, with the base model starting with 8GB of RAM and the Galaxy S24+ and S24 Ultra making do with 12GB in total before any virtual expansion functions taken into account which may add around 4GB of ‘extra' memory.
Charging speeds are another area that one shouldn't expect much in the way of improvement, with the Plus and Ultra reportedly capable of reaching 65% after a 30-minute charge, with the base model reaching 50% in the same timeframe. That being said, the Galaxy S24 and S24+ benefit from slightly larger batteries this time, while the Ultra keeps the same 5,000mAh capacity.
The leaked spec sheet shows that all three variants feature IP68 water and dust resistance, with the Ultra using a titanium frame and the other models using Armor Aluminum 2.0.
The photography department is where things get interesting, or rather, confusing because the Galaxy S24 Ultra is said to have a ‘Quad Telephoto' setup with ‘Dual Telephoto setups on the other models. It's unclear what Samsung means by ‘Quad Telephoto', but the sheet says 2x/3x/5x/10x zoom levels are available. It's anyone's guess now is whether this relates to Optical, Digital, or Hybrid zoom. The other models make do with 2x/3x telephoto zoom.
We speculate that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will pack four cameras, including a 200MP main sensor alongside a telephoto lens, an ultra-wide lens, and a portrait lens.
When Will The Galaxy S24 be Announced?
While Samsung is still keeping its powder dry, Evan Blass also posted a video that reveals a dynamic countdown time for the next Galaxy Unpacked launch event, giving a kick-off time of January 18th at 3AM KST time. That translates to a more reasonable 1PM EST starting time, and while it's unsubstantiated by Samsung at this stage, it seems to fit when considering previous event timings.
Other than pricing, exact camera specs, and which custom colors Samsung will host on its web store, there isn't much that we don't already know about the upcoming Galaxy S24 range. What are you hoping to see from Samsung's next Galaxy?
Get $50 off the Galaxy S24 series now!
- You can set yourself up for a $50 discount as soon as pre-orders/sales for the Galaxy S24 series goes live. This is an official Samsung promotion, on Samsung.com.
- There is no commitment, just enter in your name and email address and if you decide to purchase the phone, you get an instant $50 off!
- Click here to sign up to the promotion.
