2024-01-17 18:00:00
Hello.
We are accustomed to the fact that new lines of smartphones change little from year to year; it seems that they are confusingly similar to the previous generation. For example, when moving from the Galaxy S23s to the S24s, you had to convince yourself that the new devices had changed a lot and provided new quality. Exactly the same picture with the iPhone or the flagships of other companies; any device of this level is so crammed with functions that there is no room for surprise; we have lost the habit of opening our mouths in admiration. There is a certain satiety with what is shown and given to us. Considering the growing crisis, the difficulty in quickly developing new technologies and their high cost, it is naive to expect that development will proceed at the same pace. We have hit, if not a ceiling, then a limit, when each next generation of devices differs little from the previous one, but at the same time costs the same or even more.
Samsung has been trying for several years to get around these barriers, to come up with something that can be offered to the buyer so that it would be interesting to him. The company relied on AI algorithms and began creating them with enthusiasm, but we will see the first result in the Galaxy S24 line; the company is positioning all three devices as Galaxy AI. And here the first question arises – will the features that were added to the new line really not be available on older devices? Unfortunately, they won’t. The company will probably say that this is due to hardware limitations, the need for new NPU modules, and the list goes on. In my opinion, the restriction is purely of a marketing nature, because new devices need to be sold, and the appearance of Galaxy AI may be a sufficient incentive for this. It’s sad, but now the OneUI version does not play such a role as before; many of the features that will appear in new products will be tied to them. Although the watershed occurs in 2024, subsequent models will incorporate AI capabilities. That is, for example, S24s will have to get the capabilities of S25s in a year. The break in continuity is intended as a one-time story to push sales up.
Samsung’s marketing machine is working very well, so I assure you that sales of the S24s will be noticeable. In conditions of crisis and contraction of the global market, this means that the weighted average scenario is described as fixing sales at the level of the previous generation. But in fact, this will be a sales growth of 5-7%, the main product in sales volume will be S24 Ultra.
Hardware component of the S24 line – what has changed?
We still have three models before us – S24, S24+, S24 Ultra.
S24S24+S24 UltraDimensions147 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7 mm 162.3 x 79.0 x 8.6 mmWeight168g197g233gDiagonal6.2”6.7”6.8”ScreenDynamic AMOLED 2X FHD+
Dynamic AMOLED 2X Quad HD+
Dynamic AMOLED 2X Quad HD+
Screen refresh rateAdaptive display with frequency 1-120 Hz
Adaptive display with frequency 1-120 Hz
Adaptive display with frequency 1-120 Hz
Moisture protectionIP68IP68IP68Network capabilities and connectivity5G sub 6, LTE, Bluetooth v5.3, Wi-Fi 6E, GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, NFC5G sub 6, 5G Sub6, LTE, Bluetooth v5.3, Wi-Fi 6E, GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, NFC5G sub 6, LTE, Bluetooth v5.3, Wi-Fi 7, GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, NFCFront-camera12 MP
12 MP
12 MP
Triple main cameraUltra-wide-angle 12 MP
Wide-angle 50 MP
Telephoto lens (x3 optical zoom) 10 MP
Ultra-wide-angle 12 MP
Wide-angle 50 MP
Telephoto lens (x3 optical zoom) 10 MP
Ultra-wide-angle 12 MP
Wide-angle 200 MP
Telephoto lens (x5 optical zoom) 50 MP
Telephoto lens (x3 optical zoom) 10 MP
Laser AF Depth
ProcessorExynos 2400Exynos 2400Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for GalaxyRAM and built-in memory8 + 128 GB
8 + 256 GB
8 + 512 GB12 + 256 GB
12 + 512 GB12 + 256 GB
12 + 512 GB
12 + 1 TBBattery4,000 mAh
4,900 mAh
5,000 mAh
ColorsBlack, grey, yellow and purple.
Black, grey, yellow and purple. Black titanium, gray titanium, purple titanium and yellow titanium.
The first thing that catches your attention is the identical color schemes, but in real life all the devices look a little different.
The S24/S24+ has a body made of glass and reinforced aluminum, materials we know well from previous generations. The S24 Ultra has a matte body, made of titanium (hello, the latest iPhone 15, here it is directly borrowed from a competitor). For the first time in recent years, all models have straight screens without curves, which makes the S24 Ultra less comfortable and fits worse in the hand. But at the same time, the size and weight of the device have increased, look at it in comparison with the S23 Ultra.
Another change is that the younger models are built on Exynos 2400, the older ones on Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen. 3 (the regular version of the chipset, Samsung is once more starting to move towards its own solutions and will gradually reduce Qualcomm’s share in its products).
If we take the hardware of the S24/S24+ and compare it with previous models, we will see that there are no practical changes; we have before us, plus or minus, the same devices, matching cameras and screens (an increase in diagonal of 0.1 inches does not play any role in real life). But the S24 Ultra differs not only in its titanium body, but also in the fact that the second telephoto camera has been replaced; it now has an x5 optical zoom, not x10, as in the S23 Ultra. Again monkeying around with the iPhone, but a step back for Samsung. The S25 Ultra will most likely feature a x10 optical zoom module.
But otherwise, both Ultra models are the same; they do not have any differences in hardware that can be considered something serious.
All models use a different slot for the speaker, it gives a slightly different sound. It takes some getting used to, but in general we can say that it is better in some situations. In the review we will talk regarding this point separately.
One of the hidden changes is that now you can install two eSIM cards at the same time and they will be equivalent in every sense and will work simultaneously. For many this is good news.
The quality of the screens is excellent, they have been slightly updated in terms of color profiles and peak brightness in the sun. There are now more options for displaying HDR content, both still and video. But in general, these are still the same cool screens that do not have any noticeable flaws (PWM does not count, everything is unchanged here).
For those who want to evaluate how the S24 Ultra will shoot, I suggest reading the material regarding my trip to China, regarding national costumes.
But still, the main thing in the Galaxy S24 line is Galaxy AI, let’s talk regarding the device features in detail.
Galaxy AI – what these smartphones can do
All AI features are concentrated in several areas, but the main thing is that they are integrated into the interface, they are part of the system, and not separate applications. And this makes life much easier and makes many of them in demand.
The coolest thing you can expect in Russia is automatic conversation translation. You call someone, and the phone translates your phrases from one language to another in real time, the interlocutor hears you in his own language. For now, this feature only works for languages such as English, Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Later they say that the Russian language will appear, but remembering how long we waited for Bixby in Russian and did not get it, I would treat any assurances with a certain skepticism. I chatted with the phone and showed how the translation works, it’s quite good, although sometimes it can be crooked. Down and Out trouble started.
The Samsung keyboard now has the ability to change the tone of writing, you are offered a choice of several keys, and you can change what you wrote. The phone itself offers you to choose what you need. For example, a message with emoticons is created for social networks; formal communication in a corporate environment will sound completely different, dry and official.
There are exactly the same features for quick search, where you can simply circle the text or picture to find what you are looking for.
I think the videos do a good job of describing what you can do on the S24 models, they are the same in that aspect.
And as a bonus, a short video comparison of the two Ultra models.
Prices, availability, what to look for
People will buy these new products out of curiosity, plus in the hope of finding something in Galaxy AI that will entertain. I can say that some of the features are very good (spell checking, text summarization, photo correction and enhancement), they turn phones into very powerful tools in the right hands.
Now let’s talk regarding prices, in Russia they will be like this:
- Galaxy S24 128 GB – 89,990 rubles, 256 GB – 97,990 rubles;
- Galaxy S24+ 256 GB – 111,990 rubles, 512 GB – 124,990 rubles;
- Galaxy S24 Ultra 256 GB – 146,990 rubles, 512 GB – 159,990 rubles, 1 TB – 189,990 rubles.
Let’s compare these prices to the current lineup.
- Galaxy S23 128 GB – 77,990 rubles, 256 GB – 84,990 rubles;
- Galaxy S23+ 256 GB – 92,990 rubles, 512 GB – 104,990 rubles;
- Galaxy S23 Ultra 256 GB – 104,990 rubles, 512 GB – 130,990 rubles, 1 TB – 159,990 rubles;
I took DNS prices as a starting point; on the gray market they can be noticeably lower, but we are now talking regarding large retail, it’s worth keeping this in mind. In the first month of sales, a large number of offers will appear on the gray market; there will be no shortage.
If the situation for the S24/S24+, more precisely, the difference in prices with the previous generation, is not very noticeable, for the S24 Ultra it is noticeable. On the other hand, buyers of such a device, as a rule, are not so sensitive to cost. And then it will fall, it has always been so, and there is no point in expecting any changes either in the company’s policy or in the way the gray market works.
For comparison, let’s look at the cost of the iPhone 15 Pro Max (the model is weaker than the S24 Ultra, but, nevertheless, they will be compared). The 256 GB version costs 169,000 rubles in DNS, 512 GB – 190 thousand rubles, 1 TB – 229 thousand rubles. The difference is noticeable, but for Samsung the prices are still astronomical, but on the iPhone they simply flew beyond the boundaries of our galaxy.
Samsung’s pricing will push prices up for all Android smartphone manufacturers; companies will adjust to Samsung’s new line, and as a result, we will see an increase in the average price of flagships. Against this background, the gray market will flourish, and buying the same S23 Ultra for 75-85 thousand rubles will look like a very interesting offer. And besides, having no alternatives.
Those who want to purchase a new product as quickly as possible will be able to do so in the coming days; the devices will appear in Russia quite quickly. Is there any point in rushing? I think not, since, by analogy with last year, the best prices will be in the second or third month of sales, when the first wave subsides and the price confidently goes down. Today is the time for rational shopping.
1705519299
#Samsung #Galaxy #S24 #line #artificial #intelligence #updated #Ultra #expect
