If you are an Android fanboy, as I am, then you are going to really like the Galaxy S24 Ultra because it will be a strong competitor to both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the S23 Ultra. Samsung has improved the cameras with new AI features, and the upgraded display will significantly influence the comparison between the two devices.
Minor Design Changes
When comparing the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra from the back, they look similar. However, the differences are noticeable on the sides. The S24 Ultra uses a titanium frame, a change from the aluminum frame of the S23 Ultra. This makes the S24 Ultra 1 gram lighter at 233 grams, compared to the S23 Ultra’s 234 grams.
The S24 Ultra has a more square-shaped design with less curved sides, unlike the more rounded S23 Ultra. Both phones have Victus 2 glass on the front, known for its durability, and are IP68 rated for water and dust resistance.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra comes in unique colors, including a special titanium gold which is not actually gold colored. In total, there are seven color options for the S24 Ultra: yellow, violet, gray, black, and exclusive colors from Samsung’s website – green, blue, and orange. Unfortunately, there’s no white option for the S24 Ultra. In contrast, the S23 Ultra is available in phantom black, green, cream, lavender, graphite, sky blue, lime, and red.
Display Will Make All the Difference
After years of waiting, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is set to feature a flat display, contrasting with the curved display of its predecessor, the S23 Ultra.
The S24 Ultra will have very thin bezels, approximately 1.5mm thick, and unlike the S23 Ultra, its bezels will be uniform on all sides. The bottom bezel of the S24 Ultra is also 40% slimmer than that of the S23 Ultra, promising a noticeably different user experience.
Samsung is upgrading the display technology in the S24 Ultra, aiming to enhance peak brightness to 2500 nits, compared to 1750 nits in the S23 Ultra.
We might see an upgrade to a 144Hz refresh rate on the new phone, compared to the 120Hz on the current model. While this isn’t a huge difference, if you’re someone who plays a lot of games on your phone, you’ll notice and appreciate the slight improvement.
Both models feature the same LTPO technology. The size of the phones is similar too, with the S23 Ultra at 6.8 inches and the S24 Ultra slightly smaller at 6.79 inches, though it will still be marketed as 6.8 inches.
Cameras Will Feel the Heat
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is already known as one of the top camera phones of 2023, especially with its impressive 200MP camera. However, the upcoming Galaxy S24 Ultra is set to follow in its footsteps with an even better version of this 200MP camera.
One major update in the S24 Ultra is its telephoto camera. Unlike the S23 Ultra’s 10x 10MP zoom, the S24 Ultra will have a 50MP 5x telephoto lens. This means the S24 Ultra will be great for photos taken with 5x to 10x zoom. But, for zoom levels from 10x to 100x, the S23 Ultra might still be the better choice. Some experts are also concerned that the S24 Ultra’s telephoto performance isn’t fully optimized yet.
Both models will have a 12MP ultra-wide camera and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. The S24 Ultra’s new 50MP 5x telephoto lens will allow it to zoom up to 100x. Plus, this new lens lets the S24 Ultra shoot 4K videos at 60 frames per second across different lenses, a feature not available in the S23 Ultra.
A unique feature coming to the S24 Ultra is the ‘End-to-End (E2E) AI Remosaic‘ feature. It addresses a problem from the S23 Ultra, where taking a picture with the 200MP camera was slow. This new feature will make the S24 Ultra twice as fast as its predecessor in taking high-resolution photos.
Another exciting feature coming to the Galaxy S24 Ultra is called ‘Zoom Anyplace.’ This feature allows you to record video using two different lenses at the same time, both in 4K resolution. It offers two zoom modes: 2x and 4x. This not only adds versatility to your video recording but also stabilizes your footage better.
While we’re hoping to see this feature in the S23 Ultra as well, it’s currently unique to the S24 Ultra. The reason the S24 Ultra can do this is because of the Qualcomm AI engine in its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor.
Massive Upgrade in Performance
The new Galaxy S24 series of smartphones will have different processors depending on the model and country. The base and plus models of the S24 in some countries will use the Exynos CPUs, while the S24 Ultra model will always have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, regardless of the country. For comparison, the current Galaxy S23 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Both the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Gen 3 processors are made using 4nm technology.
According to leaked performance, the S24 Ultra scores higher than the S23 Ultra. It got a score of 2234 in single-core and 6807 in multi-core tests. In comparison, the S23 Ultra scored 1890 in single-core and 5010 in multi-core tests, showing that the S24 Ultra is a significant step up.
The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the S24 Ultra is said to be 30% faster and 20% more power-efficient than the previous generation. Its graphics processing unit (GPU) is also improved.
Some users have pointed out a downside to the S24 Ultra’s performance boost. Although it’s faster, this increase in speed comes with an 11% drop in energy efficiency. This means that even though the S24 Ultra has many improvements, its battery life may not be as good as the S23 Ultra’s due to this efficiency decrease.
Good & Bad News About Battery
The Galaxy S24 Ultra will have the same size battery as the S23 Ultra, which is 5,000 mAh. There’s talk about possibly including a 65-watt fast charger, but it’s confirmed that it will come with the same 45-watt charger as the S23 Ultra.
In terms of battery life, the S23 Ultra typically lasts about 7 to 8 hours of screen time, depending on how you use it. You can expect similar battery life from the S24 Ultra under normal usage.
However, there’s a catch. When you play games or do other heavy tasks on the S24 Ultra, the battery will drain faster compared to the S23 Ultra, reasons I already mentioned before.
Some AI Features in Software
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is being designed as an AI-focused smartphone, packed with new AI features, including Samsung’s own ‘Samsung Gauss‘ or ‘Galaxy AI.’ These features are meant to make everyday tasks easier.
One key feature is AI-assisted email drafting, where the phone helps you write emails with minimal effort. Additionally, there’s a tool for summarizing documents with just one click. The S24 Ultra also introduces a new image model that lets you create images from prompts, similar to ‘Mid Journey,’ and you won’t need an internet connection for this.
Another exciting addition is the ‘AI Live Translate Call’ feature. Integrated into the phone’s dialer, it can translate calls in real time, both in text and audio, and will initially support 10 languages.
With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, the S24 Ultra will offer enhanced AI features. Remember Google’s ‘Night Sight Video’ from the Pixel 8 Pro? The S24 Ultra will have a similar feature called ‘Night Vision.’ The difference is that the Google uses cloud services and S24 Ultra processes this feature directly on the device, thanks to Qualcomm’s AI engine.
Speaking of photo features, Google’s ‘Magic Eraser’ for photos has a counterpart in the S24 Ultra – a feature to remove objects from videos.
Should You Buy S23 Ultra or Wait for the S24 Ultra?
The Galaxy S24 Ultra and the S23 Ultra are both priced at $1,199, and they come with the same base model of 256GB storage. Deciding which one is better for you depends on your preferences.
Choose the S24 Ultra if you’re looking for a phone with a flat display, more RAM, better performance, and the latest AI features. It’s a great choice if you want the newest technology.
However, if you prefer a curved display and often use your phone’s camera for high zoom levels (over 10x), then the S23 Ultra might be a better fit. It’s been a top choice in 2023, and you might also find some attractive deals on it.
