Have you ever wanted the top-of-the-line smartphone? Well, Samsung’s S-series Ultra has consistently been the go-to device for several years now, and the trend continues with the Ultra for 2024.
Introducing the Galaxy S24 Ultra, featuring a sleek titanium finish, a plethora of AI tools, and a slightly higher starting price of $1,299, up from the already high $1,199.
One notable change in the Ultra is its build. This year’s model boasts a titanium frame, similar to Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro, enhancing durability without compromising on weight. Unlike Apple, Samsung has prioritized durability over weight reduction, making the S24 Ultra slightly heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro Max but more robust.
The display has undergone a significant change as well. The S24 Ultra maintains its 6.8-inch 1440p display, but it ditches the curved edges inherited from the Note series in favor of a flat screen. While there’s still a slight curve at the edge, the risk of accidentally running the S Pen over the display’s side has been greatly reduced.
Turning to the rear of the phone, Samsung has replaced the S23 Ultra’s 10-megapixel 10x zoom with a more powerful 50-megapixel 5x zoom. Despite using a lossless crop zoom to achieve 10x, Samsung assures that the image quality has improved. The other four cameras remain unchanged from the previous year.
The S24 series is packed with AI features, including local and cloud-based tools, and it runs Google’s Gemini foundational models on-device. Notably, the S24 series introduces new image and video editing tools powered by generative AI, allowing for creative adjustments to photos and videos.
AI features also extend to translation, with an interpreter feature for phone calls and the ability to translate text conversations. Samsung’s voice recorder offers live transcriptions with speaker labels and translation capabilities. The Notes app receives enhancements, including automatic formatting and summarization.
The S24 Ultra is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset globally, offering a consistent performance across regions. Additionally, it features Wi-Fi 7 for improved connectivity. However, it lacks Qi2 wireless charging, sticking to plain-old Qi.
Despite the absence of Qi2, Samsung sweetens the deal by joining Google in offering seven years of OS upgrades for the S24 series, providing an extended lifespan for the device. The S24 Ultra, starting at $1,299 for 256GB, will be available for shipping on January 31st, with preorders starting today.
