It's now official, Samsung has three new handsets: the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. With three phones to choose from and even more variants, actually picking a device isn't easy. To help, we're taking a look at how the three compare.
Before we start, here's a look at how the three S24s stack up in terms of hardware:
| Galaxy S24 | Galaxy S24 Plus | Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | Flat 6.2-inch | Flat 6.7-inch | Flat 6.8-inch |
| Resolution | 1080p+ | Quad HD+ | Quad HD+ |
| Refresh Rate | 1 - 120Hz | 1 - 120Hz | 1 - 120Hz |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP | 200MP + 12MP + 10MP + 50MP |
| Front Camera | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP |
| Processor | Exynoss 2400 | Exynos 2400 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Storage | 256GB - 512GB | 256GB - 512GB | 256GB - 1TB |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB | 12GB |
| Battery | 4,000mAh | 4,900mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Water-Resistance | IP68
|
IP68 | IP68 |
| Durability | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Gorilla Glass Armor |
| 5G | Sub 6 | Sub 6 | Sub 6 |
| Material | Aluminium | Aluminium | Titanium |
| S Pen | No | No | Yes |
| Price | From $1,399 | From $1,699 | From $2,199 |
Samsung Galaxy S24 Price
As always, price is a major differentiator between the models in the Galaxy S24 family. The Galaxy S24 is your cheapest option, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the most expensive.
Outright pricing for the Galaxy S24 devices available in Australia is as follows:
| Phone | RRP | See Price on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy S24 (256GB) | $1,399 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 (512GB) | $1,599 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (256GB) | $1,699 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (512GB) | $1,899 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (256GB) | $2,199 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (512GB) | $2,399 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (1TB) | $2,799 | Samsung | Amazon |
This pricing is also reflected in phone plans. When you buy a phone on a plan, the outright price of the device is simply divided by 12, 24, or 36 (depending on how many months you'd like to pay your phone off over) and added on to the price of your base plan.
Every now and again, telcos offer discounts on handsets, but in short, the more expensive the outright price, the more expensive your phone plan will be. There's no sneaky way to get a Galaxy S24 Ultra for the same price as Galaxy S24.
Here are the cheapest 36-month plans for each model:
Samsung Galaxy S24+ 256GB Plans
|
Telstra
$84 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan
$121.19/mth
Min. cost $1,772.84
Link not supplied
|
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB Plans
|
Telstra
$84 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan
$135.08/mth
Min. cost $2,272.88
Link not supplied
|
And here are the cheapest 24-month plans for each model:
Samsung Galaxy S24+ 256GB Plans
|
Telstra
$84 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan
$144.79/mth
Min. cost $1,772.96
Link not supplied
|
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB Plans
|
Telstra
$84 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan
$165.62/mth
Min. cost $2,272.88
Link not supplied
|
Samsung Galaxy S24 Camera
Camera configuration is one of the key differences between the three devices. The Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus have an identical camera setup, with a 50MP primary lens, a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra adds more resolution and another camera to the mix. There's a 200MP primary lens, 12MP ultra-wide lens, 10MP 3x optical zoom lens, and a 50MP 5x optical zoom lens.
The 200MP on the Galaxy S24 Ultra gives you a bit of extra flexibility when it comes to photography - a larger image gives you more cropping potential. It also can help improve low light photography and capture extra detail, but unless you're really looking for it, you might not notice a difference between the Galaxy S24 Ultra's primary lens and what you get on the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus.
The main reason to consider the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the 50MP 5x optical zoom lens. The extra lens give you more versatility, and is something the standard models just can't replicate with software.
All three phones share the same 12MP selfie camera.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Design
The Galaxy S24 family all share a common design language: screen size is the key difference. The Galaxy S24 measures in at 6.2 inches, the Galaxy S24 Plus at 6.7 inches, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra at 6.8 inches.
All three phones have flat displays this time, marking the death of the curved screen. If you've previously avoided Ultra models because of a preference from flat glass, you're in luck.
The displays now all have dynamic refresh rates of 1Hz to 120Hz, which is a feature that was previously exclusive to Ultra models. Instead of being locked at 120Hz, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus can speed up and slow the refresh rate as needed, taking it to as low as 1Hz when you're not interacting with the phone. This can help with battery life.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra may have an edge when it comes to durability. It has a titanium frame, rather than aluminium, and uses the latest version of Gorilla Glass - Gorilla Glass Armor. The Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus use Gorilla Glass Victus 2 instead. Corning, the manufacturer of Gorilla Glass, hasn't provided any specifications of how the pair compare, however.
Lastly, the Galaxy S24 Ultra still has an S Pen, while the other two phones don't have stylus support.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Performance
All three Galaxy S24 devices have slightly different configurations under the hood. The standard Galaxy S24 pairs Samsung's Exynos 2200 processor with 8GB of RAM, while the Galaxy S24 Plus has 12GB. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and also has 12GB of RAM.
In theory, you're getting a little more performance with each step up, but you're only likely to see any real impact with the most demanding tasks - like high-end games. You're not going to see any difference when it comes to day-to-day performance.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Battery
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has the biggest battery out of the trio, with a capacity of 5,000mAh. For comparison, there's a 4,000mAh battery in the standard Galaxy S24, and a 4,900mAh battery in the Galaxy S24 Plus.
While a 5,000mAh battery is pretty hefty, you can't judge battery from a spec sheet. That being said, we've seen positive results in early testing with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. We're expecting around six hours of screen time per charge when connected to a 5G network. That's the best battery life we've seen on a flagship Android phone in a while.
In real-world terms, six hours of screen time should translate to around a day-and-a-half of moderate usage.
We're hoping the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus should last at least a full day with a buffer, but we won't know for sure until we've had a chance to test them too.
Which Galaxy S24 should I buy?
While it's hard to make a call for everyone, the Galaxy S24 Plus feels like the Goldilocks model. You get a nice large screen without having to spend $2,199 on a Galaxy S24 Ultra. The main feature you miss out on with the Galaxy S24 Plus is the 5x optical zoom lens. Titanium is nice, but not necessarily spending $500 more nice.
Of course, if you only upgrade every now and again, and you want the best that Samsung's got on offer, the S24 Ultra could be the way to go. Especially if you want the S Pen.
We'll be sure to provide an updated recommendation after we've had more hands-on time with the devices.
Alex Choros
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