Samsung is kicking off the year in smartphones with three new devices: the Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S24 Plus, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Much like everything else, all three phones have higher starting prices than last year's entry-level models. The entry-level Galaxy S24 is better value, however, as it now starts with 256GB of storage rather than 128GB.
The Galaxy S24 family succeed last year's Galaxy S23 range, and from a hardware perspective, they aren't massive upgrades. The Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus have both grown by 0.1-inch, and now feature dynamic refresh rate displays. Not much else has changed, other than the obligatory processor upgrade. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra now has a titanium build, a flat display, and a faster long-range zoom lens.
Instead, the focus this year is on software. Specifically, on AI. All three phones feature "Galaxy AI", which can assist with messaging, translation, summaries, and photography.
But back to pricing for a tick. The standard Galaxy S24 starts at $1,399 this year for a 256GB model. That's $50 more than what the 128GB Galaxy S23 launched at last year.
The Galaxy S24 Plus is $50 more expensive than the Galaxy S23 Plus at $1,699, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra is even more expensive. It got a $250 price hike, so you're looking at a minimum of $2,199.
Here's the complete outright pricing the for Galaxy S24 range:
| 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 |
Before we get stuck into the nitty-gritty, here are the important details. You'll be able to pre-order all three Galaxy S24 devices from today ahead of a February 7 release date. Samsung says pre-orders will start shipping from January 29, so those who pre-order might end up getting their phones early.
You can pre-order on a plan from Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone, or outright from major retailers including Samsung, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, and Amazon. As is the norm, there are plenty of pre-order bonuses to go around.
If you pre-order any Galaxy S24 through Optus, you'll score a bonus Galaxy Watch 6 and a pair of Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.
If you pre-order through Vodafone, you'll save $200 on the Galaxy S24, $250 on the Galaxy S24 Plus, and $300 on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Vodafone is also offering $400 bonus credit when you trade in your old device.
If you pre-order any Galaxy S24 through Telstra, you'll get a bonus Galaxy Tab S9 FE.
And if you pre-order directly through Samsung, you'll get a free memory upgrade. This means you can get a 512GB model for the price of a 256GB one, for example. You'll also get a voucher to spend on Galaxy Watches, tablets, earbuds, or other accessories. You'll get $100 with a Galaxy S24 or Galaxy S24 Plus, or $150 with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Samsung will also throw in a free year of Samsung Care Plus, and 50% off your second year. Lastly, you can get up to $350 in bonus credit if you trade-in your old phone when buying your 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
|
Samsung Galaxy AI
The entire Galaxy S24 family features Galaxy AI, which has been integrated into many parts of the phone experience. Galaxy AI capabilities include the following:
- Web page and note summaries
- Live two-way translation on phone calls with transcription
- Translation in messages
- Tone suggestions for messages (to make a message more casual or professional, for example)
- Circle to Search - a feature where you can circle anything on your display to start a Google search (this will also be coming to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro)
The Galaxy S24 family also have AI photo editing features, similar to the Pixel 8 family. This can be used to resize and reposition elements with an image, or to reframe your shot by generating anything outside of the original photo. There are also AI-powered edit suggestions, but these are lower touch, and tend to be things like tweaking contrast or removing stray reflections.
Certain Galaxy AI features, such as photo editing, require an internet connection. Others, such as live translate, are done entirely on the phone.
The Galaxy S23 family are set to get some Galaxy AI features via software update later this year.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The Galaxy S24 Ultra hardware isn't a huge upgrade on last year's model. The most significant change is swapping out the aluminium body for titanium, much like the iPhone 15 Pro family. Samsung says the titanium is more durable than aluminium. The new material has been paired with a Gorilla Glass Armor display, which is said to be four times as resistant to drops and scratches than the previous generation - Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is found on the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus.
While the curve on the Galaxy S23 Ultra display was very subtle, Samsung has removed it entirely. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is entirely flat.
On the camera front, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's main upgrade is a new 50MP 5x telephoto lens. This replaces the 10MP telephoto lens on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. While the optical zoom on the lens is lower, the new lens has a wider aperture. This should decrease shooting time, and make it more reliable at capturing blur-free shots. The Galaxy S24 Ultra can still crop into 10x zoom.
The other Galaxy S24 Ultra cameras are in line with what we saw on the Galaxy S23 Ultra last year: a 200MP primary lens, 12MP ultra-wide lens, and 10MP 3x zoom lens.
Galaxy S24 Ultra models sold in Australia are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. This is notable, as the standard Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus are powered by Samsung's Exynos 2400. At this stage, we're not quite sure if there'll be much of a performance difference. Even if there is, it shouldn't be noticeable in day-to-day use.
In terms of battery, there's a 5,000mAh cell inside. This is the same as what was used in the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but Samsung says processor efficiencies should lead to extra longevity.
Naturally, the Galaxy S24 Ultra still comes with an S Pen stylus.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra will receive seven years of operating system and security updates, matching the Pixel 8. Samsung promised four years of operating system updates and five years of security on previous flagships.
Outright pricing for the Galaxy S24 Ultra is as follows:
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (256GB): $2,199
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (512GB): $2,399
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (1TB): $2,799
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is available in a choice of black, grey, violet, or yellow. If you order directly through the Samsung website, you'll also be able to pick from blue, green, and orange.
Pre-orders start today ahead of a February 7 release date.
Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus
The Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus are both 0.1-inch larger than last year's models. This means the Galaxy S24 has a 6.2-inch display, while the Galaxy S24 Plus has a 6.7-inch display. The Galaxy S24 Plus also has a higher Quad HD resolution screen, up from 1080p in last year's model.
Notably, the pair now have a dynamic high refresh rate display, 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.
Dynamic refresh rate displays can help make battery life last longer, and when combined with the larger batteries in each phone, there's good cause to assume that will be the case with the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus. This time around, you'll find a 4,000mAh battery in the Galaxy S24 and a 4,900mAh battery in the Galaxy S24 Plus.
While the Galaxy S24 Ultra has some camera upgrades, that's not the case with the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus. The pair have the same camera setup as last year (and, technically, the same rear camera setup as the Galaxy S22). No matter which size you pick, you get a 50MP primary lens, 12MP ultra-wide lens, and 10MP 3x telephoto lens. The new processor and software enhancements should still lead to photo quality improvements, however.
The Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus will also get seven years of software and security updates, just like the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Outright pricing for the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ is as follows:
- Samsung Galaxy S24 (256GB): $1,399
- Samsung Galaxy S24 (512GB): $1,599
- Samsung Galaxy S24+ (256GB): $1,699
- Samsung Galaxy S24+ (512GB): $1,899
You can grab both phones in a choice of black, grey, violet, and yellow. If you order directly through the Samsung website, you'll also be able to pick from blue, green, and orange
Pre-orders start today ahead of a February 7 release date.
Here's how the three models compare:
| 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 |
Alex Choros
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