Almost like clockwork, the beginning of the year comes alongside the new Galaxy S model, and 2024 has now officially gained the Galaxy S24 lineup. The announcement is hot off the press, so we’ve taken the time to compile all we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy S24 confirmed release date, specs, and price. Setting the tone for the oncoming year of smartphone launches, Samsung has included next-level processors, cameras, and design, and of course, also zeros in on AI functionality as a star feature of the S24.
So, in this article, we’re outlining everything you need to know about the new Galaxy lineup, including what day it’s moving from just pre-order to full release, its specs, and most importantly, its price tag. Actually, we’ve separately detailed all you need to know about where to buy the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra, so check that out if you’re already sold on investing in an S24.
Galaxy S24 release date
It’s official – as was anticipated, the Galaxy S24 lineup was fully announced during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event on the 17th of January. Taking place in San Jose, Galaxy Unpacked is Samsung’s yearly event that unveils its latest innovations and product launches. This time around, the Galaxy S24 was the main focus, as well as one of its most highlighted features, Galaxy AI, partly powered by Google Gemini.
The last Galaxy S phone to receive a release date this early was the S21, which was announced on January 14th and released on January 29th. Due to the success of the iPhone 15 / iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 8, Samsung will be keen to get their newest competitor out onto the market to stay relevant and rival other tech giants’ flagship devices.
Pre-orders for the Galaxy S24 went live on retailers such as Samsung, Amazon, and Best Buy after Galaxy Unpacked concluded, and we also now have the 31st January in-store release date in our calendars for the device’s complete launch. Moreover, it’s worth noting that while we’re in this pre-order period, you can hugely benefit from a limited initiative offered by Samsung in which you can get double the storage for no additional cost. That’s not all you can gain, as trade-in values for your old handsets are also at their highest during pre-orders, making the Galaxy S24 lineup that bit more affordable.
Galaxy S24 specs and new features
Well, it wouldn’t be a new series of Galaxy phones without a range of processing, camera, and feature upgrades across the board. While the design and form factor don’t differ too much from the S23, there have been tweaks and improvements both inside and out of the S24 models that will no doubt have them scoring among the top Android smartphones of 2024.
| Specs | Samsung Galaxy S24 | Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.2-inch AMOLED, FHD+ resolution (2,340 x 1,080) 120Hz display refresh rate (1Hz-120Hz) HDR10+ | 6.7-inch AMOLED, QHD+ resolution (3,120 x 1,440) 120Hz display refresh rate (1Hz-120Hz) HDR10+ | 6.8-inch AMOLED, QHD+ resolution 120Hz display refresh rate (1Hz-120Hz) HDR10+ |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (US) / Samsung Exynos 2400 (Global) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (US) / Samsung Exynos 2400 (Global) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR5X | 12GB LPDDR5X | 12GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 128GB or 256GB | 256GB or 512GB | 256, 512GB, or 1TB |
| Power | 4,000mAh battery 25W wired charging 15W wireless charging 5W reverse wireless charging | 4,900mAh battery 45W wired charging 15W wireless charging 5W reverse wireless charging | 5,000mAh battery 45W wired charging 15W wireless charging 5W reverse wireless charging |
| Cameras | Rear: 50MP main (f/1.8, OIS), 12MP ultrawide (1.4 μm, f/2.2, 120-degree FoV, 1/2.55-inch sensor), 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom, 1.12 μm, f/2.4, 36-degree FoV,1/3.52-inch sensor, OIS) Front: 12MP (f/2.2, 80-degree FoV, AF) | Rear: 50MP main (f/1.8, OIS), 12MP ultrawide (1.4 μm, f/2.2, 120-degree FoV, 1/2.55-inch sensor), 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom,1.12 μm, f/2.4, 36-degree FoV,1/3.52-inch sensor, OIS) Front: 12MP (f/2.2, 80-degree FoV, AF) | Rear: 200MP main (f/1.7, OIS), 12MP ultrawide (f/2.4, 120-degree FoV,1/3.52-inch sensor), 50MP telephoto (5x optical zoom, 1.4 μm, f/3.4, 36-degree FoV, 1/2.55-inch sensor, OIS) Front: 12MP (f/2.2, 8-degree FoV, AF) |
| Video | Rear: 8K at 24/30fps (main lens only) 4K at 30/60fps (all lenses)Front: 4K at 30/60fps | Rear: 8K at 24/30fps (main lens only) 4K at 30/60fps (all lenses)Front: 4K at 30/60fps | Rear: 8K at 24/30fps (main lens only) 4K at 30/60fps (all lenses)Front: 4K at 30/60fps |
| Audio | Stereo speakers Triple mics | Stereo speakers Triple mics | Stereo speakers Triple mics |
| Connectivity | 5G (mmWave + Sub6) Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 NFC support USB 3.2 Gen 1 | 5G (mmWave + Sub6) Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 NFC support USB 3.2 Gen 1 UWB | 5G (mmWave + Sub6) Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 5.3 NFC support USB 3.2 Gen 1 UWB |
| SIM | Single nano-SIM tray eSIM support | Single nano-SIM tray eSIM support | Single nano-SIM tray eSIM support |
| Security | Ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor 7 years of security/OS updates | Ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor 7 years of security/OS updates | Ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor 7 years of security/OS updates |
| Durability/Materials | IP68 Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on front and back Aluminum frame | IP68 Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on front and back Aluminum frame | IP68 Gorilla Glass Armor on front and back Titanium frame |
| Software | Android 14, One UI 6.1 | Android 14, One UI 6.1 | Android 14, One UI 6.1 |
| Dimensions and weight | 147.0 x 70.6 x 7.6mm 168g | 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7mm 197g | 162.6 x 79 x 8.6mm 233g |
| Colors | Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow | Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow | Titanium Black, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Violet, Titanium Gray |
Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ upgrades
Since the Galaxy 20 series, each release has had three variants: a standard model, a Plus model, and a feature-packed Ultra model. For the base S24 model, the previous 6.1-inch display has now become 6.2 inches with slightly more rectangular edges. A similar upgrade came to the S24+, with its QHD display increasing to 6.7 inches. Of course, we’ve also got three new colorways alongside the classical Onyx Black, with the phone now available in Marble Grey, Cobalt Violet, and Amber Yellow. Physically, that’s about all that’s changed, as the camera configuration and setup remain identical to the S23 counterparts.
In terms of hardware, both devices get the Exynos 2400 chipset globally, but benefit from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the US models. According to Samsung, the Exynos 2400 will feature a 1.7x increase in CPU performance and an impressive 14.7x boost in AI performance compared to the previous Exynos 2200 product that powered the S22 devices. The S24+ gets an additional upgrade here, with its RAM storage increasing from 8 GB to 12 GB. While there have been some minor improvements, it’s the Galaxy S24 Ultra that’s received the bulk of the upgrades in this year’s Galaxy lineup.
Galaxy S24 Ultra upgrades
Of the three new Galaxy models, the S24 Ultra shines with its streamlined form factor and upgraded hardware. Ditching its aluminum body and curved screen, the Ultra now gets a Titanium frame with an improved 6.8-inch flat screen that may have contributed to its slighter thinner yet more durable form. Naturally, you also get compatibility with the S Pen – an iconic feature of the Ultra models. In terms of its camera setup, while it looks the same as the S23 Ultra, there have been a few changes, although nothing too mind-blowing. The S24 Ultra’s main camera uses the same 200MP sensor, but you now get a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom.
Really, it seems that Samsung has focused on Galaxy AI as the main feature drawing people in as opposed to hardware and camera upgrades, which are almost a given to be good in the Galaxy S series.
Galaxy S24 AI features – Galaxy AI
AI-based capabilities have found themselves becoming a mainstream smartphone trend, partially kicked off by Google’s Pixel 8 phones that demonstrated the possibilities of having artificial intelligence on your phone. Naturally, Samsung is also looking to jump on this trend, and had its Galaxy AI the star of the show at this year’s Galaxy Unpacked. Some of the major functionality features coming to the S24 lineup under Galaxy AI include Live Translate, Transcript Assist, and Chat Assist for real-time multi-lingual communicating, but there will likely be a whole load to explore throughout the UI 6.1 interface.
Another highlight is the Circle to Search feature coming to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which is partly powered by Google to bring you a really nifty search tool. By holding the home button and circling or tapping photos or information, you’ll start up an instant search on Google, putting even more information easily at the tip of your fingers – or in this case, S Pen. However, that’s not all, as generative AI is also coming to the Galaxy camera department, bringing impressive AI photo editing similar to the Pixel 8 under the name of ProVisual Engine.
Will the Galaxy AI features get paywalled?
So far, Samsung seems to have received a lot of positive publicity around Galaxy AI – but will these features continue to be free to use? Perhaps there are some payment details we’ve accidentally skimmed over in the small print when it comes to Galaxy AI features getting paywalled. More specifically, Samsung’s note on Galaxy AI from the US site’s Galaxy S24 Ultra page states that “Galaxy AI features will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices.”. So, it seems to have become a potential that in 2026 Galaxy AI features might become a subscription-based service.
Hopefully, we’ve still got a little while yet before this becomes a pressing concern, as Samsung’s long-term plans for its Galaxy AI services are still unclear at this point. In the meantime, Galaxy AI features will be free to use, and not just on the S24 either, as Samsung has confirmed that Galaxy AI will be coming to at least the Galaxy S23 series, as well as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5.
Galaxy S24 price – how much does it cost?
For the past few years, Samsung has managed to keep the pricing of its Galaxy models consistent in the United States, with the Galaxy S21, S22, and S23 models costing $799, $999 (Plus), and $1,199 (Ultra) respectively. Luckily, the price of the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ isn’t getting any more expensive – the S24 starts at $799 for the 128GB base model, and the S24+ is coming in at $999 for the 256GB version. However, the Galaxy S24 Ultra wasn’t so fortunate, and the Ultra model this year has seen its price increase by $100 to start off at $1,299.
Final thoughts
So, there’s pretty much all you need to know about Samsung’s next lineup in its Galaxy series in a nutshell. To weigh up how its predecessors are holding up against each other as well as the big smartphone competition currently on the market, we’ve compared the S23 vs the S22 and the Pixel 8 vs Samsung S23.
