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Samsung introduced its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, at the Galaxy Unpacked event in January 2024. But is it worth an upgrade over its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra? Let’s compare the two and check out the improvements.
1. Titanium Frame With Flat Edges
Although both the S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra have a 6.8-inch AMOLED display, the former has slightly thinner bezels with flat edges. Samsung seems to have taken notes from theiPhone 15 Pro we reviewedin 2023, as it ditched the S23 Ultra’s aluminum frame for a more durable titanium one.
The S24 Ultra’s display can deliver up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness, whereas the predecessor was limited to 1,750 nits. While you won’t notice a difference indoors, the improvements are better for outdoor use under direct sunlight. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is also slightly thinner, by 0.3mm.
2. 5X 50MP Telephoto Lens
You may be familiar with the 10x telephoto lens on the S23 Ultra. Samsung replaced this 10x 10MP camera with a more practical 5x 50MP telephoto lens on the S24 Ultra. This change maintains image quality with a higher megapixel count, allowing for 10x digital zoom in everyday use while offering the benefits of a 5x optical zoom.
Besides that, both the S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra share identical camera specs, sporting a 200 MP main camera, a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10 MP front camera.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra elevates Nightography with an OIS featuring a 2x wider correction angle. This helps enhance stability to ensure your videos remain high-quality, even if you’re moving around. It also incorporates a scene optimizer and an AI image enhancer. These features analyze each photo and optimize your image’s details to produce more vivid and accurate results.
3. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which uses TSMC’s 4nm process.Qualcomm claimsthe chip delivers a 30% improvement in CPU performance and a 25% boost in GPU performance. On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is still incredibly capable for even power users.
While the 256GB storage variant of the S23 Ultra shipped with only 8GB of RAM, the S24 Ultra gets 12GB of RAM across all variants. And although both models pack the same 5,000 mAh battery, the more power-efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip should allow the S24 Ultra to last longer if we go byQualcomm’s claims.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra also boasts an improved cooling system, featuring a vapor chamber that’s 1.9x larger than its predecessor. While the new device is impressive, you may’t go wrong with either device—given the iterative nature of most yearly upgrades, it’s unlikely that you’ll notice any performance issues during typical everyday usage of the older model.
4. Galaxy AI and Google’s Circle to Search
While most of the differences between the S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra are minimal, the newer phone is packed with severalartificial intelligence features. Here are some notable ones:
Besides Galaxy AI, the S24 Ultra and its siblings also get Google’s Circle to Search feature at launch. At the time of writing, these will be the only phones to support it besides thePixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. As the name suggests, this feature allows you to Google search anything on your screen by simply circling or tapping it after long-pressing the Home button.
On the bright side,Engadget reportedthat a few Galaxy AI features will also be coming to the Galaxy S23 series. However, Samsung has yet to clarify which features will remain exclusive to the S24 lineup.
5. New Color Options and Software Support
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is available in four standard colors: Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Black, and Titanium Gray. you may find three more exclusive options—Titanium Green, Titanium Orange, and Titanium Blue—if you head over toSamsung’s S24 Ultra order page.
Similarly, the S23 Ultra is available in four standard colors: Green, Phantom Black, Lavender, and Cream. However, if you visitSamsung’s S23 Ultra order page, you’ll find four more exclusive options: Lime, Sky Blue, Graphite, and Red.
If you want a smartphone that’ll support software updates for several years, the S24 Ultra will not disappoint. InSamsung’s Newsroom post, the company promises seven generations of OS updates and seven years of security updates for its 2024 flagships. In comparison, the S23 Ultra is limited to four years of OS updates and five years of security updates.
Overall, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a worthy investment if you believe you’d benefit from the incremental upgrades. However, if you already own an S23 Ultra, skipping Samsung’s 2024 flagship might be a better idea sinceyou don’t need to upgrade your smartphone every year.
