Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Preview – updated January 3, 2024
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the company’s upcoming flagship smartphone. This is going to be the most powerful handset in the Galaxy S24 flagship series. The information regarding the device has been leaking for quite some time now, and will continue doing so up until the launch event. Speaking of which, we’re here to share what we know thus far, so that you know what to expect. We’ll talk about the phone’s design, its specifications, and more down below. So, let’s get started, shall we?
This article will be regularly updated with new information on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (this is a preview article) — both official teasers and credible leaks, rumors, and insider claims — as it becomes available in the run-up to the release of the upcoming Android smartphone. The last update was made on January 3, 2024.
When will the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra be released?
We’ve seen various different rumors regarding the Galaxy S24 Ultra launch. January 17 was tipped as the launch date, and it turns out that info was accurate. Samsung has confirmed that the next Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on January 17 in San Jose, California. The press event will be live-streamed, and it will start at 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST / 7 PM CET / 6 PM BST. The Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ will launch alongside the Galaxy S24 Ultra, of course.
What models are coming?
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will launch alongside its siblings, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+, which we’ll round up in a separate article. That being said, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is also said to arrive in a single SoC variant, unlike its siblings. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will fuel the Galaxy S24 Ultra, while Samsung’s Eyxnos 2400 chip won’t be in the picture. Many people will see this as a good thing considering that Qualcomm’s flagship SoCs did have an upper hand for years.
How much will the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra cost?
The Galaxy S24 Ultra likely won’t cost more than the Galaxy S23 Ultra did. In fact, we’re expecting the same price tag. That guess was given some credibility thanks to a recent leak. Having said that, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will likely start at $1,199. That will be the 8GB RAM variant with 256GB of storage. Samsung could yet surprise us and kick things off at 12GB of RAM, we’ll see. In any case, if that ends up being the starting price, the 512GB storage model will likely cost $1,299, and the 1TB model $1,619. These are only our assumptions at this point, as the price tags haven’t leaked out just yet. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will be quite similar to its predecessor in many ways, and Samsung will hardly justify a price bump.
What will the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra look like?
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra already surfaced in CAD-based renders (shown at the end of the section). Those images do give us a good idea as to what to expect in the design department. This phone will resemble its predecessor a lot. In fact, even a video surfaced showing the transition from the Galaxy S23 Ultra to the Galaxy S24 Ultra (shown below), so that you can see the minor differences, at least on the back. There will be one considerable difference overall, though. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will feature a flat display.
Good Morning #FutureSquad!
Since #Samsung slightly changed the #GalaxyS24 Ultra aspect ratio, here a little #GalaxyS23Ultra VS #GalaxyS24Ultra animation… You’re welcome…😉
More details and crispy sharp renders available over @Smartprix 👉🏻 https://t.co/r9p1Y3rwZG pic.twitter.com/kGDpo6QajJ
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) September 30, 2023
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a slightly curved display, but curved nonetheless. Well, Samsung will change that with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The entire Galaxy S24 series will feature flat displays, which will happen for the Galaxy S series after a long, long time. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is also said to include a frame made out of titanium. As a reminder, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a frame made out of aluminum.
The camera design will be very similar
The camera design on the back will be very similar, even the positioning of particular cameras will stay unchanged. You can clearly see that in the image provided below this paragraph. Three sensors will sit on the left, and two on the right. Four out of five of those sensors will be reserved for the cameras, and an LED flash will be placed in the same spot too. Each of those camera sensors will protrude from the backplate directly, they won’t be placed inside a singular camera island or anything like that. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will retain a slight curve on the back, but it will be less pronounced than on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
You will also notice that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will retain the sharp corners that its predecessor has. In fact, those corners will be even slightly more pronounced here. The physical buttons will once again sit on the right-hand side. They’re seemingly in the same place as on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The left and right sides of the phone will be slightly curved, while the top and bottom ones will be flat, as we’re used to.
Real-life photos
The Galaxy S24 Ultra did appear in several real-life photos, giving us a good look at the phone. These images confirm curves on the sides, and an easy-to-recognize camera setup on the back. A centered display camera hole is also shown here, and more. You can check out those images in the gallery below.
More images of the device
A huge report about the Galaxy S24 Ultra was published by Windows Report, and a part of it were the images of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The phone got shown in all color options. You can check them all out grouped in the image below.
This is what the Galaxy S24 Ultra will look next to its predecessor
A well-known tipster has also decided to show us the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra side-by-side. Do note that the Galaxy S24 Ultra design is based on the info he has, this is not a leak or anything of the sort. Check out the image below.
A different source shared more comparison images between the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra. These shots show the two phones from several sides, so give you an even better look at the differences. Check out the images below.
Third-party design based on available info
Ice Universe, one of the best-known tipsters, shared a couple of renders of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. He did emphasize these are not leaked renders, but renders based on information that is available to him. They’re likely close to the final product. You can check them out below.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra S Pen
The S Pen stylus that Samsung will include inside the Galaxy S24 Ultra has also surfaced. It appeared at the FCC in a real-life images, flat-out revealing its design. You’ll notice that the button on the side is there, as we’re used to seeing by now.
Official renders leak
The Galaxy S24 Ultra leaked several times in renders, but we got the best look through unwatermarked official renders shown below.
Galaxy S24 Ultra official renders:
What specs will the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra have?
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will be fueled exclusively by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, based on reports. The other two Galaxy S24 models could arrive in an Exynos version too, though. In any case, Samsung will once again get the “For Galaxy” version of the Snapdragon chip. It will likely just be clocked higher than the regular chip. The phone is expected to feature a 6.8-inch QHD+ AMOLED display, just like its predecessor. That display will offer a 120Hz refresh rate, and it will be an LTPO panel (1-120Hz). Chances are it will be even brighter than the one on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Considering the brightness on Samsung’s current flagship, that’s great. It was first tipped to offer 2,500 nits peak brightness, but a more recent rumor says it will peak at 2,600 nits.
LPDDR5X RAM & UFS 4.0 flash storage will be in use
Samsung will utilize either 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM in the base model of the device. The most powerful variant will likely come with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. Three storage variants are expected, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models. All three are set to use UFS 4.0 flash storage, and storage expansion will not be possible. A 5,000mAh battery will be included in the package, while 45W wired charging will once again be available. Chances are that Samsung will stick with 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, for better or worse. And no, the charger will not be available in the box. Another thing worth noting is that it will offer Wi-Fi 7 support.
The phone will come with a downgraded periscope camera, it seems
Android 14 will come pre-installed on the device, with One UI 6. Do note that Samsung could boost its software support longevity, to follow Google. Now, what about the cameras? Well, a 200-megapixel camera will once again be in use (a better sensor, though, ISOCELL HP2SX). That will be the phone’s main camera. It will be backed by a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (Sony’s IMX754+ sensor, 1.12um pixel size), a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (Sony’s IMX564 sensor, 1.4um pixel size), and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera. Based on leaks, the phone’s 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera will offer a 5x optical zoom (Sony’s IMX854 sensor, 0.7um pixel size), not a 10x one like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, unfortunately. Well, that’s one rumor, a different rumor says that a 10x camera will be included after all. The regular telephoto camera will offer support for 3x optical zoom.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra may actually get the same S Pen as the Galaxy S23 Ultra. It’s also worth noting that satellite connectivity may be a part of the package too. It is claimed that the Galaxy S24 series will be the company’s “smartest” lineup of phones, thanks to AI.
It will be considerably lighter than its predecessor
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is tipped to measure 162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm, and weigh 195 grams. That means it will be a lot lighter than its predecessor, which weighs 234 grams. It will also be slightly shorter, and a bit wider if this info is accurate. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is coming in Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow colors. Light Blue, Light Green, and Orange colors will be online exclusive. Also, there are rumors that a gold-colored variant will be on offer too. Another thing worth noting is that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will likely offer Generative AI features, though you may have to pay for them.
New AI features & satellite connectivity
The entire Galaxy S24 series will support a number of new AI features, and also satellite connectivity. One AI feature that is rumored is called ‘circle search’. It seems like we’ll be able to simply make a circle around something on the screen to search for it. The second AI feature has to do with the phone’s voice recorder. It will be able to recognize up to 10 distinctive voices during recording. Samsung is also trying to decide for a good brand name for those AI features.
Should you wait to buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
Is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra the right phone for you? Well, that’s not something we can tell you, and especially not yet. If you love premium phones that are also big, and that also offer a truly compelling camera setup. Well, chances are you’re considering Samsung’s ‘Ultra’ phones. If you like the one you have now, and would like to upgrade, or are switching from something similar, this may be a good option. The thing is, we’re worried about the 5x optical camera rumor. It sure sounds like a downgrade compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. That periscope telephoto camera was the phone’s strong suit. It remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra does look like a compelling device even now, especially if you were annoyed by the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s curved display.