Updated on December 24: Article originally published on December 23.
Samsung's new Galaxy S24 range will set the standard for flagship smartphones in 2024. As the launch approaches, three key decisions reveal the future of the Samsung Galaxy.
Those three important decisions are key specs, chipset selection and launch window… how the handset performs day-to-day, ultimate performance and when you can get your hands on one.
First, the key specifications of the handsets. Several networks around the world have listed model numbers and options, so unless there's a last-minute exclusive on Samsung's own store, these are your choices:
The Galaxy S24 comes with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage; The Galaxy S24+ comes with 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage; And the Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with 12GB of RAM. and 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB of storage.”
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has been spotted on various benchmarking websites over the past few months, and the 16 GB model is listed. With only 12GB of RAM listed globally, the community is wondering how much performance impact this low amount of RAM will have.
If you want to talk about performance, Samsung's decision around the chipset in the Galaxy S24 range is on the elephant. Unlike the Galaxy S23 family, where every handset sold will be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, the Galaxy S24 family will feature a combination of a customized “Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 For Galaxy” from Qualcomm and Samsung's latest Exynos 2400.
Traditionally, Exynos-based Galaxy handsets have seen poor performance and battery life. Not by a significant margin, but something worth noting, especially for consumers looking for premium experiences. To help compensate for this, every high-end Galaxy S24 Ultra handset comes with a Snapdragon chip, but the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ come with a combination of Snapdragon and Exynos. The model you get depends on the region you're in – and we're waiting to see what distribution decision Samsung makes.
Finally, there is the release date. Although Samsung has yet to announce details of the next “Galaxy Unpacked” launch events, January 17th has long been considered by the community as the launch date for the Galaxy S24 family. Several sources have reiterated this date in December. This week's latest It comes from popular tipster Evan BlassCiting marketing materials that carried a January 18th 3am KT release time, it will be January 17th at 10am PT and 1pm ET.
As Forbes' Janhoi McGregor points out, the phrase “Galaxy AI is coming” may be the most important sign that Samsung will be part of a trend to push AI as the smartphone frontier everyone will explore in 2024.
Update: Sunday December 24. Released earlier than usual for the next Galaxy S handsets, the S23 has a knock-on effect on the final smartphone in the family. The Galaxy S23 Fan Edition was announced in early OctoberYet Samsung is already offering significant discounts on the handset.
Mihai Matei reports on the latest offer. Buyers through Samsung's website will get $100 off the ticket price straight away, picking up the 128GB model for $529 or the 256GB model for $589. Samsung offers a trade-in rebate of up to $300, depending on the Samsung model you want to return (and Samsung will consider many phones from competitors, including Google Pixels and Apple iPhones).
The Galaxy S23 FE is a good all-round smartphone. It doesn't push for ultimate performance – it uses an Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the same combination as the Galaxy S22 – but it does seem to offer Galaxy S features for its low price. Branding is key here, and carrying the same S23 moniker as the regular S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra allows for a significant advantage in retail environments.
An advantage gets dulled when Samsung moves to the S24 brand. Even though it's less than three months away, it makes perfect sense to grab discounts now and get as many customers into the Galaxy ecosystem as possible.
Now read how Samsung will bring AI to the Galaxy S24 Ultra…
