Is it necessary to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra from the S23 Ultra?

Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S23 Ultra: The key difference comes in the processor and Galaxy AI integration.

There’s no shortage of options in the premium Android market. Numerous high-quality flagship phones offer exceptional performance, stunning displays, sleek designs, and camera capabilities that rival professional DSLRs. Among these options, the Galaxy S series stands out, and the new Galaxy S24 Ultra lives up to the expectations set by its predecessors.

With AI being the focus of Samsung’s Unpacked event this year, the S24 Ultra brings significant advancements to how we interact with our phones. In many ways, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is set to become one of the most impressive and feature-packed Android phones of 2024. However, will it be enough to tempt Galaxy S23 Ultra owners to upgrade? If you’re curious about what improvements the Galaxy S24 Ultra brings compared to last year’s S23 Ultra, here’s everything you need to know.

Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S23 Ultra – Specs.

Design Comparison: Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S23 Ultra

Samsung has consistently followed a similar approach to Apple, introducing new flagship models every year with minimal design changes. The Galaxy S23 Ultra exemplifies this trend, as it features only slight modifications compared to its predecessor, the S22 Ultra. Importantly, the S22 Ultra had already adopted a design reminiscent of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, as Samsung opted to merge the two series.

Similarly, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is quite similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, with only minor alterations to its design. The notable change on the Galaxy S24 Ultra lies in its frame, which is now made of titanium instead of the hardened aluminum alloy previously used. This choice appears to be influenced by Apple’s use of titanium in the iPhone 15 Pro’s chassis. While Samsung claims that the titanium frame will improve the durability of the device, there’s no concrete evidence of any substantial improvements. As for its appearance, it’s possible that the updated frame will have a more textured look compared to the shiny chrome-finished frame on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra features a new flat display, which is a noticeable change compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Although the display is not completely flat, the edges have been significantly reduced in curvature. Now, the curved part of the display mostly overlaps the bezels along the display. The debate over curved displays remains unresolved among people, but Samsung argues that the new display improves readability and productivity. Additionally, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is adopting the latest generation of Corning’s Gorilla Glass, known as Gorilla Glass Armor, for increased durability. This version claims to offer four times more scratch resistance and can reduce glare by up to 75%.

The transition from curved edges to flatter edges doesn't significantly affect the display area of the screen. However, there are slight changes to the overall dimensions of the phone. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is now taller and slightly narrower compared to last year. Additionally, it's slightly thicker but the same weight as last year, despite the switch to titanium, which is generally considered lighter than aluminum.

In addition to introducing a new frame and a variety of fresh colors to complement its existing black option, Samsung is packing an upgraded processor into its new spec sheet. These include yellow, gray, and violet, all of which could have been inspired by the iPhone. Plus, Samsung's website features exclusive colors that aren't available anywhere else.

With the exception of the frame and display, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s design closely resembles that of its predecessor. Notable design elements carried over from the previous year include distinctive circular rings for the various rear cameras and laser focus module, a flattened frame for improved grip, and the inclusion of a slot for the S Pen. While the button placement remains unchanged, Samsung proudly claims the use of recycled thermoplastic 10% in its production. Additionally, the cameras have undergone slight modifications, as have some internal components that will be detailed further in the sections below.

Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S23 Ultra – Display Comparison

As mentioned above, the Galaxy S24 Ultra features a revamped display. In addition to the physical alterations made to the panel, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s new display offers significantly higher brightness, peaking at 2,600 nits. This represents a noticeable improvement compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which had a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. It’s important to note that “peak brightness” specifically refers to the maximum brightness that individual illuminated pixels can achieve, especially when viewing HDR content.

There are also other values to consider, such as typical brightness and High Brightness Mode (HBM), which indicates the maximum brightness of the entire panel. HBM is specifically designed for situations with strong ambient lighting, such as being in the sun, and can be activated manually. While Samsung hasn't revealed brightness values in other modes, we'll be gathering more information in the coming days as we evaluate the Galaxy S24 Ultra and compare it to its predecessor.

Aside from its brightness and design, the updated spec sheet, improved processor, and addition of Galaxy AI set the Galaxy S24 Ultra apart from last year’s model. This is mainly because there was no need to make significant changes to something that already worked well. Samsung has a rich history of being at the forefront of display technology, having supplied displays with impressive high-resolution displays for several flagship phones such as the iPhone and OnePlus. This expertise is clearly evident in this model as well.

The term “Dynamic AMOLED 2X” is the official marketing language used to describe the LTPO display. This display technology allows for a flexible refresh rate that can vary between 1 and 120Hz. It syncs with the frame rate of the displayed content, ensuring a smooth visual experience without tearing or glitches.

Once again, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display features a Quad HD+ resolution and provides full support for all colors in the DCI-P3 spectrum. Similar to previous versions, it includes the HDR10+ codec but lacks Dolby Vision support. With the inclusion of a brighter panel, our concerns about the previous generation’s inability to match up to more affordable displays that offer Dolby Vision support may be somewhat allayed.

Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S23 Ultra – Comparing performance.

The hardware powering the Galaxy S24 Ultra is perhaps its most notable upgrade compared to the S23 Ultra. It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which was unveiled in October 2023, making it the first phone in the world to feature this advanced chip.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 saw significant changes to its CPU core structure, with a primary focus on improving performance. As a result, it boasts a 30% performance boost compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Additionally, Qualcomm claims a 25% improvement in graphics performance, promising an enhanced gaming experience. Additionally, Samsung is collaborating with several gaming studios to popularize ray tracing technology in Android games. Some notable titles that support ray tracing include Diablo Immortal, Racing Master, Arena Breakout, and Night Crows.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts specific upgrades to improve its performance. One notable upgrade is the inclusion of a vapor cooling chamber that is a whopping 90% larger than the one found on the S23 Ultra. This larger chamber facilitates superior heat dissipation when handling demanding tasks. Additionally, all storage options ranging from 256GB to 1TB now come standard with 12GB of RAM.

In addition to increased computing power, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 also boasts an impressive 98% upgrade in neural processing capabilities. Qualcomm hypothesizes that this upgrade enables AI tasks to be performed directly on-device, eliminating the need for cloud-based data centers. With the growing popularity of generative AI and large language models like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, Samsung is joining in by introducing generative AI features to the Galaxy S24 series. Here are the AI features that the Galaxy S24 series offers.

• Live Translate allows for real-time translation and transcription during calls. Samsung claims that all processing is done on the phone, eliminating the need for external services. However, it is mandatory to use Samsung’s dialer instead of Google’s phone app.
• To improve text generation for messaging apps like WhatsApp or Google Messages, Chat Assist will adjust the pitch based on the conversation and provide instant translation of text messages. To use this feature, simply set the Samsung Keyboard as your default keyboard app.
• The function Note Assist Samsung Notes app uses artificial intelligence to condense notes and extract meaningful insights.
• Transcript Assist offers an automated transcription feature for voice notes or recordings.
• The function of Circle to Search allows users to conveniently circle any specific content on the screen and perform a targeted Google search for that particular item, rather than searching the entire content on the screen.
• A future update will allow the operating system to improve Galaxy AI functionality. Android Auto summarize incoming messages and notifications while driving.

The Galaxy S24’s AI capabilities are powered by Google’s Gemini Nano machine learning model, which means they could be available on other Android devices as well. Additionally, Samsung has officially announced that these AI features will be introduced to the Galaxy S23 Ultra in the near future.

In addition to the applications mentioned above, we will go even deeper into AI implementations for camera functionalities and image editing in the next camera section. Prior to the launch, there were speculations about other possible uses, such as an on-device chatbot with ChatGPT-like abilities, AI-generated wallpapers, and weather-dependent lockscreen animations. However, Samsung has not confirmed these features yet. Considering the capabilities of the chipset, these possibilities are indeed achievable and we hope Samsung incorporates them.

Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S23 Ultra – Battery and charging comparison.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s battery capacity remains unchanged at 5,000mAh, just like its predecessor, the S23 Ultra. Samsung’s decision to recycle the 50% cobalt used in the S24 Ultra’s battery may be of interest to environmentally conscious people. However, aside from the purported environmental benefits, there may not be any noticeable improvements to the phone’s battery life in practical use.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra can still charge at speeds of up to 45W over a wired connection. Additionally, you can use a Samsung-branded or certified wireless charger to charge the phone at 15W or any other Qi-certified accessory at 5W. In addition to these charging options, the Galaxy S24 Ultra also supports reverse power sharing, allowing you to charge accessories like the Galaxy Buds or Galaxy Watch at a maximum speed of 3W.

Samsung hasn't provided any information on whether the improved internals or AI algorithms improve the battery life of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. However, we'll be assessing their influence in the coming days.

Camera comparison: Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Sporting an upgraded 200MP sensor, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra looks set to claim the title of best camera phone this year, following in the footsteps of its predecessor, last year's highly-acclaimed Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Samsung claims that the new sensor on the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a larger 60% than the ISOCELL HP2 found on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, though exact details weren’t revealed during the keynote presentation. This larger sensor size is expected to result in a significant increase in light capture, especially in low-light conditions, thereby improving the quality of nighttime photography. Additionally, Samsung claims that they’ve made advancements in optical image stabilization (OIS) for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, reducing unwanted effects like shake and lag caused by motion or shaking.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra's camera system has seen another significant change with the introduction of a new 5x periscopic telephoto sensor on its spec sheet, enhanced by Galaxy AI.

While it may seem like a step back from the Galaxy S23 Ultra's 10x periscope, Samsung is relying heavily on AI to improve the quality of zoomed images and create a seamless transition from 2x to 10x.

Instead of simply zooming into the image, the Galaxy S24 Ultra captures a section of the image and crops it, resulting in image quality that closely resembles optical zoom.

The periscope is capable of taking photos at up to 100x zoom, and Samsung claims these images will be “crystal clear,” likely due to the use of generative AI to reconstruct any blurry areas, similar to its ability with moon shots.

The 12MP ultrawide sensor and 10MP telephoto sensor with 3x zoom remain the same. However, Samsung is putting a big emphasis on utilizing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s AI capabilities to improve camera performance.

The Galaxy S24 series utilizes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s on-device AI processing capabilities to enhance images in real-time via the “ProVisual Engine.” The AI features come in handy in multiple ways, such as sharpening images and minimizing shutter lag. Additionally, AI will help improve images by recommending edits and allowing users to generate or replace elements of their photos, similar to the Google Pixel 8 series.

Samsung has addressed criticism surrounding its cameras’ tendency to produce photos with excessive HDR, especially in low-light conditions. To combat this issue, the company has introduced Super HDR, which allows users to preview HDR shots directly in the viewfinder, reflecting the final processed result. This feature allows users to turn off HDR if they find it too intense.

Additionally, Samsung notes that third-party apps like Instagram will now have the ability to capture images and videos in HDR. However, unlike the Pixel 8, Samsung's cameras will not record HDR metadata alongside the photo, resulting in no visual distinction on displays with or without HDR support.

Camera improvements are mostly dependent on improved hardware, such as sensors or chips. As a result, older phones, including the Galaxy S23 Ultra, may not receive these updates.

Software and updates comparison: Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Ultra

Samsung has begun rolling out its latest One UI 6 update, which is based on Android 14 and introduces significant design changes to numerous Galaxy S and A series devices.

This update represents a significant visual change to Samsung’s custom Android interface, introducing improvements to the quick settings panel, improved wallpaper-based customization, a new font, and several other features. The Galaxy S23 series, including the Ultra, has already received the One UI 6 update. Therefore, there is no justification for the Galaxy S24 Ultra to run on an outdated software version.

Samsung will even provide additional features via the One UI 6.1 update, which will come pre-installed on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and other S24 models.

Over time, most of the features are likely to be accessible on older devices like the Galaxy S23 series. While Samsung currently doesn’t mention any customization features similar to the Pixel 8’s AI-generated wallpapers, we may see their arrival as the feature gains popularity within the Android ecosystem.

Google has revealed that the Pixel 8 series will receive firmware updates over a seven-year period. In response, Samsung has made a similar commitment by promising seven years of Android version and security updates for the Galaxy S24 series. This means that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will have a longer lifespan compared to the S23 Ultra, despite being released just a generation apart. In contrast, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will only receive three additional Android version updates after Android 14.

Price and availability comparison: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S23 Ultra

The Galaxy S24 Ultra will launch in the US on January 31, 2024, with a starting price of $1,300. This represents an increase of $1,300 compared to the starting price of the S23 Ultra. Pre-orders for the S24 Ultra, with its updated specs and better processor, will begin on January 17. If you pre-order the device before January 30, you’ll receive a free storage upgrade, allowing you to get the 512GB variant for the price of the 256GB model (or the 1TB variant for the price of the 512GB model). Additionally, you’ll receive an additional $1,300 in Samsung credits, which can be used to purchase other items on Samsung’s website.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is available for purchase starting at $1,200, but more attractive deals can be found at third-party sellers such as [seller name] and [seller name]. After the pre-sale phase, there is a chance of seeing price reductions for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Verdict: Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S23 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a significant upgrade from the S23 Ultra, boasting superior performance, an improved display, and updated cameras. However, what truly sets the Galaxy S24 Ultra apart from its predecessor, the S23 Ultra, is the extensive software support provided by Samsung. With a notable seven-year commitment to Android generation and security updates, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will continue to receive active software support through Android 21.

This is particularly notable considering that certain hardware components, especially the chip, may not hold up to the advancements of future generations. Unless Samsung can significantly reduce the price and offer better value for money, or unless you manage to score a great deal from a small seller you’ve befriended, the only advantage the Galaxy S23 Ultra has over the Galaxy S24 Ultra is immediate access to new AI features and potential improvements in the future.

Otherwise, you'll miss out on these benefits. If you currently own a Galaxy S23 Ultra, there's not much of a need to upgrade to the S24 Ultra. While the S24 Ultra may have superior technical specs, the S23 Ultra is still an exceptional Android phone. Plus, the S23 Ultra will receive most, if not all, of the Galaxy AI features that are available on the S24 Ultra. Editors' Choice

Video of Santos Technology