Samsung Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra: Release date, price, colors, everything else!

The beginning of a new year always heralds a new Galaxy S smartphone series, and in 2024, we officially got the Samsung Galaxy S24 family! These are Samsung’s flagship smartphones for the year, with the best cameras, fastest processors, and most extensive suite of software features.

In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you could ever want to know about the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. Let’s dive in!

Samsung Galaxy S24 series: Release date, price, and availability

• Samsung Galaxy S24 (8/128GB): $799.99
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (12/256GB): $999.99
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (12/256GB): $1,299.99

Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 series on January 17, 2024. The launch happened in San Jose, California. Pre-orders for the phones opened that same day with a January 31 in-store sales date.

In the United States, the regular and Plus models continue their years-long pricing streak. The Galaxy S24 starts at $799, and the Galaxy S24 Plus starts at $999. These two prices have remained unchanged in the US since 2021 and the launch of the Galaxy S21 series.

Unfortunately, the pricing streak for the Ultra model ended this year. Since 2021, the Ultra model has been $1,199, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra has jumped up by $100 to $1,299. Throughout this article, we have more information on why Samsung has increased the price of the Ultra, specifically.

Interestingly, this still isn’t the most expensive Ultra smartphone from Samsung: the Galaxy S20 Ultra holds that record with a starting price of $1,399.

You can see more detailed pricing information below.

As usual, availability for the Galaxy S24 series is global. You can grab one in the United States, the United Kingdom, throughout the rest of Europe, India, Australia, etc.

Note that not all Galaxy S24 devices are the same worldwide. Depending on where you live, you might have different options for processors. We have more info on this in the “Performance” section below.

As always, the best place to buy a Galaxy S24 phone is directly from Samsung. Samsung will continue to offer exclusive deals and unique colorways you can’t get anywhere else.

Samsung Galaxy S24 series: Specs

It wouldn’t be a new set of Galaxy S phones without some bumps in specs. With the Galaxy S24 specs, we see upgrades for processors across the board. We also see some new camera hardware, an upgrade in base RAM for the Plus and Ultra models, and a few other tweaks. Consult our specs tables below for all the details.

Samsung Galaxy S24 series: Features

As you’d expect, the Galaxy S24 series will be more powerful and more capable in multiple areas when compared to the Galaxy S23 series. Simultaneously, there will also be a lot of carry-over between the two series, including some specs and numerous design elements. We’ve rounded up all the critical new items below!

Camera

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the camera phone in this series with the most significant change to its setup. You can see detailed specs in the tables above, but the big upgrade of note in 2024 is the new 50MP periscope telephoto lens. Previous Ultra models had a 10MP periscope lens, so this would seem a significant upgrade.

However, with this sensor upgrade, we also got a slight downgrade. Previous Ultra models had 10x optical zoom associated with this lens, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s lens is only capable of 5x optical zoom. Samsung claims it can make up the difference through the use of Galaxy AI (which we’ll talk about more in a second). In our Galaxy S24 Ultra review, we found the zoom shots to be terrific, suggesting Samsung might be right. Regardless, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s periscope telephoto lens differs greatly from previous models.

As for the other lenses on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, they all remain unchanged from the Galaxy S23 Ultra. That includes the primary lens, which is the same 200MP sensor.

As with all phones in the Galaxy S series since 2021, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus have matching camera systems, meaning you likely won’t see any difference in image/video quality across the two phones. Unfortunately, Samsung did not upgrade any camera hardware on either of these models this year. That means every camera on the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus is exactly the same as its counterpart on the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus, which includes the selfie camera. Once again, Samsung is banking on Galaxy AI to be the main selling point for the Galaxy S24 series.

Performance

In 2023, Samsung did something it hadn’t done in a very long time: release all Galaxy S23 phones globally with the same chipset, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. Previously, Samsung would launch some Galaxy S phones with the latest Qualcomm flagship and others with its own Exynos processor.

In 2024, Samsung returned to business as usual — mostly, anyway. In the United States, all Galaxy S24 models — regular, Plus, and Ultra — come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. In some other areas of the world, the regular and Plus models come with the Exynos 2400 chipset, while the Ultra continues to have the Snapdragon.

In other words, no matter where you live in the world, your Galaxy S24 Ultra will have a modified version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. If you opt for a Galaxy S24 or Galaxy S24 Plus, your location will determine which processor you’ll get.

In the video above, we test the Exynos 2400 against the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. As expected, the Snapdragon does better across most metrics, but the Exynos still holds its own just fine. You can see plenty of charts and our breakdown of the data in our Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Exynos 2400 roundup.

Outside of CPU/GPU power, the Plus and Ultra models should better manage high task loads thanks to increased base RAM. Both the Plus and Ultra models now have 12GB of RAM at the minimum, a nice bump over the 8GB base offered last year. The vanilla Galaxy S24, though, sticks with the 8GB standard.

Screen quality and size

The overall dimensions of the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra are essentially the same as last year, give or take a millimeter here and there. But just because the bodies didn’t change much doesn’t mean Samsung didn’t find ways to make the displays better.

First, and most notably, the displays of the Galaxy S24 series are brighter than ever. Each phone has an advertised peak brightness of 2,600 nits, far more than the Galaxy S23 series. Even the Galaxy S23 Ultra only peaked at 1,750 nits, so these are jaw-dropping gains. For reference, the Pixel 8 Pro has a peak brightness of 2,400 nits, which was one of the highest we saw in 2023.

Samsung also made other display changes to the individual phones. Let’s start with the Galaxy S24. This phone has a 6.2-inch flat display, which is 0.1 inches larger than the Galaxy S23. Samsung was able to cram a slightly larger display into a similar-sized body by reducing the bezels. Other specs, though, are unchanged: an FHD+ resolution, an LTPO AMOLED panel, and a variable refresh rate that runs from 1Hz to 120Hz.

The Galaxy S24 Plus gets a notable upgrade this year to a QHD+ resolution, similar to the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s. Previously, the Plus model landed at FHD+, so this is a welcome perk. Elsewhere, Samsung also increased the display size by 0.1 inches by trimming the bezels. The panel is still flat, and the type and refresh rate remain unchanged: LTPO AMOLED and 1-120Hz, respectively.

Finally, the Galaxy S24 Ultra gets a colossal change in this department: a flat display. If you remember, the Galaxy S22 Ultra had very steep curves on the sides of the glass, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra had slightly less steep curves. The Galaxy S24 Ultra, though, abandons curves altogether. This should make gesture navigation easier, although the trade-off will be more pronounced bezels on the sides.

Other than the switch to a flat panel, other specs remain the same for the Galaxy S24 Ultra: QHD+ resolution, 1-120Hz refresh rate, and 6.8 inches of view.

Gorilla Glass Victus 2 covers the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus displays. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra gets a newer Corning product called Gorilla Glass Armor. This glass is Corning’s most durable for smartphones and offers a unique anti-reflective coating. Even right now, almost a year later, very few phones apart from the Galaxy S24 Ultra come with this glass, so this is a unique perk.

Design, colors, and build quality

Samsung has settled comfortably into a reliable design language for the Galaxy S series. As such, the three phones in the 2024 lineup look a lot like the 2023 lineup — and the 2022 lineup, too. This is either a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it, but suffice it to say that the Galaxy S24 series doesn’t change the formula much.

As always, the build quality of the phones is superb. These are premium smartphones, and they feel that way when you hold them, especially the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung also goes all-out for durability, offering full IP68 ratings against water and dust for all models.

For colors, there are eight new ones in this line: four for the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus and then an additional four exclusive to the Ultra.

Let’s start with the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus. The four colors available worldwide are Amber Yellow, Cobalt Violet, Marble Gray, and Onyx Black. Amber Yellow is very pale, while Cobalt Violet is a deep shade. Marble Gray is very light — almost silver or even white in certain lighting. Onyx Black, despite its name, is barely black — think of it as a dark gray, if that.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra has similar colors but with different names and shades. This is due to the Galaxy S24 Ultra using a titanium alloy for its rails, a first for any Samsung phone (the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus stick with aluminum rails). The four colors here are Titanium Yellow, Titanium Violet, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Black. Of these, the gray and black models are closest to their Galaxy S24/Plus counterparts, while Titanium Yellow is much darker than Amber Yellow. Titanium Violet is so much darker than Cobalt Violet that it’s barely even in the same color group.

Samsung also offers exclusive colorways only available from Samsung.com, so be sure to visit Samsung’s official Galaxy S24 listing for additional color options in your area. In the US, the additional exclusive colors for the S24 and S24 Plus are Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, and Sandstone Orange. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s exclusive colors in the US are Titanium Green, Titanium Blue, and Titanium Orange. Only a handful of these colors might be available outside the US, so check your country’s version of Samsung.com for details.

Battery life and charging speed

With smartphones seeing more and more use across our daily lives, battery life and charging speeds are incredibly important. Thankfully, Samsung brought some upgrades this year that users will appreciate.

First, the Galaxy S24 now has the largest battery in a standard model since 2021 at 4,000mAh. This should help the phone last a bit longer on a charge, especially compared to the Galaxy S22, which had a much smaller 3,700mAh cell. In practice, this is the case. We had no problem going a day and beyond with the smaller phone during our Galaxy S24 review.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Plus is now the record-holder for the largest battery in a Plus model at 4,900mAh. This is 200mAh more than the Galaxy S23 Plus and only 100mAh shy of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Of course, if you choose to take advantage of the higher resolution QHD+ display, you will probably see fewer battery life gains than if you leave it at FHD+. In our Galaxy S24 Plus review, we had no trouble getting a full day of use from the phone, but some will likely demand a bit more.

As for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, nothing’s changed for battery capacity. It has the same 5,000mAh cell as every Ultra before it.

For wired charging speeds, we see no changes in 2024. The Galaxy S24 charges with a cable at 25W. The Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra charge at 45W with a cable. In order to see those speeds, you’ll need the appropriate PPS-PD charger, as one does not come in the box with the phone. Check out our article on how to pick a phone charger for help with this and our detailed guide to the best Galaxy S24 chargers.

Finally, wireless charging for all three phones tops out at 15W. Reverse wireless charging peaks at 5W.

Galaxy S24 Ultra S Pen

As with the past two Ultra phones, the Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with an S Pen and a slot to store it. The S Pen’s design is unchanged, although the top that sticks out of the phone when it’s slotted is slightly flatter than in 2023.

As far as features go, Samsung is not promoting anything new. It does point out that the Ultra’s flat display should make using the S Pen easier, which makes us wonder why it ever had a curved display in the first place.

Regardless, you should expect the same S Pen experience as in previous generations.

Software and updates

Google made headlines in 2023 by offering a whopping seven years of software support for the Pixel 8 series. Not one to be outdone, Samsung is matching that promise with the Galaxy S24 series. That means the three Galaxy S24 phones will see Android upgrades all the way through Android 21 in 2031!

Unfortunately, Samsung confirmed to us that this policy will not expand to older Galaxy devices — not yet, at least. That means Galaxy flagships launched in 2023 and earlier will stick with four Android upgrades and five years of security patches. Hopefully, Samsung will expand support for older phones eventually, but it has nothing to say on this for now. If you’re curious about your Samsung phone’s update commitment, check out our software support guide for Samsung.

The Galaxy S24 phones house the debut of One UI 6.1 based on Android 14. This will include all the features of One UI 6 with some additional new tricks. One of these is the ability to use your phone’s camera as a webcam on your computer. This is something Google worked into Android 14, but Samsung left it deactivated for One UI 6.

As usual, One UI 6.1 and most of the new AI features described have already made their way to older Samsung phones. These include the Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Tab S9 series, and many more. Some older phones are also getting One UI 6.1 with some features trimmed out, such as with the Galaxy S21 series.

Galaxy AI features

You’ve probably noticed a trend throughout this article: Samsung didn’t upgrade the hardware on these phones as much as usual. There is a reason for that, which is the inclusion of Galaxy AI.

Galaxy AI is a catch-all term for all the AI-based features included in the Galaxy S24 series. Some of these features come from Samsung, while others come from partners, most notably Google.

Thankfully, all three phones have feature parity. That means you won’t need to invest in an Ultra model to get all the cool AI tricks. Aside from specific features that require the advanced camera hardware of the Ultra, everything Galaxy AI has today will work on even the entry-tier Galaxy S24. This also applies across processors, so your Exynos-powered Galaxy S24 or S24 Plus will be able to do all the things a Snapdragon-powered model can do.

Generally, there are two categories of Galaxy AI features: on-device and cloud. On-device features work using the processor’s power alone, while cloud features require Samsung servers to do the work, thus necessitating an internet connection.

Here are the new features in each category:

On-device

• Live Translate: This is built into Samsung’s native Phone app. It allows you and the person you’re calling to understand each other even if you’re speaking different languages. It works by translating what you and they say in real-time, both in audio and in a text transcript. The best part about this one is that the person you’re talking to can use any device, whether an Android phone from a different company, an iPhone, or even a landline. Live Translate worked in 13 languages and 17 dialects at launch, with more added since.
• Interpreter: This is very similar to Live Translate but works during face-to-face conversations by automatically transcribing what folks are saying and translating that into the appropriate language(s).
• Chat Assist: Using the native Samsung Keyboard, you can tweak what you’re trying to say to sound more professional, more fun, etc. Just type out what you’re trying to say and use Tone Tweak to modify it before hitting “Send.” Chat Assist can also translate what you’re writing into 36+ languages. Note that since this uses the keyboard app, it can work in any messaging app.
• Transcript Assist: If you use the native Voice Recorder app to record a conversation between two or more people, the app will now automatically parse out the different voices when it creates a transcript. This is very similar to the Pixel feature that came with the launch of Google’s Gemini.
• Note Assist: Get your notes more organized with this feature that automatically adds headers, bullet points, etc., to your manually written notes and transcripts of recordings.
• Browsing Assist: This feature will summarize web pages for you, saving you the hassle of needing to read the whole thing.

Cloud-based

• Circle to Search: This Google-created feature allows you to use Google Search to find information on things you are viewing on your phone. For example, let’s say you come across a photo online of someone holding a coffee mug. You could start Circle to Search by long-pressing the home button or navigation bar, draw a circle around the mug, and Google will find you that mug so you can buy it for yourself. You don’t even need to leave the app for this to work. This feature is not exclusive to Galaxy AI, though, as it is also available for many other phones.

One of the most exciting things about Galaxy AI, though, is you have control over which features are active. For example, if you don’t like the idea of using Live Translate on your calls, you can just shut it off. Likewise, if you don’t want your phone connected to Samsung’s cloud servers for AI features, you can shut all of those off individually. This is something no other smartphone manufacturer is offering, at least not at this scale.

ProVisual Engine

Like the all-encompassing Galaxy AI moniker, ProVisual Engine is Samsung’s new catch-all branding for its collection of photo/video features. Some of these will include AI power, while others will be computational photography tricks Samsung phones have had for years. Now, they all have a home under the ProVisual Engine name.

Here are some new additions to the ProVisual Engine on top of the features you’ve come to know and love on older Samsung phones:

• Quad Telephoto: This feature applies explicitly to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Remember how we mentioned that the periscope zoom lens got “downgraded” from 10x optical zoom to 5x optical? This is how Samsung is justifying that change. When you zoom in to 3x, the standard telephoto lens handles it. When you zoom into 5x, the periscope lens takes care of that. 2x and 10x zooms, though, now get cropped and use AI for multi-frame processing. This allows for four distinct zoom points — 2x, 3x, 5x, and 10x — with two being optical and two being AI-enhanced crops. Samsung appears very confident that this will result in high-enough quality shots that losing out on 10x optical zoom will be OK.
• Instant Slo-mo: This feature is helpful if you shoot a video under the normal setting but then decide later that you want it to be a slow-motion clip. Using cloud-based generative AI, your phone will process the 60fps video and create a new frame for each existing one — resulting in a new 120fps version of the clip. Now you can slow that clip down and get better quality than if you just slowed the 60fps original.
• Super HDR: This covers a few features. First, you can now preview HDR imagery before you even capture your shot. Second, HDR will work in third-party apps, with Instagram being the first significant partner. In other words, shooting a photo/video within the Instagram app will now look just as good as if you were using the camera app. Finally, HDR is enhanced overall, resulting in brighter, more balanced images.
• Photo editing tricks: Google has worked with Samsung to bring over many features usually reserved for Pixels. This gives the Galaxy S24 series new tools, including a Magic Editor-like system that allows you to remove objects from photos and change the overall look and feel of an image with just the press of a button. Generative Edit is also new, which allows you to straighten an image and use generative AI to fill in the edges. Interestingly, all photos manipulated with generative AI will be watermarked both in the metadata and on the image itself. We recently called out Google for making its AI-watermarked system too complicated, so this is nice to see from Samsung.
• Editing suggestions: Your Samsung phone makes suggestions for you when editing a photo already. However, those suggestions were based on a set database that was relatively small. Now, the database is constantly updated, which will allow for better suggestions. Additionally, you can even give it your own images, which Samsung promises is totally secure. The editor is now context-aware, too, so it will give catered suggestions for what’s specifically in the image.

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