Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra rumors are gaining momentum following the company’s major phone releases this year. Now, it’s time to shift our attention to Samsung’s 2024 plans, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra poised to be the flagship phone.
RUMORED FEATURES OF GALAXY S24 ULTRA
- Possible use of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or Exynos 2400 chipset, depending on region
- Expected 144Hz refresh rate
- 50MP telephoto lens may replace one of S23 Ultra’s 10MP zoom lenses
- Enlarged main camera sensor for improved low-light photography
- Incorporation of titanium sides
Enhancing the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s exceptional performance, battery life, and camera capabilities presents a notable challenge for Samsung. However, initial Galaxy S24 Ultra rumors indicate thrilling prospects.
In addition to the potential integration of a more robust chip like Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, reports suggest the Galaxy S24 Ultra might introduce camera upgrades, particularly a more potent telephoto lens. Moreover, a potential hike in the 6.8-inch display’s refresh rate and an innovative stacked battery approach could extend the phone’s battery life further.
Taking cues from early Galaxy S24 leaks and Ultra-specific rumors, we present what’s currently known about the Galaxy S24 Ultra, alongside our expectations for Samsung’s premium handset.
Anticipating Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Release Date and Price
Amidst a bustling year for Samsung, the Galaxy S23 series arrived in February 2023, followed by the midrange Galaxy A54 a few months later. With the recent launches of Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, Samsung can now fully focus on the upcoming Galaxy S24 lineup, including the S24 Ultra.
Traditionally, Galaxy S phones make their debut in the initial three months of a new year, often in February. Hence, we can reasonably anticipate the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s introduction alongside the rest of the S24 series in February 2024. While this is an informed estimation, more concrete rumors about the launch date are likely to emerge in the following months.
The discussion on the pricing of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is premature. Our primary hope is that Samsung maintains the current price level, or perhaps manages to decrease the cost compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s starting price of $1,199. Yet, given the multitude of premium features integrated into the model and the escalating expense of smartphone components, the prospect of a price reduction seems unlikely. We would contentedly welcome retaining the $1,199 starting price, especially considering speculations of price hikes prior to the Galaxy S23’s release earlier this year.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Design and Display Insights
With Samsung extending the Ultra’s design to the Galaxy S23 range this year — and even applying it to more affordable Galaxy A phones — we shouldn’t anticipate a drastic design overhaul for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung seems fond of the vertical arrangement of camera lenses on its phone backs and is likely to maintain this style (despite some concept designs in this article hinting at a more revolutionary appearance).
A potential design shift for the Galaxy S24 Ultra might involve altering the materials. Several sources suggest that the upcoming phone might replace Samsung’s Armor Aluminum with titanium sides. Leaker Ice Universe claims this adjustment could potentially make the Galaxy S24 Ultra lighter than the S23 Ultra by up to a gram.
The past few Ultra models showcased a 6.8-inch screen, offering one of the largest non-folding phone displays. It’s probable that Samsung will uphold the 6.8-inch display for the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The notable display modification could relate to the refresh rate. Since the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the sizable display supported a 120Hz refresh rate, reduced to 1Hz for less dynamic on-screen content.
Speculations suggest that the Galaxy S24 Ultra might elevate this by elevating the maximum refresh rate to 144Hz. This detail emerges from the SamLover rumor site’s post, disclosing numerous purported insights about Samsung’s forthcoming flagship. While most 144Hz displays are found in gaming phones, the S24 Ultra’s focus on gaming capabilities — encompassing a swift processor, expansive display, and internal cooling system to curtail performance lags — makes adopting this feature a plausible consideration.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Camera Insights and Speculations
In the previous year, Samsung brought about a substantial camera shift for the Ultra model, transitioning from the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 108MP main sensor to a 200MP shooter. While not anticipating another major leap, SamLover asserts that Samsung will enhance the sensor.
This enhancement could encompass various aspects, ranging from a wider aperture to facilitate improved light intake to advancements in color rendition. Subsequently, the site indicated an enlargement of the sensor size to 1 inch, matching the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and surpassing the rumored size for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Additional intel from SamLover centers around the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s telephoto lens, poised to undergo enhanced zooming capabilities. Presently, the S23 Ultra boasts dual telephoto cameras — one at 3x optical zoom and the other at 10x — capable of combining for 100x Space Zoom. Improved zoom suggests greater proximity to subjects, though additional details are needed for certainty.
According to @Tech_Reve, a trusted tipster, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will sport a novel 3-10x variable folded telephoto lens, supplanting the dedicated 3x and 10x lenses on the S23 Ultra. This periscope-designed lens would adjust the focal length while linking to a single sensor.
Prominent leaker Ice Universe intensifies camera speculation, projecting advancements in the telephoto lens. “I am confident the Galaxy S24 Ultra has enhanced the 3x camera’s performance, notably elevating image quality for 3x~10x,” the leaker stated. Additionally, Ice Universe proposed Samsung’s potential shift to a 50MP telephoto lens with 3x zoom for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, a notion echoed by leaker Yogesh Brar.
Considering the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s recent front camera revamp, we can anticipate only minor adjustments if any. This leaves the 12MP ultrawide back lens as the likely candidate for potential enhancement.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Speculation on Features
Predicting that whatever Qualcomm’s top silicon is next year will be integrated into the Galaxy S24 Ultra is quite reasonable. Following years of mixing in its own Exynos chips, the Galaxy S23 lineup was entirely powered by Qualcomm chipsets. While initial rumors favored an all-Qualcomm approach for the S24 phones next year, there’s speculation that Samsung might revert to Exynos chips for some models of its forthcoming flagship.
Yogesh Brar’s leaked specs align with this — Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for U.S. and South Korean models, while the Exynos 2400 would fuel S24 Ultra versions in other regions.
While this might have raised concerns previously — Exynos chips haven’t always matched Snapdragon’s performance — Samsung could be striving to enhance its silicon. Leaked Exynos 2400 benchmarks indicate superior multicore results on Geekbench compared to Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and A16 Bionic devices. The Exynos 2400 might serve as an alternative to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, expected to launch by year-end.
Rumors suggest Apple’s A17 Bionic chip, built on a 3nm process, will be this year’s sole contender. This might potentially place the upcoming Qualcomm and Samsung chips at a speed and power efficiency disadvantage. There’s talk of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 supporting UFS 4.1 storage, but this is speculative, given the storage spec’s unreleased status.
Another Galaxy S24 Ultra rumor hints at a potential RAM upgrade. Leaker Tauran Vats on Twitter proposes the Galaxy S24 Ultra could boast up to 16GB RAM, a significant boost from the S23 Ultra’s 8GB/12GB options. @Tech_Reve, another leaker, supports this claim.
Simultaneously, sources indicate all Galaxy S24 models might initiate with 256GB storage. While not an upgrade for the S24 Ultra (since the S23 Ultra already offers 256GB as the default capacity), it’s reassuring to avoid regression next year.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra could potentially surpass the iPhone 15 Pro in graphics performance. A leak suggests the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip’s GPU could be up to 50% faster.
One unmaterialized rumor from the Galaxy S23 was satellite connectivity. SamLove speculates this could change with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, potentially equipping it with a capability mirroring the iPhone 14 feature that enables sending emergency messages without cellular connectivity. Whether an Ultra-exclusive feature or extended to all flagship models remains uncertain.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Battery Insights
A rumor suggests Samsung might introduce a novel stacked battery in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, coupled with enhanced cooling. The concept is to achieve higher power density within the same space. This approach could potentially lead to a 10% improvement.
This fresh battery design is anticipated to elevate the S24 Ultra’s max charging speed to 65W — a nearly 50% increase compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 45W charging. Additionally, the battery’s capacity is expected to remain at 5,000 mAh.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Our Wishlist
Given the current scarcity of Galaxy S24 Ultra rumors, there’s ample room for us to envision desired features. Despite the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s prowess, there are aspects that Samsung could refine.
Enhanced S Pen capabilities: Following S Pen integration with the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the subsequent inclusion of stylus storage in the S22 Ultra, the Galaxy S23 Ultra saw minimal S Pen advancements. We aspire to witness richer S Pen functionalities with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This might encompass fresh S Pen Air Actions or potential remote control for extra Galaxy S23 Ultra functions.
Swifter charging: While competing Android phones, such as the OnePlus 11, deliver much faster charging, the Galaxy S23 Ultra adhered to 45W charging. For a phone carrying the Ultra moniker, we anticipate charging speeds that better match its status.
Unchanged pricing: As mentioned earlier, we hope Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra enhancements won’t accompany a price hike. This extends to global customers who might have faced higher costs for the Galaxy S23 Ultra due to currency fluctuations.
Despite Ultra models flaunting a host of premium features, a $1,199 price tag remains steep for a smartphone. Samsung should remember that the best phones must remain reasonably affordable to a broad range of consumers.
