Samsung is poised to unveil its next generation of flagship smartphones in early 2024, the Galaxy S24 series. According to trusted industry insiders and leaked details, Samsung has made some critical decisions for the S24 lineup that reveal the company’s vision for the future of its premium handsets.
Specifications and Configurations
The Galaxy S24 series will likely consist of three models as in past years – the S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra. The base S24 model will offer 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. Stepping up to the S24 Plus gets you 12GB of RAM and your choice of 256GB or 512GB of onboard storage.
The top-of-the-line S24 Ultra comes loaded with 12GB of RAM and storage options of 256GB, 512GB, or a massive 1TB. This matches the generous memory configurations offered by the previous S23 series. Some tech enthusiasts were hoping for 16GB of RAM in the S24 Ultra following leaks earlier this year, so the max of 12GB may disappoint power users looking for ultimate performance.
Chipset: Exynos vs Snapdragon
One of the most critical decisions Samsung had to make was choosing the chipset for the S24 family. Last year’s S23 series exclusively used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chips, but Samsung is taking a different approach with the S24.
The Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus models will be powered by a mix of Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Samsung’s in-house Exynos 2400 chipset. Specific regions and mobile carriers will determine which processor users end up with. However, Samsung is reserving the Snapdragon silicon for all S24 Ultra variants globally.
This chipset split reflects Samsung’s traditional strategy of mixing Exynos and Snapdragon across its lineup. But it risks disappointing customers hoping for Snapdragon performance uniformly across the S24 range. Exynos chips have historically benchmarked lower than their Snapdragon counterparts, with slightly inferior processing power and battery efficiency.
But Samsung says its newest Exynos 2400 chip delivers a huge performance leap and much better power optimization. Only real-world testing will determine if the gap between Snapdragon and Exynos has finally narrowed with the S24 models. But power users will likely seek out the Snapdragon-powered S24 Ultra for maximum speed and endurance.
Launch Date and Availability
While not yet officially confirmed by Samsung, insider reports suggest the tech giant has settled on January 17, 2023 for its next “Unpacked” event to unveil the Galaxy S24 series. This falls in line with previous S series launch timeframes and points to a release date by the end of January.
Samsung looks poised to be one of the first major brands to launch a flagship phone featuring AI capabilities as a key selling point. The tagline “Galaxy AI is coming” apparently accompanies S24 marketing materials. This hints that AI and machine learning will be integral to the software experience and camera capabilities.
The Galaxy S24 series represents Samsung’s vision for the future of premium Android smartphones. With generous memory configurations, next-gen processing power, and cutting-edge AI features, the S24 models aim to deliver significant upgrades over their predecessors. Samsung fans and power users alike will be eyeing the S24 Ultra as the ultimate flagship worthy of its premium price tag.
But Samsung faces stiff competition in 2024 from the likes of Apple, Google, and Chinese brands. With smartphone innovation slowing, AI and computational photography emerge as the new battlegrounds. Samsung clearly believes its strengths in chip design and software integration can differentiate the Galaxy S24 series in an increasingly crowded field. The company’s ability to deliver on that promise will become evident when full details of the phones are unveiled in January.
