It was only a matter of time before we saw AI-powered products take centre stage in 2024. With Unpacked taking place today, the 17th January, Samsung would be forgiven for thinking they’d win the 2024 AI launch race, only to be beaten by Rabbit R1 Device at CES. Regardless, Samsung’s launch of the Galaxy S24 Series has taken place at the annual Unpacked event. Here’s what they want you to know.
AI-Powered Communication
With a German missus and very little German, until I have a few pints, you better believe I’m excited about this. The Samsung Galaxy S24 series introduces a range of AI-powered features to help you with communication. With Live Translate, you can translate conversations in real-time, even during phone calls. Interpreter takes it a step further, allowing you to have natural conversations with people from different cultures without the need for an intermediary.
It pains me to call this AI because really it’s just natural language processing or NLP. AI suggests some kind of sentient being’s involvement. But even so, NLP-powered translation is just as exciting. I recently compared Google Translate to translations carried out in Bard, Google’s AI platform. The Bard translations were so much better. They understood nuances of communication, colloquialisms and more. So this is definitely an area that, if Samsung gets it right, could be a very cool feature.
AI-Powered Creativity
The Galaxy S24 series brings AI to mobile photography with its ProVisual Engine. This is a suite of AI-driven tools that Samsung says will help users to capture better images and videos. The Quad Tele System with 5x optical zoom on the Galaxy S24 Ultra promises to let you capture distant subjects with great clarity. Samsung’s Nightography capabilities give you the best chance of capturing beautiful photos and videos even in low-light conditions.
AI-Powered Performance
Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, the Galaxy S24 series should deliver great performance for even the most demanding tasks. The 1Hz to 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate ensures a smooth and responsive experience while remaining efficient. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra brings a large vapour chamber to the table, a spec I can’t help but feel is directly targeted at gamers.
Sustainability at the Forefront
Samsung is committed to making a positive impact on the planet, and the Galaxy S24 series reflects this commitment. The series incorporates recycled materials in its design, including recycled plastics, glass, and aluminium. The Galaxy S24 Ultra also features a titanium frame, which is a sustainable alternative to traditional aluminium.
I won’t harp on about this bit because I never really know what to make of massive companies singing their own praises about sustainability. I’ll leave you to do your own research.
Gorilla Glass
The new Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will feature Corning’s new Gorilla Armor cover material, which is the most durable and scratch-resistant glass ever made for a smartphone. Gorilla Armor is also 25% recycled content, making it more eco-friendly.
Again, it’s hard to verify these claims but I do feel that in recent years, smartphone glass has gotten significantly better. And a lot of phones use Gorilla Glass, so that’s got to be good news.
Pre-order Offer: Double the Storage
Customers who pre-order the Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra from Samsung.com can get double the storage for the price of the lower storage model, with savings available of up to €260. Lovely.
Availability and Pricing
The Galaxy S24 series will be widely available from network providers like Eir, Three and Vodafone along with other retailers including samsung.com starting on 31st January. You can already pre-order. Yay!
The Galaxy S24 series comes in Earth mineral-inspired colour tones. On Galaxy S24 Ultra, colours include Titanium Grey, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet and Titanium Yellow. On Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24, colours include Onyx Black, Marble Grey, Cobalt Violet and Amber Yellow.
We hope to have a review in the coming weeks once we get our hands on a device.
Watch Unpacked Live for Free in Ireland
Here’s the live stream. It starts at 6pm local time here in Ireland.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Series Specs
Here are the detailed specs for each of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Series.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
| Price | 256GB – €1,469 512GB – €1,589 1TB – €1,849 |
| Display | 6.8-inchQHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, 120Hz refresh rate (1Hz to 120Hz) |
| Dimensions & Weight | 79mm X 162.3mm X 8.6mm 233g |
| Rear Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera 200 MP Wide Camera 50MP Telephoto Camera 10MP Telephoto Camera |
| Selfie Camera | 12MP Front Camera |
| RAM and Storage ROM | 12GB + 1TB 12GB + 512GB 12GB + 256GB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging | Up to 65% in 30 minutes with wired charging and 45w adapter |
| OS | Android 14 with Samsung One UI 6.1 |
| Network and Connectivity | 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth v5.3 |
| Water Resistance | IP68 |
Samsung Galaxy S24+
| Price | 256GB – €1,159 512GB – €1,269 |
| Display | 6.7-inch QHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display 120Hz refresh rate (1 to 120Hz) |
| Dimensions & Weight | 5.9mm x 158.5mm x 7.7mm 197g |
| Rear Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera 50 MP Wide Camera 10MP Telephoto Camera |
| Selfie Camera | 12MP Front Camera |
| RAM and Storage ROM | 12GB + 512GB 12GB + 256GB |
| Battery | 4,900 mAh |
| Charging | Up to 65% in 30 minutes with wired charging and 45w adapter |
| OS | Android 14 with Samsung One UI 6.1 |
| Network and Connectivity | 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E |
| Water Resistance | N/A |
Samsung Galaxy S24
| Price | 128GB – €919 256GB – €969 |
| Display | 6.2-inch FHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display 120Hz refresh rate (1 to 120Hz) |
| Dimensions & Weight | 70.6mm x 147mm x 7.6mm 168g |
| Rear Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera 50 MP Wide Camera 10MP Telephoto Camera |
| Selfie Camera | 12MP Front Camera |
| RAM and Storage ROM | 8GB + 512GB 8GB + 256GB 8GB + 128GB |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh |
| Charging | Up to 50% in 30 minutes with wired charging and 45w adapter |
| OS | Android 14 with Samsung One UI 6.1 |
| Network and Connectivity | 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E |
| Water Resistance | N/A |
