The presumed January 17 launch date for the Samsung Galaxy S24 series is fast approaching, and we’ve already got a pretty good idea of what to expect from the next base model in Samsung’s iconic Galaxy smartphone line.
But what of the company’s next supersized models, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra? If rumors are to be believed, the gap between Samsung’s next standard and flagship models could be smaller than ever – so might the S24 Plus be a viable alternative to the inevitably more expensive S24 Ultra this year?
In this article, we pit the as-yet-unannounced Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus against the as-yet-unannounced the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, comparing their rumored prices, features, and more. Naturally, we’ll be updating the below information once both devices are officially announced. But for now, here are our thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: rumored specs comparison
Here’s an at-a-glance look at the rumored key specs of both phones:
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: potential price and availability
Samsung Galaxy S24 preorders will likely begin soon after Galaxy Unpacked concludes, with deliveries beginning a week or so after. According to one leak, the Samsung Galaxy S24 will ship – and be available to pick up in stores – on January 30, but those who pre-order one of the new phones might receive it as early as January 26.
Regarding price, the Galaxy S24 Plus will reportedly cost the same as its predecessor, which would mean a starting price of around $999 / £1,049 / AU$1,649 for the model with 256GB of storage and either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and $1,119 / £1,149 / AU$1,849 for the model with 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM.
Price rumors for the Galaxy S24 Ultra are a little more contested, though most leaks – or at least, the most recent leaks – suggest that Samsung’s next flagship will also cost the same as its predecessor. That would mean a starting price of around $1,199.99 / £1,249 / AU$1,949 for the model with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, and around $1,619.99 / £1,599 / AU$2,649 for the all-guns-blazing model with 1TB of storage and 12GB of RAM.
As usual, then, this year’s Ultra model looks set to cost at least $200 / £200 / AU$200 more than its immediate subordinate, which is worth bearing in mind as you read on.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: design and display
Some of the biggest differences between the Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra will almost certainly come on the design front.
The former will reportedly look quite similar to its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, albeit with slightly flatter edges and narrower bezels (following the lead of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro). That said, its display could be a touch larger than before, with several Samsung Galaxy S24 screen size rumors claiming that the Galaxy S24 Plus’ screen will be bumped up to 6.65-inches.
Indeed, leaked Galaxy S24 renders seemingly confirm these rumored design changes, so we’re expecting Samsung’s next Plus-sized model to look more iPhone-like than any Galaxy phone that’s come before it (or did Apple take inspiration from Samsung?).
The Galaxy S24 Ultra, on the other hand, is rumored to measure 162.3 x 79 x 8.7mm and weigh 233 grams, which would make it a tiny bit shorter, slimmer and lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. We’re all-but certain that the new Ultra will have titanium sides, too, in keeping with the design upgrades introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max last year.
A leaked Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra poster has corroborated these design rumors, so we’re confident of their authenticity.
When it comes to displays, we’re expecting the Galaxy S24 Plus to stick with its predecessor's glorious dynamic AMOLED 2X panel. However, the variable 48Hz-120Hz refresh rate of the S23 Plus could be upgraded to a 1Hz-120Hz refresh rate on the newer phone, with the S24 Plus rumored to be getting LTPO technology.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra will almost certainly inherit its predecessor’s 6.8-inch QHD+ dynamic AMOLED 2X display, though the new phone could also prove the first beneficiary of Samsung’s ultra-efficient M13 OLED panel. Reports suggest that the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus could get this new display technology, too, but only if production allows.
On the brightness front, all three Galaxy S24 phones are tipped to offer a staggering peak brightness of 2,500 nits. That figure would mark a hefty increase over peak brightness of the Galaxy S23 Plus (1,205 nits) and Galaxy S23 Ultra (1,750 nits).
And lastly, on the topic of Samsung Galaxy S24 colors, we’re expecting the Galaxy S24 Plus to ship in Onyx Black, Marble Grey, Cobalt Violet and Amber Yellow at launch, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra shipping in Titanium Black, Titanium Gray and Titanium Violet.
For both phones, orange, blue and green could be among the additional color options made available exclusively through Samsung.com post-launch.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: cameras
The latest Samsung Galaxy S24 camera rumors hint that the Galaxy S24 Plus will be retaining its predecessor’s 50MP wide lens, 12MP ultra-wide lens and 10MP telephoto lens (with 3x optical zoom). It looks like the selfie camera won't be changing, either: we'll likely get a 12MP camera again, and no under-display technology.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, since we were impressed with the photography capabilities of the Galaxy S23 Plus. But if you’re looking for the best camera phone around, you’ll likely be better served by the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which is rumored to be getting a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, a 50MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, a 10x telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP front-facing camera.
That’s an almost identical camera setup to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, though the latter uses a 10MP telephoto with 10x optical zoom. So, might the Galaxy S24 Ultra be a worse camera phone than the Galaxy S23 Ultra? Not likely, according to TechRadar’s US Mobiles Editor Philip Berne, who is confident that the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s rumored switch to a 5x zoom is a good thing.
Beyond the hardware, the cameras on all three new Galaxy phones might get an AI upgrade. Samsung has applied to trademark the terms Magic Pixel, Flex Magic and Flex Magic Pixel, which sound like photo editing features, and we've also heard that the Galaxy S24 might allow you to move or remove people and objects in photos using AI. These features will almost certainly be made available with the larger S24 Plus and S24 Ultra, too.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: performance and software
On the performance front, we’re expecting both the Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra to ship with Qualcomm’s brand new (and super speedy) Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. However, we’re fairly certain that Samsung’s chipset offering won’t be consistent across the Galaxy S24 range. While every Galaxy S24 Ultra model, regardless of region, is tipped to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, rumors suggest that certain standard Galaxy S24 models – presumably those sold in Europe – will be fitted with Samsung’s own Exynos 2400 chips. This was the case for the Galaxy S22 range, but not last year’s Galaxy S23 range.
Though undeniably powerful, Samsung’s Exynos chipsets are known for being weaker than their Qualcomm counterparts, meaning those in affected regions may have to settle for a slightly less powerful version of the Galaxy S24 Plus come January.
We don’t yet know how significant these differences could prove to be, but we still think it’s safe to expect performance improvements across the board for all Galaxy S24 models (indeed, leaked Geekbench listings tease Galaxy S23-beating benchmark scores for all three Galaxy S24 phones).
We do know, for sure, that the Galaxy S24 series will heavily feature AI. Samsung itself is currently applying to trademark the terms 'AI Phone' and 'AI Smartphone', and alongside confirmation of that aforementioned Galaxy Unpacked launch date, the company released a teaser trailer for Galaxy AI, which we expect will form a big part of Galaxy Unpacked 2024. "Are you ready for a new era of mobile?," the trailer asks, "Galaxy AI is coming."
Samsung also recently announced its first on-device large language model (LLM), Samsung Gauss, and it would make sense for the Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra to be among the first Samsung phones to feature these new AI capabilities.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: battery life
The latest Samsung Galaxy S24 battery rumors have it that the Plus model will be getting a 4,900mAh cell, and the Ultra will be getting a 5,000mAh battery. The former would mark a 200mAh increase over the S23 Plus’ 4,700mAh battery, while the S23 Ultra already uses a 5,000mAh battery.
As for actual battery life, we’re not expecting much change versus the battery life offered by the phones’ respective predecessors. In our testing, we found that the Galaxy S23 Plus could comfortably last for almost two days, so we’re anticipating something similar from the Galaxy S24 Plus. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the other hand, lasted around a day and a half – a figure that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will almost certainly replicate.
We’re not expecting much – if any – change on the charging front, either. Reports suggest that the Galaxy S24 Plus will charge at 45 watts when wired and 15 watts wirelessly, which would be a match for the Galaxy S23 Plus. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will reportedly offer the exact same charging capabilities.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: early verdict
So, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone in 2024, should you go for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra? Well, for obvious reasons, we can’t give you a definitive answer to that question just yet – we’ll be updating this section when both phones are officially announced on January 17 – but we can draw some early conclusions based on the rumors we’ve outlined above.
For starters, both the Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra are going to be extremely expensive phones, but if you’re not ready to soar past the four-figure barrier, then the Galaxy S24 Plus is definitely going to be the more digestible option of the two. And, to be honest, unless you’re set on owning a titanium-clad camera powerhouse, we don’t think you’ll lose out on all that much by going for this year’s Plus model (you will, however, save yourself at least $200 / £200 / AU$200).
Why do we say that? Well, versus the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Galaxy S24 Plus is rumored to be getting the same chipset (depending on your region), the same charging capabilities, the same peak brightness, the same variable refresh rate, and maybe even the same M13 OLED panel, too. It’s also getting – in our opinion – an equally sleek design, though the titanium frame of the Galaxy S24 Ultra will inevitably feel more premium.
Of course, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will boast objectively better cameras than the Galaxy S24 Plus – for instance, you’ll get a 200MP wide lens instead of a 50MP wide lens, a 50MP telephoto lens instead of a 10MP telephoto lens, and so on – but the latter won’t be a photography slouch, by any means (you’ll likely get the same 12MP ultra-wide lens and 12MP front-facing lens, regardless of which model you go for).
If you’re someone who desperately wants the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, then that aforementioned chipset availability variance could mean that the Galaxy S24 Ultra is your only option. That said, we’re still confident that an Exynos 2400-equipped S24 Plus will deliver even better performance than last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-equipped S23 Plus. In any case, all will be revealed on January 17.
