The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the latest addition to Samsung's lineup of smartphones, promising a powerful user experience with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. However, there are a few decisions made by the South Korean company that might dampen the cutting-edge appeal of this handset.
Firstly, the price of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a bit disappointing. While the costs of the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ remain the same as their predecessors, the S23 and S23, the S24 Ultra comes with a heftier price tag of $1,299. This makes it even pricier than Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max, which offers similar features and is priced at $1,199 for the 256 GB storage variant. In fact, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is currently the most expensive mainstream smartphone on the market.
To justify this premium price tag, Samsung has incorporated high-end materials like titanium and Corning's Gorilla Glass Armour, as well as introduced AI software. The inclusion of AI is particularly highlighted in the Galaxy Unpacked launch event, where Samsung showcased impressive live demos of real-time conversational translation, image editing, and text generation and summarization. However, it remains to be seen which AI features will be available offline and which require an active internet connection and a Samsung account. This distinction will impact the practicality of these AI functions for users.
Samsung has also confirmed that Galaxy AI features will be extended to other Galaxy devices. The S24 platform utilizes two chipsets, the Exynos 2400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, both of which have dedicated hardware for AI and Machine Learning (ML) processes. It will be interesting to see how much of these features can be backported to other devices without compromising user experience, or if it will require more processing to be done in Samsung's cloud.
Another point of concern is the future cost of Galaxy AI features. While Samsung currently offers these features for free, a footnote on the Galaxy S24 Ultra product page states that starting from 2026, there may be different terms and potential subscription fees for accessing AI features provided by third parties. This suggests that certain features may eventually be put behind a paywall, which could change the user experience for those who rely on these AI functionalities.
In terms of software support, Samsung has made a commendable decision to provide seven years of software updates and security patches for the Galaxy S24 handsets. This aligns with Google's approach with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro devices. However, it would be great if Samsung followed Google's lead in guaranteeing the availability of spare parts to third-party repair centers and individual users for the same period. This would offer peace of mind to users, knowing that even after a few years, they can easily replace components such as batteries if needed.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is an impressive smartphone that pushes the boundaries of hardware capabilities and leverages AI and ML techniques for an enhanced user experience. However, in order to be considered one of the top-tier devices in the market, it needs to deliver excellence in every aspect.
