Samsung looks set to reveal its Samsung Galaxy S24 phones in January 2024, with a standard-sized Galaxy S24, a larger Galaxy S24 Plus and an uber-premium Galaxy S24 Ultra expected to succeed the company’s excellent Samsung Galaxy S23 line.
You can bet your bottom dollar that all three devices will rank among the best Samsung phones ever made – perhaps even the best phones – and, if rumors are to be believed, the standard Galaxy S24 could have a fair few features in common with Apple’s latest standard model, the iPhone 15.
In this guide, then, we compare everything we know about the iPhone 15 against what we think we already know about the as-yet-unreleased Samsung Galaxy S24. Naturally, we’ll be updating the below information with confirmed details as and when the latter phone is released.
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 15: Specs comparison
Here’s an at-a-glance look at the key specs boasted by the iPhone 15, and the rumored key specs of the Samsung Galaxy S24.
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 15: Price and availability
The iPhone 15 was officially unveiled on September 12, 2023, and went on sale on September 15 for the following prices: $799 / £799 / AU$1,499 for the 128GB model, $899 / £899 / AU$1,699 for the 256GB option, and $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,049 for the 512GB model.
Samsung hasn’t yet confirmed a launch date for – nor even the existence of – the Samsung Galaxy S24, but rumors point towards a January 2024 arrival. Tipsters have touted January 17 as the phone’s official launch date, with pre-orders expected to begin on January 18, though we’d still take these rumors with a pinch of salt for now.
We haven't heard much about Galaxy S24 pricing, but one rumor hints that Samsung’s upcoming vanilla model will cost the same as the Galaxy S23. So $799.99 / £849 / AU$1,349 for the model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, and $859.99 / £899 / AU$1,449 for the 256GB storage variant. In other words, we expect Galaxy S24 pricing to be comparable with iPhone 15 pricing.
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 15: Design and display
On the design front, the iPhone 15 looks a lot like Apple’s recent iPhones, with the exception of its slightly curved edges and color-infused rear glass panel. It measures 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm, weighs 171g and comes in either black, blue, green, yellow or pink. There’s an IP68 rating, too, meaning it’s dust-proof and water-resistant, and the iPhone 15 also marks the first Apple smartphone to ship with a USB-C port instead of the company’s proprietary Lightning port.
The iPhone 15 boasts an excellent 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display (which has a 2556 x 1179 pixel resolution), though its refresh rate is limited to a static 60Hz. The phone does, however, sport Apple’s Dynamic Island – first introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max – which gives its display a more premium feel, as well as enhanced functionality.
The design and display credentials of the Samsung Galaxy S24 are harder to pin down, but we’ve got a general idea of what to expect come January. Several leaks have pointed towards subtle design changes for the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus, with both phones reportedly in line for smaller bezels and slightly larger screens than their respective Galaxy S23 predecessors. They’re rumored to be getting slightly flatter edges, too, following the lead of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro.
A Galaxy S24 render leak (above) has further corroborated these rumors, so we’re expecting Samsung’s next standard model to look more iPhone-like than any Galaxy phone that’s come before it (or did Apple make its iPhone more Samsung-like?). Incidentally, the most recent Galaxy S24 specs leak hints at a 6.2-inch display, which would be 0.1 inches larger than the iPhone 15’s equivalent screen.
On that front, unless Samsung rocks the boat, we’d expect the Galaxy S24 to stick with the S23’s 120Hz AMOLED display (with 2340 x 1080 pixels) and variable 48Hz to 120Hz refresh rate. Again, that would trump the iPhone 15’s static 60Hz refresh rate.
As for Samsung Galaxy S24 colors, we’re expecting the options to be Onyx Black, Marble Grey, Cobalt Violet and Amber Yellow.
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 15: Cameras
The iPhone 15 has a two-camera rear setup comprising a 48MP main lens (f/1.6) and a 12MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.4). On the front, there’s a single TrueDepth 12MP lens (f/1.9).
As noted in our iPhone 15 review, this does not count the 2x optical zoom that’s actually part of the 48MP lens. The iPhone 15 takes the middle 12 pixels of the full frame to deliver an optically zoomed-in image. This is more useful than it sounds, as it's a great way of getting closer to the action without moving closer and, unlike digitally zoomed photos, the quality of these 12MP images is, essentially, optical quality. It's really just a smart live crop.
The Samsung Galaxy S23, by contrast, features a full-blown 10MP telephoto camera (with 3x optical zoom), and the Galaxy S24 is expected to retain this lens, as well as its predecessor’s 50MP wide lens (24mm, ƒ/1.8) and 12MP ultra-wide lens (13mm, ƒ/2.2). Rumors suggest that the Galaxy S24’s three rear cameras will be arranged in exactly the same way as they are on the Galaxy S23, too, so if you’re keen to get an insight into the upcoming phone’s photography capabilities, check out our Samsung Galaxy S23 review.
When it comes to the selfie camera, it looks like there won't be any change: we'll get a 12MP camera again, and no under-display technology.
iPhone 15 camera samples
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 15: Performance
Apple’s iPhone 15 is powered by what was, for us, 2022’s best mobile chipset, the A16 Bionic, which features a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural engine, all backed by 6GB of RAM. Suffice to say, the iPhone 15 is a super speedy smartphone, and although the A16 Bionic isn’t as fast as the new A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, it provides more than enough power for everyday mobile-centric tasks, as well as light gaming.
To get more granular, in our testing, the iPhone 15's A16 Bionic essentially matched the numbers of the same chipset found in the iPhone 14 Pro. The A16 Bionic also bests Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is the chipset powering the Samsung Galaxy S23.
As for the Galaxy S24, we’re expecting the phone to ship with Qualcomm’s brand new (and even more powerful) 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 S23 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.
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 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, a leaked Geekbench listing teases Galaxy S23-beating benchmark scores for Samsung’s next phone).
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 15: Battery life
Apple never discloses the official battery capacities of its iPhones, but we’re pretty certain that the iPhone 15 is powered by a 3,349mAh cell. In testing, we found that the device lasted a full day when used casually (though 'full day' in this instance does not mean 24 hours – more like 15 hours).
On the charging front, you’re able to charge the iPhone 15 to 50% in 30 minutes (i.e. the same as the iPhone 14), and the phone offers the same 15W and 7.5W wireless charging speeds for MagSafe and the Qi-standard, respectively, as its predecessor.
For the Samsung Galaxy S24, some rumors have hinted that its battery might see improvements over the Galaxy S23, with one report claiming that Samsung is working on an electric-vehicle style battery for smartphones. This would use a stacked rather than rolled design, allowing for 10% greater capacity in the same space. However, it’s not clear whether this new tech will be ready in time for the Galaxy S24 (honestly, we’re not hopeful).
As for the phone’s battery capacity, we’re hearing that the Galaxy S24 will use a 4,000mAh battery, which would be 100mAh bigger than its predecessor’s cell. In our testing, the latter ran for just over 10 hours in Adaptive refresh rate mode, and just over 11 hours at 60Hz, so it’d be reasonable to expect marginal battery life improvements from the Galaxy S24.
Once again, though, it looks like Samsung’s next standard model will be limited to 25W charging, with faster charging reserved for the larger Plus and Ultra models.
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 15: Verdict
So, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, should you go for the iPhone 15 or Samsung Galaxy S24? Well, for obvious reasons, we can’t give you a definitive answer to that question just yet – we’ll be updating this section when the Galaxy S24 is officially announced next year – but we can draw some early conclusions based on the rumors we’ve outlined above.
As usual, the biggest differentiator between these two phones is going to be the software they run. If you’re already embedded in, or a fan of, Apple’s iOS operating system, then the iPhone 15 is the natural choice. Similarly, if you’re an Android loyalist, then the Galaxy S24 will almost certainly meet your expectations.
But what if you’re brand agnostic, or someone who’s keen to change from one operating system to the other? Well, there are almost certainly going to be a few key differences between these two phones, but by and large, the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24 will be very similar smartphones.
Judging by what we’ve heard so far, the Galaxy S24 will cost pretty much the same amount as the iPhone 15, and it’ll look fairly similar, too (at least, as Androids and iPhones go). Both phones are also likely to be comparable in speed and performance.
The Galaxy S24, however, is sure to benefit from a variable refresh rate (which the iPhone 15 doesn’t have), as well as slightly better cameras (you’ll get a whole telephoto lens with the Samsung phone). The iPhone 15, on the other hand, will probably have slightly better battery life, if we compare our current iPhone 15 findings with what we’ve heard about the Galaxy S24 on that front.
Ultimately, then, it’ll be up to you to figure out what you're looking for in a smartphone, and what features you’re willing to compromise on (or forgo entirely).
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