Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series has really impressed us, from the entry-level model, with its solid all-round performance, to the top-end S23 Ultra, with its incredible camera system and S-Pen stylus.
But the tech world doesn’t sit still for long, and already we’re seeing rumors about Samsung’s next generation of phones, the Galaxy S24 line. We’ve sifted through the output from the rumor mill to try to figure out just what Samsung’s next superphones will offer, when they’ll be announced, and how much they might cost.
All rumors should be taken with a pinch of salt. And they’re unlikely to stop rolling in, so we’ll keep this article updated as we hear more.
When will the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch?
Samsung took the wraps off the S23 line and S22 line at Galaxy Unpacked events in February 2023 and 2022, respectively. We strongly expect the company to follow the same timeline for the next models, with a February 2024 launch event and the phones going on sale within the following weeks.
Google’s Pixel 7 Pro serves up some of Samsung’s biggest competition.
How much will the Galaxy S24 cost?
There aren’t any firm details on pricing, but we don’t expect any significant changes from the S23 lineup. For reference, the base S23 model starts at $800, the Plus at $1,000 and the Ultra at $1,200. The Galaxy S lineup has different models for people shopping on different budgets and it’s a tactic Samsung has used for most generations of its phones.
The new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 both maintained their prices from last year, so it doesn’t generally appear that Samsung is looking to shake up its pricing strategy.
Will there be multiple Galaxy S24 versions?
Almost certainly, yes. As mentioned, the multiple models strategy is one that Samsung has used for some time, and all current rumors suggest the company will launch at least two versions of the S24: a base model and an Ultra version. Some industry analysts have suggested that the Plus model might be scrapped to create more separation between the base and Ultra, but other sources disagree.
From left: The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus.
What about the Galaxy S24 series design and display?
Tipster @Tech_Reve suggests Samsung will be sticking to much the same design as this year, at least for the base S24 and S24 Plus. Both phones are expected to maintain the floating camera lenses, rather than the solid camera unit seen on the earlier S22 and S22 Plus.
The S24 Ultra may get some more-noticeable tweaks, if only in the reduction of the number of camera lenses visible on the back. Tech_Reve predicts that the S24 Ultra will lose the 3x camera lens, which will mean fewer lenses in the camera cluster — though that may not be the case, as we’ll discuss later. Other rumors suggest the Ultra model will be made with a lighter, stronger titanium frame, but whether that’s visually noticeable remains to be seen.
Most rumors suggest that the display sizes will remain pretty much the same as last year, meaning we expect a 6.1-inch base Galaxy S24, a 6.6-inch S24 Plus and a 6.8-inch S24 Ultra.
The S23 Ultra’s camera is among the best around.
And the Galaxy S24 series cameras?
Rumors aren’t clear about what exactly to expect when it comes to the cameras in the S24 range, with some earlier reports saying we’ll see a much larger main camera sensor, and other more recent rumors suggesting the camera specs will remain essentially the same.
The latter rumors come chiefly from known leakster Ice Universe, a source with an excellent track record, so the talk of a bigger main camera sensor is arguably less exciting. That’s a shame, because the S23 Ultra’s cameras haven’t really changed that much for a few generations, while competition from both Apple and Google has remained fierce. A larger camera sensor could make a significant difference in improving image quality. That said, Ice Universe has also suggested that the S24 Ultra’s 3x zoom may get a resolution bump up to 50 megapixels.
Other rumors suggest the Ultra will lose the dedicated 3x optical zoom lens and instead go all in with the 10x optical zoom, upgrading it to allow for different zoom levels. A continuous optical zoom has been rumored for some time, but if Ice Universe is to be believed, we may have to wait another generation to see it in use.
How about the Galaxy S24 series specs?
Though it’s almost certain some S24 models will use the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, expected to be launched later this year, reports suggest Samsung may revert to using its own Exynos chips in certain regions.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus offers solid all-round performance.
In earlier generations, including the S22 line, Samsung used Qualcomm chips in some regions (including the US) but opted for its own Exynos processors in other areas (including the UK). The reasoning wasn’t always clear, but it was notable that the S23 line used Qualcomm silicon in all regions, with no hint of Exynos.
Rumors about Samsung’s S23 FE, the more affordable version of the range, expected later this year, suggest it’ll use Exynos chips. And it’s possible Samsung will again opt for a mix of chips for the S24 range when it launches next year.
Other leaks suggest that the base S24 and S24 Plus could get a bump up to 12GB of RAM, with the Ultra going up to 16GB.
Anything else?
At this point there aren’t many other credible rumors. We do, however, expect Samsung to stick with the S Pen stylus in the S24 Ultra, as well as introduce a new range of colors throughout the whole series. We’d love to see a return to expandable storage (but that won’t happen), and you can expect features like IP68 water resistance, in-screen fingerprint scanners and high refresh rate displays on all models.
