Today’s the day we’ll see the official reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S24 range, comprising the standard S24, Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra, all taking part at the first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked of 2024.
Going by the rumors so far, it looks like today’s Unpacked will be focused on new smartphones, with no murmurs of the Galaxy Ring making an appearance. But artificial intelligence is set to play a big role, with Samsung having already teased the use of AI for its next-generation Galaxy phones. Expect to see generative AI features akin to the Google Pixel 8‘s Magic Editor and more.
If you want to watch the showcase live then check out our guide on how to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024. And for initial impressions and reactions, do make sure to follow the TechRadar TikTok account.
But for all the updated from Galaxy Unpacked and the last-minute tips, rumors and leaks, you’re already in the right place. So read on for our Galaxy Unpacked live blog.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 live: last-minute leaks, rumors and more
Good morning! It’s Roland Moore-Colyer here, managing editor of Mobile Computing at TechRadar and your sherpa in the run up to Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 and what we expect to be the launch of the Galaxy S24 series.
So join me, dear reader, as I chew over any last-minute leak and rumors, as well as what we know so far.
So I’d bet a small fortune (if I had one) on this Unpacked being very smartphone focused, with the official unveiling of the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra taking place.
What may look like iterative upgrades are apparently tipped to come with a whole suite of generative AI features.
‘What the heck is generative AI?’ I imagine you asking. Well, it’s when artificial intelligence algorithms are used to make something new rather than serve up existing data or figure out if its a dog or a cat in a photo.
ChatGPT is one example of generative AI. While the smart tech in Google’s Pixel 8 and its Magic Editor is another. Tech fanatics tout it as revolutionary, while others tend to think it may be a handy tool at best or a mess at worse.
For the Galaxy S24 series, generative AI is almost certainly going to yield Samsung’s own take on Google’s Magic Editor. But from the rumors of the Galaxy S24 being able to detect the tone of texts, I suspect there’ll be more to the phone’s AI than just image manipulation.
Expect text translation, summaries and data extraction as a bare minimum.
Of course, Samsung will need to bring its A-game to AI if it’s to compete with the AI-centric Pixel phones. But with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 tipped to be at the heart of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and perhaps other Galaxy S24 models, the phone should have the hardware to power onboard AI tools.
Speaking of chips, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus are tipped to use the new Exynos 2400 silicon outside the US and China. Normally that would make tech fans groan as the Exynos chips have always played second fiddle to their Snapdragon counterparts.
But early Galaxy S24 benchmarks and the promise of improved hardware-accelerated ray tracing could make for more impressive Exynos part than ever before.
If you want a rundown of all the rumored specs for the Galaxy S24 phones, then check out our round up of the Galaxy S24 specs rumors and the Galaxy S24 Ultra specs rumors.
The latter phone naturally has the more impressive parts tipped for it, but the former two aren’t likely to be slouches either.
If you want to see how the Galaxy S24 Ultra could square up to its main rivals, do take a look at our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 15 showdowns.
If these rumors are anything to go by, then the Galaxy S24 may indeed be worth waiting for.
When it comes to phones worth waiting for, I’m casually excited about the Galaxy S24 Ultra. While it’s going to be a lot like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, a phone I’m using at the moment, I think a host of small tweaks could make it rather compelling.
A tipped 50-megapixel main camera on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and a new titanium-framed design, has my attention…
Let’s dig into the 50MP telephoto camera that’s set to have a 5x zoom and replace the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 10x optical zoom lens. What might seem like a downgrade in optical range should offer greater detail and the scope to easily crop into 10x without a huge loss in quality.
As someone who loved the periscope 5x camera on the Oppo Find X2 Pro, I’m all for a 5x optical zoom with a higher megapixel sensor over a lower-quality 10x camera.
No other major camera hardware upgrades have been tipped for Galaxy S24 family, but I’m forecasting improvements on the software side to go alongside the AI tools and features.
There’s scope for improved nighttime photography and video. But I’m hoping for Samsung to keep pushing forward with the work it’s done on making photos on the main camera more natural and not overly saturated with color.
Neither have we heard much about any big video recording improvements for the Galaxy S24 series. But there’s scope of improved stabilization and thus better clarity and low-light performance.
Sure, the Galaxy phones can do 8K video but they still lose out to iPhones in sheer quality and ease-of-use. I’m really hoping Samsung has done some work here.
Let’s swing back round to the rumors: yesterday, leaked Galaxy S24 pre-order bonuses hinted at a good value proposition for the next-gen Galaxy phones.
But I reckon if the Galaxy S24 comes in at under $800 / £800 it could be onto a winner, especially if it does indeed get all the rumored AI tech. I’ve always rather liked the standard Galaxy S phones, and I’m hoping the S24 variant continues to impress.
Another recent leak, this time showing off leaked Samsung Galaxy S24 marketing images referencing numerous AI skills, was attention-grabbing.
As James Rogerson reported, some of the images “are focused on AI features, including Note Assist, which can automatically summarize, format, and translate your notes, and Live Translate, which can provide live translations of calls.”
He added: “The images tease the ability to circle or tap within any image, video, or text to search for the exact thing you’re interested in, with the example shown being a specific backpack in a photo.”
All rather interesting I reckon.
Speaking of AI, senior phones editor Philip Berne reckons the rumored Galaxy AI could be Samsung’s last chance to redeem Bixby. And I’d tend to agree.
Of all the virtual assistants, Bixby was, and arguably still is, one of the worst. It never felt smart or responsive enough and got in the way too much. But with a dose of AI smarts, perhaps it could make a comeback and challenge the mighty Google Assistant.
Over on Twitter… ahem… X, it looks like some excitement is brewing for Galaxy Unpacked 2024. But maybe not in the most positive way.
Through a popular Spider-Man meme, content creator Neil Sargent highlights a wry thought that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will be hard to tell apart from its tow predecessors, the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Ultra.
It’s that time of year again new phone and same phone 😅 #Samsung #SamsungUnpacked #S24Ultra #GalaxyUnpacked #GalaxyS24Ultra pic.twitter.com/NaBprjOPpOJanuary 17, 2024
Hmm it’s all rather quiet on the last-minute leaks front for now.
So why not check out our Samsung Galaxy S24 deals page for a taste of what we could expect and details on preorders and bonuses for getting in an order early.
In case you didn’t know it, TechRadar has a TikTok account. And on it, we have a load of tech videos, me making a fool out of myself, and some Galaxy S24 insights. Without giving the game away, you’ll definitely want to check out our TikTok over the next day or so…
For now, take a look at the video below with senior Editor Alex Walker-Todd on how the Galaxy S24 could go up against the Google Pixel 8.
@techradar
Right, let’s look at some more rumors. We’ve got a suite of hubs running down specific things to expect from the Galaxy S24 series.
So take a look at our round ups for the Samsung Galaxy S24 colors, Samsung Galaxy S24 cameras, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra cameras, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra design and Samsung Galaxy S24 battery.
I’ve long been a fan of Google Pixel phones, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion the Galaxy S24 phones could tempt me away from my Google-phone love.
And I’ve written about how that may be the case. So while we wait for Galaxy Unpacked, give my 3 ways the Samsung Galaxy S24 could crush my Google Pixel love article a gander. And let me know your thoughts too.
I guess my only concern in the Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Google Pixel 8 showdown, is how well will Samsung integrate the rumored AI features. In the past, I’ve found Samsung’s One UI to be rather messy compared to Google’s Pixel Launcher it pops on top of stock Android. Often I feel like Samsung’s native apps get in the way of Android’s stock apps.
But Samsung’s has improved on this a lot over the recent years. So if it can seamlessly integrate AI into One UI, it could win my attention with the Galaxy S24 range.
So if Samsung’s next-gen Galaxy phones do win me over, which would I go for?
Well if money was no object, I’d take a Galaxy S24 Ultra as it’s looking like it could be a fantastic, albeit minor, evolution over the Galaxy S23 Ultra; that’s my current Galaxy phone of choice.
That being said, I do love how compact and neat the standard Galaxy phones have been of late. They are also feature packed for the price, and I can see the same happening with the Galaxy S24. In fact, that’s likely to be the phone I’d recommend to most people, if indeed it does live up to its rumors.
One model I’d avoid is the Galaxy S24 Plus. While it could have a few tricks up its sleeve, the rumors aren’t really touting many. And I’ve always thought the Plus model was a bit of an awkward middle-child of the Galaxy S-series.
And the pricing of the Galaxy Plus models have always been a bit close to entry-level iPhone Pro models. And now that the likes of the iPhone 15 Pro have a suite of modern features, like 120Hz displays, they are more appealing than ever.
Overall, I think the Galaxy S24 range could dominate the conversation around smartphones until the iPhone 16 family comes around, likely this September.
I think the tipped nips and tucks to the Galaxy phones, and then the added AI smarts, plus Samsung’s brand power, could easily leapfrog all of the best Android phones, and perhaps steal some focus from Apple phones, especially as the Android ecosystem is now rather expansive and has a good degree of interoperability.
One way the Galaxy S24 series could really appeal beyond Samsung fans and people on upgrade cycles is the tipped 7 years of updates for the Galaxy S24.
That would give these phones a class-leading level of software support. And that’s great, as smartphones are so well-spec’d they never feel slow or less capable even after several years of use. The only real downside is Lithium-ion battery degradation that leads to compromised battery life.
Taking a break from phone chat for a moment, and I’m rather sad that we’ll very likely not see the Galaxy Ring today. This is tipped to be Samsung’s first smart ring and I’m here for it.
Galaxy devices generally have some solid interoperability, and I do like the idea of a fitness/wellness tracker that hides all its tech in a subtle ring.
The idea of a simple bit of wearable tech particularly appeals to me the more a fledgeling interest in traditional watches grows. I don’t need a smartwatch for much beyond step tracking and some monitoring, and the limited battery life of such techie watches can be irritating.
So a smart ring, has, well… a great ring to it. And I reckon one from Samsung would integrate nicely with the Galaxy devices I already have. But I suspect we’ll not hear about the Galaxy Ring until later on in the year.
Right readers, it’s time for me to hand over the live blogging reigns to Philip Berne. He’ll be your guide from now and across Galaxy Unpacked, so get ready for his insights and analysis, as well as any leaks that pop up in the eleventh hour.
Bye for now!
Good morning Samsung fiends and phone fans alike! I’ll be running this Samsung Unpacked Live Blog through the event, as our reporter on the scene Axel Metz wakes up San Jose, CA, maybe the only place in the US that isn’t freezing right now.
I feel personally invested in this event, literally, because I am not just a Samsung phone reviewer, I’m also an owner. I spent my own money, repeatedly, on Samsung phones, even though the company sends us samples to borrow for free. My current Samsung is the mighty Galaxy S23 Ultra, which I bought after I put it atop out list of the Best Phones you can buy. After naming the Galaxy S23 Ultra the best phone overall, I decided I needed to own one.
Of course, I won’t need TWO Galaxy Ultra phones, so as soon as the Galaxy S24 Ultra goes on sale, I’ll be looking for a great trade-in deal. In the past, AT&T has offered $1,000 for any Galaxy as a trade, and that’s how I got my current phone. But I’m not looking for a long-term payment plan this time, so I’ll probably look at what Samsung is offering for trade.
As phone reviewers often say, nobody pays full price for a Samsung, so don’t let those high prices scare you away. After the phone launches, we’ll have plenty of deals to consider if you need the next big thing, without the next big price tag.