It’s that time of the year again where Samsung revises their current flagship lineup. Let’s take a look at the old and new and see what’s different between the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy S23 Ultra, to see whether its worth upgrading or waiting for another one.
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|
| 6.8-inch Edge QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display | 6.8-inch Edge QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display |
| 120Hz Dynamic refresh rate | 120Hz Dynamic refresh rate |
| Gorilla Glass Armor (front) | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (front) |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC |
| 12GB RAM | 8GB, 12GB RAM |
| 256GB, 512GB, 1TB storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB storage |
| Quad-rear cameras: | Quad-rear cameras: |
| • 200MP Phase Detection F1.7 (wide) | • 200MP Phase Detection F1.7 (wide) |
| • 12MP Dual Pixel F2.2 (ultrawide) | • 12MP Dual Pixel F2.2 (ultrawide) |
| • 50MP Dual Pixel F3.4 (5x tele, 100x Space Zoom) | • 10MP Dual Pixel F4.9 (10x tele, 100x Space Zoom) |
| • 10MP Dual Pixel F2.4 (3x tele) | • 10MP Dual Pixel F2.4 (3x tele) |
| 12MP Dual Pixel F2.2 front camera | 12MP Dual Pixel F2.2 front camera |
| Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM |
| 5G, 4G LTE | 5G, 4G LTE |
| WiFi 7 | WiFi 6E |
| Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| NFC | NFC |
| GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| Fingerprint scanner (in-display) | Fingerprint scanner (in-display) |
| Face Unlock | Face Unlock |
| AKG Stereo Speakers | AKG Stereo Speakers |
| IP68 water and dust resistance | IP68 water and dust resistance |
| S-Pen | S-Pen |
| OneUI 6.1 (Android 14) 7-year OS support | One UI 5.1 (Android 13) |
| 5,000mAh battery w/ 45W fast charging, 10W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging | 5,000mAh battery w/ 45W fast charging, 10W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging |
| 79 x 162.3 x 8.6mm | 77.9 x 163.3 x 8.9mm |
| 232g | 234g |
| Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Burgundy |
Table of Contents
Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra follows the same design cues of its predecessor, the S23 Ultra, maintaining a sleek, premium look and feel. The S24 Ultra introduces slightly refreshed color options, including Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow.
Excluding the new Titanium Frame, and slightly different dimensions; It’s practically the same build and design.
In our personal opinion you CAN FEEL a difference when holding the two hand-in-hand.
Display
Both devices feature a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with QHD+ resolution and a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The S24 Ultra, like the S23 Ultra, excels in providing a stunning visual experience, with HDR 10+ support.
The display protection gets an upgrade on the S24 Ultra, featuring a new Corning Gorilla Glass Armor protection, while the S23 Ultra relies on Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Chipset
The Galaxy S24 Ultra takes a leap in performance with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, one of the most powerful Android chipsets to date, promising improved overall performance, efficiency, and benchmark scores.
This chipset upgrade positions the S24 Ultra at the forefront of mobile tech in 2024, outclassing the S23 Ultra’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with new Ai enabled features and hardware.
Memory and Storage
Both devices offer configurations starting from 8GB RAM, maxing out at 12GB RAM. However, the S24 Ultra raises the bar in storage options, starting at 256GB and going up to 512GB and an impressive 1TB. In contrast, the S23 Ultra offers a base storage of 256GB and tops out at 512GB.
Cameras
The camera hardware sees incremental changes. While both devices share a common foundation with a 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP telephoto for 3x optical zoom, the S24 Ultra introduces a groundbreaking 200MP main sensor, offering a slightly higher aperture, and a seemingly new Ai photo processing algorithm, learn more in a future review.
The front-facing camera on the S23 Ultra features a 12MP sensor, the same one found on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Connectivity and Features
Both the S24 and S23 Ultra introduces Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, GPS and even 5G. What sets the S24 Ultra apart is the introduction of WiFi 7, further future-proofing the handset with 7 years of software updates.
Software
For software all Galaxy S24 units ship with One UI 6.1 based off Android 14. The S23 Ultra is already upgradable to One UI 6 based off Android 14, with 6.1 already in Beta. The chances of last year’s models getting Ai features at the moment seems bleak considering the Ai cores necessary for these features.
Battery
The battery capacity remains unchanged at 5,000mAh for both devices, with the same wireless charging rate at 10W, and reverse-wireless charging.
Price
While the Galaxy S23 Ultra launched at PHP 81,990 (12GB + 256GB), PHP 89,990 (12GB + 512GB), and PHP 103,990 (12GB + 1TB), the pricing for the S24 Ultra is start at PHP 84,990 (12GB + 256GB), PHP 92,990 (12GB + 512GB), and PHP 106,990 (12GB + 1TB).
Should you upgrade?
If you are a current S23 Ultra user, the decision to upgrade depends on your preferences. The S24 Ultra brings improvements in chipset, storage options, camera processing, and introduces Ai-powered features, making it a compelling choice for smartphone futurists.
However, if you find your S23 Ultra satisfying your needs, the upgrade is definitely not necessary.
For those eyeing an upgrade from an older model or different brand, the S24 Ultra stands as the latest and most advanced non-foldable smartphone in Samsung’s 2024 lineup.
And pre-order and Day 1 deals from Samsung are usually pretty good with freebies, vouchers, and free storage upgrades!
What are your thoughts on the Galaxy S24 Ultra? Share them below!
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra specs:
6.8-inch QHD+ AMOLED 2X Display
1 to 120Hz refresh rate, Vision Booster, 2400 nits peak brightness
Corning Gorilla Glass Armor (front)
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
12GB LPDDR5x RAM
256GB, 512GB, 1TB UFS 4.0 internal storage
200MP f/1.7, OIS main camera
12MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera
50MP f/3.4 OIS telephoto camera, 5x optical zoom
10MP f/2.4 OIS telephoto camera, 3x optical zoom
12MP f/2.2 front camera
5G, LTE
WiFi 7
Bluetooth 5.3
NFC
GPS
IP68 Water and Dust resistance rating
One UI 6.1 based on Android 14
5,000mAh Li-Po battery 45W wired charging, wireless charging, Wireless PowerShare
232 grams (weight)
79 x 162.3 x 8.6mm (dimensions)
Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs:
6.8-inch Edge QHD+ 3088 x 1440p Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
120Hz Dynamic refresh rate
Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (front)
Gorilla Glass Victus (back)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC
Samsung Exynos 2200 SoC
8GB, 12GB RAM
256GB, 512GB, 1TB storage
Quad-rear cameras:
• 200MP main (wide)
• 12MP (ultrawide)
• 10MP (10x optical)
• 10MP (3x optical)
12MP Dual Pixel front camera
Dual-SIM
5G, 4G LTE
WiFi 6E
Bluetooth 5.3
NFC
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo
USB Type-C
Fingerprint scanner (in-display)
Face Unlock
AKG Stereo Speakers
IP68 water and dust resistance
S-Pen (9ms latency)
OneUI 5.1 (Android 13)
5,000mAh battery w/ 45W fast charging, wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
78.1 x 163.4 x 8.9mm
233 grams
Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Coverage:
- Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, S24 Ultra price in the Philippines 45
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Titanium-clad, Galaxy AI powered 12
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: What’s Different?
- Watch: Samsung Galaxy S24 & Galaxy S24+ Hands-on 10
- Watch: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Hands-on
- Samsung Galaxy S24, 24 Plus is now official
