Getting started with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the all-AI smartphone

This January 17, 2024, a little earlier in the year than usual, Samsung presents a Galaxy S24 series with three smartphones during the Unpacked event. The opportunity to discover the Galaxy S24 Ultra, flagship of the range which claims to be a Galaxy S23 Ultra enhanced with artificial intelligence.

On the design side, Samsung places its latest addition in line with the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the S22 Ultra before it. Like many manufacturers, the South Korean works in design cycles, and we can imagine that this model will be the last in its family to display an appearance characterized by rounded edges and photo modules directly included in the back shell.

The smartphone therefore looks a lot like its predecessor, but it differs in a few elements. So, it now sports a flat screen, when that of the S23 Ultra was curved on the sides. The impression in hand is pleasant; and if the curves generally give the illusion of a reduced thickness, the S24 Ultra plays a slight but real refinement: it actually measures 8.6 mm compared to 8.9 mm for its predecessor. It is also a little lower (163.2 mm compared to 163.4 mm), although a little wider (79 mm compared to 78.1 mm). You will have understood, the difference is felt in the hands more than it is observed in the figures.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra was a 234g behemoth and its heir barely deviates from it. Count only 2 g less on the scale. The technical sheet of the smartphone, however, gave hope for the opposite since it is a question of titanium, a lightweight material par excellence. But where it replaces stainless steel at Apple, it replaces already light aluminum at Samsung.

It is therefore essentially a question here of proposing a more robust design to improve the durability of the smartphone. Samsung also announces a solidity increase of 56% compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which will be difficult for us to verify. Quid heat management? When we took it in hand, we were not able to use the device beyond its AI functions – which we will come back to later – but it seems to us that there is no reason to worry. worry: the back of the S24 Ultra uses Armor aluminum covered in glass.

Spotlight on sustainability

As rumored as early as December 2023, Samsung is still a partner of Corning, which supplies Gorilla Glass glass protection. Retained on the back, the Victus 2 version gives way on the front to Gorilla Glass Victus Armor, a standard which had not yet been revealed by the American manufacturer. This also promises increased resistance to impacts and scratches, in addition to improved reflection management (-75% depending on the brand). The IP68 waterproof certification is still present.

Before going into the details of the characteristics, let’s take a moment to focus on the software aspect of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Like other smartphones in its range, it comes with a promise of seven years of Android updates and just as many security patches. Samsung is therefore aligning itself with Google’s Pixel 8.

Qualcomm still on the move

After the success of the Galaxy S23 series under Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and especially the poor performance of the Exynos 2200 within the Galaxy S22 series, the choice of chipset animating the Galaxy S24 was particularly anticipated. The S24 and S24+ models are equipped with the Exynos 2400 in Europe, while the Ultra version is entitled to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 announced at the end of 2023 by Qualcomm. It is flanked by 12 GB of RAM, storage still UFS 4.0 (from 256 GB, not expandable) and a vapor chamber 1.9 times larger than that of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which gives hope even better controlled heating management.

The smartphone plays the card of maintaining the battery, which always caps at 5000 mAh with charging at 45 W maximum, in addition to wireless power up to 15 W and reversed for headphones or a connected watch. As for connectivity, 5G and WiFi 7 coexist, support for which is authorized by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Few changes are to be noted on the display side. Samsung offers a 6.8-inch Amoled screen equipped with LTPO technology which allows its refresh rate to vary dynamically between 1 and 120 Hz. Its QHD+ definition gives it a resolution of 505 ppi. Samsung also promises a maximum brightness of 2600 cd/m², where it announced “only” 1750 cd/m² in 2023. We will have to check the real brightness under our probes under standard conditions of use, and not simply with HDR content.

An enriched photo pane

It is still a quadruple photo module that we find on the back of the smartphone. And in this regard, Samsung has chosen to keep a 200 megapixel main sensor accompanied by wide-angle optics (f/1.7, OIS), but also a 10 Mpx sensor flanked by optics equivalent to 69 mm (3x zoom, f/2.4) and another 12 Mpx dedicated to ultra-wide-angle (f/2.2, 13 mm equivalent).

It is on the side of the telephoto lens equivalent to 115 mm (x5 zoom) that we must look for the novelty with a 50 Mpx sensor offering, thanks to the pixel-binning, to improve the rendering of images, particularly in low light. Examination of the images taken in our laboratories will allow us to evaluate the gain obtained. Samsung also indicates that it has worked on intermediate focal lengths to refine the result using its essential AI.

We retain some new features dedicated to video, such as the possibility of filming in 8K at 30 fps, even with the 115 mm telephoto module, as well as making videos in slow motion at 120 fps in 4K via Video Pro mode. Also quite useful, Samsung has collaborated with most social network apps (Meta, TikTok, Snapchat) so that their users benefit from night modes, video stabilization and capture of photos and videos in HDR.

A very AI Galaxy

The S24 Ultra benefits from the same Galaxy AI options as the other models in the range. They are obviously part of the current trend, with AI (particularly generative) being at the heart of the concerns of the mobile industry.

The features are numerous and, after the tests we were able to carry out, frankly interesting. Let us cite for example the possibility, in the case of photo rotation, of extending the frame by generating an enlarged decor, in the wake of what Google offers. The AI’s recreation of elements takes a few seconds and, at least when the background is not too complex, is effective. Still in terms of image editing, we notice well-thought-out automatic suggestions, such as removing reflections on windows.

AI also attacks text. It will thus make professional life easier thanks to the automatic transcription of notes recorded on the dictaphone (the demonstrations were convincing in our eyes) and online summaries of articles, note-taking, transcriptions of voice notes of varying length depending on the wishes of the user. the user.

AI functions are easily accessible via an icon featuring the Galaxy AI stars. Some, like Circle to Search which presents itself as an improved Google Lens, are available anywhere in the smartphone interface, a web browser, certain applications or on the home screen. This functionality also takes advantage of the stylus, since the action of surrounding an element can be carried out using the S Pen. With a stylus or a finger, the function is really practical and does not require a tedious screenshot beforehand.

For the rest, Samsung requires you to use your web browser (to obtain summaries of online articles) or your keyboard (for example, to obtain reformulations of messages in formal or relaxed tones). Same fight regarding automatic photo editing, accessible in the Gallery app, or Interpreter, an instant translation option hidden in a quick shortcut in the notifications bar. In the Calls app, AI will be used for real-time translation of telephone conversations. Until now, Samsung lacked arguments to favor its tools over those of Google; it offers good reasons to turn away from Gboard or Google Photos.

With a refined design, equipped with the latest “in-house” technologies, but also those of partners (Qualcomm, Corning), the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has assets that are attractive to say the least. We particularly appreciate the brand’s efforts in terms of sustainability. All this, however, comes at a high price: count on €1,469 for the 256 GB version, €1,589 with 512 GB and €1,829 for the 1 TB model. If the 256 GB version of the smartphone is €50 more expensive than the same configuration of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the other two variations see their price drop by €10.

For pre-order from January 17, the smartphone will be available from January 31, 2024.