The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s launch is likely to be one of the biggest events in the 2024 mobile calendar, and it’s happening soon, with the entire Samsung Galaxy S24 line expected on January 17 at Galaxy Unpacked.
So if you’ve been considering buying a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – don’t, or at least not yet. If on the other hand you already have a Galaxy S23 Ultra, you might be wondering whether the next model is worth upgrading to, and while we can’t definitively answer that, we do have some idea.
In fact, thanks to leaks and rumors we have quite a clear idea of what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, so below you’ll see how those rumored specs and features compare to the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: specs comparison
The table below contains all the key Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs. These are official specs, since this phone has been out for almost a year. The other column contains rumored Galaxy S24 Ultra specs, which are of course not official, but we’d forecast most of them are more or less accurate.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: price and availability
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is almost certainly being unveiled on January 17, as Samsung is holding a big smartphone event on that day, and based on leaks and teasers it looks likely that Samsung Galaxy S24 pre-orders will open on that day too. So you should be able to have the Galaxy S24 Ultra in your hands before the end of January, with January 26 being the most likely date from what we’ve seen.
The price is less clear, but the latest leaks point to it being around the same price as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. That would mean roughly $1,199.99 / £1,249 / AU$1,949 for 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, $1,379.99 / £1,399 / AU$2,249 for 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, and $1,619.99 / £1,599 / AU$2,649 for 1TB of storage and 12GB of RAM.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 for its part is of course widely available now, and costs exactly those prices above. Or at least, when it’s not discounted it does, but being a year old it’s often available at a reduced price.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: design
At first glance the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will probably look a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. That means angular rather than rounded corners, a quad-lens camera on the back, with the same lens arrangement, a glass rear, a metal frame, and a large display with a punch-hole camera and tiny bezels.
The S24 Ultra is also rumored to have an IP68 rating, meaning it would have the same level of water and dust resistance as the S23 Ultra.
Some of the details may differ though, as while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has an aluminum frame, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is widely rumored to be using a more premium titanium frame.
Beyond that, the bezels on the Galaxy S24 Ultra are reportedly slightly slimmer, and the weight and dimensions will probably differ a little, with the upcoming phone apparently being 233g and 162.3 x 79 x 8.7mm, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is 234g and 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra colors will probably also differ, with leaks suggesting this phone will come in Titanium Violet, Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Yellow, Light Blue, Light Green, and Orange, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra colors include Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, and Red.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: display
Leaks suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will have a 6.8-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, all of which also applies to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, except the brightness, which is lower at 1,750 nits.
Beyond that, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra might have a more power efficient display than the S23 Ultra, as it will reportedly use newer technology, dubbed ‘M13’.
Overall though, it sounds like the screen will probably be very similar to the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s. That’s no bad thing though, as in our Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review, we described its screen as “a stunning display with even greater color accuracy than previously.”
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's cameras sound interesting, because while they could be an upgrade in some ways, they might also be a downgrade in others.
According to the majority of recent leaks, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will have a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide snapper, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP periscope camera with 5x optical zoom.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra on the other hand has a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide one, a 10MP telephoto one with 3x optical zoom, and another 10MP with 10x optical zoom.
So the only change in numbers there is for the second telephoto camera, which is reportedly dropping from 10x zoom to 5x on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but going up from 10MP to 50MP.
Those extra megapixels may allow it to offer a 10x ‘optical quality’ crop though, meaning that you’ll potentially get the best of both worlds.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is also likely to have various AI abilities, as these have both been leaked and teased. Samsung’s teasers have kept it vague, but leaks point to things like the ability to move objects and people in photos, extend the background in photos, and improve the quality of videos using AI.
So on both the hardware and software side the S24 Ultra's cameras might be an upgrade. That said, the Galaxy S23 Ultra already has excellent cameras, in fact it tops our list of the best camera phones.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: performance
Almost all signs point to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra having a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which is no surprise, because the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
So you can expect a generational leap in power with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which should be substantial, although the Galaxy S23 Ultra is still no slouch.
RAM and storage amounts may well be exactly the same between the two though, specifically a choice of 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. There is a chance the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will instead top out at 2TB according to one report, but that’s looking unlikely, as most leaks don’t mention that figure.
Both phones will also probably have largely the same software – namely Android with Samsung’s One UI on top. Though it’s likely the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will be supported for longer, and it may also have AI features that the Galaxy S23 Ultra lacks.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: battery life
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is rumored to have a 5,000mAh battery with 45W charging, which is also what you’ll find in the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
So the two phones probably won’t be much different when it comes to battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra lasts around a day and a half in our tests, while Samsung claims it can last for up to 25 hours of internet usage, up to 26 hours of video playback, or up to 99 hours of audio playback.
We’d expect similar from the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s battery life then, though it might last a little more or less than that due to other factors, such as the change in chipset.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: early verdict
Based on leaks and rumors, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will probably have a more premium build than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, along with a brighter screen, a more powerful chipset, and a different – potentially better – telephoto camera, plus various AI tricks.
However, its optical zoom might not reach as far as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s, its battery life, storage, and RAM might all be the same or similar, and many of its cameras and other specs look to be largely unchanged too.
And while on paper the two phones might – at least according to leaks – cost the same, in practice the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can often be found for a lot less than its launch price now.
There’s little doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will be the better spec’d phone then. But the Galaxy S23 Ultra may not be worth upgrading from, and could still be worth considering if you find it on a good deal – though we certainly wouldn’t buy it until the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has launched, as until then this comparison is just based on rumors.
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