Samsung Galaxy S24

With the launch of Galaxy Unpacked at 10 A.M. PT (1 P.M. ET) on January 17th, in San Jose, California, the newest Samsung S-Series did not disappoint. While other new launches and devices shared the stage, the spotlight was certainly on the Samsung Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the Galaxy S24 release, prices, specs, comparisons with the Galaxy S23, and more. 

Want to compare the base model to the other variants? We’ve got the breakdown of the Galaxy Samsung S24 Plus and the Galaxy Samsung S24 Ultra right here. We're also keeping an up-to-date list of the best Galaxy S24 deals available now on our Phone Deals page.

Galaxy S24 Release Date

When did the Galaxy S24 come out? Samsung revealed the flagship Galaxy S24 on the launch date of January 17th, 10 A.M. PT in San Jose, California, which was when the phone was first available for pre-order. Samsung enthusiasts were in luck – that was a full month earlier than Samsung hosted the Galaxy Unpacked event last year. 

The Galaxy S24 hit stores on January 31, 2024.

Galaxy S24 Price

Samsung has kept prices relatively stable over the years. As with the Samsung S23 series, you can purchase the Samsung Galaxy S24 for $799, the Galaxy S24 Plus for $999, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra for $1,299.

In addition to our Phone Deal Finder above, our Phone Deal roundups are another great resource for finding the best Samsung Galaxy S24 deals available now at top carriers:

AT&T Phone Deals | T-Mobile Phone Deals | Verizon Phone Deals | UScellular Phone Deals | Spectrum Mobile Phone Deals | Xfinity Mobile Phone Deals | Cox Mobile Phone Deals | Optimum Mobile Phone Deals

Galaxy S24 5G

If you’re looking for fast 5G speeds, the new Samsung Galaxy S24 has 5G mm Wave support, which provides some of the fastest speeds available today. 

The Galaxy S24 also comes with WiFi 6E, which extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz band, giving more capacity, wider channels, and less interference. As expected, the S24 comes with the now-standard wireless charging for a cable-free lifestyle, Bluetooth 5.3, which is the latest and most stable Bluetooth release, and NFC, which lets you safely pay for things, swap digital content, and connect electronic devices with a touch. 

All in all, it’s a top-of-the-line phone with cutting-edge connectivity technology. 

Galaxy S24 Specs

Here's an overview of the key Galaxy S24 specs.

• Price: $799
• Display: 6.2 inches
• Resolution: 1080 x 2340 pixels, FHD
• Refresh rate: 1Hz - 120Hz
• Front camera: 12 MP
• Rear cameras: 50MP Main, 10MP Telephoto, 12.2MP Ultrawide
• Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• RAM: 8GB RAM
• Storage: 128GB, not expandable
• Battery: 4000 mAh
• Charging: Fast charging, Qi wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
• OS: Android 14, One UI 6.1
• Material: Aluminum alloy
• Colors: Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Onyx Black, or Marble Gray. (Exclusive to Samsung store: Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, Sandstone Orange)

Let’s break down that Galaxy S24 spec list a bit.

Galaxy S24: Galaxy AI

The main story with the S24 versus the S23 is that they’re mostly the same phone, with some upgrades. But there is one genuinely new feature: Galaxy AI. Galaxy AI was originally exclusive to the S24, the S24 Plus, and the S24 Ultra. This is because the S24 phones were the first to have AI-specific chips. However, we expect to see more and more of Galaxy AI’s capabilities included in software updates to other Samsung phones in the future.

Another feature S24 users can get excited about is the new Google-powered “Circle to Search” functionality, which lets you circle an area in an image and run a Google search through AI. 

This is in line with Samsung’s overall push towards AI in the future, including better photo processing, generative AI, and AI robots, which Samsung representatives discussed at CES 2024.

Galaxy S24 OS: Longer Support for Software

While the OS itself is no surprise, the big news item is that Samsung has publicly pledged to support software updates to the S24 line through 2031, giving customers the security of a full seven years of OS and security updates. This is an upgrade from the previous four years of support for the S23 line and matches Google's update timeline for the Pixel 8.

Galaxy S24 Screen: Bigger

One small surprise is that the S24 has a 6.2-inch FHD display, making it a bit bigger than last year’s Galaxy S23, which clocked in with a 6.1-inch panel.

Galaxy S24 Design: Same Design, New Colors

The S24 has a very similar design to the S23. The only difference is that you have different colors to choose from. You can get the S24 in Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Onyx Black, or Marble Gray.  If you order directly from the Samsung store, you’re able to get an exclusive S24 in Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, or Sandstone Orange.

Galaxy S24 Camera: Unchanged – Still Great

If you love the quality of your selfies and nature shots with the S23, the good news is that the S24 has the same set of cameras. The S24 offers a 12MP camera in front, a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 10MP 3x telephoto camera lens in the back.

Galaxy S24 Chipset: Updated 

The S24 opted for the higher-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, an upgrade from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip all S23 models featured. This is important – we do want to point out that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset was specifically designed for AI performance. 

Galaxy S24 Battery Life: Marginally Improved

It almost feels like an expectation now that each phone generation should have a better battery life. But we still want to call it out: S24 users enjoy a 4000 mAh capacity battery, compared to the 3900 mAh capacity of the S23. This gives it 2.5 percent more energy storage capacity – not much, but a bit.

Galaxy S24 Vs Galaxy S23

With all these great features and possible upgrades, could it be time to replace your Samsung Galaxy S23? Ultimately, only you know the answer to that question, but we’re happy to give you a quick round-up of what’s improved and what’s stayed the same with the S24, so you know whether it’s worth it for you to get the upgrade.

In short, Samsung didn’t reinvent the wheel with the S24, but there are a few upgrades that could make it worth your while. 

What’s Better With the Galaxy S24

The engineers at Samsung made some changes and improvements to the model. Here are the new features: 

• Better chipset: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 versus Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 from last year’s models
• Slightly larger battery size, 4000mAh vs 3900mAh capacity
• Better image processing software
• Slightly larger and brighter screen, offering 2,600 nits vs 1,750 nits
• Better refresh rates: 1 Hz to 120 Hz, providing liquid smooth on-screen movement and sharper pictures
• Updated OS: One UI 6.1
• Galaxy AI: real-time translation, better image processing, and smarter notes organization
• New color options: choose between Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, or Amber Yellow – or go for a Samsung-exclusive color like Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, or Sandstone Orange

What Didn’t Change From the Galaxy S23

With the S23 and the S24 Samsung phones, you’re getting the same:

• Design of slightly curved edges and a flat screen
• Set of cameras, both front and rear
• Unchanged charging speeds
• Retail price, or at least similar
• 8 GB RAM 
• 128 GB base storage
• Aluminum alloy material

Samsung Galaxy S24: Trade-in Options for a Better Price

Note that the price, while steep, might not be a complete dealbreaker. If you own your S23 (or any other phone model, including an Apple iPhone or a Google Pixel) outright, and you’re open to switching phone plan providers, many carriers offer some pretty great trade-in deals. You can get a great price on the S24 simply by trading in your old model.

The Bottom Line

There’s no doubt about it, the S24 is a great phone. Galaxy phones tend to push the envelope with upgrades on battery life, design, and advanced features, and this one’s no exception. The S24 offers some fantastic upgrades to the S23 while keeping a lot of the same features that made the S23 so beloved in the Android community.

While the Galaxy S24 Plus model and especially the Galaxy S24 Ultra model go a bit further in terms of performance and better features, the base model is a top phone choice for any fan of new gadgets. 

If you're looking for your next Galaxy phone, the S24 could be it. If you want to find the best phone deals on a new Galaxy, our free, unbiased Phone Deal Finder can help. Once you answer a few questions, like what model you like and what carriers you’re open to, we’ll sort through thousands of phone deals to find the best options for your new phone.