5 main differences between Galaxy S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra

Samsung introduced its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, at the Galaxy Unpacked event in January 2024. But is it worth the upgrade over its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra? Let's find out details through the following article!

1. Titanium frame with flat edges

While both the S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra have a 6.8-inch AMOLED display, the S24 Ultra has slightly thinner bezels and flat edges. Samsung has removed the S23 Ultra's aluminum frame in favor of a more durable titanium frame.

The S24 Ultra's display can deliver a maximum brightness of up to 2,600 nits, while its predecessor was limited to 1,750 nits. While you won't notice a difference indoors, these improvements are better when used outdoors in direct sunlight. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is also a bit thinner, only 0.3mm.

2. 5X 50MP telephoto lens

You may be familiar with the 10x telephoto lens on the S23 Ultra. Samsung replaced this 10x 10MP camera with a more practical 5x 50MP telephoto lens on the S24 Ultra. This change maintains image quality with a higher megapixel count, allowing for 10x digital zoom in everyday use while also providing the benefits of 5x optical zoom.

Additionally, both the S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra have identical camera specifications, including a 200MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera, and 10MP front camera.

Galaxy S24 Ultra elevates Nightography with OIS that has a 2x wider correction angle. This enhances stability to ensure your videos stay high quality, even when you're on the go. It also incorporates scene optimizer and AI image enhancement. These features analyze each photo and optimize your image details to produce more vivid and accurate results.

3. Snapdragon 8 3rd generation

Galaxy S24 Ultra is equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, using TSMC's 4nm process. Qualcomm claims this chip improves CPU performance by 30% and increases GPU performance by 25%. On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is still surprisingly capable for even power users.

While the 256GB storage variant of the S23 Ultra only has 8GB RAM, the S24 Ultra has 12GB RAM across all variants. And although both models have the same 5,000 mAh battery, the more energy-efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip will allow the S24 Ultra to last longer according to Qualcomm's claims.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra also boasts an improved cooling system, featuring a cooling plate that is 1.9 times larger than its predecessor. While the new devices are impressive, you can't go wrong with either device - due to the iterative nature of most annual upgrades, you're unlikely to notice any problems regarding any performance during normal daily use of the old model.

4. Google's Galaxy AI and Circle to Search

While most of the differences between the S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra are minor, the newer phone does incorporate some artificial intelligence features. Here are some things worth noting:

1. Live translation: Galaxy AI can translate and record phone calls for both participants. This means you can talk to a non-English speaker and get clear and intuitive live translations on the screen.
2. Chat support: Galaxy AI can also help you refine your text while using messaging and social media apps. This includes correcting spelling mistakes you make, translating text, and creating text summaries to ensure messages maintain the appropriate tone for your communication.
3. Note support: Galaxy AI can summarize your notes, translate them, format the content, and correct spelling errors in the Notes app.

Besides the Galaxy AI, the S24 Ultra and its siblings also received Google's Circle to Search feature at launch. At the time of writing, these will be the only phones that support this feature other than the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. As the name suggests, this feature allows you to Google anything on your screen by simply circling or tapping it after pressing and holding the Home button.

On the plus side, Engadget has reported that some Galaxy AI features will also be available on the Galaxy S23 series. However, Samsung has not yet clarified which features will remain exclusive to the S24 series.

5. New color options and software support

Galaxy S24 Ultra comes in 4 standard colors: Titanium Purple, Titanium Gold, Titanium Black and Titanium Gray. You can find three more exclusive options - Titanium Blue, Titanium Orange and Titanium Blue - if you visit Samsung's S24 Ultra order page.

Similarly, the S23 Ultra comes in four standard colors: Green, Phantom Black, Lavender Purple and Cream. However, if you visit Samsung's S23 Ultra order page, you'll find four more exclusive options: Lime, Sky Blue, Graphite, and Red.

If you want a smartphone that supports several years of software updates, the S24 Ultra will not disappoint. In Samsung's Newsroom post, the company promises 7 generations of operating system updates and 7 years of security updates for its 2024 high-end smartphone models. By comparison, the S23 Ultra is limited to 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security updates.

Overall, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a worthy investment if you believe you'll benefit from incremental upgrades. However, if you already own the S23 Ultra, skipping Samsung's 2024 flagship might be a good idea as you don't need to upgrade your smartphone every year.

Lesley Montoya

Update 23 January 2024