It has been a while since
Samsung
started hyping up the entire
Galaxy AI
tagline for the Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event and now that the event concluded and we know all that Galaxy AI has brought to the table, it's more like the devices that bring them first. We are talking about Samsung’s next-generation flagship smartphones -- Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+ and
Galaxy S24 Ultra
.
While the entire lineup has gone through some changes and improvements over their predecessors, the most interesting one among the three is the new Galaxy S24 Ultra which has received the most attention from the company.
While the design language is more or less the same compared to the previous generation, there are changes -- important ones indeed. We have spent some time with the new Galaxy S24 Ultra and here are our initial impressions of the phone.
Titanium is the new normal for flagships
There was a time when Aluminium frames were considered flagship and were a staple for premium and flagship smartphones. Then came the Titanium wave and Samsung has onboarded that train with Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Galaxy S24 Ultra gets the Titanium body and it’s as premium as things can get. From that Titanium-matte finish to the colour options offered, every bit of the phone feels solid and chic.
The design is the same and retaining the same design is not a bad idea. Not only does it help make brands and identity for the device, but it also gives them more time to iterate it and offer a better feel to it from users’ perspective.
Galaxy S24 Ultra’s design is just that. The display has gone completely flat this time and the side rails have been tweaked too, making it an effortless affair to hold and handle the phone. It’s still a big phone though, but lighter and it feels surprisingly light to hold.
There’s nothing much to the design change, more or less, it looks similar to the previous version, but with the new colours and Titanium body, the feel has changed and certainly in a good way.
Galaxy AI brings a lot to the table
Now, Samsung has been relying on AI for various features within the Galaxy smartphones. Features like Object eraser, reflection eraser were there. However, the Galaxy AI brings a host of such new features and the Galaxy S24 series is the first to bring them on board.
Galaxy AI from what we managed to get the idea is all about making things simpler for users. The features offered here are also more of a practical implementation than gimmicks that we see around the smartphone world.
So, there are features like generative AI in
Samsung Keyboard
, that can write things for you, suggest grammatical errors write in different tones and even translate things in real-time.
Sounds interesting right? But there’s more. The Live translate feature for phone calls which works in 13 different languages including Hindi, is something that we haven’t seen in any phone until the Galaxy S24 series. So, you can translate calls in one of the 13 languages while talking on the phone effortlessly.
Then there’s this entire phone and video editing features like AI object eraser, reflection eraser, automatic photo editing options and even generative edits are there that allow users to tweak a photo as per their liking.
As said, the Galaxy AI is all about those practical and real-world applications of artificial intelligence that can also make a difference in how we use our smartphones today.
Galaxy S24 Ultra camera setup has a new party trick
Megepixel may not result in better photos, but it certainly results in high-quality photos in terms of details and resolution. The new 50MP 5x
telephoto
lens onboard with Samsung’s new AI multiframe processing, AI Super Resolution and Quad tele system is somewhat a good example of that.
We didn’t get a chance to extensively test the new camera setup. But for the initial impressions with a couple of photos, the camera setup looks impressive and the new 50MP sensor paired with all sorts of fancy technologies works like a charm. Samsung has also made the transitions between the lenses smoother and more seamless across the board and that’s something we have been expecting to see in the Android ecosystem for ages.
Moreover, there’s no wider OIS onboard with Nightography
Zoom
for videos with dedicated Image processing. The new 5x telephoto works everywhere from regular photos to portrait mode to videos.
Samsung has also made the camera app integrate better with third-party apps to make them take advantage of the new camera setup and offer better overall quality even when posting on social media platforms.
Our thoughts
Initial impressions of the Galaxy S24 Ultra are impressive. It has got that upgraded vibe to where there’s something ‘new’ for everyone even for those coming from Galaxy S23 Ultra. However, we have to test it more thoroughly to tell you all about its performance, camera and, of course, the Galaxy AI. Stay tuned for that.
English (US) ·