Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Plus: As thick as thieves

Intro

In early 2024, likely in mid-January, Samsung will treat us to its Galaxy S24 series, which is shaping up to be a minor refresh over last year’s Galaxy S23 series. Of course, some changes will be introduced, but the general scope of things will remain fixated on the company’s existing philosophy for the Galaxy experience, which has barely changed in the past few years.

And that’s not a bad thing––if you’re digging Samsung’s latest flagship phones, then it’s highly likely that the upcoming Galaxy S24 series wouldn’t disappoint.

Of course, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will be the more exciting release, with extra features and a decidedly higher appeal, which leaves the Galaxy S24 Plus in the precarious position of being the less thrilling new Samsung phone. Totally undeserved, because in itself, it will most certainly be an excellent phone overshadowed by a more premium sibling.

Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Plus main differences:

6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X vs 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
5,000mAh vs 4,900mAh battery
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3/Exynos 2400 versions (depending on region)
256gb vs 128GB base storage
Quad vs triple-camera setup
S Pen stylus

Table of Contents:

Design and Size

Titanium is in

There won’t be many changes between Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Plus‘ previous generations. The larger phone will reiterate the same design language that has been utilized since the Galaxy S22 Ultra, while the Galaxy S24 Plus will employ the same refreshed look that the Galaxy S23 Plus scored in early 2023. This design language is now uniform across the lineup, so the Galaxy S24 series will continue the trend.

Currently, the only major difference expected is Galaxy S24 Ultra‘s switch from aluminum to titanium, which would introduce negligible weight savings but deliver a robust, more premium frame to rival the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It seems that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will also get slightly flatter sides in comparison with its predecessor.

At the same time, the Galaxy S24 Plus isn’t getting titanium; Samsung is to rely on Armor Aluminum for another year in a row.

Both devices are water-tight and have the same amount of ports and buttons as you’d expect. Of course, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has the extra S Pen on board. This staple of Samsung’s best phones is one of the unique and exclusive features that sets the Galaxy S24 Ultra apart from pretty much every other phone out there.

Display Differences

Bright future ahead of us

In terms of screens, the Galaxy S24 Plus is bridging the gap to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. While the latter will still come with a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, the Plus is actually getting a 6.7-inch screen, 0.1 inches larger than the Galaxy S23 Plus.

Resolution is another area in which the Galaxy S24 Plus might score an improvement. Unlike the FHD+ display on the Galaxy S23 Plus, its successor is rumored to get a WQHD display, which will put it into the Galaxy S24 Ultra territory as far as sharpness goes.

The big improvement this year could be the much brighter 2,500-nit display that has been rumored for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which will be a serious improvement over the 1,750-nit displays that Samsung had used in the past two generations. It’s unclear if the same display will arrive to the Galaxy S24 Plus as well.

While the Galaxy S24 Ultra will likely retain the 1-120Hz refresh rate of its predecessors, we hope that the Galaxy S24 Plus will finally score a LTPO display capable of ranging between 1-120Hz. Previously, Galaxy Plus phones could only go down to 48Hz.

Performance and Software

Who invited Exynos to the party?

If we are to believe the rumor mill, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will be exclusively featuring a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip worldwide. At the same time, the Galaxy S24 Plus will use the Qualcomm chip in the US, but rely on Samsung’s own Exynos 2400 silicon in all other regions around the globe.

And it wouldn’t be a garden variety Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, mind you, but a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, possibly a slightly faster version of the chip that’s exclusively aimed at Samsung flagships. With the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung score a 3.36GHz chip, which was slightly faster than the regular 3.2GHz edition of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Some 12GB of RAM might be the new default on both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy S24 Plus. It’s unclear if base storage will be 256GB on both devices: there’s the possibility that the Galaxy S24 Plus might come with 128GB of native storage.

Software-wise, Samsung previously committed to four years of major Android upgrades and five years of security updates. Given Google’s recent announcement that the Pixel 8 series will be updated for seven years, it’s curious to see how––and if––Samsung will respond.

Camera

The big change with the Galaxy S24 Ultra will reportedly be the unfortunate axing of the ultra-long 10X periscope. As per numerous reports, it will be substituted for a 48MP or 50MP 5X telephoto lens, which will closely match the recent iPhone 15 Pro Max in terms of overall throw. Still, rumors point out that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will retain the maximum 100X Space Zoom that the Galaxy S23 Ultra and its predecessors achieved.

Aside from this change, little to no major differences are expected for the rest of the camera array. The main camera will still weigh in at 200MP and will very likely be graced with tons of image processing improvements and other enhancements to deliver better photos. The 3X short telephoto will most certainly remain a 10MP one, and the ultra-wide camera will once again weigh in at 12MP.

At the same time, the Galaxy S24 Plus isn’t expected to score any major hardware changes in its triple-camera setup. You can hold your breath for a 50MP main camera, aided by a 10MP telephoto one delivering 3X optical zoom, and finally, a 12MP ultra-wide camera.

Audio Quality and Haptics

With the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Plus, we got slight improvements in audio. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, naturally, delivered slightly punchier and louder sound. We don’t expect to change drastically with the Galaxy S24 generation.

The same applies to haptic feedback, which is already extremely decent on the Galaxy flagship series.

Battery Life and Charging

Galaxy S24 Plus retakes more ground

As per the recent rumors, the Galaxy S24 Plus might see a battery capacity boost to 4,900mAh, up from the 4,700mAh battery available on the previous model. This is bridging the gap with the Galaxy S24 Ultra extremely close, as the latter is still reportedly coming with a 5,000mAh battery. This has been the same battery capacity since the Galaxy S20 Ultra, and while it’s fairly standard as far as flagship phones are considered, it might soon leave us wanting more out of Samsung’s top phones.

As far as battery life is concerned, it’s naturally too early to have any realistic expectations, but we might see the Galaxy S24 Plus creep dangerously close to the Galaxy S24 Ultra and even easily outlast it. After all, the Galaxy S24 Plus will have a slightly smaller display with lower resolution, so it wouldn’t be outlandish to expect the phone to really stretch the 4,900mAh. In the case of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, we will have more power-hungry components, helmed by the brighter OLED display.

Charging-wise, we don’t expect any drastic speed improvements, so it would be safe to assume that 45W wired charging to be the default on both phones. Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging will be available.

Specs Comparison

	Galaxy S24 Ultra	Galaxy S24 Plus
Size, weight
Screen	6.8″ OLED WQHD+ LTPO 1-120Hz	6.7″ OLED WQHD 120Hz
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy 4nm	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (US) Exynos 2400 (ROW) 4nm
RAM, Storage	8/256GB 16/512GB 16/1TB LPDDR5X	8/128GB 8/256GB 8/512GB LPDDR5
Cameras	200MP main 12MP ultra 10MP 3X telephoto 50MP 5X telephoto 12MP front	50MP main 12MP ultra 10MP 3X zoom 12MP front
Battery	5000mAh	4900mAh
Charging	USB-C 45W wired Wireless charging Reverse wireless charging	USB-C 45W wired Wireless charging Reverse wireless charging

Summary

If you’ve expected that the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy S24 Plus would introduce tons of changes to the Galaxy flagship formula, then you should probably re-evaluate your expectations.

Just like most of its rivals, Samsung is aiming to introduce incremental updates that will gradually evolve its flagships rather than try reinventing the wheel with the Galaxy S24 series.

As far as the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Plus are concerned, the gap between the top-tier and middle-tier devices is getting smaller and smaller with each year. One will have all the features, including the useful S Pen and the extra camera, while the other will surely be more affordable and easier to slip in a pocket, but aside from that, both should deliver the exemplar Galaxy experience.

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