Samsung formally unveiled its Galaxy S24 line of smartphones at its latest Samsung Unpacked event on Wednesday, including its newest flagship, the Galaxy S24 Ultra. For a fuller idea of what to expect, you can check out my colleague Sam Rutherford's hands-on impressions. In short, though, the main updates are a new titanium frame with flatter edges, a promised seven years of software updates, an expected processor bump, a slightly tweaked camera setup and a host of new generative AI features. Starting at $1,300, the device is also $100 more expensive than its predecessor, though there are some early pre-order deals to lessen that blow a little.
If you're thinking about taking the plunge, we've broken down how the Galaxy S24 Ultra compares to two other top-end handsets, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 8 Pro, on the spec sheet. As always, specs can't tell the full story, but if you want a reference for what $1,300 (or more) gets you in early 2024, here's how the new phone stacks up.
Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium
Polished aluminum frame
Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-s24-ultra-vs-the-competition-a-new-titanium-contender-193434222.html?src=rss
Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event today barely let us catch our breath after last week's CES. As we expected, the company revealed its latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra, which rely more than a little on new AI features. There's Circle to Search, Live Translate and Chat Assist to help you find the right words (and the right tone) of your messages — all of which you can read about in our hands-on report on the new handhelds.
As for the design and hardware, not much has changed since last year's S23. The rear triple camera array remains the same with a 50MP main, a 12MP wide, and a 10MP telephoto lens. The 6.2-inch Full HD+ screen is 1/10th of an inch bigger and the battery adds 100 mAh to the size of the previous generation. The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor has been optimized for the new Galaxies — which should help them handle all of those nifty AI-powered tricks. Here's how the Samsung Galaxy S24 stacks up against its two closest rivals, the Apple iPhone 15 and the Google Pixel 8.
Samsung Galaxy S24
Google Pixel 8
Apple iPhone 15
Pricing (MSRP)
From $800
From $699
From $799
Dimensions
5.79 x 2.78 x 0.3 inches
5.9 x 2.8 x 0.4 inches
5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches
Weight
5.93 ounces
6.6 ounces
6.02 ounces
Screen size
6.2 inches
6.2 inches
6.1 inches
Screen resolution
1,080 x 2,340
Full HD+
1,080 x 2,400
428 ppi
1,179 x 2,556
460 ppi
Screen type
AMOLED 2x
Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz)
Up to 2,600 nits brightness
Gorilla Glass Victus 2
OLED
Up to 120Hz (60-120Hz)
Up to 2,000 nits brightness
Gorilla Glass Victus
OLED
60Hz
Up to 2,000 nits brightness
Ceramic Shield
SoC
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Google Tensor G3
Apple A16 Bionic
Hexa-core CPU (up to 3.46GHz)
5-core Apple GPU
RAM
8GB
8GB
6GB
Battery
4,000mAh
4,485mAh
"Beyond 24 hours"
"Up to 20 hours video playback"
Charging
USB Type-C
"Up to 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes"
Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
Wireless PowerShare
USB Type-C 3.2
Up to 27W wired
Up to 18W wireless with Google Pixel Stand (2nd gen)
Qi wireless charging up to 12W
Reverse wireless charging
USB Type-C (USB 2.0)
"Up to 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes"
MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W
Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W
Reverse wired charging
Storage
128GB / 256GB
128GB / 256GB
128GB / 256GB / 512GB
Rear camera(s)
Main: 50 MP, f/1.8
Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2
Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4 3x optical zoom
Main: 50 MP, f/1.68
Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 125.8 degree FOV
Main: 48 MP, f/1.6
Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.4, 120 degree FOV
Front camera(s)
12 MP, f/2.2
10.5 MP, f/2.2
12 MP, f/1.9
Video capture
Rear: 8K at 24/30 fps, 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/240/960 fps
Front: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30 fps
Rear: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 24/30/60/120/240 fps
Front: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fps
Rear: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fps
Front: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fps
Near the end of Samsung's Unpacked event today, the company started talking about its health-focused software, Samsung Health. After touting the Galaxy Watch 6's sleep-tracking features and software tools like medication management and an upcoming update to its health software Samsung gave us a quick tease of an upcoming health-focused piece of hardware, the Galaxy Ring. It... looks like a ring, with a host of sensors clearly visible on the inside of the ring.
And that is literally all we know. No idea of when it'll come out, what it'll do or how much it'll cost. Your guess is as good as mine as to whether it is actually released, but right now I feel like we're very much in Galaxy Home territory. At least the new Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra are real — you can read our hands-on stories here and here.
Of course, Samsung is hardly the first to attempt a health-focused ring, though they'll probably be the biggest company thus far to do so. Oura has been at it for a while now, releasing its third-generation Ring back in 2022. It can track your sleep, measure your heart rate during exercise and track your daily activity to make sure you're hitting certain goals. Most wearables do this sort of thing already, though certainly not in such a tiny form factor. It's safe to assume that Samsung's Galaxy Ring will cover the same territory and work alongside the new metrics coming to Samsung Health, like the vitality score that the company just announced.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-announces-a-render-of-its-new-fitness-device-the-galaxy-ring-192012919.html?src=rss
As ubiquitous as power banks might be, there will always come a time when you need the full power of a socket. Those are the times when you’ll discover to your dismay that most wall outlets are woefully ill-equipped to meet the demands of many people with multiple devices. Power strips with their multiple sockets exist for that very purpose, but they’re more like band-aid solutions, inelegant and often ineffective. Thankfully, there are quite a few bold new designs trying to rethink this mostly utilitarian tool, like this curious take on the power strip that literally bends convention into something a little more interesting and more convenient to use.
Designer: Michael Kritzer
“U” is for “unusual,” and that definitely describes the design of the ME-1 power strip concept. While most of its kind adopt a linear shape to reach more people across a table, this one is curved into a shape similar to that of a U-magnet. That association isn’t accidental either, because this power strip can actually stick to metallic surfaces as well, either hanging under tables or sticking off walls.
The change in form isn’t simply for novelty’s sake, though. For one, it saves up space compared to a typical rectangular or linear power strip, it is also visually more pleasant to look at, even with all cables coming out of it. There is also enough spacing between the alternating three-prong plugs and USB ports so there won’t be a problem with bulky plugs and chargers.
As for those cables, the U shape also gives owners a way to keep them in check by wrapping them around either of the “legs.” In fact, the strip’s own cable, which sticks out from the inner curve of the shape’s arc, can be looped around it to avoid ensnaring people’s feet or other objects around it.
While the ME-1 power strip concept does present a more captivating design compared to typical power strips, there are also some questions regarding its practicality. It saves up on horizontal space but it does stick out too much. This iteration also seems to cover only one side of the U shape, leaving the other half underutilized and wasted. Still, it’s an admittedly daring approach to re-imagining something we’ve mostly taken for granted to have a fixed design, and hopefully, the market will soon be filled with more interesting power strips, at least ones that don’t sacrifice utility for appearance’s sake.
Rode, the Australian audio company that enjoyed breakthrough success with the Wireless Go and GO II, has unveiled a dual transmitter version of the more affordable Wireless ME mic. If you can do without onboard recording, the dual transmitter version could save you from buying extra gear for a multi-mic setup.
As wireless clip-on digital mics have exploded in popularity with creators, the (single transmitter) Rode Wireless ME has been a popular budget ($149) alternative to the $299 GO II. This dual-transmitter model is otherwise the same as the single-mic version. So, you’ll get the same Series IV 2.4GHz digital transmission, Rode’s GainAssist tech and “universal compatibility” with cameras, phones and computers.
Rode
Also, like the single-transmitter version of the Wireless ME, the new model’s receiver includes an extra “behind-camera” mic for a bonus audio source. In this case, that theoretically gives you a third mic — as long as your setup allows plugging it directly into your recording device. It works with the Rode Capture app (available for iOS and Android), which is aimed at creators.
Given that the Wireless ME is on the budget end of Rode’s lineup, the same compromises from the single-transmitter version apply. That includes the lack of a receiver display, onboard recording / storage or an option to record a safety track at a lower gain level. In return for those tradeoffs, you’ll likely save a few bucks vs. the higher-end GO II.
We say “likely” because Rode hasn’t yet said how much the dual-transmitter version will cost. (The single-mic variant costs $150, so you can probably assume it will be more.) The dual Wireless ME arrives this spring, so expect to hear about pricing as its release date approaches. It will be available in black and (for the first time in the ME series) white.
Rode has growing competition in this space. JBL launched a similar budget product — the $100 Quantum Stream — at CES 2024, and DJI just revealed the Mic 2, including a $349 dual-transmitter variant.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rode-reveals-a-dual-transmitter-version-of-the-wireless-me-lapel-mic-181534298.html?src=rss
Samsung has extended OS upgrades and security updates for its phones, starting with the newly-announced Galaxy S24 series. With these devices, the company says it will offer seven generations of OS updates and seven years of security updates. This is an extension of its 2022 announcement when it committed to four generations of One UI and Android updates, alongside five years of security updates during the Galaxy S22 series launch.
The company is matching Google, which extended its own software update pledge with the launch of the Pixel 8. Google's previous policy was five years, which was still a significant amount of time. Like Google, Samsung cites a commitment "to extending the product lifecycle" and "to help users reliably experience the optimized performance of their Galaxy devices for even longer." The company said this new policy will start with the S24 series, so it doesn't sound like it applies to S23 or other Samsung devices, but we've reached out to the company for clarification. As part of that 2022 update news, the company gave a list phones, foldables and tablets covered under the policy, including previous-gen models.
In addition to updates that should help customers keep their phones longer, Samsung says it continues to increase the amount of recycled materials used in the Galaxy line. Recycled plastics, glass and aluminum are used in both internal and external components. What's more, the S24 series features parts made with recycled cobalt and rare earth elements — a first for Galaxy devices. Specifically, the S24 Ultra uses a minimum of 50 percent recycled cobalt in the battery and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements were used in the speakers, according to Samsung.
The company has also committed to using at least one recycled material in every module of every mobile product by 2023. Samsung defines a "module" as the antenna, battery, camera, display, mechanical components, motor, circuit board, speaker, wireless charging and packaging.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-pledges-seven-years-of-updates-for-s24-series-180844109.html?src=rss
With the launch of the Galaxy S24 family, Samsung is boldly declaring an end to the smartphone camera wars as it moves into the AI era. And the $1,300 S24 Ultra is its torchbearer for this new age of mobile design.
While it may not look like a ton has changed on the S24 Ultra, there’s one major design update along with a handful of smaller tweaks. The move to a titanium frame (available in four colors: titanium yellow, violet, gray and black) apes what Apple did for the iPhone 15 Pro last fall. The big difference is that, because Samsung’s previous flagship featured an aluminum chassis unlike the heavier stainless steel build on the iPhone 14 Pro, the S24 Ultra’s weight (8.22 ounces) is largely unchanged from last year’s device (8.25 ounces). That means aside from some very slight changes to the texture, there aren’t a ton of outward signs hinting at the S24’s increased durability which includes the same IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
More subtle upgrades include a new Corning Gorilla Armor panel in back (instead of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 like on the standard S24/S24+), even thinner bezels (42 percent slimmer than before) and a slightly boxier feel. The latter might not be something most people notice, but it’s part of an ongoing trend for Samsung as it’s moved towards phones with flatter screens. On the S24 Ultra, aside from some faint rounding at the perimeter of its display, it’s almost completely rectangular. So for all the people who hate screens with curvy edges, congratulations, you’ve won.
Inside, the S24 Ultra features a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip along with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. Samsung says it’s installed a larger vapor chamber that’s almost twice the size of what’s in the previous model to help keep the phone’s thermals in check. The Ultra’s screen is also slightly brighter with a peak of 2,600 nits for its 120Hz 6.8-inch OLED screen. There’s still a storage slot for the Ultra’s S Pen with a springy magnetic attachment system and its core functionality hasn’t changed, so you can expect the same super responsive stylus input.
It’s important to note that the S24 Ultra’s camera setup is largely unchanged. You still get a 200-MP main sensor and a 12-MP ultra-wide, but instead of a 10x lens, the S24’s telephoto camera is now based on a 50-MP sensor (up from 10-MP) with a 5x optical zoom. Samsung says this change was made based on customer feedback and usage patterns, which saw 5x being the most frequently used focal length. While its overall reach has seemingly decreased, the phone uses pixel-binning and AI to achieve what the company is calling a “10x optical quality” zoom while still delivering up to a total 100x Space Zoom. In our limited hands-on time, the Ultra’s telephoto camera still looked sharp even with the shorter focal length, though as before image quality begins to deteriorate quickly past 20x.
Of course, the Ultra’s zoom is just one small application of AI. The entire S24 family has a full suite of machine learning-based features. Similar to what’s available on the Pixel 8, Samsung is using AI to help you edit photos and create new slow-mo footage. You can use the S24 Ultra’s stylus (or your finger on the other models) to draw a lasso around a subject before touching and holding to move it whenever you want. Then, all you have to do is hit the generate button, and the phone uses AI to fill in any missing elements. And this isn’t limited just to moving things around either, as you can delete objects, resize, recompose and more.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Samsung’s photo app can also detect things like shadows and reflections and will ask if you would like to remove them from your shot. This might be my favorite application of AI, as this helps streamline editing while also making more complicated fixes incredibly easy. And while I only got to test this out using sample photos provided by Samsung, it worked astonishingly well. After finding a photo in the gallery app, all I had to do was hit the info button to see a list of suggested edits, which almost instantly transformed a mediocre image into something I would be proud to share on social media.
Samsung’s slow-mo feature was also quite impressive. It works on practically any local clip, not just footage shot by an S24. When playing back a video, you can simply touch and hold. Then the phone looks at the framerate of the footage, multiplies it by four (e.g. from 30fps to 120fps) and uses AI to create additional frames — all on the fly and on-device, so nothing is being sent to the cloud.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
It’s not all photo tricks, though. The S24 uses its AI powers to help you communicate both on the phone, via the new live-translation feature, and in text, with improved proofreading, summarization and tone-correction abilities. During calls, activating translation is as simple as tapping a button. From there, it will recognize your speech and automatically convert it into whatever the other person is speaking (or you can save a tiny bit of time and select the language yourself). Granted, this does mean that conversations will take a touch longer since you’ll need to pause to give the phone a chance to process and translate what you say. But if you’re in a pinch while traveling, I wouldn’t hesitate to try this out.
As for the S24’s summarizing capabilities, it’s similar to what you get on the Pixel or in services like ChapGPT, Bard and others. You can direct the phone to a website or a file (including those in Samsung Notes) and the phone will condense things into a handful of major bullet points. But the potentially more useful tool is the tone-correcting feature, which in addition to basic stuff like highlighting typos, also gives you some options to rephrase things to make them seem more positive or encouraging.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Notably, because you get a handful of options and the choice to ignore or implement things as you see fit, it feels like less policing yourself and more like adjusting language to get your message across in a more effective manner. Honestly, this is something everyone could probably use from time to time, even if it’s just to prevent sending out an angry text or email.
The one aspect of the S24’s AI powers that isn’t handled locally is a new circle-to-search tool. Developed in partnership with Google, the feature allows you to highlight both text and images before sending a query off to the cloud and returning results. In practice, it feels like combining traditional search and visual lookup aids like the Google Lens app into a single thing. It’s a nice upgrade in terms of general usability standpoint even if it doesn’t revolutionize the way the phone works.
Photo by Sam Rutheford/Engadget
Finally, following a similar move Google made last year with the Pixel 8, Samsung will now provide a full seven years of regular OS and security updates. This is something I’m hoping to see from every Android handset maker, so I’m glad Samsung is stepping up now.
The two gripes I have are that, for a device that starts at $1,300, I think the S24 Ultra’s design is rather plain. It’s just 6.8-inches of phone with a bunch of sensors and camera lenses on the back. Not to mention I don’t think Samsung’s special titanium-hued paint jobs stand out as much as the company hopes they do.
The other issue is the lack of Qi 2 support. The S24 falls in the second half of Samsung’s two-year product cycle, which means we probably weren’t going to get any big facelifts or design changes until next year. But as the largest Android phone maker, it’s pretty disappointing to see a new flagship not adopt what could be an incredibly important multi-platform wireless charging standard.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Honestly I was kind of taken aback by how good its AI features are. I actually had to stop myself multiple times from writing how one of the phone’s latest tools was a pleasant surprise. Unlike Google who has been beating the drum about machine learning for more than a decade, Samsung’s mobile expertise always felt like it lay more in hardware than software. But with the S24, Samsung is showing that it’s taking the transition to the AI era incredibly seriously.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will start at $1,300. Pre-orders go live today and on Samsung.com will include a free upgrade that doubles the phone’s storage, while official sales are slated for January 31.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-s24-ultra-hands-on-a-fresh-titanium-frame-combined-with-a-big-bet-on-ai-180050005.html?src=rss
Galaxy AI, as Samsung is calling the devices’ overarching AI system, is behind a number of communication-focused functions. For one thing, Galaxy S24 devices will natively support live, two-way translations on phone calls without the need for a third-party app, Samsung says. Since processing for most AI features is handled on-device with the help of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Chipset and its neural processing unit, the conversations will stay private (well, aside from eavesdroppers who might catch one half of the chat). You'll have the option to entirely disable online processing of data for any AI features.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
On a similar note, on-device processing also means that you won’t need cellular data or Wi-Fi connections to use AI features such as Interpreter. This enables you to display split-screen translations of an in-person conversation. Your device will also be able to generate transcripts of recordings — these can be summarized or translated as needed.
When it comes to dashing off text-based messages, Samsung says its Chat Assist feature can help you find the right tone. Samsung Keyboard can translate messages between 13 languages too. A Note Assist function in Samsung Notes can summarize texts, generate templates and create covers to help you identify the note you’re looking for.
Meanwhile, as you’re driving, Android Auto can summarize incoming messages and suggest relevant responses and actions for you to approve via voice command. These could include things like telling someone your estimated time of arrival.
A new search experience means that you'll be able to draw a circle around something on your screen and see related results from Google. Depending on your location and the search query, you may see an AI-generated overview that pulls information from the web to offer context and more details.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
AI will be a driving force behind the Galaxy S24 lineup's camera systems too. Samsung suggests it will help with digital zoom, image stabilization and when capturing photos and videos in low-light. A Super HDR feature is designed to help you see a lifelike preview of an image before pressing the shutter button.
When it comes to image editing, the suite of AI tools might come in useful. Galaxy AI will offer suggested tweaks to improve a photo, while the Generative Edit function can fill in parts of an image's background. This may prove handy if a shot is crooked and you want to straighten it, as the feature should let you move the subject and fix the background. Of note, you will need a network connection to use Generative Fill. Also, whenever you use generative AI to modify a photo, your phone will apply a watermark to the image and its metadata.
If you want to slow down a video that has a lot of activity, the Instant Slow-mo feature might help out. Samsung says this can generate extra frames based on movements in the original video to slow down the action smoothly. Last but not least, the camera systems in certain Galaxy S models feature HDR integration with third-party social apps. This means that when you look up an image in Gallery or your Instagram feed or reels, you'll see photos and videos in Super HDR.
It's little surprise that Samsung is going all in on AI with its latest Galaxy phones. The company previewed its AI models at the tail end of 2023, and word at the time suggested Samsung would deploy those functions broadly in the following months. Moreover, Samsung needs to keep pace with Google, which has been focusing more on AI features on Pixel phones for the last few years. Recent Pixel models are able to handle AI processing on-device too.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-galaxy-s24-lineup-puts-generative-ai-front-and-center-180034530.html?src=rss
On Wednesday, Google introduced Circle to Search, a gesture-based way to quickly find info without leaving your app. The feature will be exclusive (at least at first) to the new Galaxy S24 and the Pixel 8 / Pixel 8 Pro starting at the end of January.
Google pitches Circle to Search as “a new way to search anything on your Android phone without switching apps.” You can activate the feature by long-pressing the home button or navigation bar. Then, circle something on your screen with your finger and see the results pop up at the bottom. To return to what you were doing, “simply swipe away and you’re right back where you started,” Google Search VP Cathy Edwards wrote in a company blog post.
Google
Despite its name, Circle to Search isn’t limited to circling. “With a simple gesture, you can select images, text or videos in whatever way comes naturally to you — like circling, highlighting, scribbling or tapping,” Google Search VP Elizabeth Reid wrote.
Circle to Search also works alongside multisearch, Google’s text / image search feature launched in the Google app in 2022. The company suggests circling to select a corn dog in a viral social post and asking, “Why are these so popular?” (“You’ll quickly learn that these sweet and savory treats are Korean corn dogs,” Google explains.) The feature works with anything on your screen, including products, other items or text in videos.
Google
In more hardware-agnostic news, the company is injecting generative AI into Lens multisearch in the Google app. The company says this allows you to ask “more complex or nuanced questions.” It provided an example of seeing a mysterious and unlabeled board game at a yard sale, snapping a pic and asking Google Lens, “How do you play this?”
Google says the feature will provide a generative AI-fueled overview using the web’s most relevant info. The results will include supporting links to let you scour the web for more details.
AI-powered multisearch overviews roll out this week in the Google app on Android and iOS in the US (English only). The feature is open to everyone who fits that criteria — no beta opt-in necessary. Meanwhile, Circle to Search will be available on January 31 for “select premium Android smartphones,” starting with the Galaxy S24 series, Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/galaxy-s24-and-pixel-8-owners-can-soon-search-for-anything-by-drawing-a-circle-around-it-180029757.html?src=rss
Like clockwork, the new year has brought new Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The company announced the new Galaxy S24 lineup today, which includes the flagship S24 Ultra along with the Galaxy S24+ and S24. The handsets will look familiar to Samsung diehards, and the company spent most of its launch event hyping AI features rather than hardware upgrades. The new phones boast AI perks like an enhanced photo editor, a “circle to search” feature, quick summarization tools and more. If you're on the market for a new smartphone, here’s how you can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, S24+ and S24, along with everything else announced at Samsung Unpacked 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-pre-order-the-samsung-galaxy-s24-ultra-180028971.html?src=rss
