Mashable

Samsung's newest smartphone, the S24 and the S24 Ultra, is packed with impressive tech like the company's new Galaxy AI assistant and Circle to Search function.

The new models come in a handful of "gender neutral colors inspired by nature," according to the brand, including an exclusive "Sandstone Orange" for the S24 — which looks suspiciously close to Pantone's recently announced 2024 color of the year, Peach Fuzz.

But we don't have time to quibble over the Sandstone since the real star is one delicious buttery hue that Samsung has given two different names to make my life harder: "amber yellow" for the S24 (a misnomer if I ever heard since the color contains not even a suggestion of amber) and "titanium yellow" for the Ultra.

Yellow at Spring/Summer 2024 Fashion Weeks: Two looks from Prabal Gurung in New York, Versace in Milan, Dennis Vasso in New York. Credit: Mashable composite; George Chinsee/WWD via Getty Images, Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images, Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

An untrained eye might write off the color — which we'll call "titanium yellow" for clarity — as a run-of-the-mill gold. But the color has a more complicated provenance, namely the runways of global Fall Fashion Week 2023. This particular color was a favorite of the fashion houses that presented their Spring 2024 collections there (fashion brands show their collections at Fashion Week six months before the clothing is available for purchase), so it should come as no surprise that it also appears in our tech.

Yellow at Spring/Summer 2024 Fashion Weeks: Louis Vuitton in Paris, Sportmax in Milan, Loewe in Paris. Aubrey Plaza in Loewe at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles. Credit: Mashable composite; Estrop/Getty Images, Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images, Peter White/Getty Images, Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

The journey of titanium yellow from high-fashion darling to Samsung smartphone smacks a bit of Miranda Priestley's diatribe on the origins of cerulean. People will be walking around talking on titanium yellow Samsung Ultras, blithely unaware, as Priestley puts it, that the fashion industry made sure it ended up in their palm.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung - Galaxy S24 Ultra 512GB (Unlocked) - Titanium Yellow $1,299.99 (save $120) Get Deal

New year, new phone.

Samsung just kicked off the year with its Samsung Unpacked event, which announced a new line of Samsung Galaxy phones, including the S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra. While all the phones look great, we assume most of you will be gunning for the most advanced and feature-packed model, the S24 Ultra.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S24 price, release date, and preorder details: How to get the S24 Ultra, S24+, or the base model

Available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options, the S24 Ultra's starting price lands at $1,299.99 (unlocked and without trade-in). It's Samsung's first smartphone with a titanium frame and features a gorgeous 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display. It has the best cameras of the bunch, including a 200 MP wide lens and a 50 MP telephoto lens. To sweeten the deal, Samsung threw in a 5,000 mAh battery. Other key features include Samsung Galaxy AI support and a performance boost to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. It should also be noted that the S24 Ultra is the only S24 phone that is compatible with the S Pen stylus.

Gamers are in for a treat with this one. Credit: Samsung

Below, we've rounded up all the best Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra deals that you can find right now — and yes, each retailer is offering unique preorder perks, so be sure to read the fine print. Most of these listings are for unlocked phones that can be connected to a carrier of your choice later on, or you can choose one of the pre-connected carrier options on their respective product pages.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra preorders

For those fully integrated into the Samsung ecosystem, this is where you'll want to pre-order. For a limited time, Samsung is offering free double storage upgrades, an instant $150 credit on your purchase, plus $50 of credit to use on future Samsung purchases. If you're trading in an old phone, you can also get up to $750 in credit towards the new one.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Unlocked) + free storage upgrade + $150 instant credit + $50 Samsung credit Starting at $1,299.99 at Samsung Get Deal Best Buy Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra preorders

If you're going to be using your phone for cloud gaming, Best Buy has a great preorder deal for you. The retailer is offering a $150 Best Buy gift card to preorder purchasers and a free month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. You can get up to $750 of trade-in credit here as well.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Unlocked) + $150 Best Buy gift card + one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Starting at $1,299.99 at Best Buy Get Deal Amazon Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra preorders

Avid Amazon shoppers might want to pick up their new Galaxy S24 Ultra here. For a limited time only, Amazon is offering a free storage upgrade to those who purchase the 512GB version, as well as a $200 Amazon gift card. As far as we can tell, Amazon isn't offering trade-in credit at this time.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Unlocked) + free storage upgrade + $200 Amazon gift card Starting at $1,299.99 at Amazon Get Deal Verizon Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra preorder deals

If you're set on Verizon as your carrier, they're offering up to $1,000 off the S24 Ultra in trade-in credit, plus a free Samsung Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Watch for select plans. You'll also get a free storage bump, and up to 25% off Samsung Galaxy accessories.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra + free storage upgrade + free Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Watch starting at $36.11/month at Verizon Get Deal AT&T Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra preorder deals

AT&T customers can also enjoy up to $1,000 off their new Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with an eligible trade-in.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra starting at $36.12/month at AT&T Get Deal T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra preorder deals

Yet another $1,000 trade-in credit for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is available at T-Mobile.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra starting at $54.17/month at T-Mobile Get Deal

Apple's new iOS 17.3 is going to be released to the public next week and, as always, it will include plenty of features that folks are sure to love, hate, or completely miss out on — including Stolen Device Protection, collaborative Apple Music playlists, and a Unity Bloom wallpaper for your Lock Screen, according to Mac Rumors and TechCrunch.

When does iOS 17.3 drop?

We don't have an exact date, but iOS 17.3 will likely come out on Tuesday, January 23, Forbes reported.

What are some iOS 17.3 features to know about?

Glad you asked! We've broken down some of the key new features below.

Stolen Device Protection

Stolen Device Protection is the most exciting of the updates, if you ask me, and, well, just about anyone else. As The Wall Street Journal reported last year, bad actors can watch you type in your passcode over your shoulder at, say, a bar or on the train. Then, when they steal your phone, it's that much easier for them to open your device, snoop through your phone, turn off Find My, take full control of the device, and leave you phoneless, helpless, and so sad. Stolen Device Protection is an extra layer of security to help stop that from happening. 

When you have Stolen Device Protection turned on, Face ID or Touch ID authentication is required, meaning even if someone steals your phone and knows your passcode, they won't be able to unlock it without your face or fingers. The feature also adds a one-hour security delay for particularly sensitive actions, like changing your Apple ID account password, unless you're at a familiar location like your home. You can turn it on and off by navigating to settings, clicking Face ID & Passcode, and then choosing Stolen Device Protection.

Collaborative Apple Music playlists

Apple is also launching collaborative Apple Music playlists. This is far less exciting because it's months behind Spotify and was initially promised for iOS 17, but was never delivered.

The feature lets Apple Music subscribers add multiple people to a playlist who can add, reorder, and remove songs. They can also leave emoji reactions next to playlist songs, which is pretty cute and is not a feature Spotify has. Look at that! Envy from a Spotify user! To use this feature, click on the person-shaped icon in a playlist, copy the link, and add people. If you want to approve every song that gets added, you have that power — and you can turn collaboration on and off whenever you want.

Unity Bloom wallpaper

The final new feature (that we know of) will be the Unity Bloom wallpaper for the iPhone and iPad and the watch face on the Apple Watch. It includes red, green, and yellow flowers that can actually bloom, "inspired by the resilience and beauty of the Black community," Apple wrote.

UPDATE: Jan. 17, 2024, 4:10 p.m. EST This post has been updated with even more phone cases now available for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Series.

Our top picks for cases for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Series Best transparent case Spigen Ultra Hybrid $34.99 at Spigen Shop now Best case already on sale Incipio cru. $42.49 at Verizon (Save $6.50) Get Deal Best fun case OtterBox Symmetry Series Clear (limited edition) $49.95 at OtterBox Get Deal

Samsung's Unpacked event on Wednesday, Jan. 17 has officially brought us the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, which received some interesting upgrades in the form of Galaxy AI.

If you're in the market for this S24, S24+, or S24 Ultra, and you don't want to rely solely on its titanium frame to protect this new tech, you'll want to get a case ASAP that protects your phone and looks good too.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Which is better?

Though the S24 series isn't available quite yet — it won't be in-store and online until Wednesday, Jan. 31 — some phone cases have already dropped. (If you're looking to lock in both your case and phone early, preorders are available now).

The S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra have starting prices of $799, $999, or $1,299 respectively, but you'll be able to snag the phone cases for as low as $24.99, at the time of writing. We've rounded up selections so far from Incipio, Casetify, Otterbox, and more.

If you're looking to save even more, you can also check out the best deals on S23 phones we can find (and as a bonus, there are already plenty of cases available for the previous gen).

Spigen Core Armor — $24.99

Available for: S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

Don't need anything fancy? The Spigen Core Armor may be your case. It offers shock absorption, wireless charging, and is S pen compatible. It only comes in black, but the matte finish and grip mean it's easy to hold and won't get covered in fingerprints.

Opens in a new window Credit: Spigen Spigen Core Armor $24.99 at Spigen Shop Now Incipio Duo — $34.99

Available for: S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

This case may only come in black, but the simple two-piece case gets the job done, protecting your S24 from drops of up to 12 feet thanks to Incipio's Impact Strut technology. For a basic case that's understated but gets the job done (without costing a ton) the Incipio Duo is a good bet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Incipio Incipio Duo $34.99 at Incipio Shop Now Spigen Ultra Hybrid — $34.99

Available for: S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

If you want a run-of-the-mill transparent case with some options for different edge colors, the Spigen Ultra Hybrid is the way to go. The blue resin helps the case stay transparent for longer, while raised edges offer a little extra protection.

Opens in a new window Credit: Spigen Spigen Ultra Hybrid $34.99 at Spigen Shop now Incipio Forme — $44.99

Available for: S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

If you want your case to be protective without being boring, Incipio has the answer with their Forme case. Grab it for $44.99 on their website for the S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra.

Opens in a new window Credit: Incipio Incipio Forme $44.99 Shop now OtterBox Symmetry Series Clear — $49.95

Available for: S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

OtterBox dropped a bunch of limited edition designs for Galaxy S24 cases. You can choose between dogs, daises, mushrooms, and more. And of course, it delivers OtterBox's standard of protection.

Opens in a new window Credit: OtterBox OtterBox Symmetry Series Clear $49.95 at OtterBox Shop now Incipio cru. — $49.99

Available for: S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

The Incipio cru. is a new collection from the brand, aimed at those who like their smartphone to have a more elevated look. At the time of writing, the Incipio cru. was only available on Verizon's website in brown leather and navy camo, but it is marked down $6.50, bringing it down to just $42.49 for the S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra.

Opens in a new window Credit: Incipio Incipio cru. $49.99 at Verizon Shop now Samsung Galaxy Smart View Wallet Case — $49.99

Available for: S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

As the name suggests, this phone case lets you take advantage of the Galaxy S24's small screen view, and makes it easy to always remember your wallet when you remember your phone. Grab it for the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Smart View Wallet Case $49.99 at Best Buy Shop now Samsung Standing Grip Case — $59.99

Available for: S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

If you want to take full advantage of the (slightly) larger display on the S24 series, a case with a kickstand can help you do exactly that. Grab this standing grip case for the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Standing Grip Case $59.99 at Best Buy Shop now Casetify Impact Case for Galaxy S24 — $71.99

Available for: S24

It's not cheap, but this Casetify case promises phone safety while letting one of the seven new S24 series colorways shine through. Casetify's EcoShock design gives plenty — you guessed it — shock absorption, while the raised bezels provide even more protection.

Opens in a new window Credit: Casetify Casetify Impact Case for Samsung Galaxy S24 $71.99 at Best Buy Shop now Casetify Impact Case for Galaxy S24 Ultra — $71.99

Available for: S24 Ultra

Who says cases that put impact safety first have to be ugly? This Casetify option for the S24 Ultra lets some of the color from the phone peek through while adding a little interest with the design.

Opens in a new window Credit: Casetify Casetify Impact Case for Galaxy S24 Ultra $71.99 at Best Buy Shop now

As if the Galaxy S24 series and Galaxy AI weren't enough, Samsung decided to "One More Thing" us by teasing the Samsung Galaxy Ring at Unpacked.

The company dangled the device like a carrot after boasting about the Samsung Health app. However, other than simply flashing it on the screen, we don't know much else about the Galaxy Ring.

SEE ALSO: Should you put a ring on it? I tried the Oura 3 for one month to find out. Samsung Galaxy Ring teased at Unpacked

"Meet the Galaxy Ring, with AI technology [that] is empowering us to stay connected, unleash our creativity and build healthier habits all in more meaningful ways," the company announced at Unpacked. "This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait for you to try it yourself."

That's it. We don't know anything else about the Ring — no price, no release date, nothing.

If Samsung steps into the ring, pun intended, of miniature wearables, Oura may be in trouble. The company has been synonymous with health-tracking rings, offering options that start from $300.

Oura claims that it has the most accurate sleep tracking of any consumer wearable, according to a PR rep I spoke with at CES 2024. If that's true, Samsung has its work cut out for it. If it can't beat Oura with sleep monitoring, there are still plenty of other health metrics it can master, including heart rate, temperature, and stress (three features that Oura also tracks).

It's worth noting that Samsung already has a significant presence in the wearable market, particularly when it comes to smartwatches. Its latest Galaxy Watch 6 comes with your typical array of wrist-based wearable tracking, including sleep coaching, fitness tracking, and heart-rate monitoring. Plus, it serves as an extension of your phone, allowing you to control you camera, take calls, and text — all from your wrist.

However, the Galaxy Ring will almost certainly be screenless, making it an ideal option for those who don't need a wearable that keeps them connected to their phone. Similar to the Oura ring, it'll likely stick to the basics, monitoring health and sleep, and feeding that information back to an app for logging and progress tracking.

We'll just have to hear from the horse's mouth, Samsung itself, to get more information about this Oura rival.

Samsung held Unpacked to unveil a major smartphone announcement. Say hello to the new Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra.

But Samsung also had a few other other highlights up it's sleeve. The company announced Galaxy AI, a set of AI-powered tools designed to work alongside the trio of next-generation phones. Samsung also revealed an entirely new product altogether.

Here's everything you need to know about Samsung Unpacked.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mashable Samsung Galaxy S24 $799 Get Deal Galaxy AI

Samsung Unpacked's real headliner wasn't the new Galaxy S phones, which we will get to shortly. It was Galaxy AI.

Galaxy AI brings a slew of AI-powered features to all three of Samsung's new phones and select other Android devices as well.

The first feature Samsung unveiled is real-time voice translations while on a call. Users can see text translations on-screen as well hear an AI voiceover translate the call verbally. AI translations also come to text messages as well, as texts automatically translate when a user both sends and receives them.

Samsung showed off it's new AI-powered mobile translation features. Credit: GLENN CHAPMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Unpacked also showed off some Samsung Notes features, like the ability to clean up messy handwriting in order to make note-taking neater and more readable. In addition, the Note Assist feature can autoformat quickly typed notes into well-written summaries and easy-to-read bullet points.

Samsung also showed off its new AI photo and video features like AI-powered HDR, nightography, and video stabilization. The company boasted how it worked with Instagram to bring the first HDR-enabled photos to the platform.

However, the most unique AI feature here has to be the AI generations within the image editor. For example, these photo editing features can fill-in out-of-frame visuals and movie objects within the picture using AI. When utilizing these features, Samsung will add a watermark to the photo and label in the metadata that the visual contains AI-generated content. 

Samsung also rolled out a partnered video with YouTube giant MrBeast to show off the ultra zoom on its new Samsung Galaxy S24 camera and how easily the AI can edit photos. MrBeast also showed off Samsung's Quickshare feature, which can speedily send full-resolution images and other files across all Android devices and PCs.

Google and Circle to Search

Along with its own AI, Samsung has partnered with Google to bring the search giant's own AI models to Samsung smartphones and other Android devices.

The biggest announcement from Google at the Samsung event was the new Circle to Search feature. 

Coming to the Samsung Galaxy S24 lineup, as well as some other Android devices, users will be able to perform searches by simply circling, highlighting, scribbling, or tapping an object on their screen. Users can search this way using text, photos, or even videos displayed on their device. For example, if their favorite creator is wearing a shirt they'd like to buy, the user can simply hold the Home button and circle the shirt. A Google search will then automatically be performed and link the user to result pertaining to the shirt and where they can buy it.

Samsung also announced that many of its announced AI features like translations will have seamless integration with Google's phone-to-car service, Android Auto.

Galaxy S24 Ultra

The main event of Samsung's smartphone lineup is the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Ultra is the most powerful model of Samsung's Galaxy phones and the latest version is no different.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Credit: Mashable

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile chipset. Some benchmark tests have found the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to be faster than Apple's own speedy M1 chipset, so it'll be interesting to see just how the Galaxy S24 Ultra performs.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is 6.8 inches in size, like its predecessor, with a QHD display. The Android-device also comes with four rear-facing cameras: a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 200MP wide camera, a 50MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. Counting the 12MP front camera, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a total of 5 cameras for users to choose from.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Credit: Mashable

The Galaxy S24 Ultra will be available with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage. Samsung appears to have tossed the 8GB of memory version of the Ultra and all the devices come with a whopping 12GB of memory.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Credit: Mashable

The Galaxy S24 Ultra will start at $1299.

Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+

The more affordable models of Samsung's Galaxy S smartphones have received an upgrade, too.

And much like their more premium sibling, both the Galaxy S24 and S24+ will be powered by the latest Qualcomm mobile chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. 

Samsung Galaxy S24 Credit: Mashable

The Galaxy S24 is much tinier than the Ultra, coming in at 6.2 inches with a FHD display. The Galaxy S24+ is only a bit smaller than the Ultra, 6.7 inches, and has the same QHD+ display.

Both smartphones have three rear cameras: a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, as well as the 12MP front-facing camera. 

Samsung Galaxy S24+ Credit: Mashable

The Galaxy S24 only comes with 8GB of memory, regardless if you opt for the 128GB or 256GB storage versions. The Galaxy S24+ start with the 256GB model and offers a 512GB storage version as well. However, the Galaxy S24+ offers 12GB of memory in both versions. So, it seems like if you're not missing the extra camera and the higher quality photos of the Ultra, the Galaxy S24+ may provide the best bang for your buck.

The Galaxy S24 base model starts at $799 and the Galaxy S24+ starts at $999.

Samsung Galaxy Ring

The event was closing with an overview of some new Samsung Health features, such as sleep analysis, when a surprise was introduced on the screen:

A new wearable device called the Galaxy Ring.

The video was pretty much a teaser of what the device looked like, without any real details regarding its capabilities. But Samsung seemingly has big plans for the Galaxy Ring.

TikTokkers are obsessed with theories, particularly those about relationships. Take the invisible string theory, about crossing paths with your partner before you officially met, or the one about moon phases signaling compatibility. Another that may have popped up on your FYP lately is the "orange peel theory."

The orange peel theory, as explained by TikTok user @annabhamm (Anna Birmingham) back in November, is about your partner performing tiny acts of service (which is one of the original five love languages), especially ones that you can do by yourself. For example: peeling an orange. Their response to you asking them to peel an orange, according to Birmingham, "reveals so much about their attitude towards you and your relationship."

SEE ALSO: TikTok 'fear food' challenges: Can they help with eating disorder recovery?

TikTokkers have followed suit, filming themselves asking their partners this as if to test their devotion. Some "pass" immediately, like in user @sterlingmonett's video, where her fiancé offers to peel, cut, or sauté it for her. Others need more convincing, like in this video from @vincentgiganteee where he first refused (to peel a grapefruit, as they didn't have an orange), but eventually complied.

Among these videos are reactions to the theory itself. User @oliviasweats said the theory is stupid, and asked why people (primarily women) are testing their partners (primarily men) like they're "in middle school." But TikTokker @_ritabola_0 feels the opposite, saying she loves these videos and to keep them coming (and also urges women to delete dating apps).

Oranges — even peeling them — are already a talking point on TikTok. In November, a text slideshow of a(n assumed fictional) breakup went viral on the app. One partner iMessaged their ex how they miss when they peeled oranges for them and eventually sent an SMS message (meaning the ex blocked them) that "I peeled my orange today." The poem "The Orange" by Wendy Cope, about finding joy in ordinary things, is also popular on TikTok. Videos about "The Orange" have generated over four million views on the app.

SEE ALSO: Don't trust the TikTok moon phase 'soulmate' trend

A peeled orange does sound nice — but ultimately, like other TikTok trends, this one shouldn't make or break your relationship.

At Unpacked, Samsung unveiled Galaxy AI, a set of AI-powered tools designed to make your life easier.

What really caught my eye, however, are the cluster of new Galaxy AI features that will help the awkward vacationers among us, particularly monolingual travelers, who often struggle with language barriers while visiting unfamiliar cities.

3 Galaxy AI features that break language barriers

Galaxy AI frees you from needing a third-party app to communicate with others who don't speak your language. Translations and transcriptions happen right on the device, the new Galaxy S24 series to be precise, so you can enjoy a native experience without cluttering your home screen with various apps.

1. Real-time translations for calls

Let's say you're trying to book a reservation in Madrid, but you don't know any Spanish beyond hola and adios.

Credit: Samsung

With Galaxy AI's real-time voice translation feature, you can speak as you normally would, but then, an AI chatbot will step in to translate your words to person on the other end.

And once the person responds, Galaxy AI will translate that statement for you in your native language.

Interestingly, Galaxy AI will remember the language your contacts speak, so you don't need to constantly tweak your settings before each conversation.

2. Interpreter

Galaxy AI can also step in as your personal interpreter. For example, if you get lost in a foreign country, you can use this feature to ask foreign passersby questions to help you get to your destination.

Credit: Samsung

In the demo showcased at Unpacked, Interpreter regurgitated an English-posed question to Spanish. When the Spanish speaker responded, it translated the statement to English, allowing the lost English speaker to finally get an understanding on how to get back on the right path.

3. Chat Assist

Galaxy AI is also beneficial if you're texting someone who speaks a different language, too. Chat Assist, thanks to the AI processing that underpins it, can detect languages — and translate them, too.

Credit: Samsung

For example, I have family in France, but I don't speak a lick of French. With Chat Assist, I can type messages in my native tongue, but it will translate them for the French-speaking person on the receiving end, sparing me from copying and pasting from third-party apps.

Final thoughts

According to Samsung, these three features support 13 languages, including English, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Thai, Spanish, Japanese, and Vietnamese.

Samsung boasted that Galaxy AI delivers best-in-class intelligence for the Galaxy S24 series, and if these on-device AI features are as smooth as Samsung makes them out to be, the Galaxy S24 Ultra may very well be my next daily driver.

Opens in a new window Credit: Alex Perry Samsung Galaxy S24 Preorder available Get Deal

At Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024, the camera upgrades didn't focus so much on raw megapixel numbers. This year, it was all about AI.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S24 line of smartphones and, along with it, something called "Galaxy AI." This is an all-encompassing term for Samsung's new suite of generative AI features included with each S24 phone. And yes, of course it includes camera features. Why wouldn't it?

With that in mind, here are some of the new camera tricks you can do with Galaxy AI.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S24 price, release date, and preorder details: How to get the S24 Ultra, S24+, or the base model Automatic edits

The simplest-to-understand new AI feature that Samsung brought to its photography suite is called "Edit Suggestion." It's easy to grasp: The phone will look at a photo or video you've taken and automatically suggest small edits you could make to make it look better.

Specifically, you can erase unwanted shadows, reflections or glare from photos using AI. Hopefully the AI actually works.

Helping out before you even take the photo

One thing Samsung showed off in its Unpacked event is that the phone will automatically scan for details, make skin look correct, and do other small enhancements to a photo before it's even snapped. In other words, it'll show you the ideal photo in the viewfinder before it's snapped. That's not exactly new for smartphones, but hey, it's nice.

Generative Edit

Similar to the Google Pixel 8 last year, Samsung added something called "Generative Edit" so the Galaxy S24 that is like a simple version of Photoshop that requires no Photoshop skills. You can expand photos by generating backgrounds that weren't actually there, move around people or objects, or even resize those same people or objects.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S23 Ultra: What are the upgrades?

Want a kid to be on the left side of the frame instead of the right side? Move them over and the phone will automatically generate accurate-looking pixels in the space where the kid used to be. Ideally, it'll be like nobody ever edited the photo at all. We'll see how it works in practice.

Instant slow-mo

Speaking of generating things that aren't there, Samsung showed off another feature that can turn regular videos into professional-looking slow-mo videos, whether they were shot in slow-mo or not. The phone does this by using AI to create frames that don't actually exist.

Trippy, right? It's definitely an out-there idea, but it's not too far off from how digital zoom has worked on phone cameras for years now. Those extra pixels have to come from somewhere.

Tying into your apps

Last and perhaps least, Samsung talked about how it's partnered with apps like Snapchat and Instagram to directly integrate some of this AI goodness into those apps. Don't get too excited, though.

That's because it just seems like they're making the in-app viewfinder on Instagram and Snapchat play nice with the pre-snap AI enhancements that we talked about earlier. But hey, your photos will look better, and that's what really matters.

Opens in a new window Credit: Alex Perry Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra From $799 Get Deal

It has been *checks notes* one week since Samsung unveiled a load of consumer tech products like disappearing TVs, 8K projectors, and robotics (vacuum or otherwise) at CES 2024. But that wasn't all of the new consumer tech stuff that Samsung has to offer this year — or even this month. Jan. 17 marks the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event, where the highly-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphone is the star.

SEE ALSO: How to watch Samsung Unpacked: Galaxy S24, Galaxy AI awaits

The physical design of the new Galaxy S24 remains largely unchanged from the S23, but there are several spec upgrades that make this drop so large. While Mashable's Stan Schroeder asserts that Apple is setting the standard for phones this year after years of living in Samsung's shadow, three Galaxy S24 features stand out as iPhone 15 Pro Max beaters: 120 FPS video capture, a slightly better display, and AI (if you're someone who cares about AI). The new Galaxy S24 starts at $799.99, the Galaxy S24+ starts at $999.99, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at $1,299.99.

However, if you're not one to pay full price for the latest iteration of a Galaxy just because it's new, your options for upgrading are likely still better during or after Unpacked. Older versions of tech devices often go on sale after their successors come out. Here, we're tracking the best deals on 2022 and 2023 Samsung Galaxy phones live as Samsung makes room for the S24:

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE (128GB) Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Our pick: Samsung Galaxy S23 FE (128GB) $499.99 at Amazon (save $100) Get Deal

While the $100 discount on this FE model matches the $100 discount on an unlocked Galaxy 23 Ultra, the better deal lies in the context: The Galaxy S23 Ultra is $100 off $999.99 (10% off) while the Galaxy FE is $100 off $599.99 (17% off).

Even as the more basic version of Samsung's flagship phone, the S23 FE is still a steal because it's solid in the spec categories that count: its 8 Gen 1 chip (the same that powers the Galaxy S22 phones) is enough for most mobile gaming and more than enough for running many apps at once, its tri-camera system is crisp, and it's both sturdy and stylish.

More Samsung Galaxy unlocked phone deals

Samsung Galaxy S23

• Samsung Galaxy S23 (128GB) and Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro bundle — $849.98 $1,029.98 (save $180)

• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (256GB, 8GB RAM) — $899.99 $999.99 (save $100)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold (256GB) — $999.99 $1,799.99 (save $800 with trade in)

Samsung Galaxy book laptop deals

Though the Samsung Galaxy Book4 lineup was officially announced in December, it's still only available in Korea as of Jan. 17. Samsung must have a reason to hold off on releasing it to a U.S audience, so for now, you have options to score a Galaxy Book3 on sale:

• Samsung Galaxy Book3 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $699.99 $999.99 (save $300)

• Samsung Galaxy Book3 (Intel Core i5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $849.99 $1,349.99 (save $500)

• Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $1,191.86 $1,799.99 (save $800 with trade in)

• Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,499.99 $1,899.99 (save $400)

Samsung has kicked off the new year with an AI-fueled refresh of its Galaxy S series lineup, and you could have one of the new devices in hand before January takes its leave.

Announced at its Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, Jan. 17, the all-new smartphones include the Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+, and the S24 Ultra starting from $799.99, $999.99, and $1,299.99, respectively. All three devices feature subtle but welcome improvements over last year's Galaxy S23 series from a raw spec standpoint, like a newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and brighter screens with thinner bezels. More notable, though, is their support for a new suite of Galaxy AI features that put them closely in line with Google's Pixel 8 devices, including live translation, gesture-based search, and photo editing tools.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S24 vs S23: Comparing price, specs and features

The new Galaxy S24 smartphones are now available for preorder before their formal launch on Wednesday, Jan. 31, and shoppers who reserve one ahead of time are eligible for a free storage upgrade. (For the first time, that includes the option to bump the Ultra model from 512GB to 1TB.) Select retailers and carriers are also throwing in free credits and gift cards; we'll be rounding up some of the best preorder offers shortly.

Keep reading for additional details about each phone's pricing and availability:

Samsung Galaxy S24: Price and preorder details The Samsung Galaxy S24's Amber Yellow, Cobalt Violet, Onyx Black, and Marble Gray (left to right) colorways are available at all retailers. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The new entry-level Galaxy S24 starts at $799.99 — same as last year's Galaxy S23 — with 8GB of RAM and a storage capacity of 128GB or 256GB. You can preorder it from Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung in four different colors, including Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, and Amber Yellow. Three more limited-edition hues (Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, and Sandstone Orange) are available directly through Samsung itself.

The tech giant's latest starter smartphone features a bright 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with a 1 to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, making it just a tad larger than its 6.1-inch predecessor. It also comes equipped with a slightly longer-lasting (in theory) 4,000mAh battery. Its camera setup carries over the 10MP telephoto lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 50MP wide lens, and a 12MP selfie camera from the Galaxy S23.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S24 Starting at $799.99 + free storage upgrade Pre-order Now Samsung Galaxy S24+: Price and preorder details The Samsung Galaxy S24+ is essentially just a larger, longer-lasting Galaxy S24. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The mid-range Galaxy S24+ comes in 256GB and 512GB storage capacities (both with 12GB of memory) starting at $999.99. It's available in the same seven colors as the regular S24, including the three exclusives, and you can pre-order it from Amazon, Best Buy, or Samsung.

This one's for anyone who wants more screen real estate and more time between charges: It's largely the same as the base Galaxy S24, only with a bigger, higher-resolution 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display and a beefier 4,900mAh battery.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S24+ Starting at $999.99 + free storage upgrade Pre-order Now Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Price and preorder details The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the first Galaxy smartphone with a titanium frame. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage capacities with 12GB of RAM, the high-end Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at $1,299.99 (or $100 more than the Galaxy S23 Ultra). It has a titanium frame à la Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models — a first for a Galaxy phone — which comes standard in Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow colorways; Samsung's website also has it exclusively in Titanium Green, Titanium Blue, and Titanium Orange. Elsewhere, it's up for preorder at Amazon and Best Buy.

Sporting a 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display made from durable Corning Gorilla Armor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the largest of Samsung's three new smartphones and the only one that supports its S Pen stylus. It should also be the best at taking pictures: Samsung has bumped up its wide camera lens to 200MP and tacked on an extra 50MP telephoto lens. A 5,000 mAh battery rounds out its spec sheet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Starting at $1,299.99 + free storage upgrade Pre-order Now

The Samsung S24 Series will have Google's generative AI model, Gemini.

Samsung and Google made the announcement during Samsung Unpacked which unveiled the Galaxy S24 series. The latest generation of Samsung's flagship smartphones has not one, but two versions of Google's AI model.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S24 to come with a new Google AI feature, and it's a cool one

Companies like Samsung are looking to build off the momentum of last year's generative AI craze by integrating powerful AI models into smartphones, wearables, and other hardware. Microsoft announced a Copilot key for invoking its AI assistant from its keyboards, and now Samsung is touting its devices as "AI phones." Adding multimodal and generative AI to smartphones is a natural next step in the evolution of AI for consumers.

Gemini Pro will power Samsung's Notes, Voice Recorder, and Keyboard apps for summarization features. In the Gallery app, Google's Imagen 2 text-to-image technology will provide advanced photo editing features.

Gemini Pro and Imagen 2 are powered by a partnership with Google Cloud, but the Galaxy S24 series also comes with an on-device AI model: the lightweight Gemini Nano. This model can be used for generative AI tasks that require less computing and includes new Google Messages features that can change the tone of messages to be more or less formal, and create AI-generated Photomojis. Because Google Messages and other features use Gemini Nano, Samsung has a privacy setting to process this information fully on the device.

In addition to announcing Gemini on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Series, Google and Samsung also announced a new feature, Circle to Search, which lets users circle or scribble over something they want to search, and can look it up within the same window.

SAVE 14%: Get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (47mm) for just $369.99 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $429.99. That's a savings of $60.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (47mm) $369.99 at Amazon (save $60) Get Deal

If you're looking to add a new smartwatch to your collection, the Apple Watch isn't the only game in town. Samsung has some fantastic alternatives to choose from, most of which will save you some cash. Right now, you can get a particularly feature-packed Samsung smartwatch over at Amazon if you're ready to invest.

As of Jan. 17, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (47 mm) is down to $369.99 at Amazon. That's a savings of $60 on the regular price of $429.99 and a discount of 14%. Currently, this price only applies to the Black colorway, so you'll have to pay a bit more if you want a different band color.

SEE ALSO: Shop the best smartwatch and wellness tracker deals, including some from CES 2024

This model has a more classical watch face than you'll find with the Apple Watch or other competitors. It rotates so you can more easily access your apps, but other than that it doesn't immediately resemble a smartwatch. Beyond good looks, it boasts everything you'd expect from a watch of this caliber: fitness and heart rate tracking, sleep coaching, and always-on heart rhythm scans.

Beyond that, the watch can sync with your other Galaxy devices so you can control your phone camera, make calls, text, and do everything else you'd expect your phone to do. It's a great performer and well worth adopting if you primarily rely on the Android ecosystem, especially at this price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Pre-order from $1,299.99 Get Deal

It's time for a good ol' Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S23 Ultra showdown.

Although Samsung unveiled the new flagship phone at Unpacked, it's difficult to discern the gen-over-gen enhancements — and whether an upgrade is worth it. Yes, Galaxy AI has made a splash with the new S24 line, but are there any other notable differences between the S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra?

Based on the specs we have so far, let's find out.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S23 Ultra

Unveiled on Feb. 1 in 2023, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra had a starting price of $1,199 and came with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

However, as of this writing, you can snag the Galaxy S23 Ultra for just $874 via Samsung's official website.

The entry-level Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, on the other hand, has an MSRP of $1,299 — a $100 increase. It has more memory with 12GB of RAM, but you're still getting 256GB of storage to start.

• Galaxy S24 Ultra (current price): $1,299

• Galaxy S23 Ultra (current price): $874

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra $875 Get Deal Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S23 Ultra: Design

Don't expect the gen-over-gen design changes to be "in your face" this year. The S24 Ultra, as tested during my hands-on experience, still has that tall rectangular aesthetic with rounded edges that fit ergonomically in your palm.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Credit: Samsung

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is slightly lighter and thinner this year with a weight of 8.22 ounces and a slimness of 0.34 inches. (The Galaxy S23 Ultra weighs 8.25 ounces and is 0.35 inches thin.)

The colorways are different this year, too, and in my opinion, more attractive. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes in Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender. However, sold exclusively via Samsung.com are Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue and Red models.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra line Credit: Samsung

The Galaxy S24 Ultra, on the other hand, comes in Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow. Titanium Green, Titanium Blue, and Titanium Orange are only available via Samsung.com.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra line Credit: Samsung

As you can tell by the names of the hues, similar to the iPhone 15 Pro models, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has some titanium in its material — something the Galaxy S23 Ultra does not have.

• Galaxy S24 Ultra weight and height: 8.22 ounces, 0.34 inches

• Galaxy S23 Ultra weight and height: 8.25 ounces, 0.35 inches

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S23 Ultra: Display

Based on the specs we have so far, the S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra have the same edge-to-edge display:

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

• 6.8-inch screen

• QHD+ (3,088 x 1,440-pixel resolution)

• Variable refresh rate

Samsung calls this panel "Dynamic AMOLED 2X," which, according to GSMArena, is just marketing speak for an OLED display that supports HDR10+ and a refresh-rate maximum of 120Hz.

Both still feature that beloved hole-punch design on the display, offering tons of screen real estate for an expansive visual experience.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S23 Ultra: Performance

Samsung upgraded the Galaxy S24 Ultra's processor to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a step up from the Galaxy S23 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Seeing as Galaxy AI is the hot new thing with Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, it's no surprise that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 boasts heightened AI processing for zippier performance with large language models (LLM), Stable Diffusion, generative AI apps, and more.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Plus, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is designed to deliver better gaming graphics without impacting battery life. Overall, this chip is meant to enhance AI, photography, gaming, audio, and more, but we'll have to test it ourselves to see if there are significant performance gains.

• Galaxy S24 Ultra chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

• Galaxy S23 Ultra chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S23 Ultra: Galaxy AI

One aspect about the Galaxy S24 Ultra that the S23 Ultra cannot beat Galaxy AI, which delivers useful AI-powered features to users, including the following:

• Live Translate: Real-time on-screen language translation for phone calls and texts

• Interpreter: Similar to Live Translate, but taking place in-person instead of phone calls

• Note Assist: AI-generated summaries and formatting of your notes

• Chat Assist: Helps you find the right tone for messages, whether you're communicating with a co-worker or trying to connect with your social media audience

• Circle to Search: Draw a circle around anything on your display and Google will run a search for it

And there's far more where that came from. Check out the next section to see how Galaxy AI affects the cameras.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S23 Ultra: Cameras

As I hinted in the last section, one thing you'll be missing out on with the S23 Ultra is Galaxy AI. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will be teeming with new AI features that will elevate the camera experience to new heights.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Some AI-assisted camera features you'll get on the Galaxy S24 Ultra include:

• Edit Suggestion - The AI makes edit recommendations for minor tweaks for each photo

• Generative Edit - Fill in parts of an image background with AI

• Instant Slow-mo - Shows action-packed moments with a smooth, seamless, slowed-down effect

However, if you were to eliminate Galaxy AI from the mix, the Samsung S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra share the same specs for the following cameras:

• 200MP wide

• 12MP ultrawide

• 12MP selfie camera

• 10MP telephoto 3x optical zoom

However, the biggest change concerns the second telephoto. On the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the second telephoto is 10MP and has an optical zoom range of 10x. However, according to the spec sheet, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a resolution that's five times better at 50MP, but the optical zoom range narrows to 5x.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Credit: Samsung

There's a chance that the 50MP resolution will make up for the narrowed optical zoom range, but I'll have to take close-up shots and portraits with the Galaxy S24 Ultra to know for sure.

• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra cameras: 200MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto (5x optical zoom), 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom), 12MP selfie

• Samsung Galaxy S3 Ultra Cameras: 200MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto (10x optical zoom), 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom), 12MP selfie

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Battery

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has the same battery capacity as its predecessor: 5,000 mAh.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung claims that the Galaxy S24 can power up to 65% in 30 minutes with a 45W charger like this one.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra will continue to have the Wireless PowerShare feature. For the unintiated, Wireless PowerShare lets you charge other Qi-supported devices on the back chassis.

It's too early to say how the new S24 Ultra fares in battery life compared to the S23 Ultra, but we'll update this face-off once we have the runtimes.

Final thoughts

So should you upgrade to the Galaxy S24 Ultra? Truth be told, the differences between the two aren't that significant.

On paper, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, you should get better zoom capabilities, a lighter, thinner phone, a faster device, and a gaggle of AI features. But the question is, is all of that worth an upgrade? We'll let you decide.

The new Samsung Galaxy S24 line, including the base model, the Galaxy S24+, and the Galaxy S4 Ultra, was announced on Wednesday for Samsung Unpacked.

In addition to the Galaxy S24 phones, Samsung announced Galaxy AI, a set of new AI-powered features designed to make users’ lives more seamless and efficient, including Live Translate, Chat Assist, and Note Assist.

Galaxy S24 price

The Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra have the following starting prices:

Samsung Galaxy S24 Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

• Galaxy S24 - $800

• Galaxy S24+ - $1,000

• Galaxy S24 Ultra - $1,300

The prices for the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ have remained the same, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra has received a $100 price bump.

The storage options for the Galaxy S24 include 128GB and 256GB. The Galaxy S24+ offers 256GB and 512GB storage options. And as expected, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has more storage options, including 256GB, 512GB and 1TB.

Galaxy S24 release date

Pre-orders for the Galaxy S24 line begin on Jan. 17 and end on Jan. 30.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra line Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

If you decide to pre-order a Galaxy S24 series phone, you’re eligible to receive a free storage upgrade. For example, you can get a 1TB Galaxy S24 Ultra for the price of the 512GB model.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable Samsung Galaxy S24 From $800 Pre-order today Galaxy AI

Samsung is bringing AI-powered features directly to Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra, allowing you to free yourself from third-party apps for useful features like Live Translate, which lets you translate languages in real-time via phone calls or texts.

Other Galaxy AI features that may benefit users include the following:

• Chat Assist - Tweaks the tone of your messages, ensuring they're appropriate for work, social media, or wherever you intend to post them

• Note Assist - Create summaries of your notes or get pre-made templates that inspire you to write

• Circle to Search - Circle, highlight, scribble, or tap on anything to see helpful, high-quality search results

This list is far from exhaustive. Keep an eye out for our in-depth coverage of all things Galaxy AI.

Galaxy S24 new features

Galaxy AI stole the show at Unpacked, but that doesn’t mean that Samsung hasn’t made some notable gen-over-gen tweaks to the Galaxy S24 line.

Samsung Galaxy S24 line Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

1. New chipset: The Galaxy S24 line is now equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 

2. Larger screen sizes: The Galaxy S24 and S24+ now have 6.2-inch and 6.7-inch displays, a step up from 6.1-inch and 6.6-inch panels. 
   

3. Better displays. The Galaxy S24+ now supports the same QHD+ resolution found on Galaxy S24 Ultra. And this time, all three phones have adaptive refresh rates between 1Hz and 120Hz, which should improve energy efficiency. 

4. Galaxy S24 Ultra is lighter and thinner, thanks to its new titanium frame. Plus it’s brighter, too, boasting a peak brightness of 2,600 nits.

5. Upgraded Nightography: Pictures and videos shot on the Galaxy S24’s Space Zoom are reportedly enhanced, particularly when you’re taking close-up shots. The Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts better low-light photos, too, thanks to a pixel size increase of 60% compared to its predecessor.

Across the entire line, you’ll find slimmer and more even bezels, Samsung said, making the viewing experience more immersive for all three phones.

I know what you're thinking: "Man, I just bought this Samsung Galaxy S23 last year, but now I have to buy a new one?!"

Well, no, you don't, but just in case you're curious, the Galaxy S24 is here and it's time to compare it to last year's S23 model. Samsung lifted the veil on its newest flagship phones at Galaxy Unpacked on Wednesday, showcasing all sorts of hardware enhancements and, crucially, new AI features that set the S24 apart from the S23.

But just how different are these phones, really? Let's take a look.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S23: Price

There's no need to ruminate on the prices of these phones for too long. The S24 starts at $799. In the same way, the S23 started at $799 when it launched last year. Samsung isn't price gouging on this model.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S23 $799 Get Deal Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S23: Display You can use the new display to read bummer tech news. Credit: Kim Gedeon/Mashable

The display is the first area where Samsung made some changes between the S23 and S24, though they aren't massive changes.

Namely, the screen size has been bumped up from 6.1-inches on S23 to 6.2-inches on S24. Again, small difference, but a difference nonetheless. The other really noteworthy upgrade will not be noticeable to most people's eyes, but it might save some battery life. To be more specific, Samsung increased the adaptive refresh rate range so the S24 can run between 1 and 120Hz.

Previously, the S23 went between 48 and 120Hz. That should put a little less strain on the display this year.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S23: Specs It's what's inside that counts. Credit: Kim Gedeon/Mashable

Here's how the basic internal specs of the S24 look on paper:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor

• 8GB RAM

• 128 or 256GB storage

• 4,000 mAh battery

Right away, the biggest upgrade is going to be that new Snapdragon processor. Galaxy S23 had the older Gen 2 chip powering it, which obviously wasn't a bad thing, but Gen 3 should provide a performance boost and access to new features.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S23: Features AI is in your hands. Credit: Kim Gedeon/Mashable

This is easily the area where Samsung brought the most heat with the S24 line. The new phone may not look that different or feature huge hardware upgrades outside of the processor, but it brings with it something new called "Galaxy AI."

Put simply, that's Samsung's suite of generative AI features meant to rival the likes of the Google Pixel 8. Some of these shiny new AI toys for you to play with include:

• Live Translate: Real-time on-screen language translation during phone calls

• Chat Assist: AI that helps you find the right tone for text messages, as well as performing on-the-fly language translation

• Interpreter: Similar to Live Translate, but taking place in-person instead of in phone calls

• Note Assist: AI-generated summaries and formatting of your notes

• Circle to Search: Draw a circle around anything on your screen and Google will run a search for that object so you can learn more about it

The Galaxy S23 can't do any of that. If you want to upgrade from an S23 to an S24 (or you're jumping into the Samsung ecosystem for the first time), this would probably be the main reason to do so.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S23: Design How it looks in the wild. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

In terms of physical design, Samsung more or less stuck with what worked last year when making the S24. It doesn't look too different from the S23 at a glance, as it features the same vertically stacked three-camera setup on the rear. Samsung says there is a more "seamless" connection between the side and rear this time around, but we haven't spent enough time with the new phones to confirm that.

In terms of colors, there are bigger differences. The S24 is available in the following hues:

• Marble Gray

• Onyx Black

• Amber Yellow

• Cobalt Violet

• Sapphire Blue (online only)

• Jade Green (online only)

• Sandstone Orange (online only)

That's a wider and more varied array of colors than last year. For reference, the S23 came in four colors: Lavender, Cream, Phantom Black, and Green. That Amber Yellow model of the S24 is sure to be eye-catching, if nothing else.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S23: Camera

In terms of raw specs, Samsung didn't make a lot of changes between the S23 and S24's camera array. Both phones have identical 50MP wide lenses to go along with 12MP ultra-wide lenses, 10MP telephoto lenses, and 12MP selfie cams.

Three cameras, once again. Credit: Kim Gedeon/Mashable

However, of course, AI changes the equation here. Samsung included a suite of AI editing tools that will automatically suggest edits to make your pics look better, and the video cameras can even create "instant slow-mo" for videos that were shot at regular speeds. There's also a generative edit feature that allows you to move objects around in a frame (among other things) using AI, very similar to what the Pixel 8 had.

Whether you believe that stuff is transformative or more akin to parlor tricks is up to you, but AI is what makes the S24's camera different from the S23's.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S23: Battery

This category will require more thorough testing before we can render a real verdict, but the S24's battery should be a little more hearty than the S23's. Last year's model had a 3,900 mAh battery. The S24, on the other hand, carries a 4,000 mAh battery.

That, combined with the expanded range of adaptive refresh rate, should make the new phone last a little longer than the old one. But we don't know for sure just yet.

Final thoughts

When deciding whether or not to jump on the S24 train or stick with the S23, you really need to ask yourself how much artificial intelligence matters to you.

These two phones appear largely the same from a hardware perspective, even when factoring in the slightly bigger display, better refresh rate, and larger battery in the S24. The new processor is a plus, too, but it's the new AI features that ultimately put the S24 over the top for many. If you care about live language translation, on-the-fly photo editing, and other AI bells and whistles, the S24 might be worth the investment.

If not, I'm sure the S23 will work just fine for you.

The only way to look something up while browsing on your phone involved tediously switching between apps... until now.

Today, Google announced a new android feature called "Circle to Search," which lets users circle or scribble over something in an image or video still and search for more info about it — in the same window. Coinciding with the Samsung Unpacked event today, Circle to Search will be available on Samsung's Galaxy S24 Series as well as Google's Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. So, apologies to iPhone users, but this is an Android-only feature.

SEE ALSO: How to watch Samsung Unpacked: Galaxy S24, Galaxy AI awaits

You can activate Circle to Search by long-pressing on the home button or navigation bar on your Android, making a Google search bar appear on the bottom of your screen. From there, you can circle or scribble on an object, and the search bar expands to show you the search results of the thing you're looking up.

Via Giphy

If last year was all about the rise of AI chatbots, this year is poised to be the year of building AI into mobile devices and hardware (catchier title to come). Microsoft has already announced a Copilot key, which activates its AI assistant from the keyboard, and CES was full of AI-integrated wearables and devices. It's no secret that companies are looking for ways to make AI more useful and consumer-friendly.

Google's main use case for Circle to Search seems to be shopping-related — you see an item of clothing or, in the case of the provided example, a pair of dog goggles, and can use the feature to easily find and purchase the product. But Circle to Search can also be used simply for looking things up. Draw a line across the name of a trend on a social media post, or circle a picture of an elaborately decorated corn dog and supplement your search with "why is this so popular" to discover the world of Korean corn dogs.

Via Giphy

Today, Google also announced a related generative AI upgrade to Multisearch, that enables users to point their camera at something, like an old board game and search for information, like how to play it. The multimodal technology is similar to a feature OpenAI launched with ChatGPT.

Circle to Search will be launching with the Samsung S24 series, Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro on Jan. 31 in all languages and locations where the devices are available.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable Samsung Galaxy S24 Pre-order from $799.99 Get Deal

This Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S22 battle will help us understand what — exactly — has changed over the past two generations with this Android flagship line.

At first glance, it's not very obvious. Aside from diving head first into Galaxy AI, there aren't any glaring, conspicuous hardware changes with the brand-spankin' new Galaxy S24 line. But with this deep-dive comparative analysis, we can get a better understanding of the Galaxy S series' upgrades over the past two years.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S22: Price

Samsung Galaxy S22, when it first launched, had a starting price of $800 and comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Now, you can purchase it on Samsung for just $699, as of this writing.

Samsung Galaxy S24 also launched with a starting price of $800 with the same RAM and storage.

• Samsung Galaxy S24 (current price): $799

• Samsung Galaxy S22 (current price): $699

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S22 $699 Get Deal Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S22: Design

The 6.2-inch Galaxy S24 is slightly larger than the 6.1-inch S22. And unlike the S22, the S24 no longer has its triple-lens rear setup lumped together inside a rectangular camera module.

Samsung Galaxy S24 line Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The S24 rear cameras lie flush against the chassis, looking quite naked sans "the bump."

Both phones have that flat-edge, boxy design that don't feel as nice in the hands as the Ultra's rounded edges. They also share an attractive hole-punch display that leaves plenty of room for screen real estate.

The S24 comes in the following colors: Onyx Black, Marble Grey, Cobalt Violet, and Amber Yellow. The S22, on the other hand, comes in Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, Pink Gold and Bora Purple.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S22: Display

As mentioned, the S22 delivers a slightly larger display, but other than that, both the S22 and S24 share the same Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a variable refresh rate of 120Hz.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The S22 has an FHD+ display, which matches the S24, too.

However, what's different about the S24 is that it has a wider range for its refresh rate: 1Hz to 120Hz vs. 48Hz to 120Hz. Why is this a big deal? Well, with the former, the screen can drop to 1Hz when you're not doing much, making it easier for the S24 to conserve battery life.

If you want a larger display, consider upgrading to the Plus and Ultra models, which upgrade you to at least to a 6.6-inch screen, depending on the generation. Plus, you get better resolution at QHD+ or higher.

• Samsung Galaxy S24 display: 6.2-inch screen, FHD+, 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Samsung Galaxy S22 display: 6.1-inch screen, FHD+, 120Hz variable refresh rate

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S22: Performance

The Galaxy S24, outfitted with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, should deliver faster, zippier performance compared to the S22's Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor.

• Samsung Galaxy S24 chip: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

• Samsung Galaxy S22 chip: Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S22: Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S24 comes with a 50MP wide camera, a 12MP ultrawide sensor, and a 10MP telephoto lens. There's also a 12MP front-facing selfie camera.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Credit: Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy S22 has the same specs save for the selfie camera; it has a 10MP shooter instead. As such, selfies on the S24 should be more crisp compared to the S22.

Plus, with Galaxy AI, the S24's camera software features should allow for more sophisticated editing experiences that the S22 may not be able to match, including the following:

• Edit Suggestion - The AI recommends minor tweaks for each photo

• Generative Edit - Fill in parts of an image background with AI

• Instant Slow-mo - Generates frames based on movements to show action-packed moments with a smooth slowed-down effect

Keep in mind that you will not have these options with the Galaxy S22.

• Samsung Galaxy S24 camera: 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto, 12MP selfie

• Samsung Galaxy S22 camera: 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto, 10MP selfie

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S22: Galaxy AI

One aspect about the Galaxy S24 that the S22 cannot top is Galaxy AI, which relies on on-device processing and cloud servers to deliver AI-assisted features to users, including the following:

• Live Translate: Real-time on-screen language translation for phone calls and texts

• Chat Assist: Helps you find the right tone for messages, whether you're communicating with a co-worker or trying to connect with your social media audience

• Interpreter: Similar to Live Translate, but taking place in-person instead of phone calls

• Note Assist: AI-generated summaries and formatting of your notes

• Circle to Search: Draw a circle around anything on your display and Google will run a search for it

And these barely scratch the surface of what Galaxy AI has to offer.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S22: Battery

The S22 has a battery capacity of 3,700 mAh, but the S24 has a little more under its hood with a battery capacity of 4,000.

On paper, this means that the S24 should outpace the S22 on a single charge, especially since Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset delivers 20% improved power efficiency generation-over-generation. However, we'll have to test this to be sure.

• Samsung Galaxy S24 battery: 4,000 mAh

• Samsung Galaxy S22 camera: 3,700 mAh

Final thoughts

Yes, the upgrades between the S22 and S24 are iterative. But on paper, the new-generation S24 should offer better battery life, sharper selfies, a slightly larger screen, and a more sophisticated overall experience, thanks to Galaxy AI.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Pre-order from $1,299.99 Get Deal

Samsung invited Mashable to check out its new Galaxy S24 line, including the base model, the S24+, and the S24 Ultra, but one particular phone caught my eye.

Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" instantly played in my head when I spotted the golden-esque Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in all of its auriferous glory. Wow!

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

When a Samsung rep asked me what I thought of the phones, I pointed to the striking device and said, "I love that one — the gold one."

She corrected me and said, "Ah, that's our Titanium Yellow."

My 'golden hour' with 'Titanium Yellow'

I spent less than an hour with the Titanium Yellow Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra model, but I can't get it off my mind. I've been spending a couple of months using the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and until I held the Galaxy S24 Ultra, I didn't realize how unergonomic it is.

I can't say it's uncomfortable, but it's not pleasant either. The other phones in the S24 lineup, including the S24 and S24+, have a similar flat-edge, boxy design I don't particularly love.

Samsung Galaxy S24+ Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

However, when my right hand wrapped around that glorious "Titanium Yellow" S24 Ultra, it was as if my palm said, "This is it — this is the one."

It looks so damn good — and feels good, too — so much so that it will likely be my next daily driver, replacing my Galaxy S22 Ultra.

In addition to Titanium Yellow, there are Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Gray colorways you can snatch up, too.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

A obvious indication that, like the iPhone 15 Pro models, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra variants contain titanium, too.

No striking differences

Aside from the attractive new colorways (I wasn't a fan of the S23 Ultra's hues), I didn't notice anything conspicuously different about the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

It has the same quadruple-camera layout that gives off a bizarre arachnid aesthetic, as well as that highly praised hole-punch display that delivers spacious screen real estate.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

On the bottom of the phone, you'll find the beloved S Pen that you can click out of place to jot down notes. Exclusive to the Ultra models, it still glides across the screen responsively — and has the same design and feel.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

If Samsung made any major tweaks to the hardware, I didn't catch any during my short time with the Ultra.

Galaxy AI

However, with Samsung diving head-first into artificial intelligence (AI), the most significant upgrades throughout the S24 lineup will have something to do with AI and machine-learning.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S24 to come with a new Google AI feature, and it's a cool one

I haven't gotten a chance to experiment with these features during this hands-on event, but Galaxy AI will play a huge role in the camera experience as well as your phone calls (e.g., AI Live Translate Call).

Final thoughts

A Samsung rep also showed off the company's new phone cases.

Three new cases for Samsung Galaxy S24 line Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The cases have an interesting mechanism that you can slide down, allowing you to place your hand through a loop. It relieves you of having to grasp your phone all day, I guess.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Personally, the Titanium Yellow Galaxy S24 Ultra looks so good, it'd be a shame to put a case over it. Let's hope the new titanium material inside the S24 Ultra models make them sturdier and stronger, too.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Pre-order from $1,299.99 Get Deal

We're pitting the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra against the iPhone 15 Pro Max. After the Galaxy S24 line got unveiled at Unpacked, the S24 Ultra is now the iPhone 15 Pro Max's greatest competitor, particularly with its deluge of new AI-packed features.

How does the newly announced Galaxy S24 Ultra compare to the iPhone 15 Pro Max? Based on the specs we have so far, here's what we know.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Price

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at $1,300 and comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a cheaper starting price of $1,199 and also offers 256GB of storage, but there's less RAM at 8GB.

• Galaxy S24 Ultra (starting price): $1,300

• iPhone 15 Pro Max (starting price): $1,199

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra arguably has the better design. Both have a rectangular chassis, but the edges are different. The 6.8-inch Galaxy S24 Ultra has rounded edges that nestle into my hands like a baby bird nuzzling my palm.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, has boxier edges than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Its angular edges feel unwieldy and somewhat awkward — definitely not as ergonomic as the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

However, in terms of aesthetics, the iPhone 15 Pro Max looks cleaner and more organized. For example, the triple-lens rear camera setup is organized inside a clear, squircle casing. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, without a casing, settles nicely on any surface, but its rear five-sensor array makes it look anachrid-esque.

Both phones have elements of titanium in their materials, as evidenced by the tell-tale names of their colorways.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra colors Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The iPhone 15 Pro Max comes in four colors: Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium.

Similarly, the Galaxy S24 Ultra comes in Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, and Titanium Gray.

• Galaxy S24 Ultra weight and height: 8.22 ounces, 0.34 inches

• iPhone 15 Pro Max weight and height: 7.80 ounces, 0.33 inches

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display

Apple shrunk that pesky notch into the "Dynamic Island" when it debuted the iPhone 14 line. Although it's less obtrusive, it's still in the way. The Dynamic Island is still present on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but I've learned to love it as an "iDevice signature" of sorts.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Still, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra only featuring a hole-punch design for its selfie camera, there's a lot more screen real estate to play with. It boasts a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, a QHD+ resolution, and a 6.8-inch display with a refresh rate that can climb up to 120Hz, depending whether your activity demands it.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 2796 x 1290-pixel resolution panel. It, too, can climb up to a 120Hz refresh rate.

• Galaxy S24 Ultra display: 6.8 inches, 3120 x 1400 pixels

• iPhone 15 Pro Max display: 6.7 inches, 2796 x 1290 pixels

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Performance

Both the flagship Galaxy S series and the iPhone are known for delivering seamless, slick performance, allowing users to navigate the UI with ease. (Sure, the iPhone 15 Pro Max suffered some issues with overheating, but this got resolved with software updates.)

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

However, the A-series chipsets Apple places inside iPhones are beastly, outperforming every smartphone on the market (according to Geekbench tests I've taken for the past three generations).

It's worth noting, though, that the A17 Pro inside the iPhone 15 Pro Max delivers far more power than a smartphone needs. So even if the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 inside the Galaxy S24 Ultra fails to outpace the A17 Pro, it's not a big deal because it should still have sufficient processing power to handle all of your tasks — and then some.

• Galaxy S24 Ultra chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

• iPhone 15 Pro Max chipset: A17 Pro

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Cameras

I'll have to take both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max cameras for a spin to know which shooters are better.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

On paper, however, the Galaxy S24 Ultra appears to have an edge with a 200MP wide camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and two telephoto cameras: 50MP (up to 5x optical zoom) and 10MP (up to 3x optical zoom).

Interestingly, the S24 Ultra's 50MP telephoto is an upgrade from its predecessor's 10MP telephoto. (For context, the S23 Ultra had two 10MP telephoto sensors). However, the optical zoom has dropped from 10x to 5x. Based on these specs, the S24 Ultra's resolution for close-up shots should improve, however, the range in which the hardware handles zoomed-in photos (before the software kicks in) has been narrowed.

I'm curious to see whether this baffling change improves the telephoto experience (e.g., taking portraits).

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Even with the optical zoom reduction, the Galaxy S24 Ultra remains competitive with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which has a 12MP telephoto and 5X optical zoom. It also has a 48MP wide camera and a 12MP ultrawide shooter.

Both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max have a 12MP selfie camera.

• Galaxy S24 Ultra cameras: 200MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto (5x optical zoom), 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom), 12MP selfie

• iPhone 15 Pro Max cameras: 48MP, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto (5x optical zoom), 12MP selfie

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery

Hallelujah, you no longer have to carry separate charging cables while traveling. Thanks to the introduction of USB-C on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, you can bring one USB-C cable with you for all of your USB-C devices.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a max charging speed of about 27W, give or take, so a 30W charger like this one may be your best bet for the zippiest power-ups. (It should deliver 50% in 30 minutes, according to UltimateiDeviceVids.) The Galaxy S24 Ultra, on the other hand, has a faster charging rate — 65% in 30 minutes with a 45W charger, according to Samsung.

Wireless Powershare Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

With the iPhone 15 Pro Max, you can charge other USB-C devices with a cable, allowing them to draw power from your phone. The Galaxy S24 Ultra can do the same, but it has one extra feature.

Like its predecessors, the Galaxy S24 can charge devices wirelessly on its back chassis. It's called Wireless PowerShare, something the iPhone 15 Pro Max can't do.

• Galaxy S24 Ultra battery capacity: 5,000 mAh

• iPhone 15 Pro Max battery capacity: 4,441 mAh

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Exclusive features

The S pen is where the Galaxy S24 Ultra shines. As the owner of a Galaxy S22 Ultra, I use the S Pen religiously. I pull it out to jot down notes while on the job — or when the club is too loud and I need to scribble my drink order for the bartender.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max, of course, doesn't have a stylus, but it has a new journal app, courtesy of iOS 17, that inspires you to write about your day based on your photos, videos, places you've traveled, and more. (Click here to read all the cool perks iOS 17 has to offer, including NameDrop.)

The iPhone 15 Pro Max also comes with useful features such as Emergency SOS via satellite, which lets you make calls even when you lack reception. It's also worth noting that the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a customizable Action Button. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a side button you can customize, too, but thanks to the Shortcuts app, I find the iPhone 15 Pro Max to be far more programmable.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra, on the other hand, is billed as an AI phone that has a host of machine-learning features that rival the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Final thoughts

If you don't care for a stylus and you dig all the features iOS 17 has to offer (e.g., FaceTime and iMessage may be difficult to pass up), dive head first into the Apple ecosystem. However, if an AI-focused phone with a sleek, comfortable grip makes your heart sing, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the phone for you.