This year Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ are again offered in Malaysia with Exynos chips. The Exynos 2400 used is seen as equivalent to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 but with a ten-core configuration. What is the question of many people, what is the difference (if you) between these two chips? I got to test the S24 and S24+ in two media sessions conducted by Samsung. This is my opinion on these two devices.
Specifications
Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24+
6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen, LTPO
QHD+, 120Hz, HDR10+
6.2″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, LTPO
FHD+, 120Hz, HDR10+
Samsung Exynos 2400 processor (4nm)
1 X 3.1 GHz Cortex X4 chip
2 X 2.9 GHz Cortex A720
3 X 2.6 GHz Cortex A720
4 X 1.8 GHz Cortex A520
Samsung Xclipse 940 Graphics Chip
RAM 8/12GB LPDDR5X
Internal Storage 128/256/512GB UFS 4.0
Primary Camera 50MP f/1.8, OIS (Wide Angle)
12MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide Angle)
10MP f/2.4, OIS (5X Telephoto)
Selfie Camera 12 Megapixel f/2.2
4900/4000 mAh battery
45W/25W wired charging
15W wireless charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano / 5G
NFC Yes
No Audio Jack
Waterproof IP68
Scan System Under-screen fingerprint scanner
Samsung Galaxy S24 Sale Price
RM 4099 (8/256GB)
RM 4599 (8/512GB)
Samsung Galaxy S24+
RM 4899 (12/1000GB)
RM 5399 (12/1000GB)
Screen
The screen is still 6.8″ QHD+ Dyanmic AMOLED 2X with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz from the LTPO type. The screen brightness level now jumps to 2600 nits compared to 1750 nits on last year's model. HDR10+ content now looks brighter on the S24 Ultra's new screen. What is interesting this year is that the S24 Ultra screen is also used on the S24 and S24+ which makes the screen experience on all three devices the same. Last year there were complaints because the S24 and S24+ panels were not of the LTPO type.
We were told that the bezels of the S24 Ultra are smaller this year but our eyes couldn't see such a noticeable difference. Personally I don't have an issue with the slightly thicker bezels on the sides as it makes the device more drop resistant. But I know consumers now want everything thinner, faster and more sophisticated so the bezel of the S24 Ultra needs to follow the market trend.
Biometrics
An ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is also retained below the screen. The position is still the same and is still easy to access with the finger you want to scan. Samsung is one of the few manufacturers that uses a more expensive ultrasonic scanner because it can scan wet and dirty fingers more consistently. Face scanning can also be activated if necessary. I found both biometric systems on the S24 Ultra to be quite fast.
Design
At first glance I lumped the S24 and S24+ together because both are twin devices with only differences in screen size, RAM, storage and battery capacity. The design of the device's body is flat on the sides made of durable Aluminum Armor. No drastic differences are made when compared to the S23 and S23+.
Power and volume buttons are placed on the right side. The speaker grille, SIM tray and USB-C charging port are also still below. Dual-SIM nano is supported but there is no microSD card support which was discontinued by Samsung long ago along with no more 3.5mm audio jack. The body passes the IP68 waterproof and dustproof standard which I feel should be standard on all modern flagship devices.
The back houses three camera lenses that are quite large but not very tall. I still recommend the use of a frame to ensure the lens is not scratched and more importantly to allow the device to be placed flat on a table surface.
Use And Software
The One UI 6.1 operating system is used on the S24 and S24+ which is based on Android 14. I have used this interface on the S23 Ultra and Z Fold5 before so there are no new features that I can see on the operating system. Icons, layouts, shortcuts, settings screens and standard features are all the same. I wasn't allowed to take screenshots during the test session so I've included a screenshot from an S23 Ultra below which is almost identical just with a different background image.
The device operates smoothly with apps launching quickly. I can't see any issues but it should be noted I can't try any primers as none are installed. The experience of using the S24 and S24+ is no different in my opinion from the S24 Ultra which uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip.
The interface elements are still minimalistic, easy to understand and neat. Theme personalization features with the color of the interface elements changing according to the background color are still the same. Widgets can be layered to display more information without taking up a lot of space on the home screen. Want extra memory? The RAM Plus feature can be activated by adding up to 8GB more RAM if necessary.
Samsung continues its promise of offering up to seven Android version updates and security patches for seven years on the S24 Ultra. This is an increase from the 5+4 year offering announced two years ago. So there is no need to worry about using this smartphone for a long time because it is well supported by the manufacturer.
Galaxy AI – Artificial Intelligence For All
The focus this year is not on the camera, body design, better battery, prettier screen or faster charging. Instead, Samsung is betting all in on the Galaxy AI ecosystem. Samsung's Gauss AI model is built right into every S24 device this year to help it perform some features that I previously thought were just science fiction.
Call Assist
With Call Assist phone calls with people who do not speak the same language can be made. In the demo I made a voice call in English which was then automatically changed to Korean. Answers in Korean are then translated into English. It's like the Universal Translator from the Star Trek series. At launch only 17 major world languages such as English, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, and Hindi are supported. There is no information when the Malay language will be given. Call Assist is done directly from the phone without the need for internet.
Chat Assist
I'm sure many have already used the AI feature on ChatGPT or Bard to help write emails with a more formal intonation. Chat Assist provides the same usage with a choice of formal, social media, casual or emojify writer tone. With this message that is more compatible with humans it will be sent can be written with the help of AI that is also built into the device without the need for the internet. Chat Assistant supports more than 100 languages that are now supported by Samsung Keyboard to perform automatic language translation in applications such as WhatsApp, Messenger, and Line.
Note Assist
Need help writing notes in Samsung Notes? Note Assist can perform summaries for long notes, and convert notes to a format that uses AI assistance. Several templates will be generated which the user can then choose according to taste.
Edit Photos And Videos With AI
Samsung's generative AI is used to edit the photos taken. Objects can be deleted, repositioned and other objects added to the picture through the Gallery application. AI can also suggest edits that can be done such as removing mirror reflections, glare and shadows. The outer part of the image can also be generated like Generative Expand in Photoshop. This feature requires an internet connection therefore it takes around 45-60 seconds to perform the generative image generation process.
Slow motion videos can also be produced from videos not recorded using this mode. I'm sure you've mistakenly pressed not slow-mo on the camera. With generative AI, additional frames on the video are generated directly from the device to create a slow-mo effect. You can see how this is done in the video above.
Transcript Assist
Samsung's audio recording application can automatically generate audio transcriptions. After the recording and transcription have been taken, Transcript Assist can generate a short summary without the need for an internet connection. Saves a lot of time because topics and content can be searched using the transcripts produced. No need to re-listen to long audio recordings when I conduct interviews for work purposes.
Circle To Search with Google
This is the feature that I find most useful. Have you ever come across a picture of an animal whose species you don't know? Handbags but don't know where to buy them? Or just want to identify an object in a picture? Circle To Search with Google can search by simply pressing the home button (or the scroll bar below the screen) and then draw a circle on the object you want to search for. The process of finding relevant objects only takes about a second. You no longer need to take screenshots that are then uploaded to Google Lens. Unlike Samsung's AI feature above, Circle To Search requires an internet connection.
Camera
The main camera uses a 50MP wide-angle, 12MP ultra-wide-angle, and 3x 10MP telephoto lens configuration. Only the ultra-wide-angle lens is not equipped with an OIS system. On the front, a 12MP selfie camera is used. No changes have been made to the camera system of both models. The main camera can zoom at 0.6X, 1X, 3X, 5X, 10X, and 30X settings.
Battery
The batteries included are 4900 mAH on the S24+ and 4000 mAh on the S24 which is slightly larger than last year's model. The S24+ supports 45W wired and 15W wireless charging using the Qi format. The S24 only supports 25W wired and 15W wireless charging using the Qi format. The charging system can be said to be slow for a flagship device whereas Samsung's competitors already offer 120W charging on their mid-range devices.
In the box
Here is what is received in the box with purchase.
1x Samsung Galaxy S24/S4+
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x Manual.
1x SIM Pin.
Conclusion
This year the S24+ is quite an interesting offering as it has a comparable screen to the S24 Ultra and a slightly smaller battery, no S Pen and a different camera configuration. After testing the S24+ and S24 I have yet to see a difference in terms of smoothness between the Exynos 2400 chip and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy.
I will try to find any differences when the device is fully reviewed later. For sure this year is the year of Galaxy AI with built-in AI features will be the bet of the S24 series this year to face challenges from other manufacturers which are no less great.
In Malaysia, Samsung Galaxy S24 sales open today with a selling price of RM4099 for 12/256GB, RM4599 for 8/512GB in seven color options. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S24+ is sold at a price of RM4899 for (12/256GB) and RM5399 for 12/512GB.
Pro
The screen is finally LTPO and comparable to the S24 Ultra with thinner bezels.
Various built-in AI features that are amazingly capable.
The usage performance of the Eyxnos 2400 is not significantly different from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy.
IP68
Support seven Android versions and seven years of security patches.
Cons
The design is not much different from last year's model.
The camera specifications are also the same as last year.
The S24 only supports 25W charging.