Samsung Galaxy Unpacked recap: S24 Ultra, S24+, S24 reveal, Galaxy Ring teased

Here to stay

I'll kick off with a rumour that suggests the S24 series will bring Google Pixel 8-matching longevity. With feature drops and security support an increasingly major concern in a product's lifespan, it's great to see the suggestion that the Galaxy S24 series will support 7 years of Android updates.

In particular it's the potential for this to deliver upgrades to the software that bring new functionality that I think are particularly exciting. Buying a Galaxy S24 Ultra today might be great, but that it could be even better in a year's time is a big added bonus. 

Unpacked inbound

T3's Tech Staff Writer Andy Sansom (not Samsung) here kicking off what will unofficially be known as S24 Day. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is surely coming later today, with the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event starting at 6PM GMT today. I won't provide US times just yet because right now you should definitely be asleep!

So what do we expect from Samsung's next flagship? Well, check out our roundup of the latest news and rumours, but it's safe to say it sounds like a leading Android device. The Google Pixel 8 Pro is getting a bit nervous right about now.

What's underneath?

Right, so let's get into the nitty gritty. What kind of processor will the S24 range use? This has been a debate for months now with rumours of switching from a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor to Samsung's own Exynos 2400 chip.

It could in fact be the case that both processors are used, with the Exynos in the S24 and S24 Plus and the Snapdragon silicon reserved for the S24 Ultra. There's a general perception that the Exynos chip is a poor relation compared to Qualcomm's efforts but let's give Samsung a chance to prove the doubters wrong.

Gaming joy

One thing that I'm hoping for with the S24 Ultra is something that we saw introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Hardware accelerated raytracing. This technology is something of a game-changer for mobile gaming and enables titles to look a lot better, particularly when it comes to lighting.

On top of that, the rumoured super bright display and super-fast performance should make the S24 Ultra one to look out for if you like a good mobile game at home, on the bus or at work. We won't tell.

Big names on board? 

The last Samsung Unpacked event was held on the company's home turf in Seoul in July, when we saw the Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 released. Most importantly however we also had some big name attendees in the audience (not just T3 Tech Editor Mike Lowe) with SUGA of K-Pop titans BTS and Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney in the crowd. 

With today's event being held in San Jose, California, perhaps we could see more Hollywood types today? I for one would love nothing more than seeing George Clooney demonstrating some AI features or Gal Godot showing off the rumoured improved Telephoto camera. A boy can dream right? 

AIn't it fun 

As has become the trend with pretty much any announcement of the last 12 months, expect to hear the phrase AI bandied about a lot. Artificial Intelligence is unavoidable these days and the S24 range will almost certainly see the company unveil its 'Galaxy AI' technology. 

A teaser video for the AI touts it as "a new era of mobile" so expect plenty of chat about it. As to what form we think it could take, the camera is always a good bet and we'll be surprised not to see something similar to the 'Best Take' feature of the Pixel 8 Pro. 

A cheeky saving 

If you have got your eyes on a new phone and are pretty sure one of the S24 models will be for you, then before you pre-order a phone later today, we've got a handy way to save you a cheeky 5%.

Make sure to download the Samsung app and use the discount code APP5 and you'll get 5% off of your first purchase over £500. Not a bad way to start a new era of Android. If you're looking for further savings, Samsung normally run a scheme of discounts if you trade in your old handset(s) so keep your eyes peeled. 

Wallets at the ready 

So from a cheeky little saving to the real chat. How much are the S24 phones going to cost? 2023 was a year defined by price hikes on pretty much everything, including tech.  As the first major phone launch of 2024, tonight's event should give us a reasonable idea of whether that trend is still on fleek or so last year. 

Well a mistakenly posted listing for the base S24 from a Mexican retailer suggested that it might not be as bad as we first feared. The price listed was 16,499 pesos, which equates to roughly £766, but of course prices are not universal across all markets. 

As for the price of the big dadd S24 Ultra, there is mixed news. A leaked French price put it at €1459 which is a €60 increase. How or whether that translates to other markets is not clear. 

Great for all budgets

News editor Rik Henderson taking over for a bit, and I have to say that I'm more excited about this Samsung launch than I have been for a while.

That's because it seems like the standard Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus models will likely get their biggest generational upgrades in many a year. The rumoured new, flatter edges on both devices do remind us of a particular rival, but seem a natural evolution to make them feel more premium.

And, with Samsung planning to implement Galaxy AI features across the entire family, not just the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, it could be great news for those with smaller budgets.

Watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked with us live

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked will start at 10am PT today (6pm GMT in the UK) and you will be able to watch the entire event live right here on T3.

We will host the livestream on our dedicated Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event page, so head there for more details now, including start times for other regions, or later when the event is due to start.

The livestream is in there already, so you can keep it ticking down for the next 6 hours or so.

Pre-order details leak – free stuff

Samsung has seemingly revealed pre-order details for its S24 family early.

Twitter leaker Roland Quandt allegedly found an official Samsung site that listed the Samsung Galaxy S24 phones for pre-order, which will reportedly come with a free Galaxy Watch 6 and double storage bonuses.

The latter means that should you order the 512GB Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, say, you'll get the 1TB model for the same price. It's something Samsung did with the Fold 5 and Flip 5 last year too.

Pre-orders are also said to run until 30 January – so that might also be a clue for when the phones will ship.

The future's bright

One of the other main rumours surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra relates to its display. Not only have we heard that Samsung should be ditching curved edges, it will also reportedly make the Ultra's screen brighter than ever before.

Online tipster Ahmed Qwaider posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the screen's peak brightness this time around will be 2,600 nits – that's 600 nits brighter than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

He didn't mention any other details, nor how Samsung will achieve this, however.

Afternoon all, it's Mat Gallagher here for the next few hours. When it comes to Android devices, Samsung's S range still rule the roost, and today's predicted S24 models are likely to push the bar higher still. 

While the Z Flip and Z Fold provide pocketability or large displays, the S24 is all about performance, especially when it comes to the camera. So just how much better will they be than the S23 versions?

The S24 Ultra is likely to to once again be the flagship option here, offering the best set up. As on the S23 Ultra, we're expecting to see a quad camera array on the rear, with a 200MP wide-angle, a 12MP ultra wide and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. 

There has been talk though that the 10x telephoto camera will jump to a 50MP camera rather than the previous 10MP, but drop to a 5x optical zoom. This might sound like a downgrade at first, but with all those extra pixels, you'll be getting a much clearer image, even if you use the digital zoom to 10x, or beyond. 

Of course, much of the change photographically is likely to come in the form of processing. This is where we'll see the term AI used liberally and we've already seen rumours of this. There are likely to be some clever features for editing, as we've seen from Google in recent Pixel models, but my hope is that it's put to best use in the low light and stabilisation functions. 

Galaxy AI is likely to be the big talking point of tonight's release, with a spate of teaser videos already pointing to what that might mean in the devices. AI is likely to be instrumental in the camera's zoom functions, such as the 100x space zoom, as well as a nightography zoom for lowlight and what appears to be the ability to increase the size of individual items in an image with just a pinch. 

We've seen subject selection in images from Apple, as well as cleaver subject removal from Google. However the videos of Zoom with Galaxy AI, seem to suggest that it will allow you to resize objects and then blend them back into the image. 

It will be interesting to see how well this works in practice but the potential is huge for this feature. While the moral implications of this might worry some users, photographers have been manipulating the size of object in images for years, through the use of different lenses and darkroom practices. This is just another step in making the process easier. 

One thing I'd love to hear more about tonight is Samsung's plans for a VR/AR headset to rival Apple's Vision Pro. We know that Samsung and Google have something in the works and it's likely to also partner with Qualcomm for the processing, as it does for its Galaxy S range of phones. 

Perhaps a pre-cursor to this would be having the Galaxy S24 models able to shoot in a spatial format that could then be viewed on a future Galaxy or Google headset. It would certainly make sense that both stills and videos from these phones could provide content to a headset device. 

Sadly, I don't think Samsung will reveal more on this tonight. There's always a possibility functions such as these could come as an update closer to when a headset might be nearing completion. Or maybe that's something for next year's S25. 

Are there any other clues to what we might see tonight? Well, this year's event is being held in San Jose, California rather than Samsung's home of South Korea. San Jose is of course just a stone's throw from Silicone Valley, so in terms of that AI tech, this could be the reason behind the location. 

Silicone Valley is increasingly home to more than just dot com start ups, with everyone from Google to Mercedes-Benz having technology bases in the area. In fact Samsung Next has its start up accelerator in the area too, with plenty of AI companies on board. 

Have any of these contributed to the next Samsung AI? I guess we'll find out tonight. 

S-Pen goodness

Afternoon all! T3's resident Staff Writer, Sam Cross, here to take you through until (nearly) showtime. I've been covering large tech events for a couple of years now, and I have to say I love this time – as the event draws nearer and the hubbub grows.

Another thing I'm excited for is the potential S-Pen improvements coming this time out. The rumoured inclusion of a flat display should make it easier than ever to use the included stylus.

I'm a big fan of styluses with phones, and I think this update could be really beneficial. Hopefully it isn't the only improvement – a bit of additional software focus could really push this forward, too.

SOS: Satellite Operation, Samsung?

One feature I'm really hoping to see included is some kind of satellite connectivity. We've seen that employed on devices like the iPhone 14, as well as cheaper Android phones like the Cat S75.

It has yet to appear on a Samsung phone, but I suspect that could change this year. It would be a massive feature for the brand to leave out – particularly as they go toe-to-toe with Apple once more.

Regardless, we don't have long to wait – the event kicks off in under two hours time!

Nice to Qi2

One spec which does appear to be missing from the rumours is Qi2 wireless charging. That's the latest wireless charging standard, and should be found on all devices within the next year or so.

It doesn't appear to have made it into this devices rumoured spec sheet, though. Now, that could well be an omission – we know leaks and rumours aren't exactly top notch all of the time.

What's more concerning is that it could just be... true. Samsung and innovative charging solutions are a a bit like oil and water – the two don't really mix. While I'll long for better charging this time out, I most certainly wont be holding my breath.

The show is less than an hour away. We're expecting live video from the event in San Jose shortly. Our very own Mike Lowe is at the event in London to bring the info from there.

This is the view from the London event but there are Samsung parties happing all over the world tonight – or in the morning, depending on the time zone. 

Here we go. Samsung Unpacked 2024 has begun. There's lots of rushing lights and atmospheric music playing, and now it's turned into a street. Og the stage is set and we're into a video. 

It's all about Galaxy AI tonight. President TM Roh is coming to the stage. It's a new mobile AI era that's coming. Artificial Intelligence will bring big change in the mobile industry and Samsung is leading this. There's also talk of collaboration with other companies, maybe Google? 

7 years of updates confirmed

Despite having seen all three Galaxy S24 devices before today's embargo lifted, during the presentation it wasn't clear that the new Galaxy devices would extend their Android security and software to cover a future seven years. 

Well, here's that confirmation: Samsung boss, TM Roh, made it the first big announcement at the Unpacked event. That's some big Google Pixel-rivalling news right from the off!

Live Translate is amazing

As I tried first-hand ahead of the big reveal, Samsung's Live Translate is a really great use of its Galaxy AI capabilities. Although the showcase is presenting this in English to Spanish, I tried it in Korean instead. 

The benefit isn't only spoken, however, it also works for text, and even transcription from live language is possible on the device. Again, very Google Pixel-rivalling features in the palm of your hand. 

Circle to Search

Another aspect of Samsung's new Galaxy AI feature set is Circle To Search, which is a collaboration with none other than Google. Perhaps a pre-cursor to the next-gen Android update? That's not yet known.

However, myself and a colleague have used the new Circle To Search function in person and it's a pretty interesting idea. Whether using your finger or the S24 Ultra's integrated S Pen, you needn't type, simply circle around a point of interest anywhere on a screen and you'll get contextual search related to words and images.

There are four main ways to use it: Circle, Highlight, Scribble or Tap. It's triggered by a long-press of the home/power button (your smart assistant will move to a gesture corner swipe instead, if active).

New camera in the S24 Ultra

While the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus have the same cameras as their predecessors, it's the S24 Ultra that ups the ante with a brand new zoom lens. It's ousted the 10x zoom of its predecessor and replaced it with a 5x zoom that's much higher resolution, at 50-megapixels. It's the change I've long been hoping Samsung would make. 

Climbing the social ladder

In among the variety of camera improvements led by Galaxy AI – improved Nightography for low-light shots, for example – there's a great new feature that social app users will love. 

Unlike with other phones that bypass the available processing when taking photos from within those apps, the S24 series allows Instagram, WhatsApp, and so forth, to plug directly into the camera stream and benefit from HDR, processing, and low-light abilities. 

Power up!

More advanced neural processing unit (NPU) and redesigned heat dissipation ought to make the Galaxy S24 Ultra a gaming powerhouse. It's even capable of ray-tracing graphics... as and when such games arrive for Android. 

Powering the engine is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor (region dependent) or Samsung's own Exynos 2400 (again, region dependent).

The S24 Ultra is so heavy metal

Say hello to a new titanium finish in the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This heavy metal finish is tougher, so can be used in a thinner form, and gives the top-tier flagship in Samsung's range a distinctive look. 

The handset also uses Corning's Gorilla Glass Armor, the first to do so. It's more scratch-resistant, presents better anti-reflection properties, and goes hand-in-hand with that titanium finish. 

Availability

So there we have it: you can pre-order from today. Pricing is in-line with last year's models for the S24 Ultra, at £1,249/$1,299, while the S24 and S24 Plus are actually cheaper year on year, starting at £/$799 and £/$999 respectively. 

Stay healthy y'all

Later this year Samsung will be introducing an all-new health system in Samsung Health called My Vitality Score. Brand new Booster Cards will offer tips too. 

Just one more Ring...

Well, well, well, it's not just new Galaxy S24 phones. Samsung has gone big on health and revealed the Galaxy Ring. 

It's long been rumoured, and there were titters that Unpacked 2024 would be the first tease of it. 

But there's very little information about it. Almost none, really, so plenty more to come this year about it no doubt...

That’s a wrap

There we have it. Running at over an hour, Samsung had a whole lot to say about its Galaxy AI features. Check out the top of this blog for all of T3’s links to relevant content, including reviews, versus pieces, feature breakdowns and opinions. Catch you at the next one! Peace.