Updated January 8: Article was originally published on January 7
The upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event will set the standard for every flagship phone in 2024 to be measured against. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is Samsung's attempt to define the future of smartphones.
First, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has to be the proverbial “really good phone.” There should be no obvious bugs, nothing weaker than the opposition, and everything a consumer expects from a flagship Android phone should be present in the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung's iterative approach to Ultra phones means the S23 Ultra's success should easily continue with the required spec upgrades.
It is also worth noting that the S24 Ultra is part of the phone family. There's a halo effect with the Galaxy S24 brand, which means the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ phones should also be up to standards – any issues with the phone at the bottom of the wallet will affect the S24 Ultra.
This is one of the reasons why the community is sensitive to the disparity between the Exynos and Snapdragon chipsets used by lower-tier models. Fortunately for those who want ultimate power, the S24 Ultra will exclusively run Samsung's more respected Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Samsung's popularity, press attention, and leadership role in the Android space will ensure that the Galaxy S24 Ultra is seen as the phone that will outperform flagships in the future.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Invitational (Early 2024).
Samsung press room
Update: Monday, January 8. During the company's press conference at CES, Samsung explained its broader vision for artificial intelligence in technology. Titled “Artificial Intelligence for Everyone – Communication in the Age of Artificial Intelligence“, Samsung Device Experience CEO Jong-He 'JH' Han introduced several partners and devices that will bring AI to consumers.
The traditional meme of the connected refrigerator has been updated with the “Refrigerator With AI Family Hub,” which offers a 32-inch display that reports on products the AI recognizes inside the refrigerator with recipe suggestions and tracking of use-by dates. The AI Center is part of the Laundry Combo, offering AI in the washer and dryer.
On the consumer electronics side, Samsung took the opportunity to showcase the AI features in its recently launched Galaxy Book4 laptop. Although there was no specific mention of the Galaxy S24 family, the entire presentation had a punch-hole in the shape of the smartphone.
The vulnerability will be closed by the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.
The upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event will lean heavily towards the use of AI on the smartphone. If you haven't seen the signs, an invitation that screams “Galaxy AI is coming” gives away the game. The South Korean company will not enter the event cold. Samsung Gauss AI system will be officially launched at the end of 2023
Several specific AI features have already been tracked around the camera, and Zoom with Galaxy AI was shown off in teasers ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked events. More importantly, both Qualcomm and Samsung have ensured that the Snapdragon and Exynos chipsets in question contain dedicated hardware to enhance their AI and machine learning software routines.
Samsung's Exynos joins and enhances Qualcomm's Snapdragon, MediaTek's Dimensity and Google's Tensor in offering hardware support for AI and machine learning actions. This means that the Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra – which could have easily used different hardware vision to achieve AI – will unify the market. This is how AI can be introduced across the Android ecosystem.
In all of this, don't discount consumers' comfort in purchasing a Samsung device. While Google's launch of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro was built around the promise of AI, the market share of the Pixel and Galaxy devices is not in the same ballpark. Samsung can bring AI to the widest possible market around the world.
Consumers who walk into a store to “buy a new Samsung phone” will have AI in their hands, first with the S24 family and then throughout the year in the new Galaxy A phones and Galaxy Tabs. The practical impact of AI on photography will be part of OneUI, and 'Galaxy AI' will no doubt be mentioned throughout the launch and in every point-of-sale unit.
There's another area where Samsung can set the bar moving forward. The company could deliver on Google's promise of seven years of software and security updates across the Galaxy S range. Google has shown how attractive this is; Now, Samsung can establish itself at the front of the line in the broader consumer market.
Samsung's focus on delivering AI, consumer trust in the brand, and an expanded support window for software and hardware is how the Galaxy S24 could shape the smartphone world in 2024.
Read now the free offers that will be available alongside the Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra…
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