Samsung has sustained buzz around its foldables, but now that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 have been revealed, anticipation is growing for the Galaxy S24 line. Although a release window has yet to be announced, Samsung is expected to launch the phones in late January or early February of next year. Right now we’re hearing a little about what hardware changes to expect, with a new rumor claiming the Galaxy S24 Ultra will feature both an upgraded screen, and a camera with enhanced zoom quality.
Reliable leaker Ice Universe shares word that the S24 Ultra’s rumored 50MP sensor with 3x optical zoom could arrive as a 1/2.52″ component with 0.7μm pixels. With the S23, Samsung relies on Sony IMX sensors for its zoom cameras. The information posted online lines up with Samsung’s trademark filing for ISOCELL Zoom and ISOCELL Zoom Pro in the UK and South Korea. The company typically uses ISOCELL sensors for its standard cameras, but the names of these filings could indicate it may start working with its own zoom lens sensors in the future. The source suggests we might be able to expect a fivefold increase in the quality of Samsung’s photos with this technology, but we’ve yet to see any samples.
In addition to the camera and display improvements, the Galaxy S24 may also feature the anticipated Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, although it has yet to be unveiled. Samsung and Qualcomm notably collaborated on a “For Galaxy” SoC for the Galaxy S23 line. Expect Galaxy S24 phones to run between 8GB and 12GB of RAM, depending on model.
Earlier this month, the beta for One UI 6 — based on Android 14 — officially opened to users of S23 phones. It features everything from new emoji to quick settings, and the Galaxy S24 phones are expected to ship with One UI 6. However, it is possible that One UI 6.1 may be the default for these devices, if it is released in time.
At the moment, the pricing tier for the S24 phones remains as speculative as their release date. Because the S24+ may no longer be a part of the line, however, the price of the base model could be higher than expected. The Galaxy S23 series started at $800 when it launched in February.
