We love or hate to hear but the truth is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is different from Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. I own all of them. They do look quite similar, even the software of the S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra is 100% the same. But they feel completely different when in hand. The balance is different, although the weights are quite close. Also, the S24 Ultra is less slippery.
S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra: Design and Finish
If someone takes out his/her S22 Ultra at night, you can easily point out the model because of the more carved screen. It stands out among all the flagships. Although the screen protector size is the same in the S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra, the curvature of the S22 Ultra is more. It is S24 Ultra which is different. It is not too easy to differentiate between S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra from a distance.
The most promoted feature of the S24 Ultra is the titanium frame. It does make a big difference due to the finish, grip and feel of temperature. The physical properties of aluminum and titanium are different. Maybe, for this reason, the finish of the S24 Ultra’s frame is more towards Matt.
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If you look at the holes in the frame, the S24 Ultra has done good work in the finishing part. These details are too small to notice but they are not just copy-paste. The finishing of the rings of the cameras & sensor is different. The S24 Ultra is slightly slimmer than the S23 Ultra and all of the 5 big glasses at the back now have beautiful steel rings. The LED light in between has no ring and looks slightly odd.
The Gorilla Glass of course has upgraded in these three models but it is not possible to find the difference just from the look. Buttons are probably not greatly different. I have used the S23 Ultra for a year and the S22 Ultra for 2 years. The buttons of the S24 Ultra are feeling more tactile.
These days, S22 Ultra no longer gets hot unlike the initial days after release. But in the S24 Ultra, the cooling is more efficient because the chipset has become more compact. Samsung got the chance to increase the space for the passive cooling system.
Probably the S Pen of S24 Ultra is different. At least, the S Pen of S24 Ultra is thicker.
The Display
They are not the same, apart from the specs. The display of S24 Ultra is flat, the screen appears to have more natural colors and I feel the brightness is not disturbing. The S24 Ultra has a professional, cool display. In terms of DPI, the difference between S22 Ultra, S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra is quite lower – they are around just over 500.
The Cameras
They are different. The sensor in the S24 Ultra is slightly large and as a result, the night mode and portrait mode work better in S24 Ultra. The images taken in the same situation look slightly different. S24 Ultra produces more natural results. The infamous oversaturation of colours by Samsung is less prominent in the S24 Ultra.
The S24 Ultra consists of a 200MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP telephoto camera with 5X optical zoom. That 50MP telephoto camera with 5X optical zoom is a matter of debate since it’s a 10MP telephoto with 10x optical zoom in S23 Ultra.
If you compare 10x and 5x optical zoom then it will feel that the S24 Ultra is inferior, but my casual tests do support Samsung’s explanation – the larger sensor in the S24 Ultra is delivering better results in digital zoom. This step by Samsung is probably to make the complicated optical zoom simpler.
S24 Ultra offers a Generative Edit feature. You can select anything on the photos (using S Pen) and adjust their size (make them bigger or smaller). The feature is essentially like object eraser or shadow eraser in S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra, but it is more advanced and the newly created background looks more natural.
Also, the 100x zoom is far better in S24 Ultra. There are smaller things which are different. In video shooting mode in 4K, now you can use the optical zoom in S24 Ultra.
The Software
Although the Android version of the S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra are the same, the OneUI of S24 Ultra is presently one minor version ahead. It is expected that in March 2024, the S21 Ultra, S22 Ultra, and S23 Ultra will get the latest OneUI (that is version 6.1) to be the same as S24 Ultra.
Presently, S24 Ultra with OneUI 6.1 and the latest applications deliver version generative AI capabilities to S24 Ultra which are not present in any smartphones of S series or Z series. Circle To Search, Live Translate, Note Assist etc features will be available on all of these older flagship later. It is expected that the applications such as the camera app, and gallery app will get updated in these sets to deliver Generative Edit and other new features.
However, the hardware of S24 Ultra is more updated than S21 Ultra, S22 Ultra, and S23 Ultra. If you are planning to purchase a new S series set, then I believe that it is prudent to purchase the latest one for complete peace of mind over the next 3-4 years. Thereafter it is practical to go through the exchange program.
You can read:
- How Can I Take Better Pictures With My Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
- The Best S Pen Apps For The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- How Do I Make My Samsung S24 Ultra More Secure?
- Best Earphone/IEM, DAC & Music Player for Samsung S24 Ultra
