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 bid to define the future of smartphones.
First, the Galaxy S24 Ultra must be the proverbial “really good phone.” There should be no obvious mistakes, nothing weaker than the opposition, and essentially everything a consumer expected from the leading Android flagship must be in the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung’s iterative approach to the Ultra handsets means that the success of the S23 Ultra should easily carry on with the requisite upgrades in the specifications.
It’s also worth remembering that the S24 Ultra is part of a family of phones. There is a halo effect with the Galaxy S24 branding, which means the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ handsets also need to be up to standard—any issues with the handset lower down the portfolio will impact the S24 Ultra.
That’s one reason why the community is sensitive to the disparity between the Exynos and the Snapdragon chipsets used by the lower-tier models. Luckily for those wanting the ultimate power, the S24 Ultra will exclusively run the more respected Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Samsung.
Samsung’s popularity, interest from the press, and leadership role in the Android space will ensure the Galaxy S24 Ultra will be seen as the handset to beat for future flagships.
Update: Monday January 8. During the company's CES Press Conference, Samsung outlined its wider vision of AI in technology. Titled “AI For All - Connectivity In The Age Of AI,” Samsung Device Experience CEO Jong-He ‘JH’ Han introduced several partners and devices that will bring AI to consumers.
The traditional meme of the Internet Connected Fridge has been updated with the "Refrigerator With AI Family Hub,” offering a 32-inch display reporting on the products the AI recognizes inside the fridge with recipe suggestions and tracking of use-by dates. A similar AI hub is part of the Laundry Combo, offering AI in a washer and dryer.
On the consumer electronics side, Samsung took the opportunity to showcase the AI features in its recently launched Galaxy Book4 laptop. While there was no specific mention of the Galaxy S24 family, the entire presentation had a smartphone-shaped hole in it.
A hole that will be packed by the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.
Update: Wednesday January 10. Mihai Matei reports on the latest push by the South Korean company to prepare the market for the upcoming explosion of AI around the Samsung Galaxy brand, and it’s all focused on one location.
The architecturally ambitious Las Vegas Sphere, with its massive LED surface, was briefly taken over by a partnership between Samsung and Marvel’s “What If” series, with the upcoming addition to the Galaxy S range, promoted across the sky. As Samsung puts it; “A new era is coming with Galaxy AI.”
With the “AI for All” presentation addressed to the industry and the media at CES earlier this week, the Las Vegas promotion reaches out to consumers. The question now is how much AI Samsung will deliver, and how effective it will be.
The upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event will lean heavily toward using artificial intelligence on the smartphone. If you haven't seen the signs, the invitation screaming "Galaxy AI is coming” gives the game away. The South Korean company is not going into the event cold. Its Samsung Gauss AI system was given an official launch at the end of 2023
In all this, do not discount how comfortable consumers are buying a Samsung device. While Google’s launch of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro handsets was built around the promise of AI, the market share of Pixel devices and Galaxy devices are not in the same ballpark. Samsung can bring AI to the broadest possible market around the world.
Consumers who walk into a store to “buy a new Samsung” will have AI in their hands, first with the S24 family and then throughout the year into the new Galaxy A handsets and the Galaxy Tabs. The practical impact of AI on photography will be part of OneUI, and the “Galaxy AI” will no doubt be mentioned throughout the launch and at every point-of-sale unit.
There’s another area where Samsung can set the standard going forward. The company could match 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 force itself to the front of the line in the broader consumer market.
Samsung’s focus on delivering AI, consumer confidence in the brand, and an extended support window for software and hardware is how the Galaxy S24 can shape the smartphone world in 2024.
Now read the free offers that will be available alongside the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra...
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