The 4 biggest differences between the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra

At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra look very similar. But there are small and even significant differences. We sum them up for you here.

Those who missed the unveiling of the S24 Ultra may see little difference with the year-old S23 Ultra. They both are rectangular-shaped, have a pen, and are equipped with four cameras on the back. But with that summary list, we would be selling the Galaxy S24 Ultra short.

1. Specifications

So on the face of it, the S24 Ultra and the S23 Ultra may look very similar, but what about the specifications? We take a quick look at the differences.

Loose from the minute differences in dimensions, what stands out most is the substantially brighter screen of the S24 Ultra. It now has a peak brightness of 2600 nits as opposed to 1750. This only makes reading outdoors even easier. Especially thanks to the Gorilla Glass Armor, reflection is 75% less.

Furthermore, the updated Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is higher clocked, and you always get 12GB of RAM. There is also support for the faster Wi-Fi 7, and the S24 Ultra now comes in titanium instead of aluminum.

Another difference is the camera. Samsung swapped the 10MP telephoto with 10x zoom for a 50MP one with 5x zoom. This may not zoom in as far, but it delivers much more detail due to the increased resolution and pixel size. Moreover, you still have 10x zoom at your disposal because the S24 Ultra can digitally zoom in on the sensor without losing quality.

2. Galaxy AI

The Samsung Galaxy S24 series is the first to feature Galaxy AI, a collection of artificial intelligence features. One example is real-time translation while calling or typing. Another, which is particularly useful on the S24 Ultra, is Circle to Search.

To do this, you long-press the home button or gesture bar and circle the subject you want more information about. Besides circling, you can also scribble, double-tap, or highlight it. You don't have to go to another app to do it; you get search results immediately.

Furthermore, Galaxy AI includes features such as Note Assist, which can format and summarize notes, Transcript Assist, which can dictate voice memos, and Photo Assist, which can fill in missing parts of a photo and where you can move or enlarge objects. Galaxy AI should also come to other Galaxy phones by mid-2024, including probably the S23 Ultra.

3. ProVisual Engine

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the first to feature Samsung's ProVisual Engine, another collective name for various AI techniques to improve photo quality. It delivers sharper shots, higher-quality zoom, and enhanced night mode. This Nightography feature now works even when you zoom in, something that didn't work well before.

There is also an updated slow-motion option for videos. Instant Slow-mo, again with the help of AI, adds frames to create smoother videos, even with lots of movement.

4: 7-year updates

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is also more future-proof than the S23 Ultra. The latest Ultra gets seven years of promised security and software updates. This applies not only to One UI but also to new Android versions.

Those who decide to sell their S24 Ultra after three years will still be eligible to receive four years of updates. That's just as long as the S23 Ultra gets new out of the box. However, you can also buy a S24 Ultra next year, when the S25 Ultra is already out, and still count on many years of updates.

Needless to say, because of all this, a S24 Ultra better retains its value and stays relevant longer—good news for your wallet and the planet.

Image: Freepik