The Samsung Galaxy S24 is looking set to launch mid-way through January, likely comprising the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
But going by the rumors so far, such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 specs and Galaxy S24 Ultra design, it’s looking like these phones will be iterative upgrades over their Galaxy S23 counterparts. That’s unless Samsung’s ambitions to make an “AI Phone” completely upend what we can expect from a smartphone when it comes to being smart.
So that leaves the question, who the Galaxy S24 is actually for? Allow me to shed some light on that.
People looking to upgrade from the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22
Given phone network/carrier contracts tend to last for 24 months, phone upgrade cycles tend to come in two-year blocks.
So it’s unlikely that all but the most diehard Galaxy S-series fans will want to upgrade from the Galaxy S23. But people on older phones, like the Galaxy S22 or Galaxy S21, may be considering an upgrade.
General logic dictates that the biggest upgrades in both performance and user experience, as well as battery life (due to how Lithium-ion batteries deteriorate over time), can be had going from phones a couple of generations old to the new models.
As my colleague Philip Berne points out, it’s now worth waiting for the Galaxy S24 family if you’re in the market for a new phone. And I’d agree, as waiting a few weeks will yield a brand-new phone to go after or see the still-excellent Galaxy S23 drop in price and make for a great bargain Android phone.
Fed-up iPhone users
Look, I know Apple makes a great phone – I use the iPhone 13 Pro – but being stuck in the iPhone ecosystem can be a chore, and iPhones are so iterative they can be brilliantly boring for the most part.
For people looking for an alternative and who have the determination to leave the comfort of iOS to the wilds of Android (in reality Android is very slick these days and has a robust app store), the Galaxy S24 may be a great entry point.
Not only are the standard and Plus Galaxy S24 models expected to have a trio of rear cameras and a design that’s not a huge leap away from that of the iPhone 15 Pro, but they are also set to be cheaper (check out our Samsung Galaxy S24 price predictions article). And Samsung provides a lot of apps and features on top of Android that can give the Galaxy phones a bit of an iPhone-like feel compared to other Android phones – some people, like me, can find this a bit much, but when it all works in tandem with the Samsung Cloud it’s a solid experience.
As such, I think Samsung Galaxy phones make for the best iPhone alternatives, with the Galaxy S24 worth waiting for if you’re thinking of ditching your iPhone in 2024.
People who want a do-everything phone
I’m referring to the Galaxy S24 Ultra here, as it’s expected to be similar to the already brilliant Galaxy S23 Ultra but offer more power and some refinements like titanium edges.
As the S23 Ultra was basically a phone for people who wanted an Android device that is great at being a big phone, a gaming phone, a camera phone, and a compact digital canvas/notebook, I expect the Galaxy S24 Ultra to be no different and thus appeal to people who want the best Android phone around.
What’s more, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is likely to get powerful AI features that not only make the phone's smart features smarter and faster, but also offer generative AI capabilities like coming up with itineraries for trips, answering calls for you, or letting you neatly recompose a photograph without needing years of Photoshop knowledge; we’ve seen the latter in the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro with the Magic Editor.
But wait and see
Of course, before making any decision to pre-order or ditch your iPhone, it would be wise to wait and see what the TechRadar take is on the Galaxy S24 phones when they arrive. After all, we’re experts in the smartphone arena and can tell a tech dud from a technological diamond.
But I expect to be impressed by all models of the Galaxy S24 family and have high hopes that they may draw me back to Android after two years of using an iPhone.
Make sure to check back with TechRadar as we’ll bring you the latest Galaxy S24 news, as well as our thoughts as we draw closer to the predicted January 17 launch of Samsung’s next flagship phones.
