Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: two semi-flagships compared

It's no secret that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best Samsung phone money can buy, but if you're not prepared to spend a small fortune on what is, quite frankly, too much phone for most people, then the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus are absolutely worth considering instead.

But which phone is the better of the two? You'll find our full verdict on both handsets in our Samsung Galaxy S24 review and Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review, but in this guide, we compare the specs, features and performance of the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus directly.

For more head-to-head Samsung content, check out our Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comparison, as well as our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comparison.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: Specs

Before we get more granular, here’s an at-a-glance look at the key Samsung Galaxy S24 specs boasted by the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: Price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus were announced at Samsung’s latest Galaxy Unpacked event on January 17, 2024. Both phones are available to order now in a choice of seven Samsung Galaxy S24 colors (more on these later).

The Galaxy S24 costs $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 for the base configuration (8GB RAM / 128GB storage), and rises to $859 / £859 / AU$1,399 for the model with 8GB RAM / 256GB storage. In Australia, there's also a third Galaxy S24 variant with 8GB RAM / 512GB, which costs AU$1,599.

The Galaxy S24 Plus costs $999.99 / £999 / AU$1,699 for the base configuration (12GB RAM / 256GB storage), and rises to $1,119.99 / £1,099 / AU$1,899 for the model with 12GB RAM / 512GB storage. 

So, if you’re running on a tighter budget in 2024, then the Galaxy S24 has the clear advantage right out of the gate: it’s $200 / £200 / AU$300 cheaper than the Galaxy S24 Plus. If you're interested, you can see our best Galaxy S24 deals page for a roundup of the current best deals.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: Design and display

Notwithstanding the latter's larger size, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus are identical phones – at least in terms of how they look.

Specifically, the Galaxy S24 measures 147 x 70.6 x 7.6mm and weighs 167g, while the Galaxy S24 Plus measures 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7mm and weighs 196g. The former has a 6.2-inch AMOLED display, while the latter has a larger 6.7-inch AMOLED display.

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Both phones have slightly narrower bezels, slightly flatter edges, and more durable Armor Aluminum frames than their respective predecessors, though their design upgrades aren't anywhere near as dramatic as those you'll find on the titanium-clad Galaxy S24 Ultra. For the most part, these are classic-looking Samsung phones, and your preference for one or the other will likely depend on your preference for compact or large-screened devices. 

As for the Samsung Galaxy S24 colors, the Galaxy S24 Plus ships in Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Sandstone Orange, Sapphire Blue and Jade Green. The latter three colors are exclusive to the Samsung store.

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Where the Galaxy S24 Plus does pull away from its little brother is through the sharpness of its 6.7-inch display. The larger phone has a WQHD+ screen, which brings it closer to the Galaxy S24 Ultra in terms of sharpness and detail. By contrast, the Galaxy S24 uses an FHD+ screen, which is still gloriously colorful and bright, but the Galaxy S24 Plus is objectively better in this regard.

Both phones, however, get the same 2,600-nit peak brightness, as well as improved outdoor visibility thanks to Samsung’s Vision Booster feature. Their refresh rates are the same, too – you’ll get 1-120Hz (instead of the 48-120Hz offered by the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus).

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: Cameras

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The cameras (and camera tricks) on the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus are identical. Both devices retain their respective predecessors' 50MP wide lens (f/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.2), 10MP telephoto lens (f/2.4, 3x optical zoom), and 12MP selfie camera (f/2.2).

Mind you, that's not necessarily a criticism; both the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus deliver consistently bright, detailed and natural-looking images, even if you'll get much more photographic versatility from the camera-focused Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Both phones share the same AI-powered photography tools, too, which let you re-compose and remaster photos. Generative Edit can fill in parts of an image background with generative AI; Edit Suggestion uses Galaxy AI to suggest suitable photo tweaks; Super HDR reveals lifelike previews before the shutter is ever pressed, and Instant Slow-mo can generate additional frames to add more detail to videos.

In other words, it's a straight draw between the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus when it comes to cameras.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: Performance and software

The performance credentials of the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus are similar, but not the same. Both devices boast either Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset or Samsung's own Exynos 2400 chipset, and the chipset you get will depend on the region in which you live. 

In previous years, this chipset discrepancy has led to some regions getting better Samsung phones than others, but in the case of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Exynos 2400, we think the performance differences are marginal (read: you'll get fantastic performance from both chipsets).

App-based multi-tasking and heavy-duty video recording won't be a problem on either the Galaxy S24 or Galaxy S24 Plus, though the latter does ship with 12GB RAM as standard (rather than 8GB RAM), so the Galaxy S24 Plus is the slightly more powerful of the two phones, if you're comparing base models. In layman's terms, the more RAM a phone has, the better it is at handling resource-intensive applications. 

With regards to gaming, both the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus offer ray tracing support, so neither phone would look out of place on our list of the best gaming phones. Again, though, the superior 12GB RAM capacity of the Galaxy S24 Plus should result in marginally better gaming performance for that device.

Both phones have exactly the same software – namely Android 14 with the latest version of Samsung’s One UI on top. As such, both phones also share the same Galaxy AI features, which range from real-time text and call translation to generative photo editing.

In terms of how long each device is supported, Samsung has committed to seven years of OS updates and seven years of security updates for every phone in the Galaxy S24 line, so it's a draw in that regard, too.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: Battery life

The Galaxy S24 has a 4,000mAh battery, while the larger Galaxy S24 Plus has a 4,900mAh battery. Both phones offer objectively impressive battery life – you'll get well over a day's worth of use from either device – but the Galaxy S24 Plus is the undisputed battery life king of the Galaxy S24 range.

In our testing, the Exynos-equipped Galaxy S24 Plus lasted well over a day and a half with moderate use, even with the always-on display enabled, while the Snapdragon-equipped Galaxy S24 Plus registered 16 hours of battery life in two separate rundown tests. Both variants of the Galaxy S24, by contrast, managed around 13 hours of battery life.

The Galaxy S24 Plus has a higher maximum charging capacity, too. The standard Galaxy S24 supports up to 25W wired charging, while the Galaxy S24 Plus supports up to 45W wired charging. Both phones support 15W wireless charging.

So, the Galaxy S24 Plus wins out in both metrics, but its smaller sibling is by no means lacking when it comes to battery life and charging speed.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: Verdict

Usually, picking between Samsung’s mainline Galaxy S and Galaxy S Plus models is a pretty simple choice. These phones typically offer nigh-on identical features and designs, with the Plus having a more expansive display and superior battery life. Conversely, the regular Galaxy S is always easier to lug around and cheaper to buy.

Some of those distinctions still ring true for the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus, but for the first time, the Plus pulls away from its smaller brother with a better display and more RAM; and that's on top of the usual battery life and charging speed differences.

Of course, you'll have to pay $200 / £200 / AU$300 more for the privilege of owning the Galaxy S24 Plus, and its 6.7-inch screen won't be for everyone. But there's no denying that the gap between the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24 Plus is larger than the gap between last year's Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus.

That said, the Galaxy S24 is still an exceptional phone, and the superior features of the Galaxy S24 Plus will only come to the fore if you decide to push your smartphone to the absolute limit. Most people won't do that, and so, ultimately, the same question remains: do you prefer a small phone, or a large phone?

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