Samsung Galaxy S24: rumours, leaks and expected release date

It's nearly that time already. It might seem like only yesterday that the iPhone 15 broke cover, but chances are a Samsung Galaxy S24 announcement is fast approaching. 

Samsung usually unveils its latest Galaxy S handset at the start of the year, and the leaks are already coming thick and fast.

So what do they say? They point to a handset that could well challenge the likes of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Sony Xperia 10 IV as one of the best smartphones for music and movies. But it could also pack a worrying downgrade in a crucial area...

Here's everything we know so far.

Samsung Galaxy S24 rumours at a glance

• Three models rumoured: Samsung Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra
• Same screen tech rumoured for all three: LTPO, M13 displays with 2500 nits peak brightness
• S24 Ultra rumoured to cut analogue zoom from 10x to 5x
• But it will reportedly keep 100x digital zoom
• Rumoured processor: Samsung Exynos 2400 / Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• Thought to launch in January 2024
• Prices expected to start at £849 / $800 / AU$1349

Samsung Galaxy S24: release date rumours

Samsung usually unveils its newest Galaxy S range around the start of the year, and this year looks no different. Rumours say the Galaxy S24 will arrive in the first quarter of the year, but one tipster has been much more specific.

That tipster is IceUniverse, who has a decent track record of smartphone leaks. He reckons the S24 will land on 18th January (via SamMobile). He caveats this by saying that might not be the exact date, though he expects it to launch around then.

This tallies with a previous report saying Samsung would unveil the S24 earlier than usual to try to temper strong demand for the iPhone 15.

Samsung launched the Galaxy S23 on 1st February 2023, so a mid-January launch for the S24 wouldn't be a huge shock. Previously, Samsung has announced its Galaxy S variants as late as March.

• Samsung Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14: which is better?
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: battle of the big boys

Samsung Galaxy S24: price predictions

When it comes to smartphones, the price is one of the last things to be decided. As such, we haven't see any price leaks yet. But we can take an educated guess.

The Galaxy S23 started at £849 / $800 / AU$1349, though this price has since come down in some regions (it now sells for around £700 / $800 / AU$1249).

In some regions, that launch price was a slight increase on the S22 (£80 extra in the UK, but just AU$10 in Australia), while in the US, the price held steady. With the iPhone 15 starting at £799 / $799 / AU$1499, we would imagine Samsung will price the S24 the same as the S23 to try to convert some of Apple's customers.

Samsung Galaxy S24: specifications leaks

It's still early days, so concrete details are hard to come by regarding the phone's specification. But there are plenty of rumours suggesting what we can ex-spec-t.

As with previous Galaxy S phones, the S24 is said to use a different processor depending on region. In Asia, Africa and Europe, it's predicted to use Samsung's own Exynos 2400 chip, while Canada, China, and the US are thought to get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 version as an exclusive.

Again, three models are expected: the standard Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra. The S24 and S24 Plus are thought to have 12GB RAM and 256GB/512GB storage, while the S24 Ultra could step up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage.

Battery-wise, not much seems to have changed. The S24 Ultra is thought to have the same 5000mAh battery as its predecessor, while the S24 Plus and S24 get bumps of 200mAh and 100mAh respectively (to 4900mAh and 4000mAh).

They are also rumoured to sport two-way satellite connectivity, to help you contact help in an emergency. This sounds very similar to the iPhone 15's Emergency SOS feature.

The S24 phones are rumoured to come in four core colours (black, grey, violet or yellow), with three additional to be online exclusives (orange, light green and light blue).

Samsung Galaxy S24: display hearsay

Rumours say the S24 range will have the same-sized screens as the S23 family (6.8in, 6.6in and 6.1in), but with one major change – Samsung is apparently giving all S24 phones its top screen-tech.

That is according to leaker Revegnus (via GSMArena). If true, that would mean each S24 handset would have LTPO, M13 displays with 2500 nits of peak brightness. Previously, only the Ultra variant featured an LTPO panel which meant it was able to go brighter than the others.

This would also be the first time variable refresh rate has been available on Samsung handsets other than the Ultra. A variable refresh rate allows the phone to alter dynamically how often it refreshes depending on what content it is displaying – higher for busier content, lower for static content. Not only does this mean it is able to more accurately portray what's on screen without blur or judder, it should also increase battery life.

Samsung Galaxy S24: camera conjecture

The S23 Ultra has one of the best cameras on any smartphone. In our review, we called it "brilliant, fusing top-notch performance with intuitive software, meaning even the most amateur of photographers can snap a quality image."

According to rumours, Samsung will tweak the camera specs for the S24, and will actually downgrade it in one respect. According to reliable tipster Ice Universe, the S24 Ultra will replace the 10x optical zoom with a 5x mechanism. But this shouldn't diminish its zooming abilities too much, as it will reportedly keep the 100x digital zoom (according to RGcloudS). It's likely the downgrade from 10x to a 5x optical zoom is to help make the camera more steady – unless you use a tripod, it is very difficult to keep the camera stable when zoomed in 10x.

The same tipster says the S24 Ultra will have the following quad camera arrangement on the back.

• Main 200MP HP2SX 1/1.3" sensor with 0.6μm pixel size.
• Ultra-Wide 12MP Sony IMX564 1/2.55" sensor with 1.4μm pixel size.
• 3x Telephoto 10MP Sony IMX754+ 1/3.52" sensor with 1.12μm pixel size.
• 5x Telephoto 48MP GMU 1/2.25" sensor with 0.8μm pixel size

However, some have said that they believe Samsung will use a 50MP sensor rather than the 48MP one quoted by RGcloudS. So these specifications are by no means set in stone.

Samsung Galaxy S24: early verdict

We're still more than two months away from the S24 launch – and that's if the rumoured launch date is accurate, of course – so take these leaks and rumours with a pinch of salt. But a lot of the S23 rumours proved to be on the money, so they are always worth paying attention to.

Most exciting is the rumour that Samsung will unify the display tech across all three S24 variants. That would be a big win over Apple, which seems to be widening the gap between its Pro and non-Pro iPhones with every generation. Roll on the new year.

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