Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 – live reports from the Galaxy S24 launch event
Today’s the day we’ll see the official reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S24 range, comprising the standard S24, Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra, all taking part at the first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked of 2024.
Going by the rumors so far, it looks like today’s Unpacked will be focused on new smartphones, with no murmurs of the Galaxy Ring making an appearance. But artificial intelligence is set to play a big role, with Samsung having already teased the use of AI for its next-generation Galaxy phones. Expect to see generative AI features akin to the Google Pixel 8‘s Magic Editor and more.
If you want to watch the showcase live then check out our guide on how to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024. And for initial impressions and reactions, do make sure to follow the TechRadar TikTok account.
But for all the updated from Galaxy Unpacked and the last-minute tips, rumors and leaks, you’re already in the right place. So read on for our Galaxy Unpacked live blog.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 live: last-minute leaks, rumors and more
Good morning! It’s Roland Moore-Colyer here, managing editor of Mobile Computing at TechRadar and your sherpa in the run up to Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 and what we expect to be the launch of the Galaxy S24 series.
So join me, dear reader, as I chew over any last-minute leak and rumors, as well as what we know so far.
(Image credit: @OnLeaks / @SmartPrix)
So I’d bet a small fortune (if I had one) on this Unpacked being very smartphone focused, with the official unveiling of the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra taking place.
What may look like iterative upgrades are apparently tipped to come with a whole suite of generative AI features.
‘What the heck is generative AI?’ I imagine you asking. Well, it’s when artificial intelligence algorithms are used to make something new rather than serve up existing data or figure out if its a dog or a cat in a photo.
ChatGPT is one example of generative AI. While the smart tech in Google’s Pixel 8 and its Magic Editor is another. Tech fanatics tout it as revolutionary, while others tend to think it may be a handy tool at best or a mess at worse.
(Image credit: Samsung)
For the Galaxy S24 series, generative AI is almost certainly going to yield Samsung’s own take on Google’s Magic Editor. But from the rumors of the Galaxy S24 being able to detect the tone of texts, I suspect there’ll be more to the phone’s AI than just image manipulation.
Expect text translation, summaries and data extraction as a bare minimum.
Of course, Samsung will need to bring its A-game to AI if it’s to compete with the AI-centric Pixel phones. But with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 tipped to be at the heart of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and perhaps other Galaxy S24 models, the phone should have the hardware to power onboard AI tools.
(Image credit: Samsung)
Speaking of chips, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus are tipped to use the new Exynos 2400 silicon outside the US and China. Normally that would make tech fans groan as the Exynos chips have always played second fiddle to their Snapdragon counterparts.
But early Galaxy S24 benchmarks and the promise of improved hardware-accelerated ray tracing could make for more impressive Exynos part than ever before.
If you want a rundown of all the rumored specs for the Galaxy S24 phones, then check out our round up of the Galaxy S24 specs rumors and the Galaxy S24 Ultra specs rumors.
The latter phone naturally has the more impressive parts tipped for it, but the former two aren’t likely to be slouches either.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
If you want to see how the Galaxy S24 Ultra could square up to its main rivals, do take a look at our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 15 showdowns.
If these rumors are anything to go by, then the Galaxy S24 may indeed be worth waiting for.
When it comes to phones worth waiting for, I’m casually excited about the Galaxy S24 Ultra. While it’s going to be a lot like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, a phone I’m using at the moment, I think a host of small tweaks could make it rather compelling.
A tipped 50-megapixel main camera on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and a new titanium-framed design, has my attention…
Let’s dig into the 50MP telephoto camera that’s set to have a 5x zoom and replace the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 10x optical zoom lens. What might seem like a downgrade in optical range should offer greater detail and the scope to easily crop into 10x without a huge loss in quality.
As someone who loved the periscope 5x camera on the Oppo Find X2 Pro, I’m all for a 5x optical zoom with a higher megapixel sensor over a lower-quality 10x camera.
(Image credit: Oppo)
No other major camera hardware upgrades have been tipped for Galaxy S24 family, but I’m forecasting improvements on the software side to go alongside the AI tools and features.
There’s scope for improved nighttime photography and video. But I’m hoping for Samsung to keep pushing forward with the work it’s done on making photos on the main camera more natural and not overly saturated with color.
Neither have we heard much about any big video recording improvements for the Galaxy S24 series. But there’s scope of improved stabilization and thus better clarity and low-light performance.
Sure, the Galaxy phones can do 8K video but they still lose out to iPhones in sheer quality and ease-of-use. I’m really hoping Samsung has done some work here.
(Image credit: Samsung)
Let’s swing back round to the rumors: yesterday, leaked Galaxy S24 pre-order bonuses hinted at a good value proposition for the next-gen Galaxy phones.
But I reckon if the Galaxy S24 comes in at under $800 / £800 it could be onto a winner, especially if it does indeed get all the rumored AI tech. I’ve always rather liked the standard Galaxy S phones, and I’m hoping the S24 variant continues to impress.
