On January 17th, Samsung revealed its new line of smartphones at its 2024 Galaxy Unpacked event. The S24 Ultra, in particular, is a big step up from the previous generation, boasting many new advancements with their AI powered software, making it clear they want to take back the throne from the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Starting with the hardware, the S24 Ultra features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, an 8 core CPU which is optimised for AI. This CPU also out performs the A17 Pro chip found in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, according to NanoReview. Furthermore, it flaunts a 6.8 inch AMOLED display, 12GB of RAM, a 5,000mAh battery (providing around 14 hours of use), and a whopping 200MP main camera, over 4x what you’d find on the iPhone.
Impressive hardware aside, the standout features of this phone come from its software, more specifically, its use of AI:
- Circle to Search – see a pair of shoes you like on Instagram? No problem! This feature allows you to highlight any object within a photo, then Samsung’s AI will search the internet for that exact product or place, without the need to change application.
- Chat Assist – within the built in keyboard, you’re able to change your messages to better suit a particular tone. For example, if you’re sending an important message to your boss, the AI will help you sound much more formal and professional.
- Live Translate – this feature does exactly as described, translating live speech over the phone into 13 different supported languages. This is one of the more practical uses of AI, and whilst it is still not perfect, I’m sure Samsung will continue to improve it over the years.
- Notes – if you’re like me, your notes app if often filled with disorganised notetaking, however, Samsung’s autoformat feature can take care of that. It will summarise your notes, adding subtitles, bullet points, and descriptions wherever necessary. It’s very accurate too, meaning notetaking has never been easier.
There are many other uses of AI packed into the S24 Ultra, like slow-motion videos and advanced voice recording, and it will be interesting to see how many people will use them in the real world when it’s released later this month.
