First Samsung Galaxy S24 design leak takes side cues from the iPhone
Just as last year around this time, the complete design of Samsung's next Galaxy S-series of phones has leaked out. As usual, on of the most trusted and credible leakers out there - Steve "McFly" Hemmerstoffer of @onleaks fame - is starting with the smallest, cutest member of Samsung's Galaxy S24 family and we hope they will build up to the Galaxy S24 Ultra in a short timeframe.
New Samsung Galaxy S24 design features
As can be seen from the Galaxy S24 design renders based on the phone's CAD files, there will be a new side frame. The pictures and 360 video sent by Steve to Smartpix showcase an edgy Galaxy S24 with much flatter sides compared to its S23 predecessor.
Deprived of the sloping curve that phones from the Galaxy S line typically employ, the Galaxy S24 looks very much like, say, an iPhone 15 Pro, or a Sony Xperia with their blocky shapes and sawed off sides.
Samsung Galaxy S24 image render
Does the new Galaxy S24 design mean that Samsung will employ new frame material like Apple did with the iPhone 15 Pro series? That remains to be heard, but given that this will be the cheapest member of Samsung's 2024 flagship series, we don't expect any titanium to make a cameo in it.
Besides the flattening of the sides, the other big visible design change in the Galaxy S24 is the elliptical area below the side keys. No, it's not a capacitive "Capture" button like the one rumored to make a cameo on the iPhone 16, but the CAD files rather say that this is an Ultra Wideband (UWB) antenna, like on the US versions of the S23 that need to work on Verizon.
Verizon's Galaxy S23 has similar elliptical area for the UWB antenna
The mmWave bands that Verizon is so fond of deliver those blazing fast Gigabit 5G network speeds that the carrier likes to boast with but don't travel far and have trouble penetrating through obstacles so taking an antenna as close to the surface as possible helps with signal strength.
Judging from the different finish where the purported antenna lies on the Galaxy S24 frame, Samsung could've also covered the area with something that would be easier for network signal to get through than the perhaps new metal alloy it will use for the sides. Does this mean that the international S24 version will also get Ultra Wideband mmWave 5G capabilities? It remains to be heard.
Other than that conspicuous UWB thingy on the side and the blocky design, the S24 looks have remained largely unchanged. The vertical camera arrangement with separate lens isles and the matte finish will apparently stay, as will the 6.1-inch display diagonal. The overall Galaxy S24 dimensions of 147 x 70.5 x 7.6 mm are also very similar to the S23's 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm sizing.
Samsung Galaxy S24 front and rear design
Galaxy S24 specs upgrades to expect
Besides the slight change in dimensions necessitated by the new flat sides of the Galaxy S24, the sources tip that Samsung isn't embarking on any drastic hardware upgrade quests.
Granted, we can reasonably expect that the Galaxy S24 will be one of the first phones with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, but the camera and battery configurations are expected to stay. The battery pack would border on the 4,000 mAh mark, while the tried and true 50MP main camera, followed by a 12MP ultrawide snapper and a 10MP 3x telephoto kit is said to remain unchanged, unless there are some sensor upgrades.
It remains to be felt how the flat sides of the Galaxy S24 would affect the phone's holding ergonomics, but it will most likely be put in case immediately after purchase anyway. The more interesting question to solve is why did Samsung decide to include a dedicated UWB antenna area on the side and whether than means a new fame material, but those answers will remain for a later date when the Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra design leaks as well.
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