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Intro
The 2024 is coming to an end but Samsung's Galaxy S24 range is still one of the best if you are in the market for Android phones (we expect the Galaxy S25 series to land sometime in January, 2025). The design is great and the performance is also up there with the best phones thanks to Qualcomm's top-of-the-line chips, super-bright OLED displays, and a slew of generative AI features. Samsung really outdid itself with the latest Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S24 Plus, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
And right now, it's challenging to pass up Samsung's flagship lineup: the next one is scheduled to appear early next year, so it's the perfect time to get one of these Android powerhouses.
This article compares the Galaxy S24 and its bigger brother, the Galaxy S24 Plus. What are the main differences between these two flagships? How do they stack up against each other? Is it just size and battery/display size, or is there something else that could make or break your buying decision?
Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S24 Plus differences in a nutshell:
Galaxy S24
Galaxy S24 Plus
New design with flat sides
New design, flatter sides
Slightly bigger and brighter 6.17-inch screen
Slightly larger 6.7-inch display with 2,600 nits of brightness
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip in the US Exynos 2400 in some other markets
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip in the US Exynos 2400 in some other markets
8/128GB base model, 8/256GB option
12/256GB base memory, 12/512GB top variant
Same camera hardware as last year
Same camera system as the vanilla model
Slightly bigger than last year's S23 4,000mAh battery but still smaller compared to the Plus model
Bigger, 4,900 mAh battery with the potential to last longer
The Samsung Galaxy S24 with 256GB of storage is now $80 cheaper than usual at Amazon. At present, the only discounted color option is the one in Marble Gray.
You can purchase a fully unlocked Galaxy S24 Ultra via the official Samsung store. The almighty AI genius arrives for up to $750 off with an eligible phone trade-in. This is the 256GB model.
Galaxy S24+: up to $600 off with eligible trade-in
If you don't care much for the latest and greatest flagship model from Samsung, consider the S24+. The middle member of the S24 family is currently up to $600 off with eligible trade-ins.
The S24 arrives at Samsung as well. Right now, there are no discounts available before trade-ins, but you can trade in an eligible device to save up to $400. Online exclusive colors available.
One of the biggest and most obvious differences between the vanilla and the Plus model in Samsung's portfolio has always been the size of the display. This year's not an exception. As far as design goes, unsurprisingly, these two look identical, except for the sheer size. The Galaxy S24 Plus is just an enlarged version of the S24, more or less. Finally, both models feature flat displays and the frame curves ever so slightly where it meets the back glass for better grip, which is good for ergonomics.
Unlike the titanium Galaxy S24 Ultra, both the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24 Plus employ aluminum frames, which Samsung calls Armor Aluminum. Light but robust, aluminum is not as premium as titanium, but surely works pretty well for the two relatively compact phones. Complete water- and dust-resistance (IP68) is retained on both models.
The colors are also identical between the two models, with one difference. The Galaxy S24 features a matte finish, while the Galaxy S24 Plus is glossy. Here are the available colors:
Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus colors:
Cobalt violet
Amber yellow
Marble gray
Onyx black
Jade Green (Samsung.com exclusive)
Sapphire Blue (Samsung.com exclusive)
Sandstone Orange (Samsung.com exclusive)
There's not much difference between these two when it comes to design, as we already told you. If you're making a buying decision based on the design, there's only one thing that matters - size. The Galaxy S24 is 147 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm (5.79 x 2.78 x 0.30 in), and weighs 268g (5.93oz), while the Galaxy S24 Plus comes at 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm (6.24 x 3.00 x 0.30 in), and weighs 233g (6.95oz). Let's see if there are other differences hidden deep inside these two devices.
The Galaxy S24 features a slightly larger (compared to its predecessor) 6.2-inch AMOLED display, while the Galaxy S24 Plus comes with a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen. The larger screen sizes come as a result of the slimmer and uniform bezels. The resolution is FHD+ or 1080 x 2340 and QHD+ or 1440 x 3200 pixels respectively.
Both phones feature LTPO panels that allow them to dynamically switch display refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz, and Samsung has bumped up the peak brightness across all S24 models to 2,600 nits. According to our display benchmark tests, both devices have mostly similar display properties, with equivalent maximum/minimum brightness, color renditions, etc.
The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set(area)of colors that a display can reproduce,with the sRGB colorspace(the highlighted triangle)serving as reference.The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x:CIE31' and 'y:CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.
The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display's measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.
The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance(balance between red,green and blue)across different levels of grey(from dark to bright).The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones,the better.
We perform our display lab tests in a controlled environment, using specialised light metering equipment. Some small discrepancies are a given, but the results are generally what you would experience when using the phone yourself. As you can see, we got a different result than the claimed 2,600 nits of peak brightness on the S24 and S24 Plus, but that is almost always the case, as manufacturers tend to measure a very small area where the display can reach its optimal brightness.
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Performance and Software
Gemini
Unsurprisingly, both the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24 Plus come with the latest Qualcomm chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The chip bears the "for Galaxy" moniker, which means it's slightly overclocked and optimized to work with the S24 series. Samsung has redesigned and optimized the cooling system too, so heat dissipation should be better on these new flagships.
The memory configuration is in favor of the bigger and more expensive model. The S24 Plus starts at 12GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage, while the vanilla S24 comes in an 8GB/128GB base configuration. This is indeed the only notable difference between the two models, regarding the hardware inside. There's no microSD card expansion on neither of the two, but that's to be expected.
Since both the S24 and S24 Plus carry the same chipset, there are almost zero differences in their performance scores during our benchmark tests. That being said, the larger body of the Plus model is easier to cool, which is probably why it has fared a tiny bit better in the graphics department.
On the software front there are a lot of improvements. Samsung is hopping on the AI train and this year we have Galaxy AI, powered by a hybrid on-device and cloud system. This AI aims to make your life easier and offers some very cool features, such as the ability to translate voice calls, voice and text messages in real time, transcribe audio, search interactively inside apps, get note summaries and many more. Check out our full Galaxy S24 reviews for a deep dive in all those cool new AI features.
What matters in this comparison is that both the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24 Plus feature the full set of AI magic, so there's no need to sacrifice anything if you choose one model over the other.
The software update situation has changed drastically, probably to react to the Pixel 8. Samsung will now offer seven years of major OS updates with the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24 Plus. To illustrate this, here are all the Android versions both the S24 and the S24 Plus will get:
The Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus feature identical camera systems, with three cameras on the back and one hole-punch selfie camera on the front. Here's the full rundown:
12MP Ultra-Wide Camera F2.2, FOV 120˚
50MP Wide Camera OIS F1.8, FOV 85˚
10MP Telephoto Camera 3x Optical Zoom, F2.4, FOV 36˚
12MP Front Camera F2.2, FOV 80˚
This might sound disappointing but, as we all know, computational photography is king nowadays. And with the help of the newly announced Galaxy AI system, both phones should produce better shots (compared to their respective predecessors). Samsung promise improved low-light performance, resulting in sharper, brighter, and smoother night photos and videos. There's some clever gyro magic going on, supported by AI algorithms that distinguish between your movements and the object movements to offer better stabilization.
Here are some samples from the Galaxy S24 for further reference:
The algorithms behind the color representation have also been tuned and Samsung says you should expect more realistic colors from your photos and videos. We will test this as soon as possible and include samples for your viewing pleasure. Again, the key takeaway here is that the camera system is identical on both phones, so you can't use it as a reason to choose one model over the other.
Audio Quality and Haptics
There are no huge upgrades to the stereo system on both the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24 Plus. The same goes for the haptic motors in both phones; there's no need for these to be upgraded, as the last generation already offers great haptics and audio quality.
A slight difference comes from the size difference between the two devices. The bigger Galaxy S24 Plus is a tad more resonant and more bassy due to the bigger space available for the soundwaves.
Battery Life and Charging
Advantage Plus
The bigger size of the Galaxy S24 Plus gave Samsung a chance to put inside a bigger battery. Samsung managed to give a slight boost in battery capacity to both models, but the advantage of the Plus is rather obvious. The vanilla Galaxy S24 comes with a 4,000mAh battery cell inside, while the bigger sibling takes things to 4,900mAh, very close to S24 Ultra territory.
The S24 Plus wins hands down, and it's not surprising, not in the slightest. Let's see how both phones tackle our charging test. The Plus supports faster wired charging with up to 45W of power, while the S24 is stuck in the past with the 25W we know from its predecessor.
As per the PhoneArena battery charging test, each phone gets fully topped up in around an hour time. A 30-minute charge, however, gets you more than 50% of battery charge on either phone, so a couple of quick charges here and there will keep your device alive for the duration of the day.
Wireless charging is, as usual, slower. The PhoneArena wireless charging test, which is conducted with the Samsung's own fast wireless charger, reveals that the convenience of charging your phone sans cables will cost you greatly in terms of charging times.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy in US Exynos 2400 in RoW 4nm
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy in the US Exynos 2400 in RoW 4nm
RAM, Storage
8/128GB 8/256GB
LPDDR 5X
12/256GB 12/512GB
LPDDR 5X
Cameras
50MP main 12MP ultra 12MP 3X zoom
12MP front
50MP main 12MP ultra 12MP 3X zoom
12MP front
Battery
4,000 mAh
4,900 mAh
Charging
USB-C 25W wired 10W wireless
USB-C 45W wired 10W wireless
Summary and Final Verdict
So there you have it! Our detailed comparison between the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus. There's almost no difference between these two phones, apart from the size, battery and what comes along with it.
If you have to decide between the two, the valid question to be asked is: do you need a bigger screen and a larger battery, and are you prepared to pay extra for those? Other than that, the S24 and the S24 Plus are almost identical and offer a very similar user experience.
One further notice. The Galaxy S25 series is just around the corner! Samsung will most likely announce the next generation of flagship phones sometime in January 2025. This means that you should probably hold your horses and wait for the launch to happen.
For starters, this will bring the price of the Galaxy S24 devices down, if you fancy getting one of those. And secondly, it will give you an option to get the new model, if it happens to float your boat. So, stay tuned for the Galaxy S25 announcement and don't make sudden movements toward the "buy" button. At least not yet.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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