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      Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus vs Galaxy S24 Ultra: The Showdown!

      Mondo Admin / 07-02-2024 / Tech

      Did you hear? Galaxy AI has finally arrived, making its grand debut in the new Galaxy S24 series. This means our smartphones are about to get a whole lot smarter, so with the S24 range officially hitting South African markets on February 14, the question is: are you ready to get your hands on Samsung’s best smartphones, or should we say “smarter phones”?

      To get you prepared to choose the perfect Galaxy S24 for you, we're comparing the best of the best: the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus and the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

      The display plot twist!

      We kick off this epic showdown with the displays. You'd expect the Galaxy S24 Ultra to steal the spotlight but get ready for a plot twist.

      The Galaxy S24 Plus is stepping up its game with some serious upgrades, bringing it closer to its fancier sibling. In a bold move, it flaunts a larger display than the previous generation at 6.7 inches, just a slight bit smaller than the 6.8-inch screen on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This tiny size gap marks a first for the range but hold onto your excitement because there’s a lot more propelling the Plus to the top.

      In past releases, the Galaxy Plus lagged in resolution compared to the Ultra. But that’s a thing of the past, as both devices now boast the same Quad HD+ (QHD+) resolution. In other words, the highest, sharpest screen resolution is in two Galaxy phones.

      Samsung has also cranked up the peak brightness across its entire range, from 1750 Nits in the past two generations to an incredible 2600 nits this time around, making it the brightest Samsung smartphone display to date.

      Cameras powered by AI

      Before we break down the differences between the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Plus, let's talk about the new ProVisual engine that powers the cameras across the range. It’s where a new generation of AI meets photography.

      Samsung describes this as a “suite of AI tools that transform image capturing abilities and maximise creative freedom every step of the way, from setting up a shot all the way to sharing it on social”. 

      The ProVisual engine has essentially boosted the camera performance without the need for costly hardware upgrades. You get improvements across the board, from night photography and zoom capabilities to noise reduction, colour reproduction and innovative editing. A major highlight is Samsung’s use of advanced video noise removal technology on both the front and back cameras, which detects the difference between a the movement of the person recording and the subject, resulting in clearer videos, even in distant or darker environments.

      You also have plenty of other AI features to look forward to, such as Magic Eraser and Generative Edits.

      Galaxy S24 Ultra cameras 

      Any guesses which phone reaps the most rewards from these enhancements? Of course, it’s the Galaxy S24 Ultra. With its four rear cameras, it effortlessly maximises the full power of the ProVisual engine.

      Its main camera and zooming capabilities have also levelled up. To start off, it features a brand new 50MP telephoto camera boasting 5x optical zoom and 10x optical quality zoom. It takes over from the 10MP periscope lens and is enhanced by AI for cleaner and more detailed photos.

      The iconic 200MP main camera remains but now flaunts a 60% larger pixel size to soak up more light in darker environments. This means your night photography just got a whole lot better. Three cameras have remained from the previous version, including a 12MP ultrawide camera, 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom and 12MP selfie camera.

      And just like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung is keeping the cosmic vibes alive with Astrophotography, which is taken it up a notch with deep learning-based AI that enhances the trailblazing 100x Space Zoom feature.

      Galaxy S24 Plus cameras 

      The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus is no slouch, featuring a 50MP main camera, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, a 12MP ultra-wide camera and a 12MP selfie snapper. Sure, it might not outshine the main camera and fancy new telephoto lens on the Ultra, but let's not underestimate this powerhouse.

      The S24 Plus does a stellar job of capturing scenes with clarity, detail and a burst of vibrancy. And the fact that you now get a larger display to fully appreciate the brilliance of the cameras and AI enhancements is a definitive win that delivers a massive step up from last year's model.

      The fastest Snapdragon arrives

      Are you the type of person who demands top-notch performance and expects nothing but the best? Well, the Galaxy Samsung S24 Ultra is ready to meet your high standards.

      Fuelled by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, exclusively optimised for Galaxy, the Ultra is a beast in the performance department. It goes above and beyond, offering a faster performance compared to the standard version of Qualcomm's fastest chipset.

      So how does the Galaxy S24 Plus compare? It features Samsung’s flagship chipset in most parts of the world, the Exynos 2400, and the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset in the USA and China, both of which offer more than enough power to impress the most discerning users.

      Both phones are powerful, facilitating graphic-intense gaming, smooth multitasking, sharp cameras and advanced AI.

      Battery for all-day shenanigans

      The good news is that both devices effortlessly handle any type of use, no matter how heavy. Thanks to a 5000mAh battery on the Ultra and a 4900mAh battery on the Plus, you can confidently breeze through the entire day with some juice left over. The word from Samsung is that these devices get you more than a whole day of internet usage or video playback, giving you one more reason to pick up a new Galaxy S24 Plus or Ultra when it’s time for an upgrade.  

      And the verdict is… 

      Samsung has brought the Galaxy S24 Plus within striking distance of the Galaxy S24 Ultra at a whopping R9000 less. Yet, the Ultra comfortably lives up to its name. If you're ready to loosen the purse strings, rest assured you're splurging on the absolute best because Samsung held nothing back. Plus, you’ll be wielding the S Pen stylus and rocking the sturdiest Galaxy to date, made with the resilience of titanium.

      TECH NEWS

      Samsung’s 100 Megapixel Camera is Coming!

      It’s no secret that the camera has always been the smartphone’s strongest selling point. With the growing popularity of social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, users have become photo-centric, constantly chasing after the best cameras to produce the best pictures to share with their followers. In fact, digital camera sales have taken a dip since the rise of the camera phone, which allows users to carry one device that performs many functions rather than purchasing a specific device for each of their needs. The first phone with a built-in camera was manufactured by Samsung in the year 2000. This digital camera could take up 20 photos at 350 000-pixels, or 0.35-megapixels, but you could only access your photos by connecting to a computer. By the year 2003, camera phones were becoming more popular with better specs and lower prices. In 2004, Sprint released a phone with a 1.3-megapixel camera that could capture images, share them wirelessly and even allowed you to print them. Finnish manufacturer Nokia jumped on the bandwagon in 2005 and released a 2 megapixel camera on their N90 model. Shortly after, the world was introduced to Sony Ericsson, whose aim was to steal the crown from Nokia. They adopted Sony’s Cybershot digital camera branding, which earned them first place in the camera phone market. The Sony Ericsson K800i was released in 2006 with a 3.2-megapixel camera that had auto focus, image stability and a Xenon flash. The baton was passed back to Samsung when they released the first ever 5-megapixel camera and then the 8 megapixel camera in 2008. The smartphone camera race continued, with Samsung appearing to be the winner with their release of the M8910 Pixon 12, which had a 12MP camera, in 2009. However, they were soon bested by Nokia’s N8 in 2010 and then the 16MP Sony Ericsson S006 that came at the end of 2010. Fast forward a few years and Samsung are at it again! To maintain their position in the market, the technology giant has decided to partner up with Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi to create the world’s first 108-megapixel camera. Current high-end smartphones typically host cameras with between 12 and 16-megapixel resolutions, so a 108 megapixel camera would be a massive improvement to the conventional smartphone camera. The Isocell Bright HMX is designed to shoot incredibly detailed photos and is said to be comparable to a top DSLR camera. You can expect to capture better low-lit images as this camera will merge pixels to absorb more light. In terms of video recording, no smartphone camera will have better capabilities than this one. It will be capable of shooting up to 6K resolution at 30 frames per second which is very impressive compared to the 4K resolution at 60 frames per second limit of other smartphones. It’s been predicted that Xiaomi will release a smartphone with a similar camera before Samsung does, and even though Samsung has announced that production on these camera lenses begun at the end of August, they’ve remained tight-lipped about when we’ll be seeing a device with the 108-megapixel camera on the shelves.

      Read More...

      Samsung Galaxy A Series: Flagship Experiences on a Budget

      South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung has blazed a trail in the local smartphone market with the launch of their mid-tier A series cell phones that give their more expensive flagship counterparts a run for their money. Most likely, this range was created in response to stiff competition in the mid-tier smartphone category from the likes of Chinese rivals Huawei and Xiaomi. The company launched the Galaxy A2 Core, A10, A20, A30, A50, A70 and the A80 in South Africa this year, with the A90 expected soon. The A Series is a welcome change in pace for the company’s mid-tier devices, as the range now offers you a premium look and feel at a lower cost, as well as upgrades to the internals to give these devices more power and features, such as triple-lens camera systems on selected models. Let’s take a quick look at each model in the Galaxy A range: Galaxy A2 Core A simple but powerful entry-level device, the Galaxy A2 Core features the Android Go operating system, which is designed to optimise performance through the device’s hardware. Android Go is a lite version of the OS but allows devices like the A2 Core to offer a smooth user experience at an affordable cost. The A2 Core also features 5 MP cameras on the rear and face of the device and can support an SD card of up to 512GB, complementing its 8GB or 16GB of onboard storage. This will allow the user to cram more music and pictures into the device. The A2 Core also comes fitted with a 5-inch display. Galaxy A10 & A20 The Galaxy A10 and Galaxy A20 smartphones have many similarities. While both come with the Android 9.0 operating system, one of the most distinct differences is the screen size, as the A10 features a 6.2-inch display, while the A20 features a slightly larger 6.4-inch AMOLED display. Both devices feature the same processor, with the A10 featuring 2GB of RAM and the A20 fitted with 3GB of RAM. Another major difference between the devices is that the A20 features a dual 13MP and 5MP rear camera, while the A10 offers a 13MP rear camera. The A20 offers an 8MP front camera versus the A10’s 5MP shooter. Both smartphones pack 32GB of internal storage. Galaxy A30 & A50 The A30 and A50 smartphones set a new benchmark for affordable smartphones in the mid-tier category. The A30 comes with 64GB of onboard storage, while the A50 offers a massive 128GB of storage. Both devices feature a gorgeous 6.4-inch AMOLED display, the Android 9.0 operating system, 4GB of RAM and all-day battery-life thanks to a colossal 4000 mAh battery, usually found in premium smartphones. The A50 smartphone features a triple rear camera setup with a 25MP, 8MP and 5MP cameras offering great wide screen shots, while the A30 features a dual 16MP and 5MP rear camera configuration. The A50 sports a powerful 25MP selfie camera and the A30 a 16MP front camera. Galaxy A70 & A80 Essentially competing in the premium smartphone segment, the A80 is set to become one of the most unique smartphones available on the South African market. The A80 will feature one of the first pop-up rotating camera modules, consisting of a powerful 48MP wide lens, 8MP ultra-wide lens and a Time of Flight (TOF) 3D camera to capture not only images from the rear but also for selfies. The device sports a 3700mAh battery and 128GB of onboard storage, with a 6.7-inch display. The Galaxy A70 features a slightly larger 4500mAh battery compared to the A80 but will run off the same processor and operating system – Android 9.0. The A70 smartphone features a triple camera module consisting of a 32MP lens, 8MP wide-angle lens and 5MP depth sensing lens with a 32MP selfie camera. Read the reviews: Galaxy A2 Core Galaxy A10 Galaxy A20

      Read More...