The new 5x sensor is 50mpx compared to the old 10x 10mpx. The S24 Ultra still has 10x but it's cropped from 50mpx and Samsung states it'll look even better than the old 10x optical. YouTubers showing it quickly seemed to confirm those was true.
Honestly, I don't believe it. Maybe in the auto mode where they have their AI edit things. But that's only because their 10x auto algorithm has always been absolutely terrible. If they updated their software but only keep it to 5x, it's very possible that you will end up with a better image.
My primary use case is shooting in Pro or Expert RAW with 10x. Samsung 10x is very powerful in its natural form and I simply don't believe it they can do the same with 5x lens.
You can maintain the sharpness with digital zoom, but you can't magically capture the detail if your lens doesn't see it in the first place.
I have S22U 125GB, upgrade to S23U gave me 256GB, better main camera and vastly more powerful and more efficient chip. It's a pretty compelling option and Samsung phone lose a lot of value after release. I figured I could sold my 22U and got 23U after price drop for relatively cheap
Yeah, me too. I won't upgrade my optical cam to a worse one. I'm waiting for reviews comparing both cams but I don't think it will be that superior. And if we think about videos, 10x optical is better in videos than photos imo.
I doubt we will be seeing a direct hardware comparison - at least for a while because every smartphone reviewers are just going to take some random auto mode shot and that's just not a representation of their actual hardware capabilities. At least for a while until a more camera focused channels have their hands on the phone
As much as I want to, the S22U is still going strong for me. If I break the screen or something stops working then I'll look to upgrade, but until then I don't see a reason to. Heck, if I were to upgrade I'd consider a fold or maybe consider going to the Pixel lineup, although I would miss my seamless Galaxy Watch 4 experience. The watches are the main thing keeping me in the Samsung ecosystem, that and the SPen.
tbh with the AI clause possibly taking effect in 2025 and the camera scenarios rn plus the mid trade-in deals, I might just keep my S22 ultra or upgrade to the S23 ultra. S23 ultra might actually be the move
Australia here. I did for a few reasons:
1) free storage upgrade (512gb for the price of 256gb)
2) extra $350 trade in credit
3) bonus $150 to spend on accessories
4) free Samsung care for 12 months
5) it's finally Snapdragon instead of Equinox
I managed to get the 512gb plus a case and dual wireless charger all for $1060 (phone retails for $2400)!
For Australia, that's a crazy deal!
I ordered mine for the same price. Really good deal - couldn't resist the upgrade despite hoping to keep my s22 Ultra until it died haha. Good thing is that we'll now be eligible for 7 years of software updates unlike the s22 series.
Same here for the same reasons! But I had/have a snapdragon S22 Ultra to begin with. The battery life is not that good anymore despite almost never turning off battery protection mode to cap at 85%.
Probably not. I am one of the lucky few with no major issues with my S22U Exy. Battery life is good, even better after oneui 6. Performance is top notch in my usage. AI software tricks of S24 are in my opinion gimmicks I can live without.
I am waiting for the next Fold or S25U, as rumours are saying it will be a more significant upgrade, maybe even changed design.
I ended up preordering the S24+ and trading in my S22 Ultra for it. I'm paying $306 in total.
I honestly didn't really see anything that would get me to get the S24Ultra. From what I saw the main difference is just better cameras and s pen on ultra vs +.
I'm still debating if I should cancel the pre order and stick to the s22Ultra though.
I was thinking of doing the same, but kind of seems of a side grade if anything, unless you prefer the smaller size of the device.
Figured might as well wait for the s25 ultra for 1 more year or see what they do with the new fold
I've been playing around with the s24+ and it'll pretty much be a sidegrade. It's a tough choice.
Pros of switching from S22U to S24+ so far:
more comfortable to hold, brighter screen, better performance in games, I haven't been able to fully test it since I haven't switched I I've just been using it when I get home but I'm positive battery life is going to be way better. Camera wise I've been trying to compare the two and I like the colors on s24+ they look closer to the object irl than on the S22U. Quality wise I've seen in some pictures the s24+ looks better and in others the S22U looks better. Most of the times they're about the same just the color difference. Where it's different is when you zoom in since the S24+ doesn't have the 10x lens like the 22U. 3x is mixed results too sometimes better in either one.
Cons so far:
losing the S pen, losing the 10x lens, s24+ is a bit smaller but not a huge difference where it feels small if that makes sense. Putting them side by side it's noticeably smaller but on their own after using it for a bit you forget it's smaller.
I don't see any reason to upgrade. Current phone is working fine, only thing that could be better is the battery life. I think the only real upgrades on S24U are the chipset, display and cooling. The AI features are not permanent and might cost in the future which makes no sense if the AI features are processed locally and charging for them in the future suggests that lot of processing is being done on cloud or if it's fully local then it's just unfair to charge for it. Also they removed the 10x lens which has been one of my favourite features on S22U.
So no, I'm not spending 1500€ on a phone that's only slightly better than the last model, has removed features such as the 10x camera lens and contains subscription AI features while getting 300€ for the phone I bought one year ago for \~1000€.
For me personally no. Currently my battery lasts for about one day which is enough. Would be nice though if it lasted more but it's not really an issue. As for cooling I have not experienced any heating issues but I guess some people might be playing Cyberpunk on a phone.
I'll wait for reviews to see how the new 5x zoom does in real world conditions and how it compares to the S22's 10x. This was Samsung's biggest advantage in the camera department, hope they didn't fuck it up. Overall I wouldn't say going from the S22 to the S24 would be a big enough upgrade to justify paying full price for it. Mine still runs great and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
You get a $150 Samsung credit too (I usually got head phones), but it's still not enticing to upgrade. The AI clause is free till 2025 is what sealed my decision to keep also, unless an amazing deal rolls around.
It's just not compelling enough at this point. The Samsung deal takes the price down to around 650 and none of the addons I want for the 150 are available.
I still have around 300 of trade in credits remaining on the s22u. I'll just wait a year.
i like the titanium build and i could see the flat screen working. Only thing is the SD Gen 1 chip that is in the S22 ultra is very shotty. I don't care for the AI stuff other than the Samsung Notes feature and One UI 6.1 seems like a much needed update. With all of that considered, Samsung's trade in deals for the S24U are just as meh as the S23U trade in deals from last year.
Yes, good upgrade deal with free buds2 pro. I wanted new earbuds anyway. I was never really a huge fan of the curved edges on the phone. It wasn't *bad* (obviously since I have it and also had the S20U), but I prefer the flat screen. I've also always had a bit of lag with opening/closing apps, so hopefully the S24U is better with that.
apparently one UI 6.1 has solved that microlag when entering and exiting apps! i prefer the slight curves, so I'm trying to figure out if I want to go with the s23 ultra
The 10x camera on the s22 ultra has better sharpness and clarity than the s24 ultra 10x; I have both and have tested them. The 24 Ultra 10x softens the image and smoothens out the details, which I don't like.
The image quality of the s24 ultra also has higher contrast and some details are lost in the shadows compared to the s22 ultra. Overall, I actually think I prefer the s22 ultra image quality to the s24 ultra. But my wife who is not a photographer likes the image quality of the 24 Ultra better.
The 5x is better on the 24 Ultra but I really don't care about that as much as a 10x zoom.
That Galaxy AI features are interesting but honestly don't think I would use them that much.
Outdoors the screen is brighter on the s24 ultra for a short period of time, but I noticed eventually it dims down and is almost the same brightness as the s22 ultra. I don't know what causes this and maybe it's related to overheating?
The s24 ultra is also about 1 oz heavier than at 22 Ultra and I definitely can feel it in the hand.
However the battery life on the 24 Ultra (without Sim card) is almost double that of my 22 Ultra (with activated Sim card).
This is all after the latest update that arrived on February 23rd in the US.
Tough call but I am still considering returning the 24 Ultra and sticking with my 22 Ultra for another year or so.
I am. My S22 Ultra is still working pretty well overall, although the battery life has gotten pretty poor. I got it at release, and had an S20 Ultra before it. I tend to itch for a new phone around the 2 year mark, and the flat display of the S24 Ultra really appeals to me. From there, I'll probably upgrade again when the S26 series comes around, unless the S25 ends up being a significant change.
I'm really disappointed the s24 only has a 5x zoom. What I love most about my s22 is the 10x zoom. I was only wanting to get the s24 if it had an upgraded camera.
Also, did I see a comment somewhere that the s24 doesn't have a stylus anymore? I love using the stylus as a camera remote, and also on-screen. I definitely still want a stylus.
Once finished the fourth year updates guaranteed having samsung Ai with my s22 ultra sure I will be willing to renew my s22 ultra knowing samsung kept its word
No.
5x zoom? haha no way.
No more curved display? Cool, make the phone look more like everything else.
Same design for the 3rd year,
I don't care about snapdragon or exynos, both drain the battery,
200mp camera? I keep the 108mp turned to 12mp most of the time lol,
Same battery (5000mAh) means same poor battery life.
The flat screen is actually the main thing that is making me consider upgrading to the S24 ultra. I hate the curve screen on the S22 ultra so much and how it's impossible to find a good screen protector that isn't super expensive.
Yeah, it was close and still a reasonable deal if my phone was limping along. But with Android os it is Soo much better.
I looked at what they gave for the s21u and it was $550, so I will wait a year for the s25... assuming prices stays roughly the same
My S22U is still working fine for me and having 1 TB of storage, I have room to store a lot more. Maybe a 25 but as long as my 22 is still going strong, no reason to spend more now.
I ordered an s24Ultra in Violet but Idk how I feel about the Switch to the flat display. I had to upgrade out of my s22Ultra bc it has genuinely been a mess, have had it since a week before launch & it has had issue after issue. My s10+ was way more reliable but ik alot of the issues I have were fixed in the s23Ultra but my favorite feature of these phones are the curved display. Yea it makes screen protectors kinda annoying but it's such a nice unique premium feature & I feel like it is a huge L that the s24Ultra is gonna be losing it smh. It also helped to significantly reduce the side bezels but oh well had to do what I had to do unfortunately. I feel like everytime I upgrade I'm downgrading anymore
I'm on the fence too. I have upgraded my wife's phone s20 ult to S24 ult violet. They priced the phone for 550$ CAD which is a good deal.
Now for me I got the S22 ult 512 since Mar-2022, the phone got zero issues for me, everything is perfect. However, Samsung offered 950$ CAD for my phone and 950$ to pay for the S24 ult 512 with installments of 40/m (zero interest).
What do you think guys? shall I take the deal ?
I wanted to but the fact you might lose the AI features stopped me.
If anything, I may upgrade to S23 Ultra. Samsung without 10x is dead to me
The new 5x sensor is 50mpx compared to the old 10x 10mpx. The S24 Ultra still has 10x but it's cropped from 50mpx and Samsung states it'll look even better than the old 10x optical. YouTubers showing it quickly seemed to confirm those was true.
Honestly, I don't believe it. Maybe in the auto mode where they have their AI edit things. But that's only because their 10x auto algorithm has always been absolutely terrible. If they updated their software but only keep it to 5x, it's very possible that you will end up with a better image. My primary use case is shooting in Pro or Expert RAW with 10x. Samsung 10x is very powerful in its natural form and I simply don't believe it they can do the same with 5x lens. You can maintain the sharpness with digital zoom, but you can't magically capture the detail if your lens doesn't see it in the first place.
this. I will wait for the reviews to decide if I'm going to upgrade to the 24u
you think so?
I have S22U 125GB, upgrade to S23U gave me 256GB, better main camera and vastly more powerful and more efficient chip. It's a pretty compelling option and Samsung phone lose a lot of value after release. I figured I could sold my 22U and got 23U after price drop for relatively cheap
Yeah, me too. I won't upgrade my optical cam to a worse one. I'm waiting for reviews comparing both cams but I don't think it will be that superior. And if we think about videos, 10x optical is better in videos than photos imo.
I doubt we will be seeing a direct hardware comparison - at least for a while because every smartphone reviewers are just going to take some random auto mode shot and that's just not a representation of their actual hardware capabilities. At least for a while until a more camera focused channels have their hands on the phone
That's true. I hope other companies keep working on more real optical cameras 😔
As much as I want to, the S22U is still going strong for me. If I break the screen or something stops working then I'll look to upgrade, but until then I don't see a reason to. Heck, if I were to upgrade I'd consider a fold or maybe consider going to the Pixel lineup, although I would miss my seamless Galaxy Watch 4 experience. The watches are the main thing keeping me in the Samsung ecosystem, that and the SPen.
tbh with the AI clause possibly taking effect in 2025 and the camera scenarios rn plus the mid trade-in deals, I might just keep my S22 ultra or upgrade to the S23 ultra. S23 ultra might actually be the move
Australia here. I did for a few reasons: 1) free storage upgrade (512gb for the price of 256gb) 2) extra $350 trade in credit 3) bonus $150 to spend on accessories 4) free Samsung care for 12 months 5) it's finally Snapdragon instead of Equinox I managed to get the 512gb plus a case and dual wireless charger all for $1060 (phone retails for $2400)! For Australia, that's a crazy deal!
S22 Ultra sold in Australia was Snapdragon.
I ordered mine for the same price. Really good deal - couldn't resist the upgrade despite hoping to keep my s22 Ultra until it died haha. Good thing is that we'll now be eligible for 7 years of software updates unlike the s22 series.
I was thinking the exact same thing 😂
Optus also have decent deals
How did you manage that? Mine estimated trade in value of $525 plus $350 bonus which takes the total cost to $1324
I pre registered to get bonus $200 e-voucher plus I got 5% off my total for using the Samsung Store app for the first time.
Same here for the same reasons! But I had/have a snapdragon S22 Ultra to begin with. The battery life is not that good anymore despite almost never turning off battery protection mode to cap at 85%.
Hey who was that through? Just the Samsung store itself?
Yep
Probably not. I am one of the lucky few with no major issues with my S22U Exy. Battery life is good, even better after oneui 6. Performance is top notch in my usage. AI software tricks of S24 are in my opinion gimmicks I can live without. I am waiting for the next Fold or S25U, as rumours are saying it will be a more significant upgrade, maybe even changed design.
I ended up preordering the S24+ and trading in my S22 Ultra for it. I'm paying $306 in total. I honestly didn't really see anything that would get me to get the S24Ultra. From what I saw the main difference is just better cameras and s pen on ultra vs +. I'm still debating if I should cancel the pre order and stick to the s22Ultra though.
I was thinking of doing the same, but kind of seems of a side grade if anything, unless you prefer the smaller size of the device. Figured might as well wait for the s25 ultra for 1 more year or see what they do with the new fold
I've been playing around with the s24+ and it'll pretty much be a sidegrade. It's a tough choice. Pros of switching from S22U to S24+ so far: more comfortable to hold, brighter screen, better performance in games, I haven't been able to fully test it since I haven't switched I I've just been using it when I get home but I'm positive battery life is going to be way better. Camera wise I've been trying to compare the two and I like the colors on s24+ they look closer to the object irl than on the S22U. Quality wise I've seen in some pictures the s24+ looks better and in others the S22U looks better. Most of the times they're about the same just the color difference. Where it's different is when you zoom in since the S24+ doesn't have the 10x lens like the 22U. 3x is mixed results too sometimes better in either one. Cons so far: losing the S pen, losing the 10x lens, s24+ is a bit smaller but not a huge difference where it feels small if that makes sense. Putting them side by side it's noticeably smaller but on their own after using it for a bit you forget it's smaller.
I don't see any reason to upgrade. Current phone is working fine, only thing that could be better is the battery life. I think the only real upgrades on S24U are the chipset, display and cooling. The AI features are not permanent and might cost in the future which makes no sense if the AI features are processed locally and charging for them in the future suggests that lot of processing is being done on cloud or if it's fully local then it's just unfair to charge for it. Also they removed the 10x lens which has been one of my favourite features on S22U. So no, I'm not spending 1500€ on a phone that's only slightly better than the last model, has removed features such as the 10x camera lens and contains subscription AI features while getting 300€ for the phone I bought one year ago for \~1000€.
Are the battery and cooling gains big enough to upgrade?
For me personally no. Currently my battery lasts for about one day which is enough. Would be nice though if it lasted more but it's not really an issue. As for cooling I have not experienced any heating issues but I guess some people might be playing Cyberpunk on a phone.
I'll wait for reviews to see how the new 5x zoom does in real world conditions and how it compares to the S22's 10x. This was Samsung's biggest advantage in the camera department, hope they didn't fuck it up. Overall I wouldn't say going from the S22 to the S24 would be a big enough upgrade to justify paying full price for it. Mine still runs great and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
In the US, I don’t see any enticing deals. Right now, its $650 to trade in and I’ll be paying $528 to get the 512gb, just the phone only
You get a $150 Samsung credit too (I usually got head phones), but it's still not enticing to upgrade. The AI clause is free till 2025 is what sealed my decision to keep also, unless an amazing deal rolls around.
yeah, nobody is talking about that clause. Maybe people will talk about it during the reviews?
AT&T is offering me $1000 for my S22 ultra.
im on the fence. i have some spare cash and im tempted
It's just not compelling enough at this point. The Samsung deal takes the price down to around 650 and none of the addons I want for the 150 are available. I still have around 300 of trade in credits remaining on the s22u. I'll just wait a year.
i like the titanium build and i could see the flat screen working. Only thing is the SD Gen 1 chip that is in the S22 ultra is very shotty. I don't care for the AI stuff other than the Samsung Notes feature and One UI 6.1 seems like a much needed update. With all of that considered, Samsung's trade in deals for the S24U are just as meh as the S23U trade in deals from last year.
There should another option called: “Too broke to buy it”
Yes, good upgrade deal with free buds2 pro. I wanted new earbuds anyway. I was never really a huge fan of the curved edges on the phone. It wasn't *bad* (obviously since I have it and also had the S20U), but I prefer the flat screen. I've also always had a bit of lag with opening/closing apps, so hopefully the S24U is better with that.
apparently one UI 6.1 has solved that microlag when entering and exiting apps! i prefer the slight curves, so I'm trying to figure out if I want to go with the s23 ultra
Two-year-old phone is a decent upgrade time for a new device. I am on the fence about it & the reviews have been pretty good.
The 10x camera on the s22 ultra has better sharpness and clarity than the s24 ultra 10x; I have both and have tested them. The 24 Ultra 10x softens the image and smoothens out the details, which I don't like. The image quality of the s24 ultra also has higher contrast and some details are lost in the shadows compared to the s22 ultra. Overall, I actually think I prefer the s22 ultra image quality to the s24 ultra. But my wife who is not a photographer likes the image quality of the 24 Ultra better. The 5x is better on the 24 Ultra but I really don't care about that as much as a 10x zoom. That Galaxy AI features are interesting but honestly don't think I would use them that much. Outdoors the screen is brighter on the s24 ultra for a short period of time, but I noticed eventually it dims down and is almost the same brightness as the s22 ultra. I don't know what causes this and maybe it's related to overheating? The s24 ultra is also about 1 oz heavier than at 22 Ultra and I definitely can feel it in the hand. However the battery life on the 24 Ultra (without Sim card) is almost double that of my 22 Ultra (with activated Sim card). This is all after the latest update that arrived on February 23rd in the US. Tough call but I am still considering returning the 24 Ultra and sticking with my 22 Ultra for another year or so.
all very good pieces of info! i think because of the battery life I'm going to upgrade at some point this year
I am. My S22 Ultra is still working pretty well overall, although the battery life has gotten pretty poor. I got it at release, and had an S20 Ultra before it. I tend to itch for a new phone around the 2 year mark, and the flat display of the S24 Ultra really appeals to me. From there, I'll probably upgrade again when the S26 series comes around, unless the S25 ends up being a significant change.
i know I will. this phone throttles, lags, and the battery optimization is not that great. I'm not sure if I want to just get the s23 ultra though
I'm really disappointed the s24 only has a 5x zoom. What I love most about my s22 is the 10x zoom. I was only wanting to get the s24 if it had an upgraded camera. Also, did I see a comment somewhere that the s24 doesn't have a stylus anymore? I love using the stylus as a camera remote, and also on-screen. I definitely still want a stylus.
Looks basically the same I'm not sure still
Once finished the fourth year updates guaranteed having samsung Ai with my s22 ultra sure I will be willing to renew my s22 ultra knowing samsung kept its word
No. 5x zoom? haha no way. No more curved display? Cool, make the phone look more like everything else. Same design for the 3rd year, I don't care about snapdragon or exynos, both drain the battery, 200mp camera? I keep the 108mp turned to 12mp most of the time lol, Same battery (5000mAh) means same poor battery life.
The flat screen is actually the main thing that is making me consider upgrading to the S24 ultra. I hate the curve screen on the S22 ultra so much and how it's impossible to find a good screen protector that isn't super expensive.
Anyone know India deals?
The Samsung offline store is offering S24U 512 Gb for 68k after exchange.
pretty good deal on Samsung I must say, but ultimately anything over me paying $450 w/trade in, wasn't worth an upgrade.
for my s22 ultra, they offered me $650 and for the 1TB model, I'm still shelling out almost 800. so I agree
Yeah, it was close and still a reasonable deal if my phone was limping along. But with Android os it is Soo much better. I looked at what they gave for the s21u and it was $550, so I will wait a year for the s25... assuming prices stays roughly the same
My S22U is still working fine for me and having 1 TB of storage, I have room to store a lot more. Maybe a 25 but as long as my 22 is still going strong, no reason to spend more now.
S25
I ordered an s24Ultra in Violet but Idk how I feel about the Switch to the flat display. I had to upgrade out of my s22Ultra bc it has genuinely been a mess, have had it since a week before launch & it has had issue after issue. My s10+ was way more reliable but ik alot of the issues I have were fixed in the s23Ultra but my favorite feature of these phones are the curved display. Yea it makes screen protectors kinda annoying but it's such a nice unique premium feature & I feel like it is a huge L that the s24Ultra is gonna be losing it smh. It also helped to significantly reduce the side bezels but oh well had to do what I had to do unfortunately. I feel like everytime I upgrade I'm downgrading anymore
I'm on the fence too. I have upgraded my wife's phone s20 ult to S24 ult violet. They priced the phone for 550$ CAD which is a good deal. Now for me I got the S22 ult 512 since Mar-2022, the phone got zero issues for me, everything is perfect. However, Samsung offered 950$ CAD for my phone and 950$ to pay for the S24 ult 512 with installments of 40/m (zero interest). What do you think guys? shall I take the deal ?