Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S24 Plus: Two sides of the same coin
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Intro
It's mid-2024, and Samsung's Galaxy S24 range is still one of the absolute best ones you can consider if you are in the market for Android phones. With a user-friendly design, top-notch performance thanks to Qualcomm's finest chips, super-bright OLED displays, and a bevy of generative AI features, Samsung has wares for just about anyone with the Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S24 Plus, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
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 |
Same charging speeds as last year (25W wired) | 45W fast wired charging |
Starting price remains the same ($799) | Starting price is the same as last year ($999) |
Table of Contents:
Samsung Galaxy S24 series: everything you need to know
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S23: What are the expected differences?
Galaxy S24 Plus vs Galaxy S23 Plus: Expected differences
Design and Display Quality
It's all about the size
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.
Display Measurements:
Performance and Software
Gemini
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.
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:
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:
- Android 15
- Android 16
- Android 17
- Android 18
- Android 19
- Android 20
- Android 21
Camera
Same old, but with a twist
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
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, and with the larger display, it's a necessity, too. 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 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 and some change. 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.
PhoneArena Wireless Charging Test Results:
Wireless charging is, as usual, slower. The PhoneArena wireless charging test, which is conducted with the company's Fast Wireless charger, reveals that the convenience of charging your phone sans cables will cost you greatly in terms of charging times.
Specs Comparison
Have a look at our quick Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S24 Plus specs comparison table:
Galaxy S24 | Galaxy S24 Plus | |
---|---|---|
Size, weight | 147 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm 168 grams | 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm 233 grams |
Screen | 6.2" OLED 1-120Hz | 6.7" OLED 1-120Hz |
Processor | 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 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.
Things that are NOT allowed: