Samsung debuts generative AI-focused Galaxy S24 smartphone lineup

Samsung unveiled its latest Galaxy S24 series on Wednesday, ahead of schedule, emphasizing its new artificial intelligence capabilities as the firm anticipates a big start to 2024. The S24 series comprises three models: the S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra, with prices starting from $800.

Samsung confirms January 17 date for its S24 reveal event

Samsung introduced these new devices at its offices in Kings Cross, London. At a press briefing, the company highlighted the smartphones’ AI abilities, demonstrating their capacity to edit photos and conduct item searches.

The premium S24 Ultra is the largest of the series and sports top-end features and specs. It employs Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon Series 8 Gen 3, optimized for Galaxy. Meanwhile, Samsung uses a blend of Qualcomm’s systems-on-chips (SoCs) and its own Exynos chipset for the standard S24 and S24+ models.

Ben Wood, Chief Analyst at CCS Insight, said the Galaxy S24 series and Google’s Pixel range herald the rise of consumer AI in smartphones. He believes all smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, will continue adding AI-powered features with each new release.

With this launch, Samsung is leaning into AI-driven features to stimulate consumer interest during a period of slower sales due to minor hardware updates. Wood said that Google sparked this trend via its Pixel devices. He anticipates AI will be a central aspect of future electronics, not just smartphones.

AI is the key player

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is an attraction for tech-savvy enthusiasts despite bearing a striking resemblance to its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, in terms of appearance.

Although Samsung has not made significant alterations to the hardware, the Galaxy S24 Ultra shares the same 6.8-inch display size with the S23 Ultra, but with a flatter design compared to the previous model’s curve.

The significant upgrade of the S24 Ultra lies in its titanium casing, making it more robust than the S23 Ultra.

Distinctive advancements are more apparent in the device’s internals, with Samsung heavily investing in artificial intelligence. A crucial goal for Samsung and other smartphone manufacturers is on-demand AI, which implies the device’s capability to handle AI workloads directly rather than relying on the cloud.

Samsung’s new Galaxy S24 Ultra will offer a variety of AI features facilitated by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, designed for AI devices. This move reflects the ongoing trend among smartphone manufacturers who are seeking innovative ways to create excitement around new smartphone releases as consumers’ enthusiasm towards them wanes.

One prominent feature of the Galaxy S24 series is its ability to identify and provide information about objects or locations circled by the user either on the camera view or on captured photos. For instance, circling a landmark or a shoe would trigger the AI to display relevant search results on Google.

Another mentionable feature is the AI-based photo editing capability. Users can eliminate reflections from photos or even relocate a person in the photo from one spot to another just by dragging them across.

Additionally, Samsung highlighted live transcription capabilities in its latest smartphone series. During a call with a French-speaking individual, for instance, the user can access real-time transcriptions. It also permits recording and transcribing a conversation between two people, with the AI assigning labels to each speaker, similar to transcription services like Otter AI.

Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight suggested that Samsung should concentrate on maintaining its loyal premium customer base. He argued that Samsung has indeed gone above and beyond with the new features powered by its proprietary AI platform, potentially marking the beginning of a new phase for smartphones and a significant super cycle for Samsung.

Pescatore added that with this perspective, Samsung must attract consumers with a variety of competitive offerings to cater to everyone’s needs, including existing Samsung owners who will undoubtedly be considering an essential upgrade.

Artificial Intelligence-based watermarking

Samsung has grappled with the implications of AI capabilities regarding privacy and copyright issues. Notably, over the past year, there have been numerous instances of individuals using AI for creating images and media content, often resembling similar works by artists.

To address this, Samsung has developed a system where it logs AI-manipulated changes to a photo which are stored in the metadata. An icon which serves as an AI-edits watermark will also appear on the bottom left corner of edited images.

However, some reporters and industry experts at the Samsung briefing in King’s Cross noticed the icon could be cropped out using Samsung’s in-app cropping tool, although the metadata still carries the icon.

Ben Wood from CCS Insight commented, stating that the AI-enabled editing of images and videos brings up ethical dilemmas, especially concerning deep fake content. Samsung’s move to introduce a watermark and updated metadata for altered content is a positive step, and Wood expects other companies to follow suit.

He added that the success of Samsung’s AI-oriented features would hinge on the company’s competence in generating consumer awareness and interest through marketing efforts for the Galaxy S24 line-up. Clear communication of the benefits and continual expansion of use-cases are essential for success.

As the event neared its conclusion, Samsung offered a sneak peek at an upcoming wearable product, the Galaxy Ring. Presently, details about its appearance and features remain undisclosed, as the company provided only a brief glimpse of the product’s silhouette. Explore its preliminary appearance below.