As the mobile market landscape continues to shift, the competition among mobile phone manufacturers remains intense, propelled by the increasing global demand from consumers. To stay competitive, manufacturers must consistently introduce innovative capabilities aimed at empowering consumers to enhance productivity and attain greater achievements, thereby securing a larger market share.
This article will conduct a comprehensive review of the products offered by two prominent smartphone manufacturers, namely Apple and Samsung. These industry leaders have strategically incorporated key functionalities into their products. By evaluating their features, we aim to provide you with insights that will enable you to make an informed decision based on your preferences.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Series
Just recently, the Samsung Galaxy S24 series was released, heralding a significant advancement in smartphone technology. Reputable for providing state-of-the-art features, the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra were shown to us earlier this year. Known for pushing the boundaries of technology, Samsung aims to redefine the smartphone experience with the latest additions to the Galaxy S series. Let’s take a brief look at the specifics of what sets the S24 series apart.
Like the rest of the tech sector, Samsung is currently fascinated by artificial intelligence. Numerous capabilities of the Galaxy S24 series, such as the translation example previously mentioned, make use of generative AI, which is AI that generates content or provides conversational (though not always accurate) responses using massive language models. It’s just another indication that, in an increasingly competitive smartphone industry, tech companies are turning to AI to set their products apart from the competition and entice users to upgrade.
Alongside the less expensive Galaxy S24 Plus $1,000 and Galaxy S24 $800, the Galaxy S24 Ultra goes on sale on January 31 for $1,300, which is $100 more expensive than the Galaxy S23 Ultra from the previous year. You may pre-order all three right now.
The Galaxy S24 series will allow you to rewrite your text messages in a different tone before sending them, circle any image to start a Google search for that item, and have the Notes app format or summarise notes for you. All of these (and more) technologies are bundled together by Samsung under the name Galaxy AI, which is compatible with the Galaxy S24, S4 Plus, and S24 Ultra. Through an upgrade, the Galaxy S23 series will also get these features.
In addition, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a titanium body and an improved telephoto camera. The newest Qualcomm CPU and brighter screens are features shared by all three phones.
The primary distinction between the S24 series and its forerunners is Galaxy AI, although that won’t last for very long given that the S23 line-up will soon get similar features as well. The following are some of Samsung’s Galaxy AI features:
- Use Chat Assist to proofread, adjust the tone, or change the language of your text message before sending it.
- During a chat, Live Translate can translate calls into thirteen other languages.
- Circle to Search: This feature allows you to simply circle any object in a photo to start a Google search for it.
- Note Assist, which creates digital notes, covers, summarises, translates, and formats files in Samsung’s Notes app.
- Generate Edit allows you to move and alter items in images, much like Google’s Magic Editor.
- Samsung’s recording app, Transcript Assist, summarises and provides transcriptions of conversations.
The 50-megapixel telephoto camera on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which takes the place of one of the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 10-megapixel zoom cameras, is the largest physical difference between the two devices. This indicates that the S24 Ultra has a 5x optical zoom as opposed to the 10x optical zoom of the S23 Ultra. Samsung made this choice, presumably to allow for sharper zoomed images, after seeing that many users preferred to zoom at 5x as opposed to 10x.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera hardware, which includes a 200-megapixel primary camera, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom (in addition to the new 50-megapixel, 5x telephoto camera), and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, is practically the same as that of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Though the differences seem to be extremely subtle, the Galaxy S24 Ultra also has a titanium body, slightly thinner bezels, and a lighter design. Additionally, Samsung claims to have increased the screen brightness on all three variants to 2,600 nits, up from 1,750 nits on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. I’m sure Samsung’s panels will be even easier to view in direct sunlight because they are already quite bright, especially in comparison to Google’s Pixel phones. Even still, they don’t have the brightest phone screen available in 2024.
Since Samsung usually uses Qualcomm’s newest technology in its flagship US phones, it should come as no surprise that all three phones are powered by the company’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU. In October 2023, Qualcomm revealed the processor and demonstrated the device’s capacity to execute generative AI algorithms. In addition, the S24 Ultra boasts a larger vapour chamber than the phone from the previous year, which, according to Samsung, should keep the device cool when playing intensive games.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s battery size (5,000 mAh, 4,900 mAh, and 4,000 mAh) and storage (12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 8GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB) are nearly identical with the Galaxy S23. The Galaxy S24 family demonstrates that, in the wake of ChatGPT’s explosive growth, Samsung and other IT behemoths are beginning to understand the potential applications of generative AI on smartphones. Although Samsung may need to do more to differentiate its offers, Galaxy AI seems like a promising start. This is especially true given that Apple is reportedly planning to add more generative AI-powered features to the iPhone later this year.
Apple iPhone 15 Series
The iPhone 15 series is Apple’s new entry-level flagship, and it includes some significant upgrades that, in our opinion, should have been included in the earlier model, the iPhone 14. Nevertheless, we are pleased to see the few, but significant, design changes, such as the addition of the much-needed USB-C port. The new vanilla iPhone has a new chipset, a 48MP main camera (which is the star of the show), and a brighter display in terms of hardware. The camera app and some of its AI features have also been improved, making the iPhone 15 series a more intelligent camera phone than its predecessors.
Although it has been a while since Apple updated its entry-level flagship, the iPhone 15 series is different in that aspect. The Dynamic Island, which made its debut with the Pro models of the previous year, has taken the notch; thus, all of the models now have the same front design.
The iPhone 15 series is maybe more comfortable to handle than the previous three generations, which is the second thing you notice when you get it in your hand. The newly slightly curved or contoured edges are the reason for this. Apple has gone a little fancy with the rear panel this year, with a new colour-infused back glass panel that comes in a new matte finish. The back remains neat and attractive thanks to the new matte material that really lessens oily finger prints!
Apple increased the maximum HDR brightness of 1600 nits and the maximum outdoor brightness of 2000 nits on this year’s iPhones (almost two times higher than on the iPhone 14). When you purchase the phone, you won’t notice this change right away, but it is noticeable if you compare it to an iPhone 14 or before. Netflix and other streaming services have better-looking HDR material with higher contrast levels that accentuate the image more than previously.
Other than that, the display is still a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel with a pixel density of 457 PPI (pixels per inch) and a pixel resolution of 2532 x 1170.
First up is the newly designed 48MP primary camera, which produces incredibly detailed images when shooting in full 48MP. However, by default, the camera produces more storage-efficient 24 MP photographs while maintaining a higher level of clarity compared to the previous generation. This is because it uses pixel-binning technology, which combines several pixels into larger ones to catch more light.
The new 24MP default does take up slightly more space than the 12MP images that the iPhone 14 and earlier models were shooting at, but not significantly. Naturally, if you’d like to free up additional storage, you can still go the phone’s settings and configure the camera to take 12 MP photos by default. These images still appear better than they did previously because of the larger sensor.
To our surprise, there is a setting in the Settings app that allows users to use the full 48MP on non-Pro models, even though it was first assumed that Apple wouldn’t allow it. You can choose to swap between your default mode (12/24 MP) and the full 48 MP once it’s turned on in the settings. Just bear in mind that you will lose part of the camera’s low-light capabilities when shooting at 48MP, so it is best to have plenty of light available.
In addition, with more megapixels than its predecessor, the iPhone 15 is able to produce a superior 2x magnification by cropping in on the image sensor. Recall, too, that this is not the equivalent of a specialised telephoto camera. Having said that, this 2x sensor crop has a really useful little feature called continuous zoom, which allows you to zoom in and out from 1x to 2x with seamless, fluid movement.
Apple made the decision last year to provide the non-Pro iPhones with the same chipsets as the iPhone 13 series. However, the A16 Bionic (4 nm) chip, which made its debut with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max in 2022, is included with the iPhone 15 series. Though not significantly quicker than the A16 Bionic. You won’t experience any glitches at all when using the phone; all tasks and UI navigation will be flawless. However, it would have been much more seamless with a quicker display refresh rate!
With its second-generation Ultra-Wideband technology, the iPhone 15 can now connect to other devices up to three times farther away than it could previously. Apple demonstrated this update by merging the Find My Friends function with Precision Finding, which enables users to locate the precise location of anyone who has shared their location with them.
The iOS 17.1 update, which includes some new features and significant bug fixes, was just released for the iPhone 15, which debuted with iOS 17. First of all, the AirDrop update is now available and enabled by default. This feature enables AirDrop transfers to proceed even when the sender and recipient are no longer in close proximity to one another. With the help of this function, your iPhone can switch from a peer-to-peer WiFi connection over mobile data to one that uses Bluetooth. However, the transfer speed of a cellular connection decreases as you go out of range. If you navigate to the AirDrop settings, you can turn this on or off by adjusting the sliders next to the “OUT OF RANGE” and “Use Mobile Data” buttons.
Speaking of calls, iOS 17’s “NameDrop” feature makes it easier than ever to share your contact details with others. This feature is exclusive to the iPhone 15. It functions by bringing two iPhone 15s (or newer) very close to one another. This triggers a delightful new animation and displays the previously stated contact screen that you can personalise. You can have different contact screens ready to be shared depending on whether you want to give someone your professional contacts or personal ones, for example.
Apple also revealed Journal, a brand-new app that will be included in the iOS 17 release. It is precisely what it sounds like—a special location where you can keep a log of your everyday activities. Your journal can provide you with ideas for reflection based on the locations you’ve been, the pictures you’ve taken, and the music you’ve listened to.
In some ways, the iPhone 15 is a better “new generation” iPhone than the one released last year, the iPhone 14. In comparison to its most recent models, it boasts a main camera that is noticeably better, a more sophisticated design with little but impactful modifications like USB-C and curved edges, and it finally does away with the antiquated notch in favour of the Dynamic Island.
Conclusively, these two phones are among the best available right now, and they will satisfy any buyer. It is safe to say that they are developing their inventions as the world advances, offering customers a variety of solutions through the use of their mobile phones, given their contributions to the tech industry and how they have managed to forge further with first-class innovation on every new release of their product. There have been many comparisons drawn between these two phones, but there is one thing that both Apple and Samsung enthusiasts cannot dispute: each of them has continuously offered cutting-edge technological advancements on their products, which is what sets them apart. You can be certain that your device will have the greatest features available to you, regardless of whatever phone you choose.