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Super Actua and Tetraprism, meet Galaxy S24 Ultra! Samsung to match Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

Updated: Oct 05, 2023, 9:31 AM

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Super Actua and Tetraprism, meet Galaxy S24 Ultra! Samsung to match both Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 P

Not to be outdone by Google or Oppo, Samsung is preparing to unveil a Galaxy S24 Ultra flagship with the whopping 2,500 nits of peak display brightness. Not to be outdone by Apple and its iPhone 15 Pro line, it might also use titanium for the 2023 Ultra's body and 5x telephoto zoom, too.

Brightest Samsung Galaxy display

That's not the first time we are hearing about the upgraded S24 Ultra display brightness, so where there is smoke, there might be fire. Google bragged about the brand new Super Actua display on the Pixel 8 Pro yesterday that can reach that peak as well, while the excellent Oppo Find X6 Pro has been on the market with a 2,500 nits panel since the spring.

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra's max is advertised as a 2600-nits display, but, as usual, those are lab scenarios with only a percent of the pixels showing white at full power, while the typical brightness is way lower.

Still, we've noticed that, as a general rule, the higher the peak brightness, the better the typical outdoor visibility, so we wouldn't scoff at a 2500-nit S24 Ultra screen, especially considering that its predecessor maxes out at 1750 nits.

Galaxy S23 Ultra (512GB) is available at Amazon

The Galaxy S23 Ultra with 512GB of storage is available on Amazon in limited quantities. The smartphone arrives at its standard price. Only the models in Green and Lavender are currently available.

Buy at Amazon

Save up to $535 on the S23 Ultra (512GB) at Samsung

The Galaxy S23 Ultra with 512GB of storage is available at the official store as well. Here, you need a suitable trade-in if you want to score some money off the former flagship phone. The device retails at up to $535 off with a suitable trade-in.

$535 off (39%) Trade-in

$844 ⁹⁹

$1379 ⁹⁹

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy S24 Ultra camera, processor, and battery specs

The folks from Techmaniacs that now leak the record Galaxy S24 Ultra peak brightness display tip have been right about Samsung's plans many a time before, through country reps or carrier connections.

According to this latest rumor, Samsung won't change the Galaxy S24 Ultra display size of 6.8 inches, but it will add a 0.1 inch to the displays of the Galaxy S24 and S24+ compared to their predecessors, most likely by shaving the bezels even further.

Snapdragon or Exynos?

Those two may also ship with an Exynos 2400 processor globally, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra will be a strictly Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 offer with a 2nd-gen 4nm chipset. The battery life gain from having a more frugal processor may be more than offset by the brighter 2500-nit display, so we'd expect that the 5,000 mAh battery pack of the S24 Ultra will deliver abouts the same endurance as its predecessor.

Crazy zoomtown

As for the most interesting part about Samsung's Ultra line - its record-breaking camera kit - the tipsters shared information that is at odds with what has been said so far. Recent rumors claimed that Samsung will place a larger sensor on the periscope camera of the S24 Ultra, but reduce the zoom reach to 5x.

Now, however, the insiders say that the 5x zoom rumor is actually for the telephoto camera, meaning that there will be a significant upgrade from the current 3x zoom there on the S23 Ultra. The periscope zoom lens with folded optics will remain capable of 10x zoom, giving the S24 Ultra unprecedented optical zoom range.

Apple managed to put 5x telephoto zoom with its Tetraprism kit on the iPhone 15 Pro Max that bounces light off several prisms stacked along the phone's height, so Samsung may be plotting something similar, while at the same time keeping the breathtaking 10x periscope zoom lens as well. If those two zoom cameras also come with upgraded sensors, as rumored, Samsung may have a veritable camera winner on its hands once the Galaxy S24 Ultra lands.

Early release in January

Said S24 Ultra landing may be pulled forward indeed, as this is the third independent source that claims Samsung will release the Galaxy S24 series as soon as January. For a Galaxy S24 Ultra to be released a month earlier than its predecessor, January 19 sounds like the perfect date.

It's Friday, it's about a month in advance of the S23 Ultra release, and Samsung will have plenty of time to open the Galaxy S24 Ultra preorder reservations two weeks early, on the first Friday right after the New Year's festivities.

Oh, did we mention that the Galaxy S24 Ultra may also use titanium for its body, iPhone 15 Pro style? If not, it might, claim the insiders, so we can reasonably expect a lighter, more durable S24 Ultra frame.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.