Which is the better deal: the Samsung Galaxy S24 or S23?

The Galaxy S24 with 256 GB of memory costs 849 francs. The version with 128 GB comes at exactly the same price and is hard to come by at the moment. The S23 with 256 GB costs 749 francs, and with 128 GB it costs 699 francs. In other words, you can save 100 to 150 francs by buying last year’s model.

The differences are greater in the EU; the S24 is even more expensive and the S23 is available at an even lower price. There, you can save 200 to 230 euros.

Display and design: small but significant improvements

At first glance, the two devices look practically identical. You’d almost have to look for the differences with a magnifying glass. The phones are almost the same weight (just under 170 grammes) and equally thick (7.6 millimetres). The S24 is a mere 0.7 millimetres longer and 0.3 millimetres narrower, with smaller bezels around the display. This means the screen size on the S24 has increased from 6.1 to 6.2 inches without a noticeable change in the device’s size.

On paper, Samsung has improved the display’s quality, though it’s not apparent in practice. The S24 now houses an AMOLED screen with LTPO technology (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide), which still offers a variable screen rate of 1 to 120 hertz, while consuming significantly less power than its predecessor.

The display is significantly brighter (at least on paper) with a peak brightness of 2,600 nits compared to 1,750 nits. In everyday use, the visible differences are small. The S23 has an excellent screen that’s easy to read from – even in the sun. What’s more, the additional brightness offered by the S24 is switched off by default. Turning it on will drain the battery quicker.

Measurements with the Opple Light Master confirm the specs. In normal operation, the meter registers a maximum of 330 lux for the S23, while the S24 achieves around 540 lux with additional brightness activated.

Battery life and processor: the S24 comes up trumps

You can find a comprehensive comparison of the S24 and S23 series in the article linked below. It shows that the Galaxy S24’s Exynos 2400 chip isn’t much worse than the S24 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

In the benchmarks, you can see that the performance of the new model is slightly better than last year’s. While not a huge leap, it’s a significant improvement, even if not very noticeable during use at the moment.

What I’d say is a weightier argument than performance in favour of the S24 is Samsung’s extended update promise. New operating systems will be delivered for the S23 up to Android 17, that is, until 2026, and security updates will be provided until 2028. With the S24, all updates are guaranteed much longer – until Android 21, that is, the year 2031.

The battery life on the S24 has also been improved. Although its battery has only grown by 100 mAh to 4,000 mAh, the economical screen and efficient processor make for a great battery life. I noticed this in everyday use. While the S23 lasts a good day, but not any longer, I still had 30 or 40 per cent battery left in the evening on the S24.

To compare the two phones, I played YouTube on them non-stop via Wi-Fi. The S23 lasted just under 12 hours and 15 minutes; the S24 lasted 5 hours and 30 minutes longer.

The camera: differences only in processing

On paper, there are no differences in the camera sensors of the S23 and S24. Looks-wise, not much seems to have changed either. Shooting in daylight, you can hardly see any difference between the S23 and the S24. It’s a high-end tie.

The only thing Samsung has adapted is the camera software. It’s become somewhat more aggressive. The colours are more vivid and it sometimes increases sharpness more. This becomes evident in difficult lighting conditions such as twilight or at night.

I start with a snap right after sunset. The S24 cranks up the contrast and emphasises the colours in the sky. The result is more spectacular, but the S23 is closer to reality.

The photos I took in night mode look very similar at first glance. But if you look closely, the S24’s shot looks a little brighter, especially around the lights.

This becomes even more evident when I zoom in. The lights are brighter in the S24’s photo, but details are lost as a result.

Ultimately, it’s a question of taste. Either way, the new Samsung phone doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

The details: unfortunately, no improvement

There were other areas Samsung could have improved on. The variant with 128 GB of storage still comes with the slow UFS 3.1 memory. If you want UFS 4.0, you have to opt for at least 256 GB – same goes for the S23.

Samsung has also only upgraded the Wi-Fi standard on the S24 Ultra. Like the S23, the S24 comes with Wi-Fi 6a instead of Wi-Fi 7. New on the S24 is the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), adding a fifth system for determining your location.

The biggest letdown, however, is that Samsung hasn’t upgraded to the new Qi2 standard for wireless charging. You’re left to charge wirelessly with 15 watts using a compatible Qi/PMA charger.

The verdict: a small but worthwhile upgrade

The differences between the new Galaxy S24 and the S23 aren’t very big. The good news? The price difference between the two is currently quite small.

Meanwhile, the advantages of the S24 are significant: a better processor, noticeably longer battery life and, above all, a significantly longer supply of updates and new Android versions.

In short, the S24 gives you more bang for your buck – at least at the moment. This could change if the prices for the old model fall further. I’d consider the S23 to be a better choice if I could save at least 250 to 300 francs or euros compared to the S24.

Read more about the new Samsung Galaxy S24 models here: