technology

Decoding the Showdown: Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone

Decoding the Showdown: Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone

Everything seems to be more expensive these days, but it has always been a fairly solid and accepted rule that the biggest, most powerful Apple iPhone model — currently the iPhone 15 Pro Max — would be the most expensive non-folding smartphone you could buy, even in its most basic configuration.

However, in a continued effort to steal Apple’s thunder — not being content with the 5x optical zoom camera and titanium frame — Samsung has priced the Galaxy S24 Ultra higher than its prequel, giving it the dubious honor of being even more expensive than an iPhone.

All the big numbers

the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you buy the base specification iPhone 15 Pro Max, which comes with 256GB of internal storage space, you’ll be asked to part with $1,199 before it’s handed over. In the U.K., it’s 1,199 British pounds. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s direct competitor, and the base model also has 256GB of internal storage space, but it costs $1,299. In the U.K., it’s 1,249 pounds.

Decoding the Cost: Why S24 Ultra is Pricier

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is different from the Galaxy S23 Ultra, with three primary aspects potentially responsible for the cost increase. Samsung has put a lot of effort into AI in the new phone, and the research and development costs will probably be high. It also has the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor inside, which is another high cost on the final bill.

However, in the U.S., the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus cost the same as the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus and use the same processor as the S24 Ultra. It doesn’t seem to be an increase in the cost of the processor, memory, or storage, as these are shared across all three phones. Samsung hasn’t radically changed the design of the phone this year, so that kind of expense isn’t being passed over to the customer either.

Leave a Comment