As the Galaxy Unpacked event draws near, how will the Galaxy S24 Ultra unlock success for Samsung?
The early launch of the Galaxy S24 will allow Samsung to be seen capturing more market share and more sales.
By bringing the launch of forward in the year, Samsung gives itself another month of sales that can be counted in the first half of the year. The flagship smartphones are on a tick-tock six-month cycle, with the regular Galaxy handsets in the first half of the year and the foldable Galaxy handsets in the year’s second half. Linding up these handsets to maximise their impact in countless areas—some in the financial markets, others in the market share per quarter numbers—is a strategic decision around the presentation and the perception of the S24 handsets, but also the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 handsets we can expect in early- to mid-July.
The launch timing helps kickstart the general audience’s recognition of Samsung as a leader in the smartphone space.
The regular launch window, a week before the mammoth Mobile World Congress, certainly gave Samsung a lead, but it also suggested that the phone be considered part of the MWC wave rather than standing on its own.
CES offers a similar quandary; the world’s tech press is focused on Las Vegas, as is every other consumer electronics manufacturer. So there’s no point getting bundled in with the Vegas crowd—although it’s worth noting that Samsung continued to build up its competence in artificial intelligence and the impact it can have.
Using its own Galaxy Unpacked means it has no obvious smartphone competition, it can capture the attention of both the tech press and the mainstream media, and it can take its time to present at its own pace, rather than be forced into a timetabled speaking slot.
Although if you were cynical, you might expect to see a big Apple Vision Pro story come out of Cupertino just after the new Galaxy S handsets take to the stage to take some of the digital ink away from the South Korean company’s launch.
Every smartphone manufacturer is pushing their AI capabilities. With its dominant market position in North America and Europe, Samsung’s definition of AI on a smartphone may well be the first conscious interaction consumers will have with AI. While Google’s push of AI on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro was well received by the tech press, the market share of the Galaxy S24 handsets dwarfs that of the Pixels.
Samsung is going to capture big numbers with its AI.
Some of the AI features have already been discussed. The core engine—Samsung Gauss—was announced late in 2023. CES saw AI features roll out to other devices, such as the new Galaxy Book laptop, and Galaxy Unpacked will confirm all of the AI features coming to the handset.
Mention has been made of the AI capabilities in the camera. Taking images and recording videos will be boosted by AI, while new tools for editing will lean into generative AI to aid fills, zooms, and edits.
I’d also expect to see Samsung’s digital assistant Bixby gain prominently labelled AI features for smoother and more natural interactions with users, while a large language module assists with the creation and summation of text notes, documents, web pages, and more.
Improving the window where market share and sales are measured, capturing as much media attention as possible on its next-generation hardware, and cementing its role in delivering AI to the world. The Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra will lead Samsung into 2024 as it seeks to define what a modern AI smartphone can deliver.
The Galaxy S24 family, including the S24 Ultra and S-Pen, are expected to launch at the upcoming “Galaxy Unpacked” event as part of the new Galaxy S hardware to be announced on January 17th.
Now read how Samsung is increasing the performance of the three Galaxy S24 handsets…
