Samsung Electronics is set to unveil its latest flagship smartphones in the first major release of 2024, which is expected to be an interesting year for the market.
The South Korean company, one of the biggest mobile phone makers, is scheduled to announce the line-up at its Unpacked event on January 17 at the SAP Centre in San Jose, California – the home turf of rival Apple.
Apple's iPhone toppled Samsung's devices to become the world's best-selling smartphone in 2023, marking the first time that the South Korean company has lost the top spot since 2010.
The US technology company's iPhone shipments grew by 3.7 per cent annually to 234.6 million in 2023, accounting for 20.1 per cent of global market share, the latest preliminary data from research company International Data Corporation showed.
Samsung's smartphone shipments fell by 13.6 per cent to 226.6 million, leaving it with a market share of 19.4 per cent.
The National takes a look at what is expected at round one of Unpacked 2024.
What and how many devices will Samsung launch?
Barring any major surprises, Samsung will introduce the Galaxy S24 series, the latest version of one of the market's most popular smartphones.
For the fifth straight year, three devices are expected – the entry-level Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S24+ and the premium Galaxy S24 Ultra.
All of Samsung's Galaxy S line-ups in the past four cycles, except for the S22, eventually had an FE, or Fan Edition, model.
Key upgrades in store
The usual upgrades are in store, including improvements to its camera, build and, most notably, artificial intelligence capabilities, but more on that later.
Interestingly, it has been reported that Samsung will be using titanium – the same material Apple used on its latest iPhone 15 Pro models.
As is the case with Apple, Samsung is expected to use titanium – lighter yet more durable – on the high-end Galaxy S24 Ultra.
In The National's review last year of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, we suggested that Samsung had put too much focus on the camera.
That is not necessarily a bad thing, given that it is one of the key components of a smartphone, but the focus may shift this year amid the AI craze.
How much AI would we see?
Given market trends, the rise of generative AI, an apparent growth in demand for AI-related services and Samsung's own teaser, it is certain the company will focus on introducing more AI features to the Galaxy S24.
Smartphones have used AI for a while, most prominently in digital voice assistants such as Samsung's Bixby, Apple's Siri and Google Assistant, as well as through incorporating machine learning capabilities to make devices smarter and tailored to user behaviour.
The more-AI-in-smartphones saga has even prompted ChatGPT maker OpenAI, former Apple design chief Jony Ive and SoftBank Group chief executive Masayoshi Son to collaborate and try to create the “iPhone of artificial intelligence”.
We can expect Samsung to ramp up its AI features on the Galaxy S24, including those for tweaking photos and managing, transcribing and translating calls.
Indeed, the company, during its November AI Forum in Seoul, unveiled Gauss, its platform that is capable of generating text, code and images – formally joining the generative AI race and challenging ChatGPT.
And that teaser? Samsung on Thursday said it would be opening experience zones at select cities across the world – Dubai included – to showcase the capabilities of its new Galaxy AI platform.
Key specs
There is nothing official but German website WinFuture said it was able to get hold of the Galaxy S24 line-up's spec sheet.
For the S24 and S24+, their displays are slightly bigger at 6.2 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively, compared with their predecessors' 6.1 inches and 6.6 inches.
Both will have a triple-lens camera, with a 50-megapixel main sensor plus 10MP telephoto and 12MP ultra-wide lenses, and 30x Space Zoom. They will also use the Samsung Exynos 2400 chip.
Meanwhile, the S24 Ultra is expected to retain its 6.8-inch screen size. It will have a quad-lens camera bannered by a 200MP “super quad pixel” lens, two telephoto lenses with resolutions of 50MP and 10MP, a 12MP ultra-wide lens and 100x Space Zoom.
It will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor.
Save for the 50MP bump-up on one of the S24 Ultra's telephoto lenses, that is practically the same camera specs as last year's S23 series.
Colour options for the S24 and S24+ are cobalt violet, amber yellow, onyx black and marble grey while the titanium-clad S24 Ultra will have titanium black, titanium grey, titanium violet and titanium yellow.
As for storage, the S24 will apparently come in only 128 gigabytes and 256GB, with 8GB of RAM, as the company has done away with the 512GB option.
The S24+ will retain its storage capacities of 256GB and 512GB, with 8GB of RAM.
The S24 Ultra will not have a 128GB option but will come in 256GB, 512GB and one terabyte, all with 12GB of RAM. The S23 Ultra's 256GB came with only 8GB of RAM.
It has also been rumoured that Samsung has improved the devices' cooling system, which will help with another reportedly improved feature – gaming.
The company is apparently positioning its devices to be more gamer-friendly to cater to that growing market.
How much will the S24 devices cost?
The spec sheet revealed by WinFuture showed that the starting prices of the Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra are €899 ($980), €1,149 ($1,252) and €1,449 ($1,578), respectively.
They are more expensive than their predecessors, which, at their launch, were priced at $799, $999 and $1,199.
However, these price tags will vary by region. It is expected that US pricing will remain the same.
Will Samsung launch anything else?
While the flagship smartphones are always the stars of Unpacked, never discount the possibility of Samsung introducing other hardware, such as smartwatches, laptops and audio devices, as well as new software updates to boost its ecosystem.
And since Samsung is launching the Galaxy S24 in the US – unlike the Z Fold5 and Z Flip5 that were launched in South Korea, surprisingly the first Unpacked held on Samsung's home turf – we may not expect any cameo appearances from K-pop stars. Sorry, fans.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Brief scores:
Toss: Australia, chose to bat
Australia: 272-9 (50 ov)
Khawaja 100, Handscomb 52; Bhuvneshwar 3-48
India: 237 (50 ov)
Rohit 56, Bhuvneshwar 46; Zampa 3-46
Player of the Match: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
Player of the Series: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
About%20My%20Father
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELaura%20Terruso%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERobert%20De%20Niro%2C%20Sebastian%20Maniscalco%2C%20Kim%20Cattrall%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
Watford 1
Doucoure 90'
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 820Nm
Price: Dh683,200
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
TOUR DE FRANCE INFO
Dates: July 1-23
Distance: 3,540km
Stages: 21
Number of teams: 22
Number of riders: 198
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
