Samsung is about to unveil its lineup of flagship phones for this year, and the Galaxy S24 model is likely to be the star at the Galaxy Unpacked event on January 17. likely to be the star of the show. Then we will finally know if these new models are exciting in their own right, or if they are simply refreshed versions of the Galaxy S23 released a year ago.

Rumors surrounding the Galaxy S24 seem to suggest that the new model is very much the latter. A comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S23 using the rumored specs of the new model would give the impression that not much has changed from a year ago.

Camera rumors for the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus suggest that these two phones will have the same setup that graced their predecessors, as does the information that the Galaxy S24 Ultra may offer a 144Hz refresh rate, Early rumors that charging speeds might be improved were denied. Even rendered images purportedly showing the new model's appearance suggest that not much has changed from last year's model.

In a way, that's not necessarily a bad thing, since the Galaxy S23 phones that appeared last year were not only the best of Samsung's phones, but contenders for the title of best phone overall. This is especially true of the Galaxy S23 Ultra; given the great performance, excellent battery life, and high-quality photography produced by the S23's trio of models, there is no need for Samsung to reinvent the wheel with the Galaxy S24.

Still, it is always encouraging to see some changes in devices from year to year. And even though we can expect some similarities with last year's phone, some Galaxy S24 rumors are hinting at some surprises - with some significant changes in some instances.

Here is a run-down of the biggest potential changes Samsung could announce at Galaxy Unpacked when it unveils its latest flagship phone.

We're used to significant changes to phones involving hardware. But from the sound of it, the biggest improvements offered by the Galaxy S24 family involve the phone's software, in which artificial intelligence plays a central role.

Samsung announced plans late last year to make AI-driven features a centerpiece of its new phones (although it did not name the Galaxy S series), and it is not necessarily secretive about it.

Leaks and rumors are filling in the rest of the details: we expect the Galaxy S24 to offer features like real-time translation of phone calls and automatic summary of notes to itemize things. And of course, AI will enhance the Galaxy S24's photo editing capabilities, allowing users to resize and move images around.

We will no doubt hear more about Galaxy AI at the Unpacked event. And once it is clear which features will benefit from AI, we will see what a game-changing addition these new AI features are.

It's not necessarily a surprise that new cell phones will have an upgraded system-on-chip to power the device. However, depending on where in the world you live, it may be a surprise which system-on-chip your Galaxy uses.

There is no mystery if you choose the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung's high-end smartphone will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 no matter where in the world it ships. Qualcomm's new silicon not only offers the usual improvements in performance and power management, but also features an upgraded neural processing unit, making it well-suited to support the AI features we discussed earlier.

Rumors suggest that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will also be included in the standard Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus. In other regions, the two phones are expected to feature the Exynos 2400 system-on-chip. It will be interesting to see if Exynos can match the performance of Snapdragon, especially with regard to AI capabilities.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has two 10MP telephoto lenses (one with 3x optical zoom and the other with 10x zoom). Reportedly, Samsung is upgrading the resolution of one of these cameras, but it may come at the expense of the distance it can zoom in on a subject. [Specifically, the rumor is that the 10MP lens with 10x zoom will be replaced by a 50MP sensor with 5x zoom. Obviously, photos will be sharper with the higher-resolution sensor, but you may not be able to get as close to your subject as before.

Nevertheless, leaked promotional materials continue to tout the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 10x zoom capability. My guess is that Samsung is cropping photos to take advantage of the 50MP resolution when zooming in at 10x. Apple uses the iPhone 15's 48MP main sensor to support 2x zoom in a similar fashion.

There is another way the Galaxy S24 Ultra could follow the iPhone 15 (in this case the iPhone 15 Pro). This fall, Apple replaced the stainless steel material used for the frame of the Pro model with titanium, a lighter and more durable metal.

Rumors suggest that Samsung is trying to do the same thing with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but with Samsung switching from aluminum, the weight change may not be as significant as Apple's iPhone models. For some time, some informants have suggested that the standard S24 and S24 Plus might also turn to titanium, but more recent rumors have watered down that possibility.

Returning to the rumors affecting most Galaxy S24 models, Samsung has reportedly adopted thinner bezels on the new phones. As a result, the screen should be slightly larger than that seen on the Galaxy S23.

While this move apparently will not affect the Galaxy S24 Ultra (which, according to the leaked spec sheet, has the same 6.8-inch screen as the previous model), both the S24 and S24 Plus are listed with larger screen space than before The S24 and S24 Plus both have larger screen space than before. The Galaxy S24 is listed at 6.2 inches and the Plus at 6.7 inches, both a tenth of an inch larger than the previous model.

The extra screen space reportedly comes from smaller bezels, so it is worth noting that Samsung does not need to increase the size of any of its phones to accommodate larger screens.

All three Galaxy S23 models have a peak brightness of 1,750 nits, which seems adequate for most people. But then came the Pixel 8 Pro, which boasts a peak brightness of 2,400 nits. Samsung is trying to live up to that.

Rumor has it that the handset maker will do just that with an upgrade to a 2,600-nit display. Again, this would be a move that would affect all Galaxy S24 models, not just the high-end Ultra.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra will apparently change only one display, although it will not affect the brightness or size of the display. The rendered images of the S24 Ultra we have seen depict a display with less noticeable curves.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra's curved screen certainly makes the phone stand out, but it has its critics. It can be difficult to interact with the elements on the screen near its curves. Perhaps the S24 Ultra eliminates that problem while at the same time making the phone easier to grip.

There is always a color change from year to year, as you can always expect a chipset upgrade with a new batch of phones. According to Galaxy S24 color rumors, the standard and S24 Plus models will come in black, gray, yellow, and violet. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will likely choose the same colors, but the yellow version will look more like gold.

We have also heard repeated rumors of limited-edition colors that Samsung will offer to shoppers who purchase the S24 directly from the handset manufacturer. According to rumors, these colors include blue, orange, and green.

It's a change no one wants to see, especially given the rising prices of both Pixel 8 models and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, rumors about the Galaxy S24's price suggest that we may be paying more for at least one new model of Samsung's flagship.

Specifically, multiple leaks suggest that the Galaxy S24 Ultra's price in Europe will be €50 more than the Galaxy S23 Ultra's debut price. While price increases in one region do not necessarily apply to other regions, as handset makers adjust their prices for specific countries, it is possible that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will be priced higher in other regions.

In brighter news, according to the same price leak, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus prices have dropped by €50 in Europe.