Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Everything seems to be more expensive these days , but it has always been a fairly solid and accepted rule that the biggest , most sinewy Apple iPhone good example — presently the iPhone 15 Pro Max — would be the most expensive non - folding smartphone you could buy , even in its most basic conformation .
However , in a continue effort to slip Apple ’s scag — not being content with the 5x optical zoom camera and atomic number 22 frame — Samsung has price theGalaxy S24 Ultrahigherthan its prequel , giving it the dubious honour of being even more expensive than an iPhone .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
All the big numbers
If you buy the base spec iPhone 15 Pro Max , which come with 256 GB of interior 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 contender , and the base mannikin also has 256 GB of interior storage space , but it cost $ 1,299 . In the U.K. , it ’s 1,249 pounds .
Not only is the Galaxy S24 Ultra more expensive than the iPhone 15 Pro Max , but it ’s also more expensive than theGalaxy S23 Ultrawas when it launched in March 2023 for $ 1,199 . At $ 1,299 , the biggest , most powerful Galaxy S24 model is more expensive than theGoogle Pixel 8 Proby $ 300 , theGalaxy Z Flip 5folding smartphone by $ 300 , and the newAsus ROG Phone 8 Progaming phone by $ 100 .
It ’s only bewilder by theGalaxy Z Fold 5and other big - sieve folding phones like theGoogle Pixel Foldand theOnePlus Open , which cost in excess of $ 1,600 . But in those cases , you are get a wandering gimmick that could be see right on the cut edge of technology at the moment .
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is shaping up to be excellent , just like its precursor , but it ’s rather difficult to spot precisely where the alterations that justify the price increase are .
Why is the S24 Ultra more expensive?
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is different from the Galaxy S23 Ultra , with three primary aspects potentially responsible for the monetary value addition . Samsung has put a peck of crusade into AI in the new phone , and the inquiry 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 Pluscost the same as the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus and utilize the same mainframe as the S24 Ultra . It does n’t seem to be an increase in the cost of the C.P.U. , memory board , or storage , as these are shared across all three phone . Samsung has n’t radically interchange the pattern of the earpiece this year , so that form of expense is n’t being glide by over to the customer either .
The third alteration is the use of titanium over atomic number 13 , which is a more expensive material and one that ’s pregnant with geopolitical problem at the moment . Apple managed to swap from stainless steel to titanium without increasing the cost of theiPhone 15 Proand 15 Pro Max over that of the14 Proand14 Pro Max . However , it could be the demand for the fabric , thecontinued complexity of mining it , and theincrease in the costof titanium that may be to blame .
If so , it raises the question of why Samsung settle to “ compete ” with Apple when , by doing so , it was go to have a seriously prejudicious effect on the speech sound ’s toll . Samsung has also snag an scoop with Corning to feature its Gorilla Glass Armor over the screen on the S24 Ultra , which is another potentially bad disbursal .
Is the higher price worth it?
The price increase lay the Galaxy S24 Ultra on another level . When the S23 Ultra cost $ 1,199 , it was still a very expensive phone . Even though it would last you for years , it required some jolly potent justification . Add another $ 100 to that price for its replacement , and it call for even more thinking about , specially when there are many other splendid smartphones uncommitted for less .
Before you dismiss the Galaxy S24 Ultra for being too expensive to consider , our initial impression are very practiced , and it ’s likely sound to be deserving the money if you ’ve got it to spare . you could also help justify the cost by reminding yourself that the S24 Ultra is not the most expensive Ultra phone Samsung has ever made . That award goes to theGalaxy S20 Ultra , the first of the line , which cost a monumental $ 1,399 at launch in 2020 . Since then and until now , each Ultra phone has been $ 1,199 .
The next time you see an iPhone 15 Pro Max out in the wild , recollect that it is no longer the de facto “ most expensive phone ” and that Samsung has climb up in front with the Galaxy S24 Ultra — one of the pricy non - folding phones we ’ve envision in a bit . Whether it has the power to back up the price tag continue to be seen , and we ’ll bonk more when we finish our final review .
