The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is almost here, with January 17 expected to be the big launch day, which means one of the very best phones of 2024 is likely about to arrive.
That's because Samsung’s Ultra models always rank among the best phones of a given year, as well as being among the best Samsung phones, but this isn’t Samsung’s only top-end handset.
The company also makes foldables, and last year’s Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is currently its most expensive phone. So will the Galaxy S24 Ultra cost more? And how will it compare in other ways?
While we won’t know for certain until Galaxy Unpacked on January 17, we can take a good guess, as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has been extensively leaked.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: specs comparison
As the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has been out for a while, we know all the specs of this phone, and you’ll find them in the table below, along with our guesses at the specs for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, based mostly on leaks and rumors.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: price and availability
We're almost sure the Samsung Galaxy S24 line – presumably including the Ultra – will be announced on January 17, and we expect Samsung Galaxy S24 pre-orders will open on the same day, with the phones potentially shipping on January 26.
We expect the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will be sold globally, so it should be widely available soon, but it’s also sure to be expensive.
The exact Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra price isn’t yet known, but the most recent leaks suggest it will cost around the same amount as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, meaning a starting price of $1,199.99 / £1,249 / AU$1,949.
That might get you 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM from what we’re hearing, while a model with 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM might cost $1,379.99 / £1,399 / AU$2,249, and a version with 1TB of storage and 12GB of RAM could cost $1,619.99 / £1,599 / AU$2,649.
It’s worth noting that some earlier price leaks suggested the Galaxy S24 Ultra would cost even more than its predecessor, so the prices above are probably the minimum you can expect, but they’re also our best guess.
As for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, that of course is out now, having launched back in July. It starts at $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599 for 256GB of storage, rising to $1,919.99 / £1,869 / AU$2,799 for 512GB, and $2,159.99 / £2,049 / AU$3,149 for 1TB. In all cases that’s with 12GB of RAM.
So if Galaxy S24 Ultra price rumors are accurate, that would make the Z Fold 5’s starting price $600 / £500 / AU$650 higher. So the Z Fold 5 will almost certainly remain Samsung’s most expensive phone – and by a significant margin – at least until the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 arrives.
The only caveat here is that being an older handset, the Z Fold 5 can often be found for less than its official price, but it still typically costs more than the S24 Ultra is likely to.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: design
Since the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will be a conventional, candy bar-style phone and the Z Fold 5 is a foldable, these handsets will inevitably look very different.
We don’t know for sure what the design of the Galaxy S24 Ultra will be yet. But from leaks, it appears to look a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, complete with an angular design and a quad-lens camera, with each lens individually jutting out of the glass back.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra design may include some changes though, such as a new titanium frame. Leaks also point to it having an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, plus a weight and dimensions of 233g and 162.3 x 79 x 8.7mm. We’ve also heard about the possible Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra colors, which include Titanium Violet, Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Yellow, Light Blue, Light Green, and Orange.
As for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, being a foldable its dimensions can change, from 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4mm when folded to 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm when unfolded. The former is smaller but thicker than we’re expecting the S24 Ultra to be, while the latter is larger but thinner. In either case, it weighs 253g, which is heavier than the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s rumored weight.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a glass back, much like we’re expecting from the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, but it has an aluminum frame, rather than the more premium titanium that Samsung is reportedly using for the upcoming Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 also has an IPX8 rating, meaning it likely matches the S24 Ultra for water resistance, but it lacks any dust resistance.
As for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 colors, these include Icy Blue, Phantom Black, Cream, Gray, and Blue.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: display
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is rumored to have a 6.8-inch QHD+ display with a high 2,600-nit peak brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. One early leak even pointed to the S24 Ultra having a 144Hz refresh rate, but that’s not looking likely.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 though has two screens, with its main one being a 7.6-inch 1812 x 2176 foldable display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. So it’s a bigger screen than we’re expecting from the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but with a lower maximum brightness and likely fewer pixels per inch.
As for the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s second screen, that’s a 6.2-inch 904 x 2316 cover display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and the same 1,750-nit peak brightness.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will also reportedly have a more power-efficient display than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, as it might use newer M13 screen technology.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: cameras
The cameras could be one of the most interesting aspects of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, especially as Samsung’s Ultra handsets tend to rank among the best camera phones.
Based on leaks, it looks likely that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's cameras will include a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, a 10MP telephoto offering 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP periscope with 5x optical zoom. The last of those will reportedly also offer a 10x optical quality crop, along with a 100x digital zoom.
We haven’t heard as much about the selfie camera, but there’s a good chance this will be 12MP, like on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5’s cameras aren’t one of its main highlights, but they’re respectable, as the phone has a 50MP main snapper, a 12MP ultra-wide one, a 10MP telephoto (offering 3x optical zoom), a 10MP selfie camera on the cover screen, and a 4MP under-display selfie camera on the foldable screen.
So it has five cameras in total, just like the Galaxy S24 Ultra probably will, but two on the Z Fold 5 are dedicated to selfies, the main camera has fewer megapixels, and it can’t zoom as far as we’re expecting to be able to with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra might also have better camera software and features, as Samsung is reportedly planning all sorts of AI-powered camera modes for the S24 Ultra, including the ability to move and remove objects and people in photos, and extend the backgrounds of images, as well as improving video quality.
Some of these features may come to the Galaxy Z Fold 5 as a software update, but that’s currently unclear.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: performance
Most leaks suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which would provide a clear upgrade over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. So you can unsurprisingly expect better performance from the newer phone.
However, the Galaxy S24 Ultra might not win when it comes to RAM, as reports suggest it might start at 8GB, and top out at 12GB, while every configuration of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has 12GB of RAM.
In any case, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a high-performance smartphone, which in our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review we described as offering “a smooth and effortless user experience.” So while the Galaxy S24 Ultra will likely be even snappier, you probably won’t feel like you’re missing out on too much horsepower by opting for the Z Fold 5.
Storage probably won’t be much different either, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 coming with between 256GB and 1TB, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra likely doing the same – though some leaks have pointed to 128GB and 2TB configurations too.
And both of these phones run Android with Samsung’s One UI over the top, so software will be similar as well – though the Galaxy S24 Ultra may offer some AI tricks not found on the Galaxy Z Fold 5, such as live translation of voice calls, and some camera features outlined above.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: battery life
Leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s battery will be a 5,000mAh one with 45W charging. That’s exactly the same as the S23 Ultra, so nothing remarkable.
That does mean we can make some Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra battery life predictions though, with this phone likely to last a similar amount of time to its predecessor.
That would mean up to around 25 hours of internet usage, up to 26 hours of video playback, or up to 99 hours of audio playback according to Samsung’s stats. In comparison, our Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review found its battery life came in at around a day and a half.
As for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, that has a 4,400mAh battery with 25W charging. So it’s smaller and slower to charge than we’re expecting the S24 Ultra to be.
In our own tests we found this phone delivered all-day life, while Samsung claims it can deliver up to 18 hours of internet usage, up to 21 hours of video playback, or up to 73 hours of audio playback, all of which is somewhat less than what the S23 Ultra – and likely the S24 Ultra – is capable of.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: outlook
We can’t say anything for sure about the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra yet, but based on leaks and rumors it will probably be more powerful than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, as well as having better cameras (complete with more megapixels and a longer distance optical zoom).
The Galaxy S24 Ultra will also probably use a more premium material for its frame, have a brighter screen, offer better battery life, and have AI features that you don’t get on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. All that and it will almost certainly cost less too.
So why would you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5? Well, simply because it’s a foldable, and one of the best foldable phones at that. So if you want a tablet-sized screen with the versatility of being able to switch to a smartphone-sized one without changing the device, then the Fold 5 is a better choice. But for most people, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will probably be the superior all-round device.
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