Galaxy S24: Samsung applies an AI bath to its high-end | Technology

To better understand the new capabilities of the Galaxy S24, just make a call. From Samsung’s Madrid offices, this newspaper calls a Korean employee of the company. Before we start speaking, we activate simultaneous translation on the device. And when the interlocutor responds in Korean, a synthetic voice says “hello” while the word appears written on the screen. He speaks in Korean and the phone translates it into Spanish for us in real time. On the other side of the waves, our Spanish reaches the speaker in Korean.

The aim of the test is for the user to be able to understand another person with whom they do not share a language, for example when calling abroad to a local establishment or service. This is one of the features enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) in the new high-end Galaxy S24 series launched today by Samsung. Coinciding with the avalanche of generative artificial intelligence, the company proposed to introduce this type of technology in its new series in a comprehensive manner. It adds simultaneous translation functions, but also automatic photo retouching, image generation (like Dall-E, the OpenAI tool) or even text synthesis to send by email. It will be available on January 31, and until then, for pre-order.

In line with previous generations, the company is launching three devices: Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra. This latest version, the most efficient, has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, has 12 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of storage. Its 6.8-inch screen is QHD+ and the camera is made up of five sensors, the main of which is 200 megapixels. The Galaxy S24 is on sale in a price range that goes from 909 euros for the most basic version, the S24 with 128 GB of storage, to 1,819 euros for the S24 Ultra with 1 TB of capacity.

The screens of the two young brothers in the series are getting bigger. The S24 measures 6.2 inches and the S24 Plus measures 6.7 inches, both with a refresh rate that matches the Ultra model’s 120Hz. The base version of the series has 8 GB of RAM, while the middle brother has 12 GB. Although both share the camera, the main sensor of which has 50 megapixels. If in doubt, all models come with the latest version of Google’s operating system, Android 14 and 5G connectivity.

Samsung, which had already used recycled plastics, aluminum and glass in the Galaxy S23, is now integrating new materials with a second life. Inside the S24’s guts are recycled steel and polyurethane, as well as neodymium and cobalt, the latter of which is present in the battery and speakers.

But hardware is only half the problem, especially when manufacturers have been trying for years to improve their devices without making the qualitative leaps they had previously made.

With the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung has opted for AI to differentiate itself from the competition. If we take each feature separately, there’s nothing new that the most coffee-savvy techs haven’t seen in the last year. But the company integrates generative artificial intelligence into its devices as a basic factor, making it work natively in different applications. This is a novelty destined to become a trend, given the usual transfer of features that takes place over time from high-end to mid-range.

Galaxy AI, as the backbone of the S24

Samsung has called the S24’s artificial intelligence Galaxy AI. This is a technology made up of the company’s own developments and others carried out with partners like Google or Microsoft. One of the most notable is “Circle to Search”, which is precisely part of a collaboration with Google.

Thanks to this function, the user can select an object on the screen with their finger, wrapping it with a circular line. It could be sneakers from an image or an animal appearing in a video. At any time you can pause the screen and use this option. The AI ​​isolates the object, searches for it on Google and provides information to the user. They will be able to tell you what model and brand of shoes it is or what species the animal belongs to. Galaxy AI also performs simultaneous translation functions on WhatsApp. Two people will be able to chat in their respective languages ​​and each will receive a translation, accompanied by the original message. Something that can also be enabled in Gmail and other email services. This serves the purpose of facilitating communication, even though AI translations may contain inaccuracies and inconsistencies.

The Samsung Galaxy S24’s AI also offers productivity shortcuts. It can summarize an article the user is viewing on the Internet, transcribe an audio recording, or convert handwritten notes into digital text, as well as take that information and organize it for later sending via email.

Samsung has also injected the corresponding dose of AI into the photography section. User can find suggestions for editing a photo by swiping up. The device will offer you the best options, either erasing reflections, if the image was taken through a window, or adding a “portrait effect”, if the system detects that a person appears.

Additionally, the terminal’s generative AI is able to fill in a background, if necessary, or cut out an object in the image and paste it elsewhere. In this case it will also fill the empty space.

The company claims to have put in place safeguards against the use of AI. Images edited on devices will receive a watermark to identify them. And the device’s artificial intelligence won’t learn anything from users’ calls or information on their phone. Samsung claims to train its algorithms with other types of data.

Samsung’s launch coincides with yesterday’s announcement that Apple has overtaken the Korean company as the top mobile brand for the first time in 13 years. The company is convinced that featured products as this will encourage your sales this year.

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