what you need to know
- It turns out that early global sales of the Galaxy S24 series are better than those of the Galaxy S23 series, with a year-on-year increase of 8%.
- The Galaxy S24 Plus saw the largest increase in sales compared to the S23 Plus, while the S24 Ultra saw a decline despite taking the lion’s share.
- The Galaxy S24 offers more RAM and a sharper display, and is better equipped with on-device AI features.
It turns out that the Samsung Galaxy S24 series is selling better than the Galaxy S23 series, and the latest data shows us why. According to the latest data from Counterpoint Research, sales of the Galaxy S24 series in the first three weeks increased by 8% compared with sales at the beginning of last year, and the S24 Plus drove this growth.
When comparing Samsung’s flagship sales, the Galaxy 24 Plus still lags behind the base S24 and Ultra, which have market shares of 21% and 52% respectively. However, compared to the Galaxy S23 Plus, the Galaxy S24 Plus grew by 54% and accounted for 21% of S24 sales.
It’s worth noting that the base S24 only grew 4%, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s market share actually declined compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Counterpoint also noted that pre-orders for the S24 series have increased in the United States, Europe, and China, proving the popularity of these devices.
Jeff Fieldhack, North America research director at Counterpoint Research, emphasized that while S24 growth is still below 10%, it is still in the high single-digit range, which is encouraging. “In Samsung’s largest market – the United States – we are seeing year-over-year growth, especially given a difficult February. Considering we are still at the beginning of the upcoming GenAI smartphone boom, there is ample runway to achieve even greater growth of.”
The Galaxy S24 Plus is Samsung’s Goldilocks phone
For years, Samsung’s Plus models have been viewed as larger versions of their base models, with bigger batteries and faster charging. The device doesn’t offer much difference compared to the base version, especially since Samsung dropped the display resolution to FHD+, which means the choice between the two phones comes down to size alone. That said, the popularity of the latest Plus model highlights some of the changes Samsung has made to the device to further differentiate it from the base model.
As I highlighted in my Galaxy S24 Plus review , going back to QHD+ resolution delivers refreshingly clear images that are better suited to larger displays. Of course, sometimes size matters to some people, which is why the smaller Galaxy S24 remains popular with those who prefer a small Android phone. That said, the larger device appeals to those who prefer to watch content on their smartphones, and increased brightness and improved resolution further enhance that appeal.
The real improvement, however, is the increase in RAM to 12GB, which does wonders for application management. It does a better job of keeping apps running in the background than the 8GB RAM phones I’ve reviewed. Counterpoint Research also highlighted the benefits it brings to Galaxy AI capabilities, noting that 12GB is the “minimum spec for large language models to run well” and emphasizing the importance of higher spec phones in driving on-device AI.
“The main driver of Samsung’s major flagships this year is the S24 Plus model,” said Minsoo Kang, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research. “It hits the sweet spot in terms of pricing, enabling upgrades, and specs to support new users who want to optimize on-device AI.”
Before taking into account any deals and offers, the Galaxy S24 Plus retails for $999, and there are plenty of deals to help bring the price down. That’s already $300 cheaper than the S24 Ultra, which saw a price increase at launch and may have contributed to its slight sales decline. While the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera system is still impressive, not everyone feels the extra sensors or built-in S Pen are worth the extra money.
The Galaxy S24 Plus finally proves that it’s more than just a bigger S24, offering more Ultra-like specs at a cheaper price and keeping the “extra” features for those willing to pay. Of course, these are early sales figures, so we’ll have to see how the Plus model performs in the long run, but it should give Samsung some reason to keep it around, as early rumors suggested the company would omit the middle from its products cell phone. queue.
Goldilocks phone
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus is the perfect phone for those who want many of the best flagship specs and features without dealing with the hefty price tag that usually comes with it. Like the S24 Ultra, you still get a high-resolution display, 12GB of RAM, a large battery with fast charging, and on-device AI for enhanced privacy.