Technologies

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra First Look: Circle to Search, Live Translate, More AI

Samsung is betting on generative AI to make its Galaxy S24 series stand out from other Android phones.

When I recently called a Korean restaurant to make a reservation, I had no issue communicating with the person on the other end even though she wasn’t speaking English. That’s because I was trying out the Galaxy S24 Ultra, one of three new phones Samsung announced on Wednesday, which can translate phone calls in real-time.

Samsung, like the rest of the tech industry, is enthralled with artificial intelligence at the moment. The Galaxy S24 series is rife with features like the translation example mentioned above that leverage generative AI — AI that uses large language models to create content or provide conversational (but not always accurate) answers. It’s another sign that tech giants are increasingly using AI to distinguish their devices from the pack and get consumers excited about upgrading their mobile devices in what has been a struggling smartphone market.

Read more: Everything Samsung Announced at Its 2024 Unpacked Event

The Galaxy S24 Ultra goes on sale for $1,300 (£1,249, AU$2,199) — $100 pricier than last year’s Galaxy S23 Ultra — on Jan. 31 alongside the cheaper Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24. All three are available for preorder now.

With the Galaxy S24 series, you’ll be able to have the Notes app format or summarize notes for you, circle any image to launch a Google search for that item and rewrite your text messages in a different tone before sending them. Samsung groups all these tools (among others) together under the blanket moniker known as Galaxy AI, and it’s available on the Galaxy S24, S4 Plus and S24 Ultra. These features will also come to the Galaxy S23 lineup through an update.

Some of those functions may sound familiar; they’re very similar to other generative AI-powered tools we’ve seen from companies like Google and Microsoft. In fact, Samsung is partnering with Google on the technology behind some of its new AI features, including the ones for rewriting texts, summarizing notes and moving individual objects in photos.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra also gets a sharper new telephoto camera and a titanium build. All three phones also have Qualcomm’s latest processor and brighter screens.

I briefly got to check out the Galaxy S24 series ahead of Samsung’s announcement, and here are my early impressions of the Ultra.

Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 Ultra

Samsung's new Chat Assist feature being shown on the Galaxy S24 Ultra

Galaxy AI is the biggest difference between the S24 series and its predecessors, although that won’t be the case for long considering these features are coming to the Galaxy S23 lineup. Some of Samsung’s Galaxy AI features include:

Chat Assist for changing the tone, translating or spell-checking your text message before sending it.
Live Translate for translating calls in 13 languages during a conversation.
Circle to Search, which lets you launch a Google search for any object in a photo just by circling it.
Note Assist for summarizing, translating and formatting files in Samsung’s Notes app and generating digital covers for notes.
Generative Edit, which like Google’s Magic Editor lets you manipulate and move objects in photos.
Transcript Assist in Samsung’s recording app for providing transcriptions and summarizing conversations.

I tried most of these features on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and they worked easily enough, although I’ve only tested them in Samsung’s controlled demo. Live Translate took a little getting used to, but I was impressed by how easy it was to carry on a conversation with a Korean language speaker once I got the hang of it.

After tapping the number I wanted to call in the S24 Ultra’s contact list, I chose the Live Translate option to start the translation. Samsung translated my words into Korean almost instantly after I finished speaking. Once the recipient on the other end had finished her response, Samsung repeated her speech in English. I could see this being helpful while traveling, although I could also imagine it causing some initial confusion for callers and recipients who are unfamiliar with the feature.

Read more: Best Samsung Phones of 2024

Circle to Search is another standout Galaxy AI tool that I can imagine being useful. It’s kind of like Google Lens, except you can search for objects in existing photos just by circling them rather than snapping a new photo. Just open the picture, hold the home button, and circle the object you’d like to search for. I circled waffles in a brunch photo in the S24 Ultra’s photo gallery, and Google pulled up recommendations for restaurants that serve waffles nearby.

I also snapped a picture of someone’s shoes in the demo area and circled them, and Google quickly summoned options to purchase those same shoes. This is a bit easier with the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s S Pen, but you can also use Circle to Search on the regular S24 and S24 Plus with your finger.

The new Circle to Search feature being shown on the Galaxy S24 Ultra

Samsung’s Notes app can organize text into bullet points and even offers different templates to choose from. Generative Edit, which is a lot like Google’s Magic Eraser, makes it possible to move, erase and manipulate individual objects in photos.

During a demo, a Samsung representative traced the area around a skateboarder performing a trick in a photo and moved the skater to make their jump look even higher. Samsung and Google are pitching features like these as being useful for creative purposes by giving anyone the ability to significantly alter photos straight from their phone with no photo editing knowledge. Still, it’s hard to ignore the potential for misuse, as my colleague Sareena Dayaram has previously pointed out.

One photography feature I’m excited about in particular is the ability to remove reflections in the edit suggestions section. As someone who photographs screens quite often, I can attest to how difficult it can be to avoid glare and reflections. I could also see this being useful for avid travelers who snap photos through car, bus or train windows on vacation.

Read more: From AI to Mixed Reality, CES 2024 Products Imagine A World Beyond Mobile Apps

Samsung is clearly focusing on productivity first and foremost with the Galaxy S24’s AI features, although many of these tools feel familiar rather than new. Galaxy AI has the potential to make accomplishing certain tasks on the S24 family feel more convenient, but it also doesn’t bring anything overwhelmingly new to the table. Maybe I’ll feel differently after I’ve spent more time with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Galaxy S24 Ultra specs and design

The biggest physical change on the Galaxy S24 Ultra compared to its predecessor is its 50-megapixel telephoto camera, which replaces one of the 10-megapixel zoom cameras on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. That means the S24 Ultra offers a 5x optical zoom compared to the S23 Ultra’s 10x optical zoom, a decision that Samsung made after it found that many users preferred zooming at 5x rather than 10x. This should hopefully enable crisper zoomed shots, but I’ll be able to tell for sure when I’ve had more time with the device.

Otherwise, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera hardware is essentially the same as the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s, consisting of a 200-megapixel main camera, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom (in addition to the new 50-megapixel, 5x telephoto camera) and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra also has a titanium body, slightly slimmer bezels, and a lighter design, although the differences here seem very minimal. Samsung also says it’s boosted the screen brightness to 2,600 nits on all three models compared to 1,750 nits on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung’s screens were already plenty bright, especially when compared to Google’s Pixel phones, so I’m sure they’ll be even easier to see in sunlight. Still, they aren’t the brightest screen found on a phone in 2024. The OnePlus 12, which launches later this month in the US, will have a 4,500-nit display.

All three phones run on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which isn’t a surprise considering Samsung typically puts Qualcomm’s latest chip in its flagship US phones. Qualcomm announced the chip in October 2023 and flaunted its ability to run generative AI algorithms on the device. The S24 Ultra also has a larger vapor chamber compared to last year’s phone, which Samsung says should keep the device cool while playing demanding games.

Battery size, storage and memory and storage are essentially the same as those in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Galaxy S24 family shows that Samsung, along with other tech giants, is learning about how generative AI can be useful on our phones following ChatGPT’s rapid rise. Galaxy AI seems like a promising start, although Samsung may have to do more to make its offerings stand out, especially as Apple is rumored to bring more generative AI-fueled features to the iPhone later this year.
Read more: How to pre-order the Galaxy S23 Ultra

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

+12 more

See all photos

Samsung Galaxy S24 series specs vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

	Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra	Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus	Samsung Galaxy S24	Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	6.8-inch AMOLED; QHD+ resolution; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.7-inch AMOLED; QHD+ resolution; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.2-inch AMOLED; FHD+ resolution; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,088×1,440 pixels; 120Hz adaptive refresh rate
Pixel density	TBD	TBD	TBD	500 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	6.40 x 3.11 x 0.34 in	6.24 x 3 x 0.3 in	5.79 x 2.78 x 0.3 in	6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	163 x 79 x 8.6 mm	158 x 76 x 7.6 mm	147 x 71 x 7.6 mm	163.3 x 78 x 8.9 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	233 g (8.22 oz)	197 g (6.95 oz)	168 g (5.93oz)	234 g (8.25 oz)
Mobile software	Android 14	Android 14	Android 14	Android 13
Camera	200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) 50-megapixel (5x telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) 10-megapixel (10x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	TBD	TBD	TBD	8K
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Storage and RAM	12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB	8GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB	8GB RAM + 256GB; 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	None	None	None	None
Battery	5,000 mAh	4,900 mAh	4,000 mAh	5,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Under display	Under display	Under display	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None
Special features	Titanium frame, 2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7	2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E	2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E	5G (Sub6, mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; 100x Space Zoom; 10x optical zoom; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging
US price starts at	$1,300 (256GB)	$1,00 (256GB)	$800 (128GB)	$1,200 (256GB)
UK price starts at	£1,249 (256GB)	£999 (256GB)	£799 (128GB)	£1,249 (256GB)
Australia price starts at	AU$2,199 (256GB)	AU$1,699 (256GB)	AU$1,399 (256GB)	AU$1,949 (256GB)

Technologies

Bessent tells Russia no economic relief will come until Ukraine war ends as Europe isolates Moscow at G20

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov that no economic relief or new agreements can be made while the war in Ukraine continues, during a rare G20 meeting in Asheville, North Carolina.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly told Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov that no sanctions relief or new agreements with Moscow were possible, as long as the war in Ukraine continues.

The two officials met on the sidelines of a Group of 20 finance leaders gathering in Asheville, North Carolina.

Bessent’s remarks came as Siluanov’s first in-person appearance at the summit since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 drew objections from other European leaders. European governments have planned to expand sanctions to further squeeze Moscow’s economy and finances.

The rare meeting underscored Washington’s willingness to reopen high-level diplomatic channels with Moscow, even as European allies have intended to keep the nation isolated while the war continues.

Bessent made it clear to Siluanov that “nothing is possible until the war is over,” when the Russian minister brought up other areas of mutual interest, Reuters reported.

The meeting centered on President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine and economic growth, according to Axios, while Russia’s finance ministry described the discussions as covering financial cooperation between the two nations within the G20 framework.

Russia’s surprise return to the table sparked dismay among European officials, who opposed appearing with Siluanov in the traditional G20 photo, which was ultimately taken without the Russian minister.

Technologies

Venezuela grants U.S.-backed oil firm NABEP 100-year concessions for 17 oil fields, White House says

Venezuelan interim authorities have granted North American Blue Energy Partners 100-year concessions for 17 oil fields, White House says.

Venezuelan interim authorities have granted U.S.-backed North American Blue Energy Partners, or NABEP, 100-year concessions for 17 oil fields, with proven reserves of about 65 billion barrels, the White House said on Monday.

NABEP is the second-largest private oil producer in Venezuela. The company has granted the U.S. Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital an equity stake of 35% in its corporate parent, according to the White House, representing up to “hundreds of billions in value and dividends for the United States.”

President Donald Trump announced Friday a deal with Caracas that would give the U.S. majority control over 65 billion barrels, or about 20% of the South American nation’s massive oil reserves. The U.S. had about 46 billion barrels in proven oil reserves as of end-2024, according to official figures.

In a fact sheet published Monday evening stateside, the U.S. government said it would enjoy the right to purchase, at production cost, a guaranteed 20% of the off-take from all current and future fields NABEP will operate, as part of an effort to facilitate refilling the U.S. strategic petroleum reserves.

The U.S. government also has the “right of first refusal” to purchase the remaining 80% of NABEP’s production, making Washington the prioritized buyer for its energy reserves.

Analysts, however, remained skeptical that the landmark oil deal could meaningfully boost the U.S. energy production and bring down gas prices for Americans in the near term. Huge investments are needed to extract the rich resources in Venezuela, whose oil output remains at a fraction of its capacity due to decades of mismanagement, lack of investment and sanctions.

NABEP also planned to invest up to $100 billion in new oil infrastructure in Venezuela to scale production, the White House said. Under the agreement, the company is expected to pay $200 billion in royalty and tax payments to Venezuelan governments over the first 25 years.

Technologies

Tanker hit in Strait of Hormuz, sparking escalation fears as Trump pledges severe response to Iran

A tanker was struck by three unidentified projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, raising concerns about a potential escalation in the Middle East conflict, as President Trump vowed a severe response to Iran.

A tanker was struck by three unidentified projectiles while navigating the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, raising concerns that the Middle East conflict could flare up again.

The vessel was traveling in the southern shipping lane near the Omani coast, according to a Tuesday statement from the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency, posted in Asia time. No injuries were reported.

Iran launched an attack on two U.S. bases in Jordan on Monday in retaliation for America’s strike on its Larak Island. U.S. forces targeted two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, reportedly killing three, claiming that Tehran intended to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

The small island, situated in the Strait of Hormuz, has been a critical military and shipping control point for Iranian forces, enabling them to maintain tight control over vessel traffic through one of the world’s most vital maritime routes.

The tit-for-tat hostilities marked the first time in over a month that the U.S. and Iran have exchanged strikes.

While neither side appears to be seeking a return to full-scale war, both have signaled readiness to respond to further attacks. “We are going to hit them hard,” President Donald Trump told Fox News on Monday, stating that “there will be a response” to Iran’s attacks on U.S. military bases in the region.

Analysts largely view the U.S. attack on Larak Island as an attempt to break a deadlock rather than a shift in strategy. “By targeting the launchers rather than broader Iranian military infrastructure, the U.S. seems to be punishing a specific behavior rather than, at least for now, expanding its war aims,” said Ali Vaez, deputy program director at International Crisis Group.

“It is enforcing the blockade,” said Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, adding that the Trump administration’s goal is to further degrade Tehran’s ability to mine the Strait of Hormuz, while focusing on economic coercive measures as the midterm elections approach.

Washington has intensified pressure to squeeze Iran’s already weakened economy with “secondary sanctions” that penalize nations and businesses buying Iranian crude. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 finance ministers’ gathering, that Iran was “lashing out kinetically” because the new sanctions were taking a toll on its economy.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Monday, Trump reportedly said that Iran’s financial systems, armed forces, and governing body have largely degraded. “It doesn’t mean we won’t smack them to see what happens,” the president said.

The war, now entering its seventh month, has disrupted global energy supplies and sent shockwaves through global financial markets. International oil benchmark Brent surged past $90 a barrel amid renewed hostilities and last traded at $91.08 on Tuesday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures added less than 1% to $86.65 per barrel.

“This is fundamentally an endurance contest,” said Brodsky, as Trump has demonstrated an “unpredictability” that should concern the Iranians, and Tehran may lash out more aggressively militarily as economic pressure mounts.