It’s been close to a week since the Samsung Galaxy S24 series dropped, and I think there are plenty of content out there that highlight what they offer. AI smarts, 7 years of updates and a cool titanium frame for the Galaxy S24 Ultra… All nice stuff to have. But we are here to look at it from a different angle. Here’s a list of what it does NOT have, and some of them might surprise you given the positioning of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.
1. WiFi 7 connectivity
Just to be clear, the range-topping Galaxy S24 Ultra does come with WiFi 7. However, the Galaxy S24 and S24+, do not. For our Malaysian variant, it’s understandable, as the Exynos 2400 chips powering the duo do not support WiFi 7. But oddly enough, the Galaxy S24 and S24+ in the US and other regions where they feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (for Galaxy) also do not support WiFi 7 capabilities. Samsung has clearly decided that the Galaxy S24 Ultra deserves exclusivity to the feature, despite them sharing the same chip.
And to make things worse, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chips which powers the Galaxy S23 series, is already capable of WiFi 7. So I am honestly wondering if Samsung will unlock the feature on the last-gen flagships. WiFi 7 has already appeared in flagships last year on the Pixel 8 Pro, MediaTek-powered Xiaomi 13T Pro and several other Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered flagships like ROG Phone 7 series, so it remains to be seen if Samsung will release an update for the last-gen devices, or let the Galaxy S24 Ultra be the only flagship to support the next-gen WiFi standard for now.
2. Qi2 wireless charging
For those who’re unaware, Qi2 is essentially MagSafe. It’s 15W Qi charging, but now with magnets. And it’s standardized, so it’s no longer exclusive to iPhones, and third-party vendors can follow a standard for all upcoming devices with Qi2 support. Aside from wireless charging, it also opens up the possibility for a ton of magnetically-attached accessories, like what Apple users have enjoyed, with MagSafe wallets and more. Unfortunately, while the Galaxy S24 series was widely rumored to be the first Android devices to support the Qi2 wireless charging standard, it didn’t happen. Qi2 is also more efficient, due to perfect alignment of the inductive coils every single time, but hey, if Apple could ignore USB-C until they were forced to adopt it by the EU, so could Samsung ignore Qi2 for as long as they like.
3. USB 3.2 Gen 2 transfer speeds
Speaking of things that Apple ignored, one thing that they didn’t ignore is USB 3.2 Gen 2 support. The latest iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max feature 10Gbps transfer speeds, which is double that supported the Galaxy S24 series. Yes, even the Galaxy S24 Ultra only goes up to a slow 5Gbps. Aside from the iPhone 15 Pro series, notable Android flagships that supports 10Gbps transfer speeds are the ROG Phone series, starting with the ROG Phone II that dates all the way back to the 2019. For an Ultra-branded flagship, this omission is quite unseemly. With that said, it’s not like the Galaxy S24 series can record directly to external storage, so there isn’t that much lost here, aside from being able to offload footage from your device faster.
4. Fast fast charging
Let’s start by saying that I don’t really see the need for any faster than 20W fast charging. The Galaxy S24+ and S24 Ultra top out at 45W, while the Galaxy S24 only goes up to 25W. That’s decent enough. But given that these are premium flagships, I would love the option to go faster. And let’s not talk about proprietary, non-standard fast charging like what most of the Chinese smartphone vendors are using. Those are kinda pointless. Once again, the ROG Phone series has the Galaxy S24 series beat here, with 65W USB-PD fast charging since the ROG Phone 5 back in 2021. Not to mention the ROG Phone series’ included 65W chargers all support USB-PD too, letting you use them to charge your laptop as well. Samsung? Well, you can look at our reviews to pick your next charger.
5. IR blaster
This is a pretty niche feature that seems exclusive to China-made devices now. Aside from Xiaomi’s own devices, notable devices that were launched recently with the IR blaster are the OnePlus 12 and the Red Magic 9 Pro. I guess given that Samsung also makes IoT devices, having IR blasters is kinda moot since you can always link your smart devices to your smartphone and control them via the app. But hey, I still use air-conditioners with IR remotes, and if you’re like me, you will have to look for your remote instead of doing everything with your Galaxy S24 that’s more likely than not already in your hand.
Conclusion: Don’t buy the Galaxy S24 series?
I won’t go that far to tell you not to get the Galaxy S24 series just because it lacks a few features. There’s still a lot to love in the Galaxy S24 series, and I think the Galaxy AI features might come in really handy. I also really like Samsung DeX as a feature. This article is simply to remind you that there are devices out there that offer the features that you might be looking for, and possibly at much lower prices too. It also serves as a reminder that there’s no one-device-fits-all when it comes to smartphones. One’s useless gimmicks might be a frequently used feature to another. Choose what you need, from the varied options in the market.