Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 — official date and early Galaxy S24 pre-order details revealed

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 official teaser.

(Image credit: Samsung)

The new year is only a couple of days old, but we’re already gearing up for one of the biggest phone launches of 2024 — the Galaxy S24. And we won’t have to wait long for the new phone, as Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event is now officially slated for Wednesday, January 17.

The big showcase event is being held at the SAP Center at 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET in San Jose, Calif. And just as with previous Galaxy Unpacked events, you’ll be able to watch the event unfold in real time because it’ll be live streamed on YouTube and Samsung’s various channels.

In a teaser video, Samsung proclaims 'Galaxy AI' is coming, which lines up with previous teases and rumors that point to a bevy of AI features coming to the Galaxy S24 series.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 teaser video with Galaxy AI is coming message — (Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event is going to be an interesting one given all the leaks we’ve been hearing around the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra. These phones will undoubtedly set the tone for all other releases, and considering how last year’s Galaxy S23 Ultra set the bar high right from the get-go, we imagine it won’t be any different for the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

We very well expect the Galaxy S24 Ultra to be one of the best phones released this year. However, its ranking in our best camera phones list could be jeopardized based on one critical aspect concerning its rumored camera setup. While the leaks give us a good idea of what to expect, the biggest unknown at this point is whether or not Samsung will keep the same 10x optical telephoto lens as before — or “downgrade” to a 5x one. If this is the case it could be boosted to match (or even surpass) the same optical quality with the help of artificial intelligence — known as Zoom for Galaxy AI.

Speaking of AI, there’s no doubt that AI-assisted features will be a key selling point for the Galaxy S24 series. The company previously revealed big plans for Galaxy AI in 2024, which could deliver Samsung's own dose of AI sorcery that we’ve seen already on the Pixel 8 Pro. From a reported Samsung AI image generator, to AI photo/video editing features, we’re eager to see what Samsung comes up with around artificial intelligence. We just hope that these AI-features won’t be locked away behind a paywall of some kind.

As for the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus, they’re tipped to feature aluminum frames and upgraded Super AMOLED displays with peak brightness up to 2,600 nits. They’ll have similar triple cameras, but the Galaxy S24 Plus should benefit from a larger battery. All three phones should be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip — with perhaps some international models swapping out that silicon in favor of the Exynos 2400 chip.

Even though we’re still a couple weeks away from Galaxy Unpacked 2024, Samsung’s sweetening things by offering an early pre-order deal for its upcoming devices. If you’re dead set on getting these phones, you can snag a $50 reserve credit by placing a reservation on Samsung's website or through the Shop Samsung App between now and January 16.

That extra savings should be helpful because it’s unknown if we’ll see any price hikes for the Galaxy S24 series. Considering how rival phones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Pixel 8 Pro saw increases, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Samsung follows suit.

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John’s a senior editor covering phones for Tom’s Guide. He’s no stranger in this area having covered mobile phones and gadgets since 2008 when he started his career. On top of his editor duties, he’s a seasoned videographer being in front and behind the camera producing YouTube videos. Previously, he held editor roles with PhoneArena, Android Authority, Digital Trends, and SPY. Outside of tech, he enjoys producing mini documentaries and fun social clips for small businesses, enjoying the beach life at the Jersey Shore, and recently becoming a first time homeowner.