The first software update for the Galaxy S24 has been eagerly awaited since the new top of the range went on sale. But Samsung made us wait a little longer than we expected before officially announcing the update and the changes it will bring to the S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra.
Galaxy S24 software update arrives next week!
However, Samsung has not provided a concrete release date. So it just says that the update would arrive in February. And it looks like we may have to wait another week before the update becomes available for radio download.
Samsung revealed to 9to5Google that the rollout will begin on February 22nd. As these updates are rolled out in phases, Galaxy S24 owners in some markets may have to wait until the end of February or even the beginning of March for the update to be released in their country.
According to Samsung, the first update to the Galaxy S24 series will add a “Vividness” toggle to the screen settings. This is so that users can choose the level of vibration they want for the screen. Right from the start, the vivid profile is as dull as the natural profile, offering only the adjustment of white balance for a cooler or warmer look.
The update will also improve several aspects of the camera experience, including zoom functionality, Portrait Mode, Nightography and the rear camera’s video recording capabilities, although Samsung does not explain what these improvements are.
Some screen problems
Many Galaxy S24 displays appear to have a grainy texture, which is especially visible on dark, gray backgrounds. There are several reports about this problem on Reddit, and a survey with more than 350 responses indicates that the majority of Galaxy S24 and S24+ owners are experiencing this problem. A Redditor put his Galaxy S24 Ultra under a 400x OM microscope, revealing that the intensity of the subpixels is not uniform at 10% brightness. Uniformity improves at 30% brightness, while at 50% brightness it is almost non-existent.
Apparently, this is a hardware problem. Many customers have been able to obtain a replacement unit without this problem. Some were refused a replacement unit and had to resolve the issue to obtain a new unit.
Admittedly, you might not notice the grainy texture on your S24’s screen unless you look closely. Still, taking into account the price, it is to be expected that the cell phone does not have these types of defects.
As if the grainy texture problem wasn’t enough, some Galaxy S24 users report seeing three horizontal bars on their low-brightness screen.
Unlike the grainy texture issue, this one appears to affect a limited number of units. Some users also report excessive banding when viewing images with gradients. It is not clear whether these are hardware or software defects. However, a Reddit post suggests that this is a software issue and should be resolved soon.
Android Police editor Manuel Vonau had a similar problem with the Honor Magic 4 Pro’s screen. On dark gray backgrounds, he noticed uneven colors with vertical stripes across the screen. This indicates that the problem may be inherent to OLED panels and is not specific to the S24 screen.
Smartphone OLED displays have improved dramatically in recent years, but they typically struggle with uniformity at low brightness levels.
However, this shouldn’t be a problem, especially since the Samsung S24’s screen includes some important improvements.
However, in addition to a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, Samsung’s 2024 models use a screen with a higher Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) refresh rate of 492Hz. This rate is more than double that of the Galaxy S23 and should benefit users sensitive to PWM fluctuations. In the S24 Ultra, Samsung uses Corning’s Gorilla Armor glass, which greatly reduces reflections.