You might be tempted to pre-order a Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, or Galaxy S24 Ultra, but there are actually some great reasons to hold off.
Samsung’s confirmed a trio of new flagship smartphones and the Galaxy S24 series will take on the likes of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and others.
The devices, which replace the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 as Samsung’s most high-profile smartphones, have some enticing upgrades on board including smart software, new processors, improved cameras, and more.
If you’re in the market for a new smartphone in early 2024, the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra should be somewhere on your shopping list.
The devices are currently on sale ahead of their January 31st release date and some might want to put in a pre-order right now. You can save money and you’ll get freebies with your pre-order like credits and a storage upgrade.
There are also some reasons to put your wallet away and wait, at least temporarily. Of course, some people might want to skip the pre-order process entirely.
In this guide we’ll take you through the best reasons to pre-order a Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, or Galaxy S24 Ultra right now and the best reasons to wait.
Pre-Order If You Want One ASAP
Simply put, if you’re determined to make one of the Galaxy S24 models your next phone, you should put in a pre-order at Samsung, your carrier, or your favorite retailer.
Pre-ordering today should ensure you get the Galaxy S24 model you want, in the color/storage combination you want, on your doorstep in the near future.
Again, the Galaxy S24 release date is set for January 31st in the United States. That’s the official street date, but we should see some deliveries arrive before that if you pre-order early enough.
We aren’t expecting huge shipping delays, but we could see deliveries slip for a few models. If you want peace of mind and/or your new device right away, pick the option that fits your needs and order now.
Pre-Order to Save Money
If you pre-order a Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, or Galaxy S24 Ultra you can save money if you’ve got a device to trade-in or if you switch carriers.
Samsung and its partners are offering substantial trade-in offers to those willing to exchange their current device for a new Galaxy S24.
Unfortunately these offers (in their current form, at least) probably won’t last forever, so if you want to upgrade right away and save some cash, you’ll want to take advantage of these offers.
Pre-Order for Free Stuff
If you pre-order a Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, or Galaxy S24 Ultra, you’ll get some free items with your pre-order.
If you pre-order a Galaxy S24 via Samsung.com or the Shop Samsung App, you’ll get a $25 Samsung Credit, $75 Samsung Credit or $100 Samsung Credit depending on the model you buy.
Samsung also says customers who pre-order are eligible for a free storage upgrade to the next storage tier which is extremely handy.
Wait for Galaxy S24 Reviews
These Galaxy S24 models look like solid devices, but some of you might want to hang back and wait for long-term Galaxy S24 reviews.
Some have already had the chance to go hands-on with the devices, but plenty more, us included, will have a chance to test the phones before, or shortly after, they hit shelves.
Early impressions and reviews can be useful, but you shouldn’t base your decision off a review that comes hours after handling a new phone.
Long-term feedback about smartphones is extremely important. You’re spending quite a bit of money and you might be stuck with it for a year or more.
If you aren’t completely sold on the Galaxy S24, we recommend skipping the pre-order period while you wait for long-term feedback from critics and early adopters.
Wait If You Aren’t Prepared
You’ll want to skip a pre-order if you aren’t prepared to buy right now.
If you aren’t sure what kind of effect buying the Galaxy S24 will have on your data plan and/or your finances, hold off until you’re feeling confident.
Before you commit to a new Galaxy S24, you’ll want to research the colors and storage options and their differences, dig into your data needs, and look into rival carriers and see if you might want to switch.
You’ll also want to go hands-on with top Galaxy S24 alternatives like Google’s Pixel 8 and Apple’s iPhone 15.
We also recommend making a plan for your current device. Again, we’ve seen some great trade-in deals and you’ll also want to check what kind of money you can get back at resellers.
Wait for More Galaxy S24 Deals
Early Galaxy S24 trade-in offers will help you save money. If you don’t have one on hand, or you don’t want to trade-in your current phone, you’ll want to wait.
Galaxy S24 price cuts without a trade-in will come, but we probably won’t see price drops for a few weeks at least.
Retailers and carriers should start getting more competitive with their offers once the initial buzz from the Galaxy S24’s release dies down.
Wait if You’re Worried About Problems
If you’re worried about potential Galaxy S24 hardware and/or software problems, you might want to wait a few weeks before buying one.
The company’s Galaxy S24 models all run Android 14 and One UI 6.1 out of the box. Samsung’s patched up issues plaguing the operating system, but the Galaxy S24’s software won’t be bug-free. Far from it.
Samsung and its carrier partners will roll out bug fix updates to address initial issues with the firmware so it might be worth it to wait for the first, second, or maybe even the third batch of bug fixes to arrive before buying one.
New Galaxy phones are sometimes plagued by hardware issues as well. In the past, we’ve seen production issues impact Galaxy S models at launch.
If you’re concerned, you might want to hang back and see what kind of problems early adopters are reporting in the weeks after their release.
