That’s not very bright: here’s how Samsung messed up big time with the Galaxy S24 Ultra display

That’s not very bright: here’s how Samsung messed up big time with the Galaxy S24 Ultra display،

Let's talk about some epic tech industry failures – epic live failures, at that. And let’s see how the Galaxy S24 Ultra joins the brotherhood of “epic failures”.

Although 1998 was more than a quarter of a century ago, the legendary failure of Microsoft Windows 98 at COMDEX is still considered one of the greatest failures on record. The PC running the brand new Windows 98 froze and caused the entire audience to say “Ooph!” after displaying the famous BSoD (Blue Screen of Death).
Another royal mistake that comes to mind is, of course, that of 2010, when Steve Jobs was unable to properly show the iPhone 4 due to connectivity issues. A few moments later, Steve Jobs (be Steve Jobs) asked the entire audience – several hundred journalists and event attendees – to turn off their Wi-Fi devices because they were apparently interfering with his demo iPhone.
No list of “Top 3 Epic Tech Industry Failures” should go without mentioning the LG disaster of 2013. At the time, LG introduced the LG G2 phone. Someone at LG had the great idea of giving away phones to attendees, but the coupons for a brand new G2 were attached to balloons that were supposed to fly through the sky. Around 20 people were injured after many participants carried BB guns and sharp objects to pop balloons intended for a new phone. “G2” means “Genius x 2”, right?

Is Samsung about to join this list of “epic fails”?

Aside from a few rather microscopic bumps, the Galaxy Unpacked event on January 17 was a smooth success. The lighting was okay, the presenters didn't stutter, everything seemed to work as it should, the overall pacing was more than okay, and the clips weren't as grating as one might expect. However, Samsung made a major mistake with the Galaxy S24 Ultra and its display – it failed to adequately advertise it and show how good it actually is. In case it's not clear, I'm talking about Gorilla Glass Armor on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

You see, people are amazed at how glare-free this device is, compared to Samsung's previous champion – the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Many X/Twitter tipsters are showing the 2023 and 2024 Ultra flagships side by side and the difference is impressive. Where the Galaxy 23 Ultra's screen is barely readable or with washed out colors and contrast, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's screen excels.

And, boy, does it give:

During my press briefing with Samsung, they mentioned that the coating on the S24 Ultra (right) reduced reflections by 75%… that's pretty obvious here compared to the S23 Ultra (left) pic.twitter.com/CNPv8rPdEu

—Daniel Scuteri | Technology with benefits (@daniel_scuteri) January 18, 2024

One might think that this is a retouched photo in favor of Galaxy S24 Ultrabut more and more users are reporting the same thing:

This is made possible through the use of all-new Gorilla Glass Armor, which promises to deliver “an unrivaled combination of durability and visual clarity.” As Samsung says: “Compared to a conventional glass surface, Corning Gorilla Armor reduces reflections by up to 75%, improving screen readability and minimizing screen glare in almost any environment” .

Where was the Galaxy S23 Ultra, when the Galaxy S24 Ultra needed it?

I don't know where the Galaxy S23 Ultra That's when Gondor fell, but I know it wasn't where it was supposed to be on January 17th. had be part of Galaxy Unpacked and had stand side by side with Galaxy S24 Ultra and boost the celebrity of his successor. What X/Twitter users are now doing with comparisons, Samsung should have done (in a much better way) Galaxy S24 Ultrathe unveiling event.

The presentation, in my humble opinion (and the opinion of many others), should have focused much more on that glare-free experience that users are now reporting.

Here's what people are saying:

Samsung did a huge mistake no advertising for it. if Apple did this, it would be in a 10 minute presentation

…and these are just some of the comments that tipsters and X/Twitter users have made on the subject.

Instead, the Galaxy Unpacked event went the other way: the Corning ambassador talking about the new Gorilla Armor Glass started with hardness new material. He then highlighted the scratch resistance of Gorilla Armor. “Superior anti-reflective properties” were presented at the end of the Gorilla Armor segment, without any concrete examples. What a shame.

If only Apple had that to show…

Many are pointing out the obvious: if Apple had this in their hands, they'd be bragging for days and we'd probably see a whole different event just for the glare-free experience on the hypothetical iPhone. No, really – can you imagine how Cupertino would act in Samsung's place? Tim Cook reportedly hired director Ridley Scott, NASA and half of Disney, just to get them to come up with nothing less than a Hollywood-quality sci-fi epic starring Mickey Mouse, a Jedi Skywalker (plus Taylor Swift, because why not) and depicts the “Great display revolution”. Right after that, we heard the engineers for about 17 minutes, and then, Tim Cook I'll finish with some additional information on Apple's latest advancement.

Crying over spilled milk

What's done is done, the ship has sailed, the bird has flown, it doesn't matter – Samsung missed its chance to turbocharge (and therefore capitalize on) one of the Galaxy S24 Ultra's best features.

After all, some will use daylight outside the Galaxy S24 Ultra's AI features. Some won't.

But they will all look at the screenno matter what they do.

Or – this is a perplexing thought – perhaps Samsung's marketing masters are acting in mysterious ways. Maybe they “forgot” to show the Galaxy S24 Ultra's anti-glare screen is on purpose and now they're relying on the media to do it for them.

If so, I want my share.