Well, yes. And no. As the Apple Macintosh turns 40, what began as Apple prioritizing the squishy concept of “user experience” in its 1984 flagship product is, today, clearly vindicated by its blockbuster products since.

It turns out that designing for usability, efficiency, accessibility, elegance and delight pays off.

Apple’s market capitalization is now over US$2.8 trillion, and its brand is every bit associated with the term “design” as the best New York or Milan fashion houses are.

Apple turned technology into fashion, and it did it through user experience.

It began with the Macintosh.

When Apple announced the Macintosh personal computer with a Super Bowl XVIII television ad on Jan. 22, 1984, it more resembled a movie premiere than a technology release.

The commercial was, in fact, directed by filmmaker Ridley Scott. That’s because founder Steve Jobs knew he was not selling just computing power, storage or a desktop publishing solution.

Rather, Jobs was selling a product for human beings to use, one to be taken into their homes and integrated into their lives.

This was not about computing anymore. IBM, Commodore and Tandy did computers.

As a human-computer interaction scholar, I believe that the first Macintosh was about humans feeling comfortable with a new extension of themselves, not as computer hobbyists but as everyday people.

All that “computer stuff” – circuits and wires and separate motherboards and monitors – were neatly packaged and hidden away within one sleek integrated box.

You weren’t supposed to dig into that box, and you didn’t need to dig into that box – not with the Macintosh.

The everyday user wouldn’t think about the contents of that box any more than they thought about the stitching in their clothes. Instead, they would focus on how that box made them feel.

Beyond the mouse and desktop metaphor

As computers go, was the Macintosh innovative? Sure. But not for any particular computing breakthrough.

The Macintosh was not the first computer to have a graphical user interface or employ the desktop metaphor: icons, files, folders, windows and so on.

The Macintosh was not the first personal computer meant for home, office or educational use. It was not the first computer to use a mouse.

It was not even the first computer from Apple to be or have any of these things. The Apple Lisa, released a year before, had them all.It was not any one technical thing that the Macintosh did first.

But the Macintosh brought together numerous advances that were about giving people an accessory – not for geeks or techno-hobbyists, but for home office moms and soccer dads and eighth grade students who used it to write documents, edit spreadsheets, make drawings and play games.

The Macintosh revolutionized the personal computing industry and everything that was to follow because of its emphasis on providing a satisfying, simplified user experience.

Where computers typically had complex input sequences in the form of typed commands (Unix, MS-DOS) or multi-button mice (Xerox STAR, Commodore 64), the Macintosh used a desktop metaphor in which the computer screen presented a representation of a physical desk surface.

Users could click directly on files and folders on the desktop to open them. It also had a one-button mouse that allowed users to click, double-click and drag-and-drop icons without typing commands.

The Xerox Alto had first exhibited the concept of icons, invented in David Canfield Smith’s 1975 Ph.D. dissertation. The 1981 Xerox Star and 1983 Apple Lisa had used desktop metaphors.

But these systems had been slow to operate and still cumbersome in many aspects of their interaction design.

The Macintosh simplified the interaction techniques required to operate a computer and improved functioning to reasonable speeds.

Complex keyboard commands and dedicated keys were replaced with point-and-click operations, pull-down menus, draggable windows and icons, and systemwide undo, cut, copy and paste.

Unlike with the Lisa, the Macintosh could run only one program at a time, but this simplified the user experience.

The Macintosh also provided a user interface toolbox for application developers, enabling applications to have a standard look and feel by using common interface widgets such as buttons, menus, fonts, dialog boxes and windows.

With the Macintosh, the learning curve for users was flattened, allowing people to feel proficient in short order. Computing, like clothing, was now for everyone.

A good experience

Although I hesitate to use the cliches “natural” or “intuitive” when it comes to fabricated worlds on a screen – nobody is born knowing what a desktop window, pull-down menu or double-click is – the Macintosh was the first personal computer to make user experience the driver of technical achievement.

It indeed was simple to operate, especially compared with command-line computers at the time.

Whereas prior systems prioritized technical capability, the Macintosh was intended for nonspecialist users – at work, school or in the home – to experience a kind of out-of-the-box usability that today is the hallmark of not only most Apple products but an entire industry’s worth of consumer electronics, smart devices and computers of every kind.

According to Market Growth Reports, companies devoted to providing user experience tools and services were worth $548.91 million in 2023 and are expected to reach $1.36 billion by 2029.

User experience companies provide software and services to support usability testing, user research, voice-of-the-customer initiatives and user interface design, among many other user experience activities.

Rarely today do consumer products succeed in the market based on functionality alone. Consumers expect a good user experience and will pay a premium for it.

The Macintosh started that obsession and demonstrated its centrality.

It is ironic that the Macintosh technology being commemorated in January 2024 was never really about technology at all. It was always about people.

This is inspiration for those looking to make the next technology breakthrough, and a warning to those who would dismiss the user experience as only of secondary concern in technological innovation.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• What American children can learn from social robots
• AI-generated spam may soon flood your inbox with scams
• ChatGPT and other language AI’s are just as irrational as we are
• How to keep your teen safe from dangerous social media challenges

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Jacob O. Wobbrock, Professor of Information, University of Washington, and republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The post The Macintosh is 40, but who’s counting when you’re this iconic appeared first on KnowTechie.

One of the top complaints about Spotify has been the difficulty in subscribing to and buying things through the app on iPhones.

However, the DMA means that Spotify will finally be able to share details about offers, subscription prices, or even where or how to buy these, giving users an easier experience, the music streaming giant announced.

With the DMA prohibiting the ~30% tax imposed by Apple, Spotify can now communicate directly with users about subscription offerings, product prices, deals, and promotions in the app.

Users can expect clear information on prices for things like Premium subscriptions and audiobooks as well as new products for sale, promotional campaigns, superfan clubs, and upcoming events.

Spotify users in the EU can also look forward to hassle-free in-app payments. They will be able to buy a Premium subscription or an audiobook, as well as upgrade from an individual to a Duo or Family plan to save money with a couple of easy clicks.

With the new rules, Spotify can now give artists and authors increased exposure to new audiences and help them build a fandom of listeners and audiobook fans.

This is one of the first moves that will put a stop to Apple’s overcontrolling tendencies when it comes to apps installed on its devices.

Spotify decided to stop using Apple’s in-app payment system after a 30% fee was introduced for all purchases, which led to Apple introducing regulations about what commercial information can and cannot be shared within apps.

The European Union will be enforcing its Digital Markets Act starting March 7th, 2024, preventing large digital platforms from abusing market power.

As the date approaches, it seems that Apple is planning to split its App Store to comply with the DMA.

Unfortunately, Spotify users who live in other areas have more waiting to do since similar legislation is only in the works in a handful of countries.

If you’re not in the EU and want an alternative to Spotify, we’ve got you covered with a comprehensive list of the best music streaming services.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Netflix hints at future price increases in shareholder letter
• The Prox PRD is the perfect solution for forgetful phone users
• New Tesla update promises a human-like driving experience
• Elon Musk just gave Twitter Blue subscribers the option to call you

The post Spotify to bring back in-app payments for iOS users in the EU appeared first on KnowTechie.

As Netflix’s ad-supported tier catches more eyeballs, the company has announced plans to sunset its Basic membership tier—previously the most budget-friendly ad-free option.

This shake-up in subscription options is set to begin in Canada and the U.K. this spring, with other regions likely to follow suit.

The move indicates a significant shift in Netflix’s strategy, potentially pushing subscribers towards its ad-supported offering or encouraging them to level up to pricier plans.

This change comes amid a broader conversation about the cost of streaming entertainment. Netflix’s leadership, in a subtle nod within their shareholder letter, has suggested that the price tag for its service could climb in the future.

The rationale?

As Netflix pours funds into improving and expanding its offerings, it anticipates asking members to chip in a bit more to reflect these “enhancements.” This is a classic business move: as the value proposition grows, so does the cost to consumers.

For subscribers, this means keeping an eye on their monthly bills and weighing the value of Netflix’s ever-growing content library against the increased expense.

And for the industry, it raises questions about how pricing strategies might evolve in the highly competitive streaming market.

I don’t know about you all, but this seems like a good time to reconsider your Netflix subscription. And if you decide to give them the axe, here’s a good place to start.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Netflix signs $5 billion streaming deal for WWE Raw
• Prime Video & Netflix neck-and-neck in latest streaming report
• Netflix expands its gaming library with the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy 
• Netflix offers downloads to its ad-tier subscribers

The post Netflix hints at future price increases in shareholder letter appeared first on KnowTechie.

This isn’t just any old software tweak; it’s a major pivot to a system that’s entirely powered by neural networks. That’s right, they’ve shelved the traditional coding strategies in favor of a setup that’s all AI, all the time.

Before FSD Beta v12, or v12.12, Tesla’s FSD software was a combo meal of neural networks for the visuals and standard code for the driving decisions. But with v12, it’s a full-course neural network feast.

To compare apples to apples, imagine swapping out a hefty 300,000 lines of C++ code for a single neural network that’s been trained on a mountain of driving footage.

The early feedback from the beta testers is promising, with reports of drives that feel like there’s a human behind the wheel. They’re spotting improvements in how the car handles complicated driving situations and adapts to new roads.

However, others note the software still has ‘rough edges’ and might not be ready for a wider release until March.

Tesla began handing the keys to the new beta to an exclusive club of over 15,000 Tesla employee-owned vehicles in late December 2023. Following encouraging reviews and some testing, the software started its rollout to the public in January 2024.

Despite the buzz around Tesla’s FSD Beta v12, some skepticism remains. A recent Fortune article echoes concerns that, while improvements are evident, Musk’s promise of a ‘ChatGPT moment’ for Tesla may not be fully realized just yet.

With the ‘beta’ label still in place, investors and enthusiasts are left wondering if the dream of a fully autonomous robo-taxi is closer to reality or if expectations need to be tempered.

Do you think Tesla will ever reach full autonomy, or is Musk just blowing smoke? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

The post New Tesla update promises a human-like driving experience appeared first on KnowTechie.

This means that X users can now make and receive audio and video calls just like they can on other platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and FaceTime.

However, there’s a catch: only premium subscribers can initiate calls, while anyone can receive them. So, if you want to make calls on X, you’ll need to pay for a subscription.

The rollout of this feature is gradual, so not all Android users will have access to it right away. If you want to use the calling feature, you’ll need to make sure you have the latest version of the X app installed.

To start a call, simply open a Direct Message (DM) conversation with the person you want to call and tap the phone icon to choose an audio or video call. To receive calls, you just need to be on the X platform.

X also offers Enhanced Call Privacy, which routes call traffic through its own infrastructure instead of directly connecting callers. This can help to mask your IP address and protect your privacy.

How to prevent Twitter Blue and Twitter Premium users from spamming you with calls

Here’s a step-by-step guide on controlling who can call you via Twitter:

1. Accessing Message Settings:
   • Begin by tapping the envelope icon to go to your messages.
   • Look for the settings icon positioned in the top right corner and tap it to enter your Messages settings.
2. Managing Call Features:
   • Within your Messages settings, you will find the option to enable or disable the audio and video calling feature. Decide whether you want the feature active.
3. Setting Caller Permissions: If you opt to enable calls, you have the flexibility to control who can contact you. The choices are:

• Contacts Only: Limit calls to individuals in your address book, a sensible option for keeping communications private.
• People You Follow: Select this option to receive calls from users you follow, which could include friends, colleagues, or public figures.
• Verified Users: This option restricts calls to verified users only, which might be a preferred setting for professional communications or to avoid spam.

By adjusting these settings, you can tailor your Twitter experience to your personal preferences and comfort level.

Remember, staying in control of how you interact on social platforms is key to maintaining your online privacy and peace of mind.

As for whether or not this feature is a good idea, that’s up to you to decide. But I have a feeling that if it’s only for Twitter Blue subscribers, it’s going to be a complete clown show.

Some people may find it convenient to have all of their communication needs in one place, while others may prefer to use separate apps for different purposes.

Do you plan on making or blocking Twitter/X calls? Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Marc Cuban slams Twitter as Elon Musk’s echo chamber
• NASA says Elon Musk’s urine is clean
• Elon Musk backtracks on Twitter/X URL headline feature
• Elon Musk announces Grok AI assistant, a ChatGPT rival

The post Elon Musk just gave Twitter Blue subscribers the option to call you appeared first on KnowTechie.

Researchers have used them to read stories to preschool students in Singapore, help 12-year-olds in Iran learn English, improve handwriting among young children in Switzerland, and teach students with autism in England appropriate physical distance during social interactions.

Some experts believe these robots could become “as common as paper, whiteboards and computer tablets” in schools.

Because social robots have a body, humans react to them differently than we do to a computer screen. Studies have shown that little children sometimes accept social robots as peers.

For example, in the handwriting study, a 5-year-old boy continued to send letters to the robot months after the interactions ended.

As a professor of education, I study the different ways that teachers around the world do their jobs.

To understand how social robots could affect teaching, graduate student Raisa Gray and I introduced a 4-foot-tall humanoid robot called “Pepper” into a public elementary and middle school in the U.S.

Our research revealed many problems with the current generation of social robots, making it unlikely that social robots will be running classrooms anytime soon.

Not ready for prime time

Much of the research on social robots in schools is done in very restricted ways.

Children and social robots are not allowed to freely interact with each other without the assistance, or intervention, of researchers. Only a few studies have used social robots in real-life classroom settings.

Also, robotic researchers often use “Wizard of Oz” techniques in classroom settings. That means that a person is operating the robot remotely, giving the impression that the robot can really talk to humans.

Limited social skills

Robots need quiet. Any kind of background noise – class-change bells, loudspeaker announcements or other conversations – can disrupt the robot’s ability to follow a conversation.

This is one of the major problems facing the integration of robots into schools.

It is extremely difficult for programmers to create software and hardware systems that can achieve what humans do unconsciously.

For example, the current generation of social robots cannot interact with a small group and, for example, track multiple people’s facial expressions.

If a person is talking to two other people about their favorite football team and one of the listeners frowns or rolls their eyes, a human will likely pick up on that.

A robot will not. Also, unless a bar code or other identification device is used, today’s social robots cannot recognize individuals. This makes it very unlikely for them to have realistic social interactions.

Facial recognition software is difficult to use in a room full of moving, shifting people, and also raises serious ethical questions about keeping students’ personal information safe.

Dialogue is preprogrammed

To get the robot to perform, our students had to master the tutorials that came with the robot. Some students quickly figured out that the robot could respond only to certain basic routines.

For example, Pepper could respond to “How old are you?” but not “What age are you?” Other students kept trying to interact with the robot as if it were a person and got very frustrated with its nonhuman responses.

When a robot fails to answer a question, or responds in the wrong way, students realize the robot isn’t really understanding them and that the robot’s dialogue is preprogrammed. The robot can’t really make sense of the social context.

In our study, students learned to adapt to the robot. One group of girls would stand around the robot while one kept petting its head.

This caused the robot to do either its “I feel like a cat” or its “I’m ticklish today” routine. This seemed to delight the girls. They appeared content to have one person interact with the robot while others watched.

Cannot move around classroom with ease

Students who have seen YouTube videos of robotic dogs that run and jump may be disappointed to realize that most social robots can’t move around a classroom with ease.

The teachers in our study were disappointed that Pepper couldn’t bring them coffee.

These problems aren’t limited to school settings. Service robots in some healthcare facilities have been programmed to deliver medicine, but this requires special sensors and programming.

And while stores and restaurants are experimenting with delivery and cleaning robots, when a grocery store in Scotland tried to use Pepper for customer interactions, the robot was fired after a week.

What social robots can teach kids

While the social robots currently used in schools are finicky and limited in functions, they can still provide useful learning experiences.

Students can use them to learn more about robotics, artificial intelligence and the complexity of real human behavior.

As one researcher wrote, “Robots act as a bridge in enabling students to understand humans.”

Struggling with a robot’s limitations gives students real insights into the complicated nature of human social interaction.

The opportunity to work hands-on with a social robot shows students how difficult it is to program robots to mimic human behavior.

Social robots can also provide students with important learning opportunities about artificial intelligence. In Japan, Pepper is being used to introduce students to generative AI.

Students can link ChatGPT with Pepper’s physical presence to see how much AI improves Pepper’s communication and whether that makes it more lifelike.

As AI becomes a bigger part of our work and lives, educators need to prepare students to think critically about what it means to live and work with social machines.

And with a real human teacher’s guidance and oversight, students can explore why we want to talk to robots as if they were people.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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• ChatGPT and other language AI’s are just as irrational as we are

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Gerald K. LeTendre, Professor of Educational Administration, Penn State, and republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The post What American children can learn from social robots appeared first on KnowTechie.

Troy Hunt, creator of the helpful Have I Been Pwned website for finding out if your details are in password leaks, says this new leak is one of the largest he’s ever seen.

Dubbed “Naz.API,” this credential stuffing list (used by hackers to try email and password combinations rapidly on their target) has a staggering 70 million email addresses and over 100 million passwords inside.

And unlike many lists on Have I Been Pwned, “a third of the email address have never been seen before.”

If you haven’t already, it’s time to start using a password manager. Preferably one that supports two-factor authentication, and enable that on services that support it while you’re changing passwords.

Then read on for the rest.

New password leak probably has your details inside

New breach: The Naz.API stealer logs and cred stuffing lists were posted to a hacking forum in Sep. Data included 71M email addresses and 100M plain text passwords, often alongside the service they were used for. 67% were already in @haveibeenpwned. More: https://t.co/Uef4G7gOei

— Have I Been Pwned (@haveibeenpwned) January 17, 2024

If you’re wondering where the data inside this password leak came from, Hunt says it was from “stealer logs” which are malware on infected computers that capture login details then send it out to the hackers.

In a year of high-profile password and data leaks from companies such as LastPass and 23andme, the Naz.API dump is huge. Hunt tested enough of the service+email combinations to be satisfied that the data was legit.

He even found his own data in there, with a password he hadn’t used since before 2011. That’s joined by over 100 million unique passwords, which are repeated enough times that the full password leak contains 1.3 billion entries.

As Hunt notes, the number of recurring passwords means that the general public likely isn’t using a password manager with unique passwords for every service. Maybe it’s time to start.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• YouTube is punishing ad-block users with longer load times
• Marc Cuban slams Twitter as Elon Musk’s echo chamber
• Samsung Galaxy S24 range brings new chips, AI, and better cameras
• Microsoft introduces Copilot Pro, a $20/month AI assistant

The post New password leak has 71 million emails in it appeared first on KnowTechie.

Cuban fearlessly entered Twitter’s snake pit, acknowledging its tendency to amplify the viewpoints of Elon Musk, who often dominates the platform’s discourse.

But here’s the deal: Cuban isn’t the type to back down. He took to Twitter with gusto, defending the importance of diversity and inclusion in the face of criticism from Musk.

Musk accused him of just trying to look good, but Cuban was all about sparking a real conversation, as highlighted by Business Insider.

Cuban was clear-eyed about this: he was talking to people who might not be ready to hear what he had to say. He wanted to challenge the status quo, to get even one person to see things differently.

That’s the heart of the matter — making your voice heard even when it’s tough.

Looking for a response from Musk? Well, we hope you like radio silence. But that’s not surprising. Musk often makes waves with his tweets, and then finds the next shiney thing to tweet about.

So what’s the next move in Musk’s playbook? A parody account of Elon Musk humorously suggested a “cage fight” location, showcasing the playful side of this discourse. But this is reality, and Musk challenging someone to a fight isn’t out of the norm.

Seriously, the man tried to provoke Mark Zuckerberg into a fight, but Zuck didn’t back down. He stood his ground, making Musk back off and give up in his own public platform.

So, what’s the takeaway from this high-stakes tweet-off? Simple: don’t be afraid to echo your truth, even if you’re doing it in someone else’s chamber. Whether you’re a titan of industry or just a keyboard warrior, your words have power — use them wisely.

And while the Twitter echo might be loud, it’s not impenetrable. So go ahead, make some noise. After all, isn’t that what Twitter is for?

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• NASA says Elon Musk’s urine is clean
• Elon Musk is reportedly on drugs, and the cracks are showing
• Elon Musk’s rebranded Twitter, X, sees a major drop in value
• Elon Musk backtracks on Twitter/X URL headline feature

The post Marc Cuban slams Twitter as Elon Musk’s echo chamber appeared first on KnowTechie.

Samsung has lit a fire with preorder deals on their brand-new Galaxy S24 series that might just make you forget about the frigid weather outside.

From January 17th to the 30th, Samsung is sweetening the deal by hooking up KnowTechie readers with a special $50 Samsung Credit offer that’s so exclusive that it’s like the tech version of a secret club handshake.

Oh, it gets better: With any Galaxy S24 series device purchase, Samsung is offering a 20% discount on Samsung Care+ with Theft and Loss. Because, hey, life happens, and sometimes, it happens to our phones.

Are you ready for some sweet preorder deals? Let’s dive right in

The best Samsung Galaxy S24 preorder deals out right now

If the S24 Ultra is your dream phone, Samsung’s got you covered with up to $750 Enhanced Trade-In, a Free Memory Upgrade, a $100 Samsung Credit, and a 15% Student Discount. Get this fantastic deal here and preorder now.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra marries form and function with a seamless one-mass design and slimmer bezels. Its 6.7-inch display offers immersive viewing, while the improved thermal control system ensures sustained performance power. Available in a range of colors and storage options, starting at $999.99.

What We Like:

• The S24 Ultra's larger screen size and slimmer bezels make for an improved, more immersive viewing experience.
• The device’s enhanced thermal control system ensures optimal performance, even during heavy use.
• With a starting price of $999.99, the S24 Ultra offers value for money, considering its advanced features and sleek design.
• Available in a variety of colors, the S24 Ultra gives you the freedom to choose a device that reflects your personal style.

Check Availability

For those who prefer the S24+, Samsung is offering up to $650 Enhanced Trade-In, a Free Memory Upgrade, a $75 Samsung Credit, and a 7.5% Student Discount. Don’t miss out on this amazing offer; click here.

And let’s not forget about the S24. It comes with up to $550 enhanced trade-in, a free memory Upgrade, a $25 Samsung Credit, and a 5% student discount. If this sounds like your kind of deal, click here to preorder the Samsung Galaxy S24.

Samsung Galaxy S24 & S24+

The Samsung Galaxy S24+ is a fusion of sleek aesthetics and strong performance. Its standardized one-mass design and slimmer bezels around a 6.7-inch display contribute to a visually pleasing and immersive viewing experience. Available in a spectrum of colors, with storage options of 256GB and 512GB, starting from $999.99.

What We Like:

• The S24+'s sleek design and larger screen size significantly enhance the viewing experience.
• An advanced thermal control system ensures optimal performance without overheating.
• The S24+ offers a balance between cost and features, starting at $999.99.
• A variety of color options allow buyers to personalize their device choice.

Check Availability

Best Buy

Best Buy is also getting in on the action with an offer that’s hard to resist.

From January 17th to 30th, you can save up to a whopping $870 on the new Samsung Galaxy S24 Series with a preorder, a qualifying trade-in, and double the storage.

And as a cherry on top, they’re also throwing in up to a $150 Best Buy e-Gift Card. Grab this deal here.

Best Buy: Samsung Galaxy S24 Preorder Deal

Save up to $870 on the new Samsung Galaxy S24 Series with pre-order, qualifying trade-in, and double the storage. Also, get up to a $150 Best Buy e-Gift Card.

Check Availability

Verizon

When it comes to the best smartphone deals, Verizon is hard to beat. They’re constantly running promotions and offering competitive prices that make it difficult for other carriers to match.

And their current Galaxy S24 deal is no exception. From now through the end of the month, Verizon will give you a Samsung Galaxy S24+ free of charge with any Samsung trade-in & select plan.

And to sweeten the deal, they’re throwing in a 15% discount on cases/screen protectors.

Verizon: Get Samsung Galaxy S24+ on Us With Any Samsung Trade-In and Select Plan

Free $999.99

The Samsung Galaxy S24+ offers a high-resolution display, advanced camera features, and robust battery life within a sleek design suitable for everyday use. Get it for free with any Samsung trade-in and select plan. And 15% off cases/screen protectors.

What We Like:

• Significant savings opportunity with a trade-in deal that's hard to match.
• Latest Samsung technology at a cost of zero dollars.
• Reduced accessory prices enhance device protection without breaking the bank.
• Limited-time offer adds urgency for those seeking a premium smartphone upgrade.

Check Availability

AT&T

AT&T’s stepping into the ring with some knockout deals for the Galaxy S24 lineup.

They’re making it rain with a whopping $1000 off the Galaxy S24 Ultra when you trade in any Galaxy phone — and they’re not fussy about the year or condition.

Feeling more S24+ or S24? AT&T’s got your back with a straight-up free phone on the house with a qualifying Galaxy trade-in. These offers kick off on January 17th, so mark your calendars!

Preordder the Samsung Galaxy S24+ at AT&T

AT&T's promotion offers a $1000 discount on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, available to both new and existing customers with a trade-in of any Galaxy phone.

What We Like:

• Significant Discount: The $1000 off provides a considerable cost advantage for upgrading.
• Universal Trade-In: The deal accepts any Galaxy phone, making it very accessible.
• Limited Availability: Offers like this are typically time-sensitive, suggesting prompt action.
• Upgrade Incentive: It's an ideal opportunity for Galaxy owners to transition to the latest model with financial benefit

Check Availability

Don’t sleep on these offers because they may be here right now, but in a week or so, these discounts will be gone, and who knows if they’re ever coming back.

So there you have it, folks. Don’t let the winter blues get you down. Instead, turn up the heat with these best Galaxy S24 deals. But hurry, like a snowman in the sun, these deals won’t last forever.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

The post The best Samsung Galaxy S24 preorder deals appeared first on KnowTechie.

From editing tools to easier search and on-device translation, they’re full of handy features that will make life a little easier.

They also come with a new chipset, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy that promises more power while being more efficient so battery life should improve.

Here’s what to know.

The Galaxy S24 series is now official

Samsung’s Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ are now official and have minor upgrades on the outside. The real improvements are under the hood, with Galaxy AI features everywhere.

The screens are slightly increased in size by 0.1 inches, so that’s 6.2 inches for the S24 and 6.7 inches for the S24+. They’re also brighter, with 2,600 nits of peak brightness, and the S24+ gets a 1440p resolution (up from 1080p).

You get a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP 3x telephoto. Those are the same cameras from the S23, which were already pretty good.

While the camera hardware is unchanged from last year, both phones get a host of AI-powered editing tricks and better support for HDR photographs.

That includes the Photos app, which analyzes photos as you browse and suggests edits to make them better based on the composition and subject in the frame.

In the US, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy powers both phones, with the Exynos 2400 for Galaxy chip being used elsewhere, paired with 8GB of RAM on the S24 and 12GB on the S24+.

Battery size is also increased slightly over last year’s series, with 4,000mAh for the S24 and 4,900mAh for the S24+.

And all three Galaxy S24 handsets promise seven generations of operating system updates, and seven years of security updates.

Samsung Galaxy S24 & S24+

The Samsung Galaxy S24+ is a fusion of sleek aesthetics and strong performance. Its standardized one-mass design and slimmer bezels around a 6.7-inch display contribute to a visually pleasing and immersive viewing experience. Available in a spectrum of colors, with storage options of 256GB and 512GB, starting from $999.99.

What We Like:

• The S24+'s sleek design and larger screen size significantly enhance the viewing experience.
• An advanced thermal control system ensures optimal performance without overheating.
• The S24+ offers a balance between cost and features, starting at $999.99.
• A variety of color options allow buyers to personalize their device choice.

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Galaxy S24 Ultra

The flagship of flagships, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is more phone than most people needs, but that’s kind of the point.

This year, Samsung used titanium for the case for durability reasons and not to save much in weight. You also get Wi-Fi 7, which will give better connectivity when used with compatible networking gear.

The 6.8-inch screen is now flat, finally dropping the curved glass edges that it kept from the Note series. That’s a good thing, making the phone look better and easier to write on with the S Pen.

The other big change? The 10x zoom from the S23 Ultra is gone, replaced with a 50-megapixel 5x zoom that should give you better images.

The other three cameras are unchanged, with a 200MP main, a 10MP 3x telephoto, and a 12MP ultrawide. The selfie camera is still at 12MP.

It’s powered by the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset, which will be the case wherever the S24 Ultra is purchased.

The other two S24 models are using that chipset in the US, and Exynos chips everywhere else.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra marries form and function with a seamless one-mass design and slimmer bezels. Its 6.7-inch display offers immersive viewing, while the improved thermal control system ensures sustained performance power. Available in a range of colors and storage options, starting at $999.99.

What We Like:

• The S24 Ultra's larger screen size and slimmer bezels make for an improved, more immersive viewing experience.
• The device’s enhanced thermal control system ensures optimal performance, even during heavy use.
• With a starting price of $999.99, the S24 Ultra offers value for money, considering its advanced features and sleek design.
• Available in a variety of colors, the S24 Ultra gives you the freedom to choose a device that reflects your personal style.

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New AI features

Every model in the Galaxy S24 series is chock-full of AI, for good or for ill. They use a mix of local and cloud-based AI, and Google’s Gemini AI (also found on the Pixel 8 Pro) runs on-device.

These power multiple new tools from image and video editing to real-time translation, either in calls or in messaging apps.

And a new Circle to Search feature makes it easier than ever to find out information about something you just saw or read, without having to figure out keywords for search.

Preorders are live for the Galaxy S24 series

The Galaxy S24 starts from $799.99 for 128GB of storage, with preorders coming with a host of benefits including a free storage upgrade to the next tier and up to $100 of Samsung Credit.

The Galaxy S24+ starts from $999.99 for 256GB of storage, including the same preorder benefits as the S24.

Both devices come in Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, and Amber Yellow, and Samsung-exclusive colors of Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, and Sandstone Orange.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra starts from $1,299.99 for 256GB of storage, and is available in Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow; plus Titanium Green, Titanium Blue, and Titanium Orange available only on Samsung.com.

You can check out the best preorder deals for the Galaxy S24 series to find your preferred retailer.

Devices will be widely available starting January 31, which is also when preordered devices should ship.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

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