The Samsung Galaxy S23 series, Samsung’s newest generation of premium slab phones, has been introduced and will go on sale soon.
It’s a year for careful improvements, though, with the primary S23 and S23+ changing a lot on the outside but a bit less on the inside. Meanwhile, the S23 Ultra doesn’t appear all that different, but it does have a redesigned 200Mp primary camera – and all three phones use Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset globally.
So, what should you anticipate if you decide to buy an S23? Here’s what you should know.
When will the Samsung Galaxy S23 go on sale?
The three S23 phones – the S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra were officially unveiled on 1 February during a Galaxy Unpacked event, although they aren’t currently available for purchase.
You can pre-order any of the three phones starting today, but they won’t be on sale – or ship to purchasers – until February 17th. That is, at least, the date in the United Kingdom; it may differ in other nations.
This launch comprises the normal S23 model as well as the Plus and Ultra variations, which will be the center of this article.
Samsung released the FE (Fan Edition) devices in 2020, which are simply toned-down versions of the normal S model. These have a more erratic release schedule, although they always arrive months after the other models. Because there has been no appearance of the Galaxy S22 FE, and some rumors claim that it has been cancelled, it’s probable that there will be no S23 FE as either.
How much does the Samsung Galaxy S23 cost?
For the time being, we only have official pricing information for the phones in the United Kingdom, but we’ll update this item as soon as we obtain US and European prices.
To begin, the standard S23 is available in two configurations:
- Galaxy S23 with 128GB storage: $799/£849/€959
- Galaxy S23 with 256GB storage: $899/£899/€1,019
Then there’s the S23+, which comes standard with extra storage:
- Galaxy S23+ with 256GB storage: $999/£1,049/€1,219
- Galaxy S23+ with 512GB storage: $1,099/£1,149/€1,339
Finally, the Ultra model includes an extra 1TB storage tier:
- Galaxy S23 Ultra with 256GB storage: $1,199/£1,249/€1,419
- Galaxy S23 Ultra with 512GB storage: $1,379/£1,399/€1,599
- Galaxy S23 Ultra with 1TB storage: $1,619/£1,599/€1,839
In comparison to last year’s Galaxy S22 models, Samsung has raised the beginning costs across the board – £80 for the S23 and £100 for the Plus and Ultra. That’s easier to accept for the later two, which now come with double the base capacity at 256GB, but the standard S23 is much more costly than its predecessor.
What are the Samsung Galaxy S23 specs?
With only three phones, we’ll keep things simple and go over the lineup one at a time, highlighting what’s new, what’s most intriguing, and how each model varies.
1. Galaxy S23
Let’s start with the S23, the most affordable phone in the new series.
You’ll undoubtedly notice right immediately that the phone looks nothing like last year’s S22. The previous two generations’ ‘contour cut’ camera module has been replaced with a simple array of three camera lenses and a flash sitting squarely on the phone’s rear – a design obviously influenced by last year’s Ultra model.
The colors have also been changed, with the same four finishes being available on all three S23 phones: Green, Lavender, Cream, and Phantom Black. If you purchase from Samsung’s web shop, you can also choose from Graphite, Red, Lime, or Sky Blue – however there’s no hint of anything like the Bespoke option seen on the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
While the design has evolved significantly, the standard S23 is nearly identical in size and weight to last year’s phone, with the same 6.1in display. This is a touch harder than before, as Gorilla Glass Victus 2 – the latest hardest phone glass – makes its debut, however the phone’s overall IP68 classification for water and dust resistance remains same.
The display remains mostly intact from last year, with the same 120Hz AMOLED panel capable of scaling down as slow as 48Hz, same brightness, and Full HD+ resolution.
One of the most intriguing developments this year is the adoption of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor throughout the phone. Previously, Samsung utilized Qualcomm CPUs in the US and certain other areas, while Europe and India got Samsung’s own Exynos processors, but this time it’s Snapdragon all the way.
Even more intriguing, this is a modified version of the 8 Gen 2 dubbed ‘Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy’. The processor has been enhanced, with its prime CPU core operating at 3.36GHz, up from the 3.2GHz of the standard 8 Gen 2’s main core, meaning it should technically operate somewhat quicker than competing phones.
The S23 comes standard with 8GB of RAM and just two storage options: 128GB or 256GB, which are the same as last year.
The battery’s total capacity has increased slightly from last year to 3900mAh, but charging remains same with 25W wired rates and basic Qi wireless charging.
And then there are the cameras. Samsung has likewise opted not to make too many changes here, continuing with the S22’s broad layout of a 50Mp primary camera, a 12Mp ultrawide, and a 10Mp telephoto. The only significant hardware change here is that the selfie camera has been improved from 10Mp to 12Mp.
Although the camera hardware hasn’t been changed much, Samsung boasts a slew of software upgrades, particularly for low-light shooting, so overall performance should be enhanced – but not significantly.
The S23, like all three versions, comes with Android 13 and One UI 5.1, and Samsung’s guarantee of four years of core OS upgrades is extended by a fifth year of security fixes.
Here are the complete specifications:
Galaxy S23 specs:
- 6.1in, 48-120Hz, FHD+, AMOLED display
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- 8GB RAM
- 128/256GB storage
- 3900mAh battery
- 25W wired charging
- 15W wireless charging
- Rear camera:
- 50Mp, f/1.8, OIS main camera
- 12Mp, f/2.2 ultra-wide camera
- 10Mp, f/2.4, OIS 3x zoom telephoto camera
- 12Mp, f/2.2 front camera
- 5G
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Bluetooth 5.3
- IP68
- Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- Android 13 with One UI 5.1
- 70.9 x 146.3 x 7.6mm
- 168g
2. Galaxy S23+
Then there’s the S23+. The good news is that it’s a simple one, as it’s fairly identical to the standard S23 – and, like that phone, hasn’t altered much from last year’s S22+.
The design is basically identical to the S23, with the same colors and dimensions. The biggest difference is that it’s a little larger, due to a 6.6in display, but it has the same features as its smaller sister.
The CPU and RAM remain the same, but storage has been increased: the S23+ starts at 256GB, which is double the capacity of the cheaper phone, with an upgrade option to 512GB.
You also get a bigger battery (4700mAh, up from 4500mAh in the S22+) and 45W wired charging, which is quicker than the ordinary S23.
Here are the complete specifications:
Galaxy S23+ specs:
- 6.6in, 48-120Hz, FHD+, AMOLED display
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- 8GB RAM
- 256/512GB storage
- 4700mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
- 15W wireless charging
- Rear camera:
- 50Mp, f/1.8, OIS main camera
- 12Mp, f/2.2 ultra-wide camera
- 10Mp, f/2.4, OIS 3x zoom telephoto camera
- 12Mp, f/2.2 front camera
- 5G
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Bluetooth 5.3
- IP68
- Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- Android 13 with One UI 5.1
- 76.2 x 157.8 x 7.6mm
- 196g
3. Galaxy S23 Ultra
Finally, the Ultra is back as the lineup’s big daddy.
Unlike last year’s S22 Ultra, this phone’s design matches the rest of the range, but in this instance that’s because the Ultra hasn’t altered.
It has the largest display of the bunch at 6.8in, and it is also the only screen with a dynamic refresh rate that can range from 1-120Hz. It’s also the only phone with a slightly curved display and compatibility for the S Pen pen, which comes with and plugs directly into the phone. This is now black regardless of the model you purchase, with just the end color-matched to the phone’s finish.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset is used again, and the base storage options are the same as the S23+, with the addition of a third tier that upgrades to a full 1TB of storage. This 1TB variant, however, will be unique to the Samsung shop in at least certain locations, including the UK. You may even upgrade to 12GB of RAM for quicker performance.
You also get the largest battery of the bunch, at 5000mAh (albeit this is the same as the S22 Ultra), as well as the same 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging as the S23+.
Finally, there’s the camera, which is where the Ultra really shines. The primary update is a 200Mp monster back camera with Samsung’s latest ISOCELL HP2 sensor. This model has a huge 1/1.3in sensor, improved HDR, better low-light focusing, and Tetra2pixel technology, which allows the phone to pixel-bin to different levels depending on the lighting:
“When in low-lit environments, the sensor transforms either into a 1.2μm 50Mp or 2.4μm 12.5Mp image sensor by binding four to 16 neighboring pixels. For fuller 8K video, approximately at 33Mp, the HP2 switches to 1.2μm 50Mp mode to minimize cropping and capture more of the scene. Filming 8K at 30 frames-per-second (fps), a wide field of view along with bigger pixel size can produce sharp cinematic videos.”
Aside from the primary camera, the S23 Ultra has the same ultrawide, 3x zoom, and 10x zoom camera hardware as its predecessor, which means 10Mp for the two telephotos and 12Mp for the ultrawide.
The Ultra also has the same 12Mp selfie camera as the other two phones, however this appears to be a downgrade from the previous 40Mp sensor. Of course, resolution isn’t everything, so the Ultra might still have better selfie quality despite the lower Mp count, but we’ll put that to the test when the phone arrives for review.
Here are the complete specifications:
Galaxy S23 Ultra specs:
- 6.8in, 1-120Hz, QHD+, AMOLED display
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- 8/12GB RAM
- 256/512GB/1TB storage
- 5000mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
- 15W wireless charging
- Rear camera:
- 200Mp, f/1.7, OIS main camera
- 12Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide camera
- 10Mp, f/2.4, OIS 3x zoom telephoto camera
- 10Mp, f/4.9, OIS 10x zoom telephoto camera
- 12Mp, f/2.2 front camera
- 5G
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Bluetooth 5.3
- IP68
- Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- Android 13 with One UI 5.1
- 78.1 x 163.4 x 8.9mm
- 234g
That’s all there is to know about the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. If you can’t wait till the S23 is available to replace your current smartphone.
