Everything You Need To Know About The Samsung Galaxy S23
Samsung have just announced the newest model of their flagship phone, the Galaxy S23. The new set of phones follows the usual Samsung formula: we have the Galaxy S23, the Galaxy S23 Plus and the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The main difference, as always, is the size between these phones, the camera capabilities and the battery. But here’s a spoiler alert: this series isn’t exactly brimming with fancy updates. If we’re looking for differences between these phones and the previous models, we might have to look pretty deep.
Let’s dig into the detail to find out if it’s worth splashing your cash on the Galaxy S23.
Camera
Like most other features of the Galaxy S23, the lenses are largely the same as those on the Galaxy S22. So if you were hoping for a major camera upgrade you’ll be disappointed. The main camera remains at 50MP, and the 12MP ultrawide is the same, with a 10MP telephoto. All three Galaxy S23 models now have the same 12MP front facing camera, which is an upgrade from the previous 10MP, so that’s a bonus. Samsung does claim the S23 series has improved photography skills due to AI, especially for night time photography, but probably the most noticeable upgrade is Astro Hyperlapse, which is capable of creating time lapse videos even at night. If you want a punchier camera, the Galaxy S23 Ultra model has an impressive 200MP main camera, but you pay the price for it and you have to deal with the larger phone. For the standard model, the S23 still has a decent camera.
Battery performance
This is one area that definitely has had an upgrade. The Galaxy S23’s battery size is now 3900mAh, up from 3700mAh. Okay this isn’t a massive increase, but users will see an improvement in the life of the battery between charges, compared to the S22. Where the phone does fall down is in its charging speeds as the 45W charging isn’t fast these days. Some models lag behind even this, but by flagship smartphone standards, this is far from market-leading.
Design and display
It’s going to be fairly difficult to tell the difference between the Galaxy S23 and the previous model just by looking at it screen-on. It’s the same 6.1 inch screen, except it’s now coated in Gorilla Glass Victus 2. You wouldn’t notice that, but it’s nice to know there’s extra protection if you drop it, and it’s made with 22% “pre-consumer glass”, so you have an eco-conscious phone. The main change you’ll see comes when you flip your phone over and look at the back. Samsung phones did house their camera lenses in a techy-looking raised black box. Now the lenses are in a vertical line down the left-hand side. Even though it’s a more fluid design and many will prefer it, it’s not exactly innovative. Each of the S23 models are available Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, and Cream.
Tech spec
As with the majority of this phone, you’re not going to notice a huge difference in the Galaxy S23’s performance compared to the S22. There is an upgrade to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 from the previous Gen 1 chip, which leans heavily into AI features. It was created especially for Galaxy, which might sound special, but actually just means it’s a tweaked version of the top end mobile chipset. So it’s still positive, but perhaps not quite the upgrade you might have hoped for.
The Galaxy S23 is available with either 128GB or 256GB of storage, so again, it’s the same as its previous model. You do get Android 13 and the latest version of Samsung’s One UI interface, 5.1, which gives the phone great performance, especially for gaming. So if you’re looking for a pocket phone you can game on smoothly, this one will fit the bill.
Price and availability
You can pre-order your Samsung Galaxy S23 now, but it doesn’t land in the UK until 17 February. The price starts at £849 for the 128GB and £899 for the 256GB. The price is reasonable enough, but it’s not likely to tempt anyone who has the S22 due to the lack of upgrades. Overall, it seems more aimed at users of rival models who fancy switching to Samsung for the first time – and it’s a good bet they’ll be delighted by this flagship phone.
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