All About Samsung Galaxy S23, S23 Plus & S23 Ultra
Here are the three new phones in the Galaxy S23 Series. They are faster, smarter, and have better cameras than their popular predecessors. Read all about the models here.
At last, Samsung Galaxy S23 is here
Samsung has launched the Galaxy S23 Series with three new phones. They follow last year’s models in the Galaxy S22 Series and promise a range of both major and minor improvements.
New features in the series include the new generation of more powerful AP from Qualcomm, enhanced camera image quality, and a new Dynamic AMOLED screen capable of up to 120 Hz for super-smooth image display.
Samsung has chosen to keep many properties from last year’s models. Among other things, the camera system is very similar and the design is almost identical. It is only when examining the details that the major, more noteworthy differences are revealed.
Here’s everything you need to know right now about the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Galaxy S23 Series specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Dynamic AMOLED display
- IP68-rated weather resistance
- 50 or 200MP main camera
- Battery capacity up to 5,000mAh
- WiFi 6e and Bluetooth 5.3
- Up to 100x ‘Space Zoom’
- Android 13
Samsung Galaxy S23
The simplest and cheapest model is called Samsung Galaxy S23. It is the base model with basic features, except the cameras. The phone size is smaller, the screen is smaller, and even the selectable storage from 128GB to 256GB is the smallest of the three models.
The screen is 6.1 inches, which makes the model the easiest to handle for those who prefer one-handed use. Covering the screen is the all-new Gorilla Glass Victus 2 screen protector, which is more scratch-resistant and shock-resistant than used in last year’s models.
The camera set-up is identical to the Galaxy S22, and has a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera and a 10MP portrait camera. The selfie camera has been upgraded to 12MP with HDR support.
The battery has a capacity of 3,900 mAh and has fast charging up to 25 watts, with a cap of 15 watts for wireless charging. The phone weighs just 168 grams and measures 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 millimetres.
Where to buy the Samsung Galaxy S23
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus
The Galaxy S23 Plus is the mid-range model. This model is almost identical to its cheaper sibling, the Galaxy S23, but that slightly higher price tag testifies to a few differences that make it better.
Here you get a slightly larger 6.6-inch screen with the same protective covering, as well as the same resolution. This means the pixel density is somewhat reduced, which at least in theory, means the display isn’t as sharp as the Galaxy S22.
The storage sizes are 256 GB and 512 GB. The cameras are completely identical to the set-up on the Galaxy S23. So you get one front camera and three rear cameras: a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP portrait camera, and, of course, the 12MP selfie camera.
The battery in the Galaxy S23 Plus is significantly larger. A whopping 4,700 mAh, which is a real step up from the Galaxy S23. The fast charging is also faster with its 45 watts. In contrast, wireless charging is just as slow at 15 watts.
The phone weighs 196 grams and measures 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 millimetres.
Where to buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The flagship model is called Galaxy S23 Ultra and it is the most impressive phone in the series. It has the biggest screen, the most cameras, and the most storage space. And it has a significantly higher price tag, of course.
This is the phone for those who want all the new and exciting features offered by the Galaxy S23 Series. That means up to 1TB of storage and 12GB of RAM, a massive 200MP main camera as well as an extra portrait camera with a whopping 100x digital zoom. Even the selfie camera is improved with its 40MP.
Size-wise, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the largest of the three models. The design doesn’t have the same rounded edges but boasts a sharper, more rectangular exterior than its siblings. In terms of its dimensions, this model is close to the competitor iPhone 14 Pro Max with a slightly lower weight but an extra millimetre in thickness.
The battery, with its 5,000mAh, is only slightly larger than that of the Galaxy S23 Plus. Fast charging is capped at 45 watts and wireless charging at 15 watts.
The phone weighs 234 grams and measures 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 millimetres.
Where to buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (12GB RAM)
Screen
The first new feature you will see in your new phone is the screen. It is an improved Dynamic AMOLED variant with the all-new Gorilla Glass Victus 2 screen protector that protects against scratches and bumps.
The screen technology uses more power-efficient materials and the display is automatically optimized according to the current light conditions. The screen on the earlier Galaxy S22 was able to adjust the settings for maximum visibility in bright light, but with new models, Samsung is taking another step and enabling automatic adjustment for even more light conditions.
The major new feature is its lower energy use, which will help to maintain battery life.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has the most advanced display since it can change the refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz. The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus can dynamically switch between 48Hz and 120Hz.
Performance
Beneath the display sits a new generation of AP from Qualcomm – Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The upgraded AP means that the phones perform better and use less power than before.
The processor is up to 34 percent faster when compared to the Galaxy S22 Series’ AP. The graphics chip is up to 41 percent faster and the NPU is up to 49 percent more powerful.
The NPU circuit is the component that handles AI calculations and machine learning. Since artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important and more common when optimising photos, for example, this particular improvement is extra useful today.
Overall, you get a faster phone that hopefully functions smoother than the Galaxy S22 Series. Just don’t expect an obvious difference from last year’s models as they are already really fast.
Storage space
Storage ranges between 128GB and 1TB depending on the model you choose. The storage in all three Galaxy S23 Series phones is UFS 4.0. The Galaxy S22 Series uses the older UFS 3.1 standard.
The difference is significant because UFS 4.0 has a maximum read speed of a full 4,800 Mbps and 2,800 Mbps write speed – more than double the performance of UFS 3.1.
Whether you will notice any major difference in everyday use we’ll leave unsaid, but any improvements are welcome and faster storage is a great bonus. Keep in mind that you will likely never reach the maximum speed except in very specific situations.
As before, there is no memory card reader, so you can’t expand the storage space. Choose your size with care!
WiFi, Bluetooth & 5G
There are no major differences when it comes to WiFi and Bluetooth compared to last year’s models. All three models support the latest WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
With the Galaxy S22 Series, only the Plus and Ultra models could handle the latest standard, while the Galaxy S22 was limited to WiFi 6.
The jump from Bluetooth 5.2 to 5.3 is not big. It is a minor difference that is only noticeable if you have accessories that use the latest version. If anything, you may notice marginally lower power consumption.
Both 4G and 5G are supported in all models. There are slots for two nano SIM cards as well as eSIM. There’s also support for NFC, all common GPS systems, and the only physical port is USB Type-C.
Cameras
If you think the 108MP camera was something special about the Galaxy S22 Ultra, then you will be amazed by the new 200MP camera in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. It will primarily create 12MP images thanks to an imaging process called ‘pixel binning’, but you can also take high-resolution images in both 50MP and 200MP if you want.
The cameras’ image stabilization has been improved and is now more effective at minimising the risk of so-called shake blurring. The selfie camera on the front of the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus has increased in resolution from 10MP to 12MP, while the Ultra model gets much higher resolution at 40MP. And those were all the new camera features.
The new AP from Qualcomm is a contributing factor to the increased image and video quality. The built-in image processor, a so-called ISP, uses AI to a greater extent to optimise image results. There’s a dedicated AI chip specifically for image processing in Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and it allows the software to separate different layers in the images in real-time. For example, to find the foreground and background of a scene.
Android 13 and OneUI
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Series uses Android 13 right out the box. On top of the operating system is Samsung’s own interface OneUI.
During the Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung promised that the new phones will receive four major upgrades to Android and five years of security updates.
That means your Galaxy S23 phone can at least be upgraded to Android 17 when that version is released.
Text: Daniel Haaf
Published: 8 February 2023
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