The Samsung Galaxy S series devices have been an easy recommendation over the years for anyone looking for an uncompromising premium Android smartphone experience. While the Ultra model now comes with an S Pen stylus (replacing the Galaxy Note) and the best possible camera hardware in the series, it’s also priced a lot more expensive than the standard models, making the regular S series the go-to choice for someone does I am looking for a flagship smartphone from Samsung.
With the new Samsung Galaxy S23 and the Samsung Galaxy S23+, the upgrades seem quite minor compared to their respective predecessors. The differences relate to the battery, design improvements and a newer processor. Let’s take a closer look at what’s new.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ look almost identical to their older counterparts when viewed from the front. Only from the rear buyers will notice a few changes. The gleaming Armor aluminum frame is as slim as its predecessors, but the iconic contour-cut camera body has changed.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 (above) and Galaxy S23+ (below) have backs made of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Samsung has replaced this with a newer floating camera design that has individual cutouts for each camera. While it feels more in line with last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra, the rings around each camera lens have now been given a shiny chrome finish that makes them stand out. Samsung has also improved the quality of the glass.
Both the front and back glass of the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are made of Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which the brand says is more shatterproof when dropped compared to previous models. The phones offer an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and will be available in Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender finishes.
The 6.1-inch and 6.6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED displays of the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ offer a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz and up to 240 Hz touch sampling rate (in game mode) . The displays on both phones look very similar to last year’s models and come with no noticeable upgrades.
Both the Samsung Galaxy S23 (right) and the Galaxy S23+ (left) have flat Super AMOLED displays
Thankfully, the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ get the same custom SoC as the more expensive Galaxy S23 Ultra model. Samsung calls it the “Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform for Galaxy” and promises a number of performance-related improvements (CPU, GPU and NPU) over the standard version. The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ come with 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage.
The rear camera setup is fairly similar to the previous model, with a 50-megapixel primary camera (with OIS), a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom (with OIS), and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. angle camera. A 12-megapixel front camera, which can now also record videos in HDR10+ and take RAW photos, takes care of selfies.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 (left) and Galaxy S23+ (middle) next to the Galaxy S23 Ultra (right)
The Samsung Galaxy S23’s battery capacity has grown from the previous 3,700mAh to 3,900mAh, but charging speeds are still limited to 25W wired and 10W wireless charging. The Samsung Galaxy S23+ also gets a larger 4,700mAh battery (up from the previous 4,500mAh), but it can now charge at 45W when plugged in. Wireless charging is still limited to 10W. Both smartphones are powered by One UI 5.1 which is based on Android 13.
Like last year, Samsung has reserved the best hardware for its “Ultra” model, and that’s why this year little has changed in the new Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ models in terms of features. Minor cosmetic changes aside, Samsung seems to be banking on the customized Qualcomm SoC to set its phones apart. Stay tuned for our in-depth review to find out if this should be your next flagship.
