The Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are the latest refinement of the long-lasting S-series formula. Yes, refinement – Samsung has improved key hardware and software features, but there are no sweeping changes.
Galaxy S23
The biggest upgrade for this generation is that all S23 phones sold globally will exclusively use a bespoke Qualcomm chipset, officially known as Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (you can hear the cheers coming from Europe) . This features higher clock speeds compared to other 8 Gen 2 chipsets. The phones come with multiple storage configurations, but RAM is pegged at 8GB (as it was last year and the year before).
| Galaxy S23 | Galaxy S23+ |
| 8/128 GB | – |
| 8/256 GB | 8/256 GB |
| 8/512 GB | 8/512 GB |
The cameras have also been redesigned. It’s not quite as big of an upgrade as the Ultra, but there are some punchy changes under the hood. For example, the Camera RAW app can now shoot in 50MP resolution (compared to 12MP on the S22 series), making full use of the main camera.
This camera still has a 50MP sensor, which (thanks to the new chipset) can record 8K video at 30fps (up from 24fps last year). The 12MP ultra-wide camera (120° FoV) and 10MP 3x telephoto lens remain largely the same.
One upgrade is the switch to a 12MP selfie camera, which is shared between all three models. Its video recording capabilities now include support for Super HDR at 60 fps.
Like the cameras, the screens have been improved but still follow the same overall formula as last year. That means 2X Dynamic AMOLED flat panels with FHD+ resolution and 48-120Hz refresh rate (240Hz touch sample rate in gaming mode).
The smaller Galaxy S23 has a 6.1 inch display, the Galaxy S23+ has a 6.6 inch display. Both have centered punch holes for the selfie camera and have a hidden fingerprint reader underneath.
New this year are Vision Booster, which adjusts color and contrast based on ambient lighting conditions, and an Enhanced Comfort feature, which does the same in the evening to reduce eye strain.
The S23 and S23+’s batteries are 200mAh larger than their predecessors, bringing the totals to 3,900mAh and 4,700mAh, respectively. Wired charging for the S23 is rated at 25W (30 mins at 50%), for the S23+ at 45W (30 mins at 65%). Wireless charging and wireless power sharing are still supported, of course.
Galaxy S23+
The new chipset brings improved connectivity. This includes support for the new 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E as well as Bluetooth 5.3 (compared to the original Wi-Fi 6 and BT 5.2).
For this generation, the Galaxy S23 and S23+ adopted the styling of the Ultra by removing the Contour Cut camera body and leaving just the three camera lenses. The dust and water resistance rating is IP68 (1.5m of water for 30 minutes like last year). The phones are the first to adopt the new Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is more durable and includes recycled materials. Some of the plastics are also recycled, as is 100% of the paper used for packaging.
The four models will be available in these four colors: Cream, Green, Lavender and the traditional Phantom Black.
Samsung is already accepting pre-orders for the Galaxy S22 and S23+, sales will start in a few weeks. We’ll have more detailed pricing shortly, but here are the starting prices: S23 (8/128GB) is $800/€950/₹80,000, S23+ (8/256GB) is $1,000/ €1,210.
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