The Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are the latest refinement of the long-running S series formula. Yes, refinement – Samsung improved key hardware and software features, but there are no radical changes.
The biggest upgrade for this generation is that all S23 phones sold around the world will exclusively use a custom Qualcomm chipset, officially known as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for the Galaxy (you can hear the cheers coming from Europe). This has higher clock speeds compared to the other 8 Gen 2 chipsets out there. The phones come with multiple storage configurations, but the RAM is fixed at 8GB (as it was last year and the year before).
| Samsung Galaxy S23 | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
| 8/128GB | – |
| 8/256GB | 8/256 GB |
| 8/512GB | 8/512GB |
The cameras have also been renewed. It’s not as big an upgrade as the Ultra got, but there are some impactful changes under the hood. For example, the Camera RAW app can now shoot in 50MP resolution (up from 12MP on the S22 series), making full use of the main camera.
That 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-angle (120° FoV) and 3x 10MP telephoto cameras remain largely the same.
One upgrade is the switch to a 12MP selfie camera, which is shared across the three models. Its video recording capabilities now include support for Super HDR at 60 fps.
Like the cameras, the displays have been improved, but still follow the same general formula as last year. This means flat Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels with FHD+ resolution and 48-120Hz refresh rate (240Hz touch sampling rate in game mode).
The smaller Galaxy S23 has a 6.1” screen, the Galaxy S23+ has a 6.6” screen. Both have centered holes for the selfie camera and have a fingerprint reader tucked underneath.
New additions this year are Vision Booster, which adjusts colors and contrast to match ambient light conditions, and an Enhanced Comfort feature, which does the same at night to reduce eye strain.
The batteries on the S23 and S23+ are 200mAh larger than their predecessors, bringing the total to 3,900mAh and 4,700mAh respectively. Wired charging for the S23 is rated at 25W (30 minutes to 50%), for the S23+ at 45W (30 minutes to 65%). Wireless charging and wireless power sharing are of course still supported.
Samsung Galaxy S23+
The new chipset provides improved connectivity. This includes support for the new 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E as well as Bluetooth 5.3 (up from the original Wi-Fi 6 and BT 5.2).
For this generation, the Galaxy S23 and S23+ have adopted the style of the Ultra by removing the Contour Cut camera housing, leaving only the three camera lenses. The dust and water resistance rating is IP68 (1.5 m of water for 30 minutes as last year). The phones are the first to take the new Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is more durable and includes recycled materials. Some of the plastic is also recycled, as is 100% of the paper used for the packaging.
All 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 soon, but here are the starting prices: S23 (8/128GB) is $800/€950/₹80,000, S23+ (8/256GB) is $1,000/€1,210.
If you want to know more about the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+, we suggest you check out our Galaxy S23 series hands-on, where you can find live images and first impressions.
