Galaxy S23 pre-orders end next week as Samsung goes on general sale on Friday. Judging by last week’s poll, many of you won’t be waiting until the 17th to get one – the S23 series is off to a great start.
Two things happened in Europe this generation – local devices finally ship with Snapdragon instead of Exynos, but Samsung raised prices. India also got Snapdragon last year, but the prices are higher for the S23 and S23 Ultra (the plus model is actually a bit cheaper).
Samsung Galaxy S23 series infographic
Was pricing a problem? Voters were sensitive to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra price. Few people doubt the phone’s quality, but some just can’t afford it. For the small portion of voters who wanted to see the reviews first before making up their minds, our S23 Ultra review went live on Saturday.
The new Ultra isn’t perfect, its design was something it was criticized for – it looks similar to the old Ultra. Some also believe the camera improvements aren’t big enough for S22 Ultra owners to upgrade. Still, last year’s model gets good trade-in value if you decide to upgrade. Plus, there are plenty of people with older S Ultras or different phones altogether.
The prices of the Samsung Galaxy S23+ and its smaller sibling weren’t as much of a concern as the “too expensive” option fell to third place. Interestingly, even fewer people felt the need to wait for reviews (but if you do, check out ours).
From the poll results, the price of the Samsung Galaxy S23 was even less of a concern than even the S23+. There aren’t many options in this size category, and even though we’re talking about the Zenfone 9, the iPhone 14/14 Pro seem to be the more popular alternatives. Read our review for more on the phone itself and its competitors.
Speaking of alternatives, it didn’t escape people’s attention that the Google Pixel 7 duo cost less than the Galaxy’s. Besides price savings, they give people a first-party experience with the beloved Gcam. There is also the debate about One UI vs. Pixel UI.
The more expensive iPhone models are also an option, although the choice of platform here weighs heavily on the decision – your Android workflow and habits can be difficult to switch over to iOS and vice versa.
But among those who stick with Android or want to return to the platform, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series will be a popular choice. If you want one, you have one more week to score the pre-ordered goodies.
