Samsung Galaxy S23 is official: S23, Plus and Ultra in comparison | News 4 Social
On February 1, 2023, Samsung unveiled its new smartphones. Many leaks had already painted a pretty accurate picture of the new devices beforehand, but now we have the hard facts—and we are going to show them to you here.
We also have the Galaxy S23(+) hands-on and the Galaxy S23 Ultra hands-on just for you. However, we will compare the three new models with each other here and clarify the million dollar question of which model is the most suitable for whom. So let’s begin as usual with the comparison of the technical specifications:
Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 Ultra compared: Technical specifications
Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series | |||
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Product | Samsung Galaxy S23 | Samsung Galaxy S23 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
Image | |||
MSRP | from $799 | from $999 | from $1,199 |
Technical Specs | 6.1 inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2,340 x 1,080 pixels Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 128 / 256 GB ROM 8 GB RAM Triple camera Main camera: 50 MP Ultra wide-angle: 12 MP Telephoto camera: 10 MP 3,900 mAh February 2023 |
6.6 inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2,340 x 1,080 pixels Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 256 / 512 GB ROM 8 GB RAM Triple camera Main camera: 50 MP Ultra wide-angle: 12 MP Telephoto camera: 10 MP 4,700 mAh February 2023 |
6.8 inch, Dynamic AMOLED 3,088 x 1,440 pixels Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 256 / 512 / 1024 GB ROM 8 / 12 GB RAM Quad camera Main camera: 200 MP Ultra wide-angle: 12 MP Telephoto camera 1: 10 MP Telephoto camera 2: 10 MP 5,000 mAh February 2023 |
Pros | |||
Cons | |||
Rating | |||
Check offer* | Coming soon | Coming soon | Coming soon |
Smartphones with contract* | Coming soon | .Coming soon | Coming soon |
You might have noticed it when you first skimmed the specs: All models rely on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and for the first time anywhere in the world. Furthermore, only the base model is available in a 128 GB variant. We will now go into everything else thoroughly. Bear in mind that we have had very little hands-on time so far. Therefore, we’ll essentially compare the three smartphones based on the technical specifications alone.
Jump to:
Display and design
Let’s just make short work of the display: Samsung is the display king, which the S22 series proved once again last year—and therefore didn’t really have a reason to make any improvements here. This means that the panels look exactly the same again as last year. Thus, the Galaxy S23’s display measures 6.1 inches across diagonally with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels. The Plus model retained a similar resolution at 6.6 inches, while the 6.8-inch Ultra remains at 3,088 x 1,440 pixels this year.
All three models offer us a refresh rate of 120 hertz, so there is nothing new to report here either. At least Samsung made sure that you can enjoy these high-quality AMOLED panels for a longer period of time and protected them with the brand-new Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
You will also find the same material at the back, which means we can now turn to the design of the new models. If you were hoping for a completely fresh design idea, you will most probably be disappointed. The Ultra uses the look of its predecessor, which was already based on the angular look of the previous Galaxy Note. This also includes the fact that the S Pen is only integrated into the Ultra.
The base model and the S23+ also changed more than… oh, wait: Yes, something has changed, because the usual camera islands have now disappeared. Thus, both models adapted the design of the Ultra for the camera for the back. Instead of the aforementioned island, you will now be able to see individual camera lenses.
Of course, all three devices are IP68-certified once again, and the amount of recycled plastic parts used has doubled to 12. By the way, the dimensions have only seen minimal change. The thickness even remained exactly the same, which means that the S23 and S23+ are 7.6 mm thin, while the Ultra is still 8.9 mm.
Performance and connectivity
Oh, Samsung—finally! All models in all versions and in all markets have just one SoC model: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2! This means, that wherever you are, you no longer have to worry about whether the local S23 model might have less performance than the US model. And for you, US folks: You’ll get a considerably faster SoC than Galaxy S22 owners elsewhere.
Not only that, the new S23 range is faster than the Snapdragon 8G2 found in other models: Samsung gives its devices an exclusive “For Galaxy” variant of the flagship SoC. This means higher clock speeds than normal which were supposed to give 34% more CPU performance and 41% more GPU performance compared to last year’s model. Our reviews will soon show whether Samsung’s promise holds true or not.
In terms of storage, the 128 GB storage size is slowly but surely being phased out: Only the Galaxy S23 is still in the race with this variant. By the way, the 128 GB version is the only one with UFS 3.1 storage as all other sizes rely on the faster UFS 4.0 memory! The following configurations are available:
- Galaxy S23: 8 GB RAM, 128 / 256 GB ROM
- Galaxy S23+: 8 GB RAM, 256 / 512 GB ROM
- Galaxy S23 Ultra: 8 GB RAM, 256 GB ROM
- Galaxy S23 Ultra: 12 GB RAM, 512 GB / 1 TB ROM
Here, too, we enter familiar territory: 12 GB of RAM and 1 TB of internal storage are only available in the Ultra. There are also very few changes in terms of connectivity—Wi-Fi 6E was already part of the package last year. However, all three devices now use the Bluetooth 5.3 standard.
Cameras
As experience shows, this is where things get more exciting, because Samsung tried to equip its best model better than the others in this aspect, just just like how Apple did with its iPhone. To be more specific, this meant that the South Koreans offer us a quad-camera configuration with a 200 MP sensor for the very first time in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The rest of the Ultra lineup plays a familiar tune: An ultra-wide angle camera at 12 MP, plus two telephoto sensors at 10 MP each.
Meanwhile, in terms of hardware, the S23 and S23+ don’t differ in anything on paper: Yet again, Samsung combines a 50 MP cam with a 12 MP ultra wide-angle and 10 MP telephoto lens. However, all three models march in step with a 12 MP selfie camera with dual-pixel technology in the front.
In-depth reviews will tell us what the respective cameras are capable of, but we can already take a look at what Samsung believes has made the difference. The improved front-facing camera is likely to be a bigger update than the jump from 10 to 12 MP promises since a larger sensor is used.
Samsung has now integrated the Expert RAW feature into the smartphone by default, and RAW shots are now supported at 50 MP. The Ultra’s main camera relies on 16-to-1 pixel binning and is supposed to be able to focus faster as well as more precisely. The rest is the usual “night photos will be even better” marketing jargon. However, we will have to check that out personally in the extensive tests.
Software
In terms of software, all three models are once again on par with each other because they all arrive with OneUI 5.1 that is based on Android 13. Nothing much has changed since the current version.
The difference is found in the S Pen, which has been integrated into the flagship model since last year and which also expands the software features compared to the other siblings.
As usual, when it comes to Samsung, there are no differences between the different models in terms of the exemplary update policy: Thus, all benefit from the long support, which promises us four major Android updates and five years of security patches.
Does Samsung perhaps still have some surprising arrows left in its quiver for its OneUI interface in terms of software? You will also find out when we have reviewed the smartphones.
Battery life and quick charging
The battery is not exactly Samsung’s pride and joy for the Galaxy S series for some time now. The company probably has its own reasons for not joining the industry’s quick-charging race. But it is what it is: The base model still charges at 25 watts, with the other two at 45 watts. Inductive charging is available at 15 watts. And, simply because it is a nice tradition at Samsung, there are no chargers bundled with the smartphones upon purchase.
At least the battery capacity has been increased in two of the three devices: The Galaxy S23 now has a capacity of 3,900 mAh with the S23+ sporting at least 4,700 mAh. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the other hand, remains at an ample 5,000 mAh.
Price and availability
For Samsung customers in the US, there’s some good news here. While prices for the S23 lineup have risen across the globe (especially in Europe), they’re identical to last year’s S22 lineup prices. The Galaxy S23 is available starting at $799. The cheapest S23+ will set you back at $999, while those who lust after the Ultra model will have to pay at least $1,199.
Conclusion
Please bear in mind that there are no concrete recommendations for anyone to make a purchase decision now, simply because we still have to take a closer look at all three devices before we are able to do so. However, we can already say this much: Samsung has done an admirable job of product refresh this year, which is also due to the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and the fact that the entire series now carries a more consistent look.
However, nothing major has changed in many areas, so those who bought the S22 series last year do not really have a good reason to upgrade at any price. Camera fans will once again find that they may have to reach for the Ultra and thus dig very deep into their pockets for the chance to snap the best photos.
Priced shy of just $1,200 at a minimum, the Ultra would only be my top recommendation for those who absolutely need the best camera or the S Pen. Everyone else can be sure that they will also be happy with the S23 or S23+ thanks to the identical SoC and software everywhere.
We expect to receive the review units over the course of the next few days, and our review team is already impatiently champing at the bit. As soon as the reviews are completed, we will also revise this comparison article for you!
Until then, please let us know in the comments: What do you think about the new Samsung smartphones? Do you already have a favorite in mind? Will Samsung be able to hold its own against the competition with this lineup in 2023? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.