introduction
One of the best compact phones in the world just got better: The Samsung Galaxy S23 is faster, more robust, better connected and with more battery life. The Galaxy S23 is still as small, light and attractive as ever, and we expect it to become a fan favorite in the compact segment.
The new Galaxy S23 models introduce a refined design, and that’s the first thing you’ll notice. The contoured camera housing is gone; there are only three small lens rings. Additionally, the front and back glass panels are now made with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 plates with improved drop resistance.
The Galaxy S23 maintains the compact 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with extended 1080p resolution and 120Hz dynamic refresh rate. The peak brightness of the panel has been improved and is now 1750 nits, compared to 1300 nits on the Galaxy S22.
For the first time in a long time, the entire Galaxy S23 lineup uses a Snapdragon chipset, so there’s no need to import a Qualcomm-powered unit if you’re not a fan of the Exynos platform (we won’t blame you). Even better, Samsung has used an overclocked version exclusive to Galaxy S23 phones with higher CPU and GPU clocks. The new models also rely on new generation memory chips made by Samsung itself.
The triple camera setup on the back hasn’t seen any improvements: the 50MP OIS primary, 10MP 3x telephoto, and 12MP ultrawide camera remain the same. What has been updated is the selfie camera: it is now 12MP and supports Super HDR, while autofocus and 4K capture remain available.
The battery capacity has been increased by 200mAh and is now 3,900mAh. Charging capabilities are the same as the S22: 25W wired charging, with wireless and reverse wireless options available.
As for connectivity, the Galaxy S23 introduces tri-band Wi-Fi with 6e support and Bluetooth 5.3. Ultra Wideband support is still reserved for the Plus and Ultra versions.
Long story short: The Galaxy S23 is a faster version of the Galaxy S22 with a brighter screen and bigger battery. And a more beautiful design, even if it is always subjective.
The specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S23 at a glance:
- Body: 146.3×70.9×7.6mm, 168g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame; IP68 water and dust resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 minutes), Armor aluminum frame with increased resistance to drops and scratches (advertised).
- Screen: 6.10″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 422ppi; Always-On Display.
- chipsets: Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm): Octa-core (1×3.36GHz Cortex-X3 & 2×2.8GHz Cortex-A715 & 2×2.8GHz Cortex-A710 & 3×2.0GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
- Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1 – 128GB only, UFS 4.0.
- Operating system/software: Android 13, a 5.1 user interface.
- Rear camera: Broad (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm, 1/3.94″, 1.0µm, PDAF, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55″ 1.4µm, Super Steady video.
- Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 26 mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound recording, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
- Drums: 3900mAh; 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised), wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W wireless reverse.
- Various: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); NFC; stereo speakers; Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support), Bixby natural language commands and dictation, Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified).
The Galaxy S23 is a showpiece from the book; no two words about it: it has the structure and look, screen, chipset and cameras of a premium smartphone. The only things we consider missing are 10-bit color depth for the screen, something many high-end phones offer, and Ultra Wideband support, a connectivity option that would have enabled support for SmartTag+. You can still use regular Bluetooth-based SmartTags, of course.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is a minor upgrade over the Galaxy S22, and we doubt many S22 owners will find enough new features to upgrade them. But it has more than enough new features over the Galaxy S21 and older to make it an attractive offering. Even better, it’s shaping up to be the best compact Android phone on the market. And now it’s time to deal with it properly, right?
Samsung Galaxy S23 unboxing
The Galaxy S23 arrives in a thin paper box, which contains the phone itself, a USB-C cable and a SIM eject tool.
Samsung unpacked chargers and headphones from its boxes a couple of years ago, but we’re glad they still supply cables (unlike Sony). And if you’ve bought a Samsung 25W charger, the one that’s been available for a few years now, or any USB-C PD + PPS power adapter, you’re already well prepared.
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