As is well known, the Samsung Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S23+ have been given a new, further reduced design that represents more of an evolution based on the previous models than a reinvention. Samsung mainly “eliminates” the camera hump and refines a few details on the case so that the optics only protrude slightly from the back.
Samsung Galaxy S23
Samsung Galaxy S23+
Design with a penchant for minimalism
Otherwise, you rely on a pleasing look, which runs in a similar form through all new smartphone series that Samsung is presenting this year, so it should also be used in the cheaper Galaxy A, E, F and M models. Only the Galaxy S23 Ultra stands out with its “Note” look as well as probably the upcoming folding smartphones of the Galaxy Z series.
Samsung is holding back when it comes to colors this year
The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ each have a 6.11 and 6.6 inch Infinity-O display with a small round hole for the front camera. The resolution is 2340 x 1080 pixels in each case, so it only reaches a stretched Full HD+ level, although the pixel densities are of course slightly different due to the different screen sizes at 425 and 393 pixels per inch.
Beautifully narrow edges all around: the display of the Galaxy S23+
Both panels work at 48 to 120 Hertz. The refresh rate is dynamically adjusted in order to always guarantee a smooth display. The displays each have a cover made of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, so they should be largely immune to scratches and knocks. Of course, always-on mode and support for HDR10+ are also offered.
Up to 40 percent more performance thanks to the Snapdragon CPU – also in Europe
Under the hood is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which, with its new cluster structure, higher clock rates and production with a structure width of four nanometers, also confirms this in addition to the corresponding statements from Qualcomm and Samsung should bring a significant leap in performance.
Samsung basically installs eight gigabytes of LPDDR5-based RAM in the Galaxy S23 and S23+, which is combined with 128 or 256 gigabytes (S23) or 256 or 512 gigabytes (S23+). There is no MicroSD card slot for memory expansion this year either. All models for Europe support two physical NanoSIM cards and one eSIM.
Hardly any changes in the cameras
There is also new hardware for the cameras, which entails some detailed changes. The two new “standard models” in the S23 series now have a main camera with a resolution of 50 megapixels, an f/1.8 aperture and a focal length equivalent of 23 millimeters, an 85-degree wide field of view and dual-pixel autofocus.
The main cameras of the S23(+) should see more (light).
In addition, there is an ultra wide-angle camera with 12 megapixel resolution, f/2.2 aperture, 13 millimeter focal length equivalent and 120 degree wide field of view. Last but not least, the devices each also house a 10-megapixel camera with zoom optics, which has an f/2.4 aperture, 69 mm focal length equivalent and a 36-degree wide field of view. The combination of the three cameras ultimately results in an optical triple zoom.
The front camera will remain unchanged
The front camera is also improved again on the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. As usual, it works with 12 megapixels and always uses an autofocus, which is still by no means a matter of course even with high-end smartphones. The selfie cam also offers HDR10+ and has an f/2.2 aperture, 25mm focal length equivalent and an 80-degree wide field of view.
With the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus, Samsung enables 8K video recordings at up to 30 frames per second with the main camera unit. In 4K mode, however, only 60 frames per second are achieved, regardless of whether you use the main or the front camera. This is surprising in that the Snapdragon SoC actually even allows up to 120 Hertz in 4K operation.
Better pictures & videos in low light and at night
Among other things, the manufacturer advertises improvements in taking pictures and videos at night and in poor lighting conditions for the Galaxy S23 and S23+. Apparently, this is mainly done using software, since only the main camera has an optical image stabilizer. Nevertheless, you want to deliver clear, stable and colorful results with little light, be it photos, videos or selfies, at least that’s the promise.
Slightly larger batteries, same charging speeds, 10 watt wireless charging
The batteries have changed minimally in the two cheaper versions of the Galaxy S23 series, but are slightly larger again. The S23 has a 3900mAh battery, while the S23+ has a capacity of 4700mAh. The basic model is charged quickly with a maximum of 25 watts using a USB Type-C cable, and the Plus version with up to 45 watts. Samsung only speaks of up to 10 watts for wireless charging. Reverse wireless charging for accessories such as wireless headphones is also supported again.
A German dealer now delivered…
… more pictures of the two top smartphones
Transmission is via WiFi 6E, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 and at least the larger of the two cheaper Samsung flagships via UltraWideband (UWB). The fingerprint reader is again located under the display surface, but unfortunately we don’t yet know if there have been any improvements in terms of size or accuracy. Other features include two stereo speakers with support for Dolby Atmos – there is still no 3.5mm jack for headphones. The main difference between the Samsung Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S23 Plus is still the size of the battery and display, so apart from that the devices are the same down to the smallest detail. Of course, the weight is also slightly different at 167 and 195 grams – the thickness is again completely identical at 7.6 millimeters. The operating system is of course always Android 13 in connection with the Samsung One UI 5.x.
In free trade, the customer will have the choice between the colors black, green, lavender and “cotton white” across the entire S23 series. We don’t know yet whether and which other color variants will be available for sale on his website. Unfortunately, we do not yet have any information on pricing or actual availability in stores in Europe or Germany.
| Specifications for the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ | ||
|---|---|---|
| model | S23 | S23+ |
| software | Google Android 13 with Samsung One UI 5.1 | |
| chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2 4nm | |
| screen | 6.1 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2340 x 1080 pixels, Infinity-O-Display, 48 – 120 Hertz, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, HDR10+, 425 ppi | 6.6 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2340 x 1080 pixels, Infinity-O-Display, 48 – 120 Hertz, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, HDR10+, 393 ppi |
| R.A.M. | 8GB | |
| Storage | 128/256GB | 256/512GB |
| main camera | Triple camera: 50 MP (main camera, 85, f/1.8, 23mm, OIS, Dual Pixel); 12 MP (ultra wide-angle lens, 120, f/2.2, 13mm); 10 MP (telephoto, 36, f/2.4, 69mm, 3x optical zoom) | |
| front camera | 12MP (f/2.2, 80, 25mm, HDR10+) | |
| sensors | Accelerometer, Barometer, Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, Light sensor, Proximity sensor, UWB (UWB Plus only) | |
| links | Bluetooth 5.3, USB Type-C, NFC, Wi-Fi 6e | |
| cellular | 2G (GPRS/EDGE), 3G (UMTS), 4G (LTE), 5G | |
| satellites | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo | |
| Colours | Black, Cotton, Green, Purple | |
| mae | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6mm | 157.8×76.2×7.6mm |
| Weight | 167 grams | 195 grams |
| additional | Waterproof according to IP68, dual SIM (2x Nano + E-SIM), GPS, face recognition, 2 speakers, Dolby Atmos, Wireless PowerShare, DeX, child mode, data security: KNOX, ODE, EAS, MDM, VPN | |
| battery pack | 3900 mAh, 25 watts fast charging, 10 watts wireless | 4700 mAh, 45 watts fast charging, 10 watts wireless |
| available | from 01.02.2023 | |
