Samsung Galaxy S23 series models just showed up in the market to take over last year’s Galaxy S22 flagship positions. Lots of money was invested into marketing to promote these new devices widely. But does really Samsung Galaxy S23 series is so exceptionally great as manufacturer declare? What’s new this time?
From our point of view, any of the Samsung Galaxy S23 series devices don’t come with some revolutionary innovation or extraordinary design changes. Or maybe we just expected too much? It seems like Samsung did the same as Apple and Sony this year – chose a modest update in their range. But let’s not judge before we go through a detailed review.
Design and specifications
When it comes to S23 and S23+ only the design of the photo cameras has changed slightly. Now they look more similar to the S23 Ultra style. Each lens is separated with a shiny metal ring that matches the glossy sides of the aluminum body.
The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are characterized by flat 1080p and 120Hz AMOLED displays, matte fiberglass back, and glossy aluminum housing. The Galaxy S23 has a 6.1 inch display while Galaxy S23+ comes with a slightly larger 6.6 inch display. These are the same sizes and specs which also excel in the previous S22 and S22+ models.
Looking at the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra obviously stands out in the S23 class, but at the same time looks practically identical to the S22 ultra model. It even has the same S-Pen pulled from the bottom. The overall size of the device is not as uncomfortable at first glance, but S23 Ultra cannot be used with one hand as comfy as S23 does. However, the advantage is that a larger body equals a larger screen. As a result, the S23 Ultra has 6.8 inch AMOLED display with a higher, 1440p resolution and 120Hz screen ratio. Both sides of the display are slightly folded and perfectly blend with the aluminum housing.
All three models come with 256GB and 512GB storage The cheapest version of Galaxy S23 is also available in 128GB. However, if you want to forget the fact about filling up the storage, you should look for S23 Ultra with 1TB storage. Wiser users would think carefully about whether this huge storage capacity is really needed, as the price difference becomes significant for only the higher storage set.
The entire S23 series offers three different colors: matte black, cream, lavender and green. It can be difficult to choose a favorite color because every device in each color looks really great while holding in a hand.
Each Galaxy S23 device was introduced having the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. Which is now considered the fastest and most advanced processor among mobile devices. But if you’re switching from Galaxy S22, then you won’t even notice a difference. New Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor cooperates with 8GB RAM, which the Galaxy S23 and S23+ are equipped with. Only the Galaxy S23 Ultra is distinguished with 12GB RAM.
Cameras
The main focus is on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which has 4 cameras. The main shooter looks really impressive as it has 200MP. With such a camera you can capture extremely crisp and wide images. Although users should keep in mind that the amount of pixels is not the only and final factor that determines the end quality of the captured image. Photo or video quality also depends on the graphic processing chips and algorithms that control them. Lately, even AI takes a part in photo rendering. Samsung says that 200MP capabilities mostly reveal in night photography or in a low-light environment. According to the manufacturer, night sky shots should look even better than before.
The Galaxy S23 and S23+ have 3 cameras each, which are no different from the previous Galaxy S22 and S22+ models. The main cameras capture images using a maximum 50MP resolution and have 3x optical zoom. For an extensive video range, it’s suggested to switch to the 12MP Ultra Wide camera, but a significantly wider format image may not have as much detail as the main camera.
If you doubt that the latest S23 and S23+ model cameras are no different from the previous S22 and S22+, we added some examples right below. Most will notice that the S23 series photos look a bit lighter. This effect can be made simply by increasing the brightness in the camera settings or by focusing on a darker background which automatically increases brightness.
The latest S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra devices, compared to the previous series, are just slightly updated. From the 10MP, the new models now have 12MP cameras. Do users from the S22 to S23 or from S22+ to S23+ feel the fundamental difference in image resolution when making a selfie or video using the front camera? Certainly not. Even looking very closely you can’t find out which galaxy model took that photo or captured video.
Pricing
The Galaxy S23 is classified as a flagship device, so prices are less friendly for your wallet. We notice that every new series of Galaxy flagships is even ~10% higher than previous models. Looking at the basic configuration of each newly introduced Galaxy, S23 starts at $699, S23+ from $999, and S23 Ultra $1199.
Final thoughts
The Galaxy S series retains its style in terms of design, but at the same time does not bring any news that will surprise consumers. The new design concept often helps to attract new users by luring them from competitors, but Samsung seems to have not taken this strategy. The Galaxy S23 Ultra Model with a 200MP main camera could be considered a major upgrade, although the photos captured with it are basically no different from the Galaxy S23 which uses a 50MP camera. The renewal of front cameras from 10MP to 12MP did not bring any changes, so it’s just a play of numbers.
Stick to the same look and specs it’s safe for the manufacturer as new mistakes can be avoided this way. But at the same time, it’s very risky. Why? Because advanced consumers or tech heads are the ones who expect major improvements from the beloved manufacturer. Just do it one more time and you’ll start losing ground in a very competitive market. This opens new opportunities for smaller manufacturers like Oppo, Xiaomi or OnePlus to step in with something new.
The appearance of the new Galaxy S23 series was a big surprise in a bad way. The same look has denied all the rumors about fascinating design and astonishing features which were expected by Samsung fans.
If you have Galaxy S22, you probably won’t be switching to the new overpriced device. Unless you follow the latest trends despite the price and specifications. Or maybe the massive ads have brought an idea to upgrade.
