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At its Galaxy Unpacked Event on February 1st, 2023, Samsung unveiled the next-generation smartphones that are part of the Galaxy S series. These new iterations bring changes and hardware improvements that Samsung hopes will have a meaningful impact.

If you prefer a smaller device, unlike the Galaxy S23+ or Galaxy S23 Ultra, the vanilla Galaxy S23 is bound to pose as the perfect combination of size and performance. To help you learn more about it, we delve into every essential about Samsung's compact flagship phone for 2023.

Price and Availability

PBI Samsung Galaxy S23 Green
Samsung Galaxy S23

The Samsung Galaxy S23 enters the market as a leading option for those who want a compact flagship. It ships with the powerful, yet efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and has a triple camera array that's proven itself to be reliable in any scenario.

The Galaxy S23 will retail for $800, refuting rumors that indicated a price increase. It's available for pre-order from February 1st — until February 16th — via the official Samsung website and other major retailers like Best Buy; starting February 17th, you will find this device in stores. And like in previous years, we expect pre-order deliveries to occur on and around the 17th.

When choosing between variants, you will have two options. You can pick one with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage or another with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Unfortunately, unlike the larger Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra, this device does not see an upgrade to its base storage.

But Samsung's pre-order benefits will get you a free storage upgrade, meaning you can get the 256GB variant for $800 instead. Also, pre-ordering the device from Samsung's official website will grant you $100 in Samsung Credit that you can use towards other products and accessories.

Pocketnow's Galaxy S23 Series Hands-On

Colors

Samsung Galaxy S23 Series Colors (1)

The Galaxy S23 is available in four color options — Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender. While the standard options leaked quite some time ago, there are also Samsung.com exclusives that are now public, namely, Graphite and Lime. The standard options all come with a glossy finish for the aluminum frame that's closely matched to the back panel, while the Graphite and Lime options feature a matte black and silver frame, respectively.

If you're struggling to select the ideal color for your Samsung Galaxy S23, our dedicated guide is here to assist you in finding the perfect hue to match your style. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of all the color options available for the S23 and offers valuable insights to help you make an informed decision.

Technical Specifications

Category

Samsung Galaxy S23

Build

  • Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (Front & Back)
  • Armor Aluminum Mid-frame

Dimensions

  • 2.79 x 5.76 x 0.3 inches
  • 168 grams

Display

  • 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Panel
  • 1080 x 2340-pixel resolution
  • 48~120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate
  • 240Hz Touch Sampling Rate (Gaming Mode)
  • Vision Booster
  • Eye Comfort Shield

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Memory & Storage

  • Memory: 8GB
  • Storage: 128GB, 256GB
  • No SD Card Slot

Rear Cameras

  • Wide: 50-megapixel, 85-degree FoV, f/1.8
  • Ultrawide: 12-megapixel, 120-degree FoV, f/2.2
  • Telephoto: 10-megapixel, 3x optical zoom, 36-degree FoV, f/2.4

Front Camera

  • 12-megapixel, 80-degree FoV, f/2.2

Security

  • Under-Display Fingerprint Scanner (Qualcomm 3D Sonic Max)
  • Samsung KNOX

Connectivity

  • 5G, LTE
  • Wi-Fi 6E
  • Bluetooth 5.3

Ports

  • USB-C
  • No 3.5mm Headphone Jack

IP

IP68 Dust and Water Resistance

Battery

3,900 mAh

Charging

  • 25W Wired Charging (50% in 30 minutes)
  • 15W Wireless Charging
  • 4.5W Reverse Wireless Charging

Operating System

OneUI 5.1 (based on Android 13)

Colors

  • Standard: Black, Cream, Green, Lavender
  • Samsung.com Exclusive: Graphite, Lime

Price

  • $799.99 (128GB)
  • $859.99 (256GB)

Design

LI Samsung Galaxy S23 - 2
Samsung Galaxy S23

Last year the Galaxy S22 Ultra ditched the Contour Cut design language for a simpler look, with its camera lenses rising from the back panel instead of an island. With the Galaxy S23 series, this change is adapted across all models and is the most significant design difference you'll notice.

The rest of the phone still looks fairly identical to its predecessor and also uses similar materials for its construction. You'll find Samsung's Armor Aluminum used for the frame, contrasting with the matte finishes of the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 covered back panel. The front of the phone also uses this new iteration of Gorilla Glass.

The button placement in this generation sees some change. They're still on the right-hand side of the device but placed in a higher position, which feels more natural. Port placement remains untouched; the USB C connector is still on the bottom, with the SIM tray to its left and speaker cutouts on its right.

Display

Samsung Galaxy S23 Display

Focusing on the panel of the Galaxy S23, it doesn't see any significant change when it comes to design. It's still a flat 6.1-inch panel that uses Samsung's Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology and Infinity-O cutout. The adaptive refresh rate remains unchanged from last year, ranging between 48Hz to 120Hz.

The marked improvements with Galaxy S23 are the use of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for better endurance and the higher peak brightness of 1750 nits.

Other software-based features, like Samsung's Eye Comfort Shield and Vision Booster, continue to appear, with the latter now capable of adjusting at three different lighting levels.

Processor, RAM, and Storage

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy

For 2023, Samsung is dropping its policy on shipping different processors packaged within its devices. Hence, all Galaxy S23 units will ship with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which promises improved computational performance and efficiency.

The OEM said that compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 shipped on the Galaxy S22, users could expect a 30% increment in CPU and 41% percent faster graphics performance. In addition, there is also support for ray tracing, which will help game titles look more realistic. Samsung has also included a larger vapor cooling chamber to manage the thermal load. Samsung also has an improved Neural Processing Unit on this device to help boost night-time photography ability.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy boasts a number of other features and improvements over the standard Qualcomm flagship processor, which is available to all OEMs. If you're interested in learning more about the differences between these two chipsets and why the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy is the superior option, be sure to check out our dedicated article.

As we detailed earlier, Samsung will be bundling 8GB of RAM with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and offering two storage variants — 128GB and 256GB.

Camera

LI Samsung Galaxy S23 - 1

Camera hardware on the Galaxy S series, at least for the non-Ultra variants, has mostly stayed the same over the last few years, and the story remains similar with the Galaxy S23. The rear camera array continues to ship with a triple-lens array headlined by a 50-megapixel wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture and 85-degree field of view.

The other two lenses supporting the primary shooter include a 12-megapixel ultrawide (f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree field of view) and a 10-megapixel telephoto with 3x optical zoom (f/2.4 aperture, 36-degree field of view).

While the rear camera system didn't see any changes, Samsung has swapped out the sensor used for the front camera. It is now using a 12-megapixel sensor (f/2.2, 80-degree field of view), enabling the phone to capture more detail and further improve performance. This front camera system has always shown good results when it comes to dynamic range and sharpness, and we'd bet on the S23 to continue to impress.

In terms of software, Samsung focused on a new AI-powered image signal processing algorithm that helps deal with noise captured in low-light scenarios. Also, features from the ExpertRAW application are now accessible within the Galaxy S23's camera app, as long as you download the former onto your device; this isn't possible on older models.

Battery

Samsung Galaxy S23 Battery Graphic

A major drawback of the Galaxy S22 was its battery endurance. For 2023, Samsung has chosen to package a slightly larger battery — 3,900 mAh compared to 3,800 mAh — on its compact phone alongside a more efficient processor. Together, we expect this system to deliver more screen-on-time than recorded previously.

Regarding charging, Samsung is one of those OEMs who has held back on power output levels. And for another year, the Galaxy S23 will support 25W of input, which should get the device from 0 to 50% in 30 minutes. A full charge should take anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes.

For those who prefer the ease of wireless charging, 15W Qi Wireless Charging is still an option, and 5W Reverse Wireless Charging is also available to power-compatible devices.

Samsung Galaxy S23: A Device Dealing With Known Drawbacks

For another year running, the Galaxy S23 puts itself in the market as a perfect device for those who need a high-performance compact Android flagship. The ecosystem that Samsung has been working on is also more robust than ever, and this smartphone ties into it perfectly.

In 2022, the Galaxy S22 seemed to be a great recommendation for those who wanted a compact smartphone — unfortunately, poor battery endurance led to some negative impressions. We expect its successor, which brings battery and processor changes, to fare better. If you're interested in learning more about the differences between the two devices, we also have an in-depth comparison that covers the differences between the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S23, providing a side-by-side comparison of the two devices to help you make an informed decision.

PBI Samsung Galaxy S23 Green
Samsung Galaxy S23

The Samsung Galaxy S23 enters the market as a leading option for those who want a compact flagship. It ships with the powerful, yet efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and has a triple camera array that's proven itself to be reliable in any scenario.