Another year, another set of high-end smartphones
We’re just a month into 2023, but the smartphone market is already starting to heat back up. With just a couple of days to go until OnePlus unveils its latest flagship phone for a worldwide launch, Samsung is set to start shipping Galaxy S23 units later this week. Between carrier deals and trade-in offers on the company’s own website, there’s all sorts of methods to save some cash on any of these three devices. The only question that remains is which phone — if any — you preordered.
There’s no beating around the bush here: compared to past launches, this year’s lineup isn’t the most exciting we’ve ever seen. The Galaxy S23 and S23+ both sport some Ultra-inspired designs, while the S23 Ultra features newly-refined edges that make it much boxier than its predecessor. At their core, though, the S23 series are near-identical versions to what’s come before, offering little to entice S22 owners to trade in their phones early. Samsung’s relatively weak preorder deals aren’t helping matters either, though at least US carriers are helping to make up in this regard.
Boring doesn’t mean bad, though, and by all counts, these three phones are sure to find their place in the hands of millions of Note 20 and Galaxy S21 owners. Considering extended software support and improved repairability, it’s easy to see how people hanging onto years-old devices could be excited by this launch. Our earliest impressions suggest Samsung is once again on track to supply us with three of the best Android phones of the year, but you’ll have to wait for our full reviews throughout the coming weeks to know for sure.
So, did you make the decision to preorder one of these phones? If so, which did you go with? It’s no secret I’m currently putting the Galaxy S23 Ultra through its paces, but I must admit some jealousy when looking at how pocketable the baseline S23 looks. Bonus points if you let us know in the comments which color you picked. Samsung’s trade-in deals might not be spectacular this year, but the web-exclusive shades are something else.
