Although the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 make for some of the best Android phones you can buy, plenty of users still prefer to stick with a classic smartphone design. For anyone who would rather stay away from the cutting edge, the Samsung Galaxy S23 is likely the phone for you. This year’s Samsung Galaxy S22 series blew us away with an excellent refined design, solid performance, and the rebirth of the Note series.
We expect to see a similar pattern for the Galaxy S23 next year: some slight design changes, improved performance, and maybe a couple of surprises. Even though Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked event is likely a few months away, the leaks are already pouring in for its upcoming smartphone. Here’s everything we know about the Galaxy S23 so far.
Samsung Galaxy S23: Design and specs
Although the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ didn’t change much from their S21 predecessors in terms of design, the Galaxy S22 Ultra brought back a revised version of the Note 20 for a new generation. When the S23 debuts next year, we once again expect to see very few changes between these two years, though the two smaller models—we use that word loosely—will likely take some inspiration from their big brother.
Let’s start with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s design, as it’s the most powerful of the three smartphones, and it’s also the most similar to the previous one. Early renders show the S23 Ultra looks nearly unchanged, right down to its unique camera lineup on the back. Granted, it’s not like Samsung is only making this a spec bump; the differences are there if you look closely enough. The phone is slightly less curvy compared to last year’s model, along with some modifications to how far the lenses stick out.
As for the S23 and S23+, Samsung is taking some design cues from the S22 Ultra. The camera bump that has become the signature style for the S-series over the last couple of years is gone, replaced by a replica of the protruding lenses from the S22 Ultra. It’s a bummer to see that design disappear. It was one of Samsung’s best in years. Although, it makes sense to unite all three phones around a similar look.
We’ll have to wait for official colors and other details, but if you were hoping for a total redesign in 2023, it seems you’re out of luck.
As for the chipset, there’s been a surprising amount of noise around something that, in theory, at least, shouldn’t be too complicated. Usually, Samsung relies on Qualcomm’s latest flagship processor throughout much of the world, with an ever-shrinking group of regions getting an in-house Exynos chip. Although reports suggest Samsung wants to start relying on its own silicon again, it doesn’t sound like that’s the case this year. Early S23 rumors indicated the company would stick with Qualcomm—in this case, likely the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2—potentially for all markets, a theory that gained credence when the two brands extended their partnership this past summer.
Still, Exynos might not be done just yet. In September, we heard that Samsung’s bosses, while disappointed with the performance of the company’s latest in-house SoC, were pushing to continue using the lineup in select markets. That means some Galaxy S23 units might run on an Exynos 2300 rather than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
Although we don’t know much about the Galaxy S23’s battery capacities yet, we have learned about its fast-charging capabilities. Samsung is reportedly sticking with its previous 25W rates on the smaller S23, a much lower figure compared to some of the brand’s rivals. We still don’t know what the larger S23+ and S23 Ultra will charge at (45W seems likely) but it’s clear Samsung has fallen behind the times here.
Samsung Galaxy S23: Cameras
The big news for the Samsung Galaxy S23, specifically the Ultra variant, concerns its rumored 200MP camera. Although we don’t expect the sensor to be much larger than other phones on the market (coming in at 1/1.3 inches), it’s an impressive number regardless. This camera might use an as-yet-unreleased ISOCELL HP2 sensor as well, not the ISOCELL HP1 seen in Motorola’s recent Edge 30 Ultra.
Meanwhile, it sounds like the S23 and S23+ will keep the 10MP telephoto lens from last year’s model. Considering the camera modules on both phones look identical, we aren’t too surprised to see some consistency between generations. With machine learning and software optimizations nearly as important to photo performance these days as actual hardware, expect plenty of improvements regardless of how familiar the physical sensors are.
Samsung Galaxy S23: Availability and release date
Samsung usually drops its latest S-series in the first quarter of the year, and it’s looking like that’ll happen again for the S23. If you’re feeling impatient, or if your phone is on its last legs and you’re counting the days for an upgrade, there’s some good news. The latest rumors on the S23’s launch cycle indicate that it’ll arrive a little earlier than last year. Allegedly, we could see Samsung’s next flagship phones as soon as the middle of January, not long after CES wraps up in Las Vegas.
That’s great news for potential buyers, but we’ll still have to wait for any follow-up details, especially regarding pricing. The Samsung Galaxy S22 series wasn’t cheap, and phone prices are continuing to increase due to inflation and supply chain issues.
Are you ready for a new phone?
There’s plenty of time for more leaks as we rapidly approach the end of the year, so expect more news on the Samsung Galaxy S23 over the coming weeks. If you’re holding on to your old phone in hopes that you’ll make it until the Samsung Galaxy S23 hits the market, you may want to try some of our top tips to speed up your smartphone.
