Samsung Galaxy S23: what we know about the future smartphones presented on February 1

In the high-end mobile market, Apple has only one real competitor. Samsung, the world number 1 in smartphones, is the only Android manufacturer that can sell millions of devices above 1,000 euros. An image question? Yes, but not only. The Galaxy S range has proven time and time again that it is technologically flawless. Honestly, in terms of screen quality, camera versatility, and software features, Samsung has arguably the best devices on the planet.

On February 1, 2023, Samsung is organizing its traditional Unpacked event at the beginning of the year. In addition to new laptops and accessories, the real stars of the event will be the Galaxy S23, its “flagships” for the year 2023. While waiting for their announcement, Numerama is keeping rumors at bay.

Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra: three more formats

The Galaxy S of 2023 should look similar to the one of 2022. There should be some aesthetic changes (like their camera module which will no longer be a block, but three slightly protruding cameras), but the essentials should be kept. Logic suggests that Samsung offers:

• One Galaxy S23 with a 6.1 inch screen.
• One Galaxy S23+ with a 6.6 inch screen.
• One Galaxy S23 Ultra with a 6.8-inch screen, but also some exclusive features (LTPO screen, S-Pen stylus, periscopic zoom, etc.)

Thanks to the official images obtained by the WinFuture site, we know the design of the Galaxy S23 and their 4 colors. The very sensible looks of these devices should succeed in attracting most users.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip in France, finally

However, the Galaxy S23 could be more interesting Android devices than their predecessors. Why? Because Samsung may shed its Exynos chips for the first time, in favor of Qualcomm chips. Do you not understand this sentence? Let us explain it to you.

In the high-end Android universe, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips are the most popular. Oppo, Xiaomi… All use American chips, known for their performance and efficient energy consumption. Samsung is an exception.

Over the years, Samsung has launched two versions of its high-end smartphones:

• One has a processor Snapdragonusually reserved for the North American market (these models have recently expanded to Asia).
• One has a processor Exynosa range developed directly by Samsung, previously launched in Europe.

Problem is, for 2-3 years, Exynos chips have been highly criticized. Less efficient than Snapdragon, their main flaw is to quickly dissolve autonomy. Aware of this situation, Samsung decided not to launch Exynos versions of some of its flagship mobiles, such as the S21 FE or Z Fold 4. But, the high-end Galaxy S22s still use Exynos chips, which makes them less recommended than competitors like the Oppo Find X5 Pro. Barring a massive turnaround, this problem will stop by 2023.

According to rumors (and economic predictions from Qualcomm), Samsung will use Snapdragon chips in all markets with its Galaxy S23 line. What is expected is increased autonomy and better performance.

200 Mpix, a first for a high-end smartphone

In photographic speaking (it’s a complicated beginning of the sentence), the Galaxy S23 and S23+ should not evolve. Samsung should continue to offer a triple camera module with an ultra wide-angle (12 Mpix), a main sensor of 50 Mpix and an optical zoom x3 (10 Mpix sensor). Expect algorithmic improvements, however, something Samsung is very good at.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra could go up. If the ultra wide-angle and zoom part should not be reversed (there should always be x3 and x10), the main sensor of Samsung’s “flagship” should improve the quality. There is talk of moving from a 108 Mpix sensor to a 200 Mpix sensor, a technology announced by Samsung a few months ago.

What is the interest of a 200 Mpix sensor in a smartphone? According to rumors, the size of the sensor will be changed a little (the pixels will be smaller). We should expect a slight evolution, especially focused on algorithmic improvements (more information obtained = better processing). Image zooming should also be better. Finally, 8K video could benefit from this change.

Samsung, king of features

If the Galaxy S23 are not supposed to be revolutionary smartphones, logic would dictate that they are still among the best devices on the market. We are specifically talking about ultra-bright OLED screens (normally, Samsung makes the best screens in the industry). But, also, a glass Gorilla Glass Victus 2 that has not been used until now, an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the screen, faster UFS 4.0 storage, from 256 GB to 1 TB of storage… As usual, no Koreans should save materially. The S23 Ultra should have some advantages such as support for the S-Pen stylus and an LTPO panel with an adaptive refresh rate screen of 1-120 Hz.

In terms of autonomy, Samsung will also make some efforts. We are talking about batteries with a capacity of 3900 mAh for the S23 (against 3700 in the S22) and 4700 mAh for the S23+ (4500 in the S22+). The S23 Ultra is expected to retain its predecessor’s massive 5000mAh battery. On paper, Samsung has no serious competition.

What price and release date for the Galaxy S23?

Unveiled on February 1, 2023 at 7 pm, the Galaxy S23 range should go on sale in the coming days. Regarding prices, France may be worried. Inflation and the euro/dollar conversion rate could play tricks on French consumers, especially since the minimum storage will increase from 128 to 256 GB. So it is better to be prepared for tariffs that are higher than 859, 1,059 and 1,259 euros from last year. models, which can be offensive.