Starting with the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus: minimalistically better

We got our hands on the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus that have been made official. In addition to a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, these smartphones also rely on a minimalist DNA for smooth evolutions.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ are formally accompanied by the S23 Ultra. Less noticeable than the bigger, more expensive models, they just have a minimalist approach to the possible that almost hides the improvements they bring. The latter, although subtle, should be noted. Here we aim to share with you our first impressions of these high-end phones.

YouTube LinkSubscribe to Fandroid

Ultra gentleness

Regarding the design, it is necessary to start from an observation. The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are twin brothers and the second just ate a little more soup to grow taller. Apart from the template, they look like two drops of water. Together they were inspired by the design of their big brother ultra, even at the camera level. In fact, the back block is somehow missing.

Out, therefore, is the aluminum rectangle that is partially integrated into the side of the device. Here, we have three cameras that are visually isolated from each other. The Galaxy S23 and S23+ ditch the signature S22 and S22+ to embrace a more minimalist look. Samsung explained that it wanted to bring consistency to the range after receiving very positive reviews of the S22 Ultra’s design last year.

Here we have the main element that allows us to distinguish between the S23 and S23 Plus on the one hand and their predecessors on the other. It actually looks very good and it blends perfectly with the matte coated back of the smartphones. However, we’ve lost a bit of the je-ne-sais-quoi that was also the beauty of the non-Ultra Galaxy S.

In the grip, it’s a great achievement. More or less flat edges are perfectly combined with rounded corners to give an appearance that remains quite beautiful in these smartphones, especially for the classic Galaxy S23, which is very small compared to the other two models. The S23+, for its part, trades some of that charm for a larger screen.

The screen is exact: 6.1 inches for the Galaxy S23 which therefore almost acts as a modern-day compact smartphone and 6.6 inches for the S23 Plus. Amoled, Full HD +, adaptive 120 Hz mode (which drops to 48 Hz) and maximum brightness promised at 1750 nits, which is as much as Ultra. It will be perfect for the scorching summer ahead. If you can’t find a shady corner, you won’t have a problem displaying the content displayed despite the strong sun.

The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back, the reinforced aluminum and the repairability index of 8.2/10 are all reassuring elements for the long life of the products.

Cautious, yet powerful… and more independent?

Minimalism is the valued argument for design. For performances, this speech flies like a speck of dust in front of the wonderful wind that I carry with my favorite jokes. Boom! We’re putting Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in there with small onions because, I’m not happy to FINALLY have the latest chip from Qualcomm in European models (bye bye the disappointing Exynos), we’re brought here with a version which is specially optimized for S23. And 8 GB of RAM in addition.

With this kind of commitment, Samsung is setting the bar very high and has an interest in sticking to it. Pending a full trial, we can only take his word for it. I can tell you that I didn’t suffer from any slowdown during my brief use of the S23 and S23+, but that’s clearly not quite representative of consumer expectations.

The change of the SoC can also have a good effect on the autonomy of the two smartphones whose predecessors were never very famous for their endurance. Let’s hope that the Snapdragon finally outperforms the Exynos at this level.

Especially since the batteries have been boosted a bit, 200 mAh in each device:

• 3900mAh for Galaxy S23 (max charging at 25W);
• 4700 mAh for the Galaxy S23 Plus (maximum charge at 45 W).

For your shots, there are no major changes apart from the fact that all image sensors (back and front) benefit from Dual Pixel autofocus so you don’t have to struggle with focusing. This is very reassuring during the grip, but, again, we will have to wait for the test to be sure.

On the interface side, there’s One UI 5.1 with Android 13, four major updates and five years of software monitoring for security.

Minimal service

As you can understand, a firm grip of the S23 and S23+ gives a taste to their user experience, but like their minimalist design, the improvements they bring are done carefully, even until we they were able to submit to. extensive testing. Is this the lowest service? Could be. If we can now enjoy having Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for our daily life, the other additions remain shy.

Samsung says the goal isn’t to appeal to people with S22s or S22 Plus. An argument to be heard, but we can still argue that the S23’s 25 W charge is still limited for a smartphone at this price.

Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus price and release date

The two smartphones will be released on February 17 in commerce.

Samsung Galaxy S23

The Galaxy S23 comes in two flavors: 128GB UFS 3.1 storage and 256GB UFS 4.0. Count respectively at recommended prices at 959 and 1019 euros.

Samsung Galaxy S23+

The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is based anyway on UFS 4.0. A 256 GB version for 1219 euros and another of 512 GB for 1339 euros.

Pre-order

From February 1 to 16, you can take advantage of a bonus of 150 euros when you return your old smartphone and double your storage capacity for free (for example, accept the 512 GB version of the S23+ for the price of the 256 GB version ).