Samsung Galaxy S23 – What We Know Right Now [UPDATED]
The Samsung Galaxy S23 will get a release date in 2023. Here’s a complete breakdown of everything currently known about Samsung’s new flagship phones…
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy S23: Key Takeaways
- Leaks suggest the Galaxy S23 will run a larger battery than its predecessor, while the S23 Plus will get a 4700mAh battery, and the Ultra model a 5000mAh.
- The inclusion of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU could help Samsung better manage the phones’ power usage and, thus, enable it to significantly improve the battery life of all its Galaxy S23 models.
- With wireless charging speeds, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will apparently support 45W, while the S23 will get 25W, and the S23 Plus will get the same speed as the Ultra model (45W).
We’re just weeks out from the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series. The phones are confirmed to launch on February 1, 2023 – so, a bit earlier than usual.
Arguably the second most important launch of the year next to Apple’s iPhone 15, Samsung’s latest Galaxy S23 phones will set the pace for all of its rivals in the year to come.
But what can we expect from the Galaxy S23 series? How will it improve on the Galaxy S22? What will the changes be? What new features should we expect?
You can also read our review of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to find out why it is easily one of the best phones on the market right now.
All we have right now is leaks and speculation – but there’s a hell of a lot of info about already which you’ll find below.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 has some pretty big shoes to fill; 2022’s Samsung Galaxy S22 series was an impressive update across the board; they looked great, had brilliant cameras, and proper next-generation performance.
As always, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra was the star of the show. But Samsung’s entry-level model, in this context, the Samsung Galaxy S23, is always going to be a popular choice with consumers, as it is the cheaper model.
Let’s unpack everything that is currently known about the Samsung Galaxy S23 to see what we can expect from Samsung’s new phones in 2023…
Samsung Galaxy S23 Latest News
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Price
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Battery: What You Need To Know
- Will Samsung Galaxy S23 Cost More In 2023?
- ALL Galaxy S23 Phones Will Use Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Design Revealed: It’s, Umm… A Bit Divisive!
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Colors REVEALED In Full
Samsung Galaxy S23 Release Date
Update: Samsung has now confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy S23 will get its official launch on February 1, 2023.
When it comes to release dates, we always know approximately when they’ll happen – it is always inside Q1. The exact dates do move around a little, so it is hard to be ultra-precise about the exact release date for the Samsung Galaxy S23.
Having said that, the Samsung Galaxy S22 launched in February, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 launched in January – although this was done to make room for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, to give it some breathing room before the new flagship model appeared.
TIP: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus: What’s Different?
Based on Samsung’s historical preferences for the launch and release of its new Galaxy S models, we can safely assume that the Samsung Galaxy S23 will get a global release date before the close of Q1 2023, either in late-February or early March.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Design
With respect to design, we don’t expect Samsung to change anything too drastically. This means the phones we see launched in 2023 will almost certainly look very similar to what came before with its Galaxy S22 series of phones.
Ice Universe, the well-known Twitter-based leaker, has claimed the Galaxy S23 will have the following dimensions: 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches. If true, this would represent a minor increase over the Galaxy S22 Ultra with respect to thickness and size.
Why thickness? The leaker believes that Samsung is aiming to make the Galaxy S23 more durable and one of the ways it could be doing this is by adding a thicker bezel. It is also possible that Samsung needs more room for its new camera model – it is rumored to pack a 200MP main sensor.
The overall look and feel of the models inside Samsung’s Galaxy S23 range will be more or less identical to the Galaxy S22. There may be slight deviations here and there, but the main attributes – the actual, physical design and look, the camera module, and the screen sizes – will be identical to the S22’s.
One leak has suggested that Samsung may have a new design for its camera module, although this has yet to be officially verified. According to the leak, Samsung may house each of its rear-facing cameras inside individual and slightly raised housings. You can see what that might look like in practice below…
![Samsung Galaxy S23 – What We Know Right Now [UPDATED]](https://www.knowyourmobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/galaxy-s23-ultra-camera-modulle.jpg.webp "Samsung Galaxy S23 – What We Know Right Now [UPDATED]")
With color options for the Galaxy S23, reports suggest the phones will be available in the following hues: beige, black, green, and light pink. Yes, you did read that right: beige.
Whether Samsung reserves some additional color schemes for its Ultra model is currently unknown. Personally, I’d really like to see a murdered-out matte black Galaxy S23 Ultra. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this color option forever now as well!
Additional Resources:
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Design Revealed: It’s, Umm… A Bit Divisive!
- Huge Samsung Galaxy S23 Series Leak Reveals Minimal Change In Design!
Samsung Galaxy S23 Cameras
As usual, we’re looking at three distinct models in the 2023 Galaxy S23 range. You have the Samsung Galaxy S23, the Galaxy S23 Plus, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Rather than give you a wall of text, here’s a quick overview of the alleged specs for each of Samsung’s new Galaxy S23 phones – please note, these specs are based on rumors and leaks and are not official.
Samsung Galaxy S23 & Galaxy S23+ Camera Specs
| Camera | Specs |
|---|---|
| MAIN CAMERA | 50MP F/1.8 aperture Sensor Size: 1/1.56in OIS PDAF |
| ULTRAWIDE | 12MP f/2.2 aperture Sensor Size: 1/2.55in |
| 3x TELEPHOTO | 10MP f/2.4 aperture Pixel Size: 1/3.94in |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Camera Specs
| Camera | Specs |
|---|---|
| MAIN CAMERA | 200MP Samsung ISOCELL Sensor Size: 1/1.3in Pixel Size: 0.60 μm OIS Dual PDAF |
| ULTRAWIDE CAMERA | 12MP Sensor Size: 1/2.55in Pixel Size: 1.4 μm |
| 3x TELEPHOTO | 10MP Sensor Size: 1/3.52in Pixel Size: 1.12 μm |
| 10x PERISCOPE | 10MP Sensor Size: 1/3.52in Pixel Size: 1.12 μm |
Of course, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will be the phone that has the best overall camera module and, as a result, the best performance, both with still images and video.
Samsung will be keen to close the gap on Apple’s iPhone, so we can expect a lot of changes – both software and hardware-related – inside the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is said to finally feature one of Samsung’s 200MP sensors for its main camera. More specifically, Samsung’s high-end flagship could get the company’s custom-made 200MP ISOCELL HP2 sensor.
It is said to be 1/1.3 inches big, with a larger aperture than before at f/1.7 (which means it will be able to capture more light), and a pixel size of 0.6μm. Further evidence of this rumor is a recently leaked screenshot of the camera app on an alleged Galaxy S23 Ultra, showcasing the 200MP mode.
Phone Arena
Main Areas of Improvement (Versus Galaxy S22 Ultra)
How will the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra stack up against the Galaxy S22 Ultra? According to the leaks, most of them from legit sources, Samsung is doubling-down in a few key areas to bolster the imaging performance on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
And these key areas are as follows:
- Better Low Light Performance – Samsung is said to be keen on improving the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s low light performance. How it will do this is through a new 50MP pixel-binned mode that would allow for significantly larger virtual pixels. Furthermore, this new mode scales up as the light drops, topping out at a reported 2.4 micron-sized pixels.
- Improved Night Mode – Leading on from the above point, hardcore leaker Ice Universe claims the Galaxy S23’s Night Mode will be so good it’ll be like having “night vision” which sounds pretty good to us, especially since the Galaxy S22 Ultra was already pretty good in this regard.
- 8K Video at 30FPS – The Galaxy S22 Ultra could record 8K video, but the Galaxy S23 will do it even better, jumping from 8K at 24FPS on the S22 ultra to 8K at 30FPS on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. This will make a massive difference in quality, so expect to see A LOT more YouTubers’ using Galaxy S23 Ultra phones in 2023.
- “Ultra Stabilisation” Feature – Apple has its Action Mode which effectively turns the iPhone 14 into a GoPro. Well, Samsung is said to be working on its own version called “Ultra Stabilisation” and it is rumored to be making an appearance on all of Samsung’s Galaxy S23 models.
Samsung 200MP ISOCELL Sensor
One area where there will be some pretty significant changes on the Galaxy S23 is its camera module. Samsung is reportedly prepping a 200MP main sensor for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. If true, this would be one of the most potent lenses ever fitted to a phone.
There are some images, allegedly taken with Samsung’s 200MP camera, online that were posted by Ice Universe. Again, we have no idea if these are legit but if you want to see what a 200MP camera can do, this is the best you’ll get right now.
Ice Universe has tweeted that it is “100% confirmed” that the phone will get a 200MP camera with 0.6μm sized pixels, along with a larger aperture of f/1.7 for capturing more light. This indicates an almost insignificant increase in camera sensor size from the S22 Ultra but it is apparently slightly bigger than the 48MP camera sensor that the iPhone 14 Pro sports.
Source
Now, it isn’t likely this 200MP sensor will make its way down to the base model Galaxy S23 or the Galaxy S23 Plus. But there will almost certainly be updates that do make an appearance on Samsung’s entry-level models, as well as the usual trickle-down features from last year’s Ultra model.
As for what we can expect, well, there is an argument that Samsung has been deliberately sandbagging its entry-level Galaxy S models’ camera hardware in order to push more users towards the Ultra model. The Ultra model costs quite a bit more and makes Samsung more money, so there is logic to this move.
But the fact that people are getting wise to this indicates that now, rather than later, is probably a good time for Samsung to give its entry-level Galaxy S models some love in the camera department.
Personally, I reckon Samsung will add the 40MP main sensor from the Galaxy S21 Ultra to the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. That’d make a lot of sense.
Unlike Apple, Samsung doesn’t really have the luxury of hampering one of its phones in favor of the other. Samsung needs to be more like Google in this regard and keep a certain amount of parity between its Ultra and non-Ultra models.
As for the S23 and S23 Plus’ telephoto and ultra-wide lenses, reports suggest that Samsung is keeping them exactly the same as last year. If true that means we’re looking at 10MP a piece with the telephoto lens being capable of 10x optical zoom. Not bad. But it’ll feel a lot less impressive if Samsung doesn’t upgrade the main sensor.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Chipset & Performance
When it comes to chipset choice for Samsung’s Galaxy S phones, the usual mix is Snapdragon for the USA and Exynos for everywhere else. This has been how Samsung has done most of its new phones for years now. But in 2023, all this could change.
To date, there has been a plethora of rumors circulating about what CPU the Galaxy S23 will use, ranging from the absurd (it’ll use a MediaTek one) to the plausible (it’ll run a new, custom Exynos CPU) and, finally, to the idea that ALL models in ALL regions will run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
Again, this is all leak and bluster at the moment. No one knows for sure what Samsung’s plans are for the chipsets inside its Galaxy S23 lineup. Using only Snapdragon chipsets has its benefits, of course, with the main one being that Qualcomm’s silicon has outperformed Samsung’s for a good few years now.
But then we also know that Samsung is working on a new CPU to replace its Exynos chipsets, one that is claimed to be a close rival to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Apple’s A16 chipset.
What’s most likely, in my humble opinion, is that Samsung, given all the flack its Exynos chip got last year and the year before, will switch over some or all of its Galaxy S models to either Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset or its new in-house CPU that is currently dubbed “the Galaxy chipset”.
This will remove any performance disparity between models and help Samsung catch up with the iPhone 14 Pro’s performance levels.
Additional Resources:
- Samsung Galaxy S23 CPU: “ALL IN” on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2? Looks That Way…
- Samsung Ditching Exynos For New “In-House” Galaxy Chipsets
Samsung Galaxy S23 Rumors
As for additional rumors about apparent features and/or updates coming to the Galaxy S23, there are quite a few – as you can see below:
- Leaks suggest the Galaxy S23 will run a larger battery than its predecessor, while the S23 Plus will get a 4700mAh battery, and the Ultra model a 5000mAh.
- The inclusion of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU could help Samsung better manage the phones’ power usage and, thus, enable it to significantly improve the battery life of all its Galaxy S23 models.
- With wireless charging speeds, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will apparently support 45W, while the S23 will get 25W, and the S23 Plus will get the same speed as the Ultra model (45W).
Samsung Galaxy S23: What We Want To See
Samsung’s focus, at least for the last couple of years, has been squarely on its Ultra model. All the best new hardware and features have been secreted away inside its most expensive device. This is fine. But in 2023, I’d like to see this change.
Despite being a tech journalist, I seldom use “ultra” or “pro” phones. Instead, I prefer to save some cash and use entry-level models. Right now, I have the iPhone 13 which I plan on running until the iPhone 15 launches in 2023.
Having said that, if Samsung can get its act together and make its entry-level phones more equitable with respect to features and updates, I think I could be persuaded to go with one in 2023.
But it’d have to have a number of things that Samsung’s current base-level models don’t. Things like:
- Better overall performance – meaning the highly impressive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
- Actual improvements to the camera hardware. This would, most likely, entail bringing the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s main sensor to the Galaxy S23.
- Better Battery Life – this is a big one for me as a user. Samsung’s battery life on its Galaxy S22 models isn’t bad, but it also isn’t great either. I definitely need to see improvements in this context before I ever considered switching.
- Kill The Galaxy S23 Plus – I don’t think anyone would care if Samsung just completely nixed the Galaxy S23+ and made the lineup tighter with just the base model Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S23 Ultra. If it did this, it could make the Galaxy S23 a more meaningful update, without having to “worry” about the boringly useless Galaxy S23+.
