Samsung Galaxy S23 series

Samsung Galaxy S23 series:         Everything we know

The Galaxy S line is Samsung’s most popular premium smartphone series. It is inevitable that the company would launch a new entry in the series, just as it has done every year since 2010.

S21 Ultra 5G (Unsplash)

When will the Samsung Galaxy S23 release date be?

• Galaxy S10 series — February 20, 2019
• Galaxy S20 series — February 11, 2020
• Galaxy S21 series — January 14, 2021
• Galaxy S22 series — February 9, 2022

Historically, Samsung has launched Galaxy S phones within the first three months of the year. In recent years, Samsung has launched them in February, with only the Galaxy S21 series as an exception. This was likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It stands to reason that Samsung would launch the Galaxy S23 series in February 2023. However, don’t rule out a January or even March launch. Samsung has launched the phones in those months in the past. There’s also no telling how the ongoing global chip shortage could change the company’s plans.

What features and specs will the Samsung Galaxy S23 series have?

S22 Ultra (Unsplash)

Samsung Galaxy S phones are almost always the first globally available devices with the latest flagship silicon from Qualcomm. We don’t expect 2023 to be any different in this regard. As such, you can expect all three Samsung Galaxy S23 phones to have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside. That would certainly be for devices in North America, Korea, and India, while other countries might get the unannounced Exynos 2300.

However, Samsung and Qualcomm announced a deal that will see Galaxy S23 phones powered by Snapdragon chips “globally.” The announcement didn’t outright say that all S23 phones would be powered by Snapdragon hardware. So it stands to reason that we could still see an Exynos variant launching in some capacity. According to a report from SamMobile, it’s also possible that the Galaxy S23 could get a faster, higher-clocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.

Samsung also very rarely downgrades specs across the years. We expect the Galaxy S23 Ultra to have similar or better specs across the board when compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. That would mean at least 8GB of RAM, at least 128GB of internal storage, a 1440p display with at least a 120Hz refresh rate, a battery capacity of at least 5,000mAh, and a wired charging speed of at least 45W. It would also mean a similar quad-sensor rear camera with two telephoto lenses and the main sensor to meet or exceed 108MP in quality.

Samsung apparently confirmed with camera partners that it will bring a 200MP camera sensor to the Galaxy S23 Ultra. A leak that seemingly exposed the Ultra’s camera specs further supports this information. According to the leak, it looks like the 200MP camera could be joined by a 10MP 10x periscope camera, a 10MP 3x telephoto camera, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Last, but not least, the camera might use an ISOCELL HP2 which would give the phone better nighttime performance for both videos and photos.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus should carry a lot of specs over from the Galaxy S22 series. That would mean at least 8GB of RAM, at least 128GB of internal storage, and displays with 120Hz refresh rates.

A tipster recently asserted that the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus will have 6.1-inch and 6.6-inch screen sizes, respectively. Unfortunately, if you were hoping for a return to QHD+ resolutions, the tipster claims that both phones will have FHD+ screens (2,340 x 1,080).

One of the biggest overall criticisms of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus was battery life. Therefore, it would make a lot of sense for Samsung to increase the battery capacity of both models in 2023. Fortunately, Galaxy Club reports that the S23 Plus could receive a capacity bump to 4,700mAh. The outlet adds that the S23 Ultra will retain a 5,000mAh battery.

Currently, Samsung is in the process of releasing its version of Android 13 — One UI 5 — to its collection of phones, so it would be expected that the S23 would launch with One UI 5 as well. However, a leak found in November by SamMobile revealed that Samsung may actually be working on a newer version of One UI for the S23 that would see it running on One UI 5.1 instead.