Samsung has three new flagship smartphones to mark 2023—the Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra. They’re obtainable for preorder proper now and formally go on sale beginning February 17. However do you have to improve? When you want a brand new cellphone, which Galaxy S23 mannequin is finest for you? We break down what’s totally different between every mannequin, what’s new, and which one is best for you. We have additionally featured a couple of of the most effective Galaxy S23 promotions from Samsung and cell carriers so you will get probably the most out of your buy.
Make sure you try our Best Android Phones and Best Cheap Phones guides for extra suggestions. When you’re snagging final yr’s Galaxy S22 as an alternative for reasonable, effectively, we’ve got accessory recommendations as well.
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The New Tech in All 3 Telephones
The Galaxy S23 collection have an identical design philosophy all through all three gadgets, although the Extremely stands out for its squared edges. All of them have the identical shiny AMOLED screens, characteristic 120-Hz screen refresh rates, and have the fundamentals like wi-fi charging, sturdy 5G and Wi-Fi 6E help, in-display fingerprint sensors, and IP68 water resistance. They’re product of aluminum, and the glass defending the display screen and the rear is Corning’s newest Gorilla Glass Victus 2. You may get all of them in Phantom Black, Cream, Inexperienced, and Lavender, and you will find Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Purple colour choices in case you purchase them immediately at Samsung.com.
These telephones are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip with 8 GB of RAM—not simply within the US, however globally. The “for Galaxy” moniker signifies that the chips have a barely increased clock velocity than the bottom Snapdragon chips, so they seem to be a bit quicker, and there are further optimizations to make them extra environment friendly. The lineup additionally contains a redesigned cooling chamber that is two instances bigger, which ought to preserve the cellphone cooler when gaming for prolonged periods. Digicam-wise, all three fashions share the identical 12-megapixel ultrawide, an identical 3X optical telephoto digicam, and a brand new 12-megapixel selfie cam.
All three S23 telephones will obtain 5 years of safety updates and 4 Android OS upgrades (they launch with Android 13), which is the most effective software program coverage you may discover with Android telephones. That is nearly the place the similarities finish. Here is how they’re all totally different.
The Galaxy S23 is the smallest of the lineup with its 6.1-inch display screen, so in case you’re after a cellphone you possibly can comfortably use in a single hand, this one’s the best way to go. It is also the most cost effective, although on no account is it “low-cost.” It is the one S23 mannequin that begins with 128 GB of inside storage—the opposite two now begin at 256 GB—however Samsung has upped the battery capability by 200 mAh over the Galaxy S22 to three,900 mAh. This cellphone is the one one within the group that is restricted to 25-watt charging speeds, so it is not as quick at recharging while you plug it in. (Bear in mind, there is not any extra charging adapter within the field, so you may have to provide one your self.) The large change is the first digicam, which makes use of a brand new 50-megapixel sensor for improved dynamic colour vary.
The S23+ is the awkward center little one that is not as feature-filled because the Extremely, however not as distinctive from the usual S23 to warrant a $200 bump in value. Nonetheless, this cellphone is bigger at 6.6 inches and has an even bigger 4,700-mAh battery capability than its predecessor. The inner storage begins at 256 GB, which is essential since Samsung stopped together with microSD card slots in its high-end telephones in 2021. Because the S23+ has the identical precise digicam setup because the S23, the one important distinction is charging velocity—it helps 45-watt charging (charger not included) so it is going to juice up just a little quicker than the S23. In our prior expertise, the charging velocity is not drastically totally different, so this actually should not issue into your determination. Get it if you’d like extra battery or a barely larger display screen.
The Galaxy S23 Extremely is the crème de la crème of Samsung’s lineup. It retains the identical nice 10X optical zoom digicam as its predecessor that allows you to take sharp pictures of topics distant. It additionally has a 3X optical zoom, and who would not love choices? When you’re an S Pen fan, that is the one Samsung cellphone with a built-in stylus that is accessible from the underside fringe of the machine. It is the most important cellphone of the trio at 6.8 inches (and the heaviest), and whereas it has an adaptive refresh rate like the other two, it may well shift between 1 and 120 Hz when wanted, that means it is just a little extra battery environment friendly. It has a 5,000-mAh battery, and Samsung says it is going to final 20 p.c longer than final yr’s S22 Extremely regardless of having the identical capability.
