Samsung Galaxy S23 Evaluate: S Is for Samey

Worth When Reviewed

From $799

Finest Costs As we speak: Samsung Galaxy S23

$799.99

As common because the bus that takes me into town centre, Samsung is again with its newest technology of flagship S23 smartphones.

Whereas it’d seem from the advertising and marketing marketing campaign that the S23 Extremely is the one cellphone that issues, the plain outdated common Galaxy S23 would possibly simply be the darkish horse of the pack.

Granted, the Extremely is all-singing and all-dancing however not everybody, me included, desires, wants or can afford a handset like that. Many individuals, together with quite a few members of the Tech Advisor group, crave a smaller, easier machine for his or her each day driver. 

If that sounds such as you, then the Galaxy S23 would possibly simply be the one you’ve been ready for.

At first, I beloved this cellphone however although nothing overtly flawed with it, the extra time I spent utilizing it, the extra I realised how related it’s to the year-old Galaxy S22 and the way rivals stay extra enticing total, particularly in the case of worth for cash.

Design & Construct 

• Virtually an identical to S22 
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2 
• Extra recycled elements

I received’t spend too lengthy on this part as a result of there are way more attention-grabbing issues to say about this yr’s flagship Galaxy. 

The telephones has close to an identical dimensions to its predecessor at 7.6mm thick and 168g, however meaning it’s nonetheless one of the compact and handleable flagships available on the market. For comparability, the Google Pixel 7 is simply over 1mm thicker and extra importantly, weighs virtually 200g. 

The iPhone 14 is way nearer in dimension and weight however will solely be an choice when you’re open to utilizing iOS moderately than Android, in fact. Android alternate options embrace the Asus ZenFone 9 and, within the mid-range, the Pixel 6a and Sony Xperia 5 IV. 

Chris Martin

Samsung has solely actually modified one important factor concerning the design from the S22. The rear cameras now simply sit independently of one another, with no surrounding metallic or the like. They appear like port holes, or in panorama orientation would possibly make you consider the three-eyed fish in The Simpsons. 

It’s a small change however in some way makes a giant distinction and I personally a lot desire this new fashion, whereas the older design didn’t do a lot for me in any respect.

You continue to get the identical aluminium body and IP68 ranking, however the entrance and rear glass has been barely upgraded to Gorilla Glass Victus 2 which on paper is extra immune to scratches and cracks. 

ThE S23 mannequin I’ve examined is Lavender however you may also get the cellphone in Phantom Black, Cream and Inexperienced. Samsung then has unique colourways on the official website within the type of Graphite and Lime.

Chris Martin

The cellphone additionally has higher eco-credentials with extra recycled plastic (together with fishing nets), aluminium and glass used for sure elements. It might be higher however it’s progress nonetheless. 

I’m a giant fan of the vibration motor within the S23 which offers subtly crisp suggestions for system navigation and typing. Not likely noticing it doing its work within the background is a testomony to its premium high quality and you’ll regulate the vibration energy for varied issues within the settings menu. 

Display screen & Audio system 

• 6.1in Dynamic AMOLED 
• Full HD+ 
• 120Hz 

The show on the S23 is, just like the design, virtually an identical to the Galaxy S22 so it stays a Dynamic AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ decision at 6.1in in dimension. That’s all good and customarily in line with equally priced flagships just like the Pixel 7. 

A key aspect there’s the 6.1in panel dimension which is good and compact for these searching for a small cellphone – the ZenFone 9 is even smaller at 5.9in. It’s nonetheless large enough for having fun with leisure, viewing images and the like though some players would possibly crave extra actual property and the keyboard can really feel slightly cramped. 

Like so many telephones, the punch gap digicam is slightly distracting at occasions. The dimensions jumps to six.6in when you plump for the Galaxy S23+. 

The decision is completely crisp sufficient and as normal, Samsung gives punchy colors and glorious distinction and you’ve got the standard choices to make changes if you want. There’s HDR10+ help as properly, for companies that help it comparable to Amazon Prime Video. 

Chris Martin

Relating to refresh charge, the Galaxy S23 remains to be 120Hz which beats the Pixel 7 by 30Hz when you’re enjoying smartphone High Trumps. It doesn’t have the newest LPTO tech however it could actually dynamically regulate all the way down to 48Hz and on the default Adaptive setting is buttery clean. 

One improve on the S22 display is the next peak brightness of 1750 nits, up from 1300 so it’s bought loads of luminance to carry out in brilliant outside circumstances. 

With a Spyder X Professional I measured the show at 752 nits with computerized brightness off and additional brightness on. As ever, it’s not doable to lab take a look at the true peak output however even 750 is loads of brightness for outside daylight. 

Surprisingly, I had a number of points with the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner embedded within the show. Redoing my fingerprint registration helped and the cracked, winter dry pores and skin on my thumb received’t have helped so it’s not all Samsung’s fault. The facial recognition was additionally considerably sporadic, method off the reliability of Apple’s Face ID.

Issues are extra pleasing in the case of audio, and though it’s a pipe dream I’d nonetheless like a headphone jack. For those who don’t have a Bluetooth speaker or headphones, the built-in stereo audio system are impressively loud and provide up clear and balanced sound.

Specs & Efficiency 

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 
• 8GB of RAM 
• 128- or 256GB storage 

Whereas it’d look like a small change, swapping the processor from Samsung’s personal Exynos chip to Qualcomm’s newest flagship Snapdragon is definitely essentially the most important adjustment concerning the Galaxy S23 in comparison with earlier generations. 

Chris Martin

Some markets have been getting Snapdragon fashions for some time, however not right here within the UK, and this alteration makes a giant distinction in some key areas. Battery life is the primary one, however there are additionally efficiency enhancements, too. 

Basic operation is easy. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 can deal with demanding video games with out a lot sweat and comes with 5G compatibility as you’d anticipate. The S23 can handle a constant framerate in Genshin Influence even at max settings and the cellphone doesn’t get too sizzling both. 

As talked about, it’s the smaller display that’s not so good when you play video games like this or CoD Cell. 

It’s value noting that the Galaxy S23 solely comes with 8GB of RAM and storage is restricted to only 128- or 256GB within the US and UK. With no microSD card slot, you would possibly need to go for 256.

These wanting a extra spectacular 12GB of RAM must get the Galaxy S23 Extremely. 

Cameras 

• 50Mp predominant digicam 
• 12Mp ultrawide 
• 10Mp telephoto 
• 12Mp selfie 

On the again of the cellphone, Samsung has caught with the identical three cameras as final yr so that you get the standard flagship mixture of extensive, ultrawide and telephoto choices. Word that the S23+ has the identical images credentials, so you want to get the Extremely if you’d like a 200Mp predominant sensor and 10x optical zoom. 

It’s no shock, then, that the efficiency on provide right here is similar to the S22 and that trio of lenses provides you good scope to get glorious photographs in a variety of conditions and, like so many trendy smartphones, there’s plenty of intelligent processing occurring within the background that will help you simply level and shoot. 

Chris Martin

Samsung’s digicam app is without doubt one of the best to make use of and also you’ll typically get glorious outcomes from the primary and ultrawide cameras when taking pictures in good gentle. There’s loads of element (the primary digicam pixel bins pictures all the way down to 12Mp by default) and dynamic vary, with the ultrawide avoiding the annoying distortion you generally discover with cheaper sensors.

I don’t personally have a lot want for a telephoto lens however this is without doubt one of the higher ones I’ve examined with good high quality outcomes, aided by the built-in optical picture stabilisation (OIS). The app enables you to then digitally zoom in as much as 30x with, at occasions, surprisingly clear pictures. 

There are some points although as the primary digicam can overexpose slightly, and may battle to focus when you’re not taking pictures one thing that’s not nonetheless and hues are sometimes over-saturated. That is very true within the meals mode as I can inform you my pizza within the under slideshow undoubtedly didn’t appear like that in actual life. 

Whereas it has plenty of modes to play with, the portrait mode doesn’t all the time do an excellent job of slicing round hair. In the meantime, low gentle efficiency is OK, however not so good as I’d anticipate from a flagship machine with pictures rapidly turning tender, fuzzy and missing color, plus there’s plenty of lens flare. 

You may at the least go and use the professional mode and in addition shoot in 50Mp RAW when you ought to want (making an allowance for that you just’ll begin to fill the storage up in a short time).

The night time mode can conjure one thing out of nothing which is spectacular (it actually was pitch black to my eyes after I took the shot of my backyard) however it’s understandably grainy. 

It’s the selfie digicam that’s acquired an improve from 10- to 12Mp and it’s digicam on the entire, albeit nothing notably particular. As per the primary digicam, portrait mode can battle at occasions and low-light conditions require a gentle hand. 

Chris Martin

The Galaxy S23 can shoot in as much as 8K at 30fps which is spectacular, albeit extreme for many customers. You’re in all probability higher off taking pictures in Full HD or 4K the place high quality remains to be sharp and vibrant and the optical stabilisation does a stable job of protecting issues clean.

Battery Life & Charging 

• 3900mAh battery 
• 45W charging 
• No charging brick in field  

The inclusion of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset means a big enchancment in battery life when in comparison with the S22. It additionally helps that the battery has bought bigger from 3700- to 3900mAh, though that’s nonetheless barely off the 4000mAh discovered within the older Galaxy S21. 

Final yr’s common flagship struggled to get by a day with medium utilization at 120Hz however I’m happy to report that’s not the case for the S23. It might probably now get you thru to bedtime with round 10-20% energy remaining with combined utilization. 

After all, when you’re hammering video games, media streaming or video recording then that received’t occur.

Chris Martin

Relating to charging, wired pace stays at 25W which is to say Samsung is method behind the occasions on this entrance. The S23+ and S23 Extremely cost at 45W, and loads of less expensive telephones include 50-100W and we’re seeing units just like the Realme GT Neo 5 hit the market with 240W. 

Samsung doesn’t provide an adapter within the field, only a cable, so that you’ll have to get your individual and utilizing a 67W adapter, I discovered the Galaxy S23 charged to a mediocre 41%. 

There’s additionally wi-fi charging however that is additionally comparatively gradual at 15W, then reverse wi-fi charging so you possibly can prime up your wi-fi earbuds case or related on the again of the cellphone whereas it’s face down. That is rated at 4.5W. 

Software program & Apps 

• Android 13 
• One UI 5.1 
• 4 years of OS help, 5 of safety

The S23 vary comes with Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 5.1 excessive at launch. Samsung’s Android pores and skin is sort of heavy and adjustments the feel and appear of Android considerably.

In comparison with the early days of One UI (or TouchWiz because it was identified), issues are considerably higher now with a typically polished and mature expertise that’s straightforward sufficient to get your head round. 

Chris Martin

Samsung nonetheless insists on doing sure issues otherwise although comparable to having the app tray panels scroll horizontally as an alternative of vertically. I additionally discover the display brightness slider awkward to make use of because it’s hidden behind two swipes down within the notification shade.

There’s additionally loads of duplication within the pre-installed apps with Google and Samsung choices for issues together with app shops. It’s bloatware, and Samsung ought to kind it out.

There may be worth in issues like Samsung Well being for wearables and smartwatch metrics and SmartThings for good dwelling package, however much less so in the case of Bixby and the aptly named Samsung Web when Google Assistant and Chrome are exponentially higher. 

Nonetheless, there’s plenty of customisation and settings you possibly can play with and the sidebar displaying your favorite apps can are available actually useful at occasions.  

The excellent news as soon as once more is that Samsung gives long run help for its S collection telephones so you’ll get 4 years of OS updates together with 5 years of safety patches which means you possibly can relaxation straightforward that the S23 received’t be forgotten about after Android 15. That is amongst the longest help within the Android world and an excellent factor.

Worth & Availability 

In comparison with the S22, the Galaxy S23 has been given a worth rise (within the UK at the least) and now prices $799/£849 for the most cost effective mannequin (up from $799/£769). 

It will get you 128GB of storage and leaping to 256GB will set you again $859/£899. Both method you get 8GB of RAM and, as talked about earlier, there’s no SD card slot so select properly. 

As you may think, the cellphone is extensively out there with the official Samsung retailer providing two unique colors in addition to some glorious trade-in gives to your outdated cellphone.

Purchase the galaxy s23 from samsung

You too can purchase it from the next retailers:

US 

UK 

If you’d like the Galaxy S23 on contract, listed here are your choices: 

US  

UK

The fee could put some individuals off however there are a selection of rivals to think about at decrease costs together with the Asus ZenFone 9, Google Pixel 7 and OnePlus 11.

Try our chart of the greatest telephones to see extra choices. 

Verdict 

The Galaxy S23 is one other completed flagship smartphone and for these of you who’re loyal to the model and don’t desire a greater cellphone within the S23+ or Extremely.

Nevertheless, within the wider market, the cellphone sits in an odd place as not solely is it dearer than its predecessor, many rivals are significantly cheaper but of an analogous high quality. The Google Pixel 7 gives a equally premium expertise – minus a telephoto lens – for a significantly cheaper at $599/£599.

The design and construct of the S23 is top-notch as is the show and a substantial quantity of the spec sheet. Nevertheless, I did anticipate barely higher images efficiency.

The brand new Snapdragon chipset is nearly the one main improve from the S22, although, and there’s no getting round the truth that previous-generation Samsung telephones stay straightforward to seek out at a lot decreased costs.

I began out actually liking the S23 however the extra time went on, the extra I realised that the S22 is a greater discount, the S23+ is a greater candy spot and plenty of non-Samsung rivals are higher worth.

Chris Martin

Specs

• Android 13 with One UI 5.1
• 6.1in, 120Hz, FHD+, Dynamic AMOLED show
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
• 8GB RAM
• 128/256GB storage
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp f/1.8 predominant digicam
  • 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide digicam
  • 10Mp f/2.4 3x optical telephoto digicam
  • 12Mp f/2.2 entrance dealing with digicam
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 6E
• Bluetooth 5.3
• Stereo audio system
• USB-C
• 3900mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 15W wi-fi charging
• 4.5W reverse wi-fi charging
• IP68
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2
• 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm
• 196g