Samsung announced its newflagship smartphonesat the beginning of February in the form of theGalaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ and theGalaxy S23 Ultra.
We’ve covered how the three Galaxy S23 devices compare to each other ina separate featureif you’re deciding between all three, as well ashow the S23 Ultra compares to the S22 Ultra, but here we are focusing on the S23 and S23+ and how they compare to their predecessors.
Should you upgrade? Or if you’re in the market for a Samsung device, should you pick one of last year’s models and save some pennies or opt for one the latest models? We are here to help you figure it out.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ see a slight departure from the design of theGalaxy S22and S22+. The front remains the same, with all devices offering a flat display and acentralised punch hole cameraat the top, but the rear changes a little.
The Galaxy S22 andS22+both have three camera lenses within a stainless steel camera housing that moves into the frame of the devices. The S23 and S23+ meanwhile, ditch the housing and feature the lenses on their own, taking cues from theS22 Ultra’sdesign.
There is also a difference in the colours offered, though only a slight difference, like the design. The Galaxy S22 and S22+ both come in White, Pink, Phantom Green and Black, while the Galaxy S23 and S23+ come in Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender.
Elsewhere, the Galaxy S23 is a very similar size to the Galaxy S22, and theGalaxy S23+is very similar to the S22+, though the newer models are quite a bit lighter in weight than their predecessors. This is noticeable in the hand too. The Galaxy S23 is refreshingly light to hold, as is the S23+ given its size.
All models offerIP68 water and dust resistance, as well asunder-display fingerprint sensors.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 comes with a 6.1-inch Super AMOLED display that offers a Full HD+ resolution (2340 x 1080), which is the same as what the Galaxy S22 offers. The S23+ meanwhile, comes with a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display, also with a Full HD+ resolution, which again, is the same as the Galaxy S22+. Those sizes and resolutions mean the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S22 have a pixel density of 425ppi and the Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S22+ have a pixel density of 398ppi.
The Galaxy S22 and S22+ have flat displays compared to curved like the S22 Ultra, and it’s the same story for the S23 and S23+.
All have anadaptable refresh rateup to 120Hz and all the devices being compared heresupport HDR10+.
Hardware and specs
The Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ run on theQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsetthough it’s a custom-built version of the chipset, called Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy. It’s said it offers a slightly higher clock speed than original platform announced in November. There will be no Exynos models this year, with all S23 models running on the Snapdragon platform.
The S23 and S23+ both feature 8GB of RAM, with the S23 offered in 128GB and 256GB storage options and the S23+ offered in 256GB and 512GB options. None of the models offer microSD support. There is support forDolby Atmos, along withWi-Fi 6Eand Bluetooth 5.3 though. The S23+ also has support forUltra Wide Band (UWB), though the standard Galaxy S23 doesn’t.
By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ run on either theQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1or the Exynos 2200, depending on the region. Both devices have 8GB of RAM, and they have 128GB or 256GB of storage so there’s a slight bump for the Plus model this year in terms of base storage. The S22 and S22+ don’t have microSD support either.
In terms of battery capacities, the S23 has a 3900mAh capacity, with support for what is thought to be 25W fast charging. The S23+ has a 4700mAh capacity with support for what is claimed to be 45W fast charging. The S22 has a 3700mAh battery with 25W fast charging and the S22+ has a 4500mAh capacity with 45W so no huge changes here, though a little bump in capacities.
There isn’t much change in terms of camera sensor resolutions for the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ compared to their predecessors. Things are a little different when it comes to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which you canread about in our separate feature.
The Galaxy S22 and S22+ have a triple rear camera system consisting of a 50-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture and OIS, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture.
The Galaxy S23 and S23+ both come with a triple rear camera system with a 50-megapixel main sensor with f/1.8 aperture, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor with f/2.2 aperture and a 10-megapixel telephoto sensor with f/2.4 aperture and 3x optical zoom capabilities. The rear hardware therefore remains the same for the new models, though there are some new features. The S23 and S23+ add 8K video recording at 30fps, as well as an AstroHyperlapse mode that lets you take photos of moving stars and the ability to extract a 50-megapixel RAW image rather than the previous 12-megapixel image. It is said many of the features offered on the S23 models will come to the S22 models in a software update though so we don’t expect a huge difference in experience.
On the front, the S22 and S22+ have a 10-megapixel sensor with f/2.2. The S23 and S23+ do increase the resolution of the selfie camera to a 12-megapixel snapper with f/2.2 aperture however, marking the biggest camera change between these devices.
Conclusion
There aren’t huge differences between the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ and their predecessors. There’s a slight change in the rear design, a bump in processor and battery capacities for both the 2023 models, as well as a bump in base storage for the S23+ too.
The displays remain largely unchanged, along with the rear camera, though the front camera of the S23 models does get a cheeky upgrade.
The design of the S23 models is cleaner than the S22 models, though you could probably save quite a bit of money opting for the S22 models instead. If you’re wondering whether to upgrade, it looks like it could be better to hold off to see what the S24 models bring, or theGalaxy Z deviceslater this year.
