Samsung has released 3 new flagships collectively known as the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. The phones here are the Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+ and the S23 Ultra.
Samsung has always competed for a spot at the head of the Flagship table with Apple for the longest time and this year is not any different.
Samsung Galaxy S23 series
| Specs | S23 | S23+ | S23 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | Armor Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, IP68, 168g | Armor Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, IP68, 195g | Armor Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, IP68, 233g |
| SoC | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 740 | Adreno 740 |
| Software | One UI 5 Android 13 | One UI 5 Android 13 | One UI 5 Android 13 |
| Storage | 8GB LPDDR5x RAM 128GB UFS 3.1 256GB UFS 4.0 | 8GB LPDDR5X RAM 256GB UFS 4.0 512GB UFS 4.0 | 8GB LPDDR5x RAM 256GB UFS 4.0 512GB UFS 4.0 1TB UFS 4.0 |
| Display | 6.1" FHD Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 120Hz, 425ppi, 1750nit | 6.6" FHD Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 120Hz, 425ppi, 1750nit | 6.8" QHD Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 120Hz, 500ppi, 1750nit |
| Cameras | 50MP GN5 (Main) 12MP IMX564 (Ultrawide) 10MP IMX754 (Telephoto) OIS, PDAF, 3x zoom | 50MP GN5 (Main) 12MP IMX564 (Ultrawide) 10MP IMX754 (Telephoto) OIS, PDAF, 3x zoom | 200MP HP2 (Main) 12MP IMX564 (Ultrawide) 10MP IMX754 (Telephoto) 10MP IMX754 (Periscope) OIS, PDAF, 3x/10x zoom |
| Selfie | 12MP S5K3LU 4K @60fps | 12MP S5K3LU 4K @60fps | 12MP S5K3LU 4K @60fps |
| Video | 8K @30fps 4K @60fps 1080p @240fps | 8K @30fps 4K @60fps 1080p @240fps | 8K @30fps 4K @60fps 1080p @240fps |
| Battery | 3900mAh 25W Fast Charge | 4700mAh 45W Fast Charge | 5000mAh 45W Fast Charge |
| Comms | 4G, 5G, BT5.3, WiFi 6E, USB C, OTG, GPS, NFC | 4G, 5G, BT5.3, WiFi 6E, USB C, OTG, GPS, NFC | 4G, 5G, BT5.3, WiFi 6E, USB C, OTG, GPS, NFC |
| Audio | Stereo speakers Dolby Atmos | Stereo speakers Dolby Atmos | Stereo speakers Dolby Atmos |
| Sensors | In-screen fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscopes, Proximity and Light sensors | In-screen fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscopes, Proximity and Light sensors | In-screen fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscopes, Proximity and Light sensors |
| Prices | Starts from $799 ₦837,900 (Galaxy ⌚) | Starts from $999 ₦1,012,900 (with Galaxy ⌚) | Starts from $1199 ₦1,295,000 (with Galaxy ⌚) |
Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+
The Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ are nearly identical phones except for a few differences.
Samsung Galaxy S23
So the first phone in the Samsung Galaxy S23 series is obviously the Samsung Galaxy S23. It’s the vanilla device for those who are looking for a super high-end phone on a budget.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for Galaxy) on board, a 6.1″ 1080p dynamic AMOLED (2x), triple camera setup headlined by a 50MP Samsung GN2 and a 3900mAh battery with 25W Fast Charge.
Key points
- SoC: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
- GPU: Adreno 740
- Software: One UI 5 on Android 13 with 5 years support
- Display: 6.1″ 1080p Dynamic AMOLED 2x with 1750nit peak brightness
- Cameras: 50MP GN2 + 12MP IMX 564 (Ultrawide) + 10MP IMX 754 (Telephoto)
- Battery: 3900mAh
In addition to the aforementioned specifications, Samsung are throwing in 5 years of software support, meaning that this device should get Android 18 (if possible).
The pricing for the S23 starts at $799 or ₦838K in Naira. This phone costs far more than its American counterpart because even if you go by the parallel market 770 Naira to $1 valuation…
This phone shouldn’t cost up to 700k, much less 800k. Samsung Nigeria will tell you that they’re bundling in a Galaxy watch so that’s why the price is through the roof. 🤥
The specs are impressive but the pricing is atrocious. Now we know that Samsung charges a premium for their devices, but this is overpricing gone wild. In any case, I’m not surprised. If you no get money, hide your face.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Before we move on to the Galaxy S23+, let’s talk about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy.
As we all know here or as we should know, Samsung’s chipset division aka Exynos has flopped and they’re trying to resuscitate it.
This means that for the first time in a very long time, there will be no Exynos variant of a Samsung flagship. These are interesting times.
Due to the failures of the Exynos SoCs, Samsung entered into an Agreement with their bitter rival Qualcomm to make a brand specific SoC for them. This is exactly what Qualcomm did.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is nothing other than a higher clocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with a faster prime core and GPU.
Nearly everything else is the same. The SoC as usual, was made by TSMC as Qualcomm didn’t let Samsung fab it.
How times change. Once upon a time, we used to have Snapdragon vs Exynos arguments and now Exynos has taken back seat.
Let’s move on to the next device…
The Samsung Galaxy S23+
This phone is basically a fatter version of the S23. The only notable differences are that
- The S23+ packs a bigger screen at 6.6″.
- The S23+ has a bigger 4700mAh battery with 45W fast charge.
Everything else is the same.
The price for this one 1.012 million naira or $999. Once again, using the parallel market exchange rates of 770 to $1 doesn’t equal 1 million Naira. It doesn’t even equal 900k Naira.
Maybe I’m used to Xiaomi pricing their phones down for weaker economies and then pricing up for stronger economies or maybe I’m just biased, but these phones are well above their Dollar valuation.
The last on the the list is the S23 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Since the Note series was retired, the Ultras now carry on the legacy of the Note series. The S23 Ultra is the latest flag bearer.
Key points
- SoC: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
- GPU: Adreno 740
- Software: One UI 5 on Android 13, 5 years support
- Display: 6.8″ 1440p Dynamic AMOLED 2x with 1750nit peak brightness
- Cameras: 200MP HP2 + 12MP IMX 564 (Ultrawide) + 10MP IMX 754 (Telephoto) + 10MP IMX 754 (Periscope)
- Battery: 5000mAh + 45W
- Accessories: S-pen
The S23 Ultra comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, packs a huge 6.8″ QHD dynamic AMOLED and has a quad camera setup headlined by a 200MP Samsung HP2.
Despite the fact that’s it’s a 200MP camera, point and shot clicks are binned to 12.5MP or 50MP. The camera performance gets a boost from last year’s S22 ultra and the extra pixels provide better details, HDR and sharpness.
Qualcomm also have a new Cognitive Spectra ISP on board to provide better photos and videos. As for the videos, they can do up to 8K (@30fps) and 4K (@60fps).
There’s also the S-pen too for those who are very interested.
The price however is an outrageous 1.3 million Naira which is way more than the $1,199 valuation of its American counterpart.
Other specs
All three phones are built with an Aluminum frame and covered with Gorilla Glass Victus 2. They all use LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 and UFS 4.0 storage for smooth and snappy performance.
Samsung has promised software updates and support for the next 5 years. This is definitely a nod to Apple’s practice. This should see Samsung phones last for much longer.
Depending on your region, you may get a phone with an eSIM or a nanoSim slot or both. Regardless, all three devices support 3G, 4G LTE and every flavour of 5G available (sub-6GHz, midband and mmWave).
For security, there’s a super fast in-screen fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device as well as other more traditional security options.
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[…] they are world renown for their flagship S series, with the most recent being the S23 series, Samsung does have a very healthy midrange […]