Samsung’s February Unpacked event where the Galaxy S23 will be announced is a few days away and the S23 line preorder reservations are already live so you can save even more with up to $100 discount if you order with an upcoming Galaxy Book 3 device, on top of all the S23 preorder deals and bonuses like gratis storage upgrade and free earbuds.
Lo and behold, shortly after the announcement of its 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP2 sensor, all of the Galaxy S23 Ultra specs leaked out, and ditto for the Galaxy S23 and S23+ specs list. Those expecting LTPO displays on the smaller phones may be in for a slight disappointment, yet the S23 and S23+ prices remain the same, so no bad feelings. Also, a base 256GB amount for the cheapest Galaxy S23 Ultra and S23+ seems to finally be happening, plus the S23+ finally gets a 512GB model available even on carriers like Verizon.
Press images of all the Galaxy S23 Ultra colors have already leaked out and they show how the Botanic Green, Misty Lilac, Phantom Black, and Cotton Flower hues will look like on Samsung’s 2023 flagship. Heck, the S23 Ultra even leaked in a brief hands-on from a store that may have it as a dummy unit, though.
The S23 Ultra in Botanic Green, Misty Lilac, Phantom Black, and Cotton Flower colo
After opening the preorder reservations, Samsung went light on Galaxy S22 series deals as we are mere weeks away from the Galaxy S23 deals and preorder bonuses that will be unveiled on February 1. Here are all exciting changes to look forward to with the Galaxy S23 series that will certainly top the best Samsung phones roundups!
Galaxy S23 release date
| Model | Announcement date | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S23 series | February 1, 2023 (est.) | February 17, 2023 (est.) |
| Galaxy S22 series | February 9, 2022 | February 25, 2022 |
| Galaxy S21 series | January 14, 2021 | January 29, 2021 |
| Galaxy S20 series | February 11, 2020 | March 6, 2020 |
| Galaxy S10 series | February 20, 2019 | March 8, 2019 |
The Galaxy S23 phones may be released on February 17, 2023, according to Samsung’s Unpacked event announcement schedule for Wednesday, February 1. It is typical of Samsung to release its Galaxy S series before the yearly MWC expo opens to the public in a Wednesday-Friday release game, pegging the Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra launch for February 17 with preorder deals to be stacked to the reservation bonus in the meantime.
Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra price
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | $1199 (256GB) |
| Galaxy S22 Ultra | $1199 |
| Galaxy S20 Ultra | $1399 |
| Galaxy S23+ | $999 (256 GB) |
| Galaxy S23 | $799 (128 GB) |
The leaked Galaxy S23 line prices on Verizon suggest that Samsung will keep pricing the same, but double the Galaxy S23+ base storage and introduce a 512GB tier to set it further apart from the S23 and its base $799 price for the 128GB version. At Verizon, the Galaxy S23 Ultra price will start at $1,199.99 before trade-in deals, or subscribers will be able to get it for 36 monthly payments of $33.33.
Verizon Galaxy S23 series prices and payment plans
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S23+ vs Galaxy S23 specs
The Galaxy S23 series will be powered by a custom version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that may end up being called “Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy” as it will be made in Samsung’s chip foundries. The “regular” Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip features an ARM-Cortex X3 prime core running at 3.2 GHz, but the “for Galaxy” version increases the clock speed to 3.36 GHz.
Here are the Galaxy S23 series specs we can expect from Samsung to announce in early February:
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | Galaxy S23 Plus | Galaxy S23 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.8-inch, 3080 x 1440 pixels, 500ppi, 1-120Hz Dynamic AMOLED, 1750 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | 6.6-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2340 x 1080 pixels, Infinity-O-Display, 1 – 120 Hertz, 1750 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, HDR10+, 393 ppi | 6.1-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2340 x 1080 pixels, Infinity-O-Display, 1 – 120 Hertz, 1750 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, HDR10+, 425 ppi |
| Dimensions | 163.4 × 78.1 × 8.9 mm, 233g. weight | 6.21 x 3 x 0.3 inches (157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6mm) 6.88 oz (195 g) |
5.76 x 2.79 x 0.3 inches (146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6mm) 5.89 oz (167 g) |
| Main camera | Custom 200MP 1/1.13″ ISOCELL HP2 sensor, f/1.7 aperture, 23mm, OIS, 85-degree field of view, Quad PD | 50MP, F1.8 aperture, 23mm, 1/1.56″ sensor size, OIS, PDAF, 85-degree field of view | 50MP, F1.8 aperture, 23mm, 1/1.56″ sensor size, OIS, PDAF, 85-degree field of view |
| Telephoto camera | 10MP, 3.0X optical zoom, F2.4 aperture, 69mm, 1/3.52″ sensor size, OIS, 36-degree field of view | 10MP, 3.0X optical zoom, F2.4 aperture, 69mm, 1/3.94″ sensor size | 10MP, 3.0X optical zoom, F2.4 aperture, 69mm, 1/3.94″ sensor size |
| Telephoto camera #2 | 10MP, 10x optical zoom, F4.9 aperture, 230mm, 1/3.52″ sensor size, 11-degree field of view, 100x Space Zoom; | n/a | n/a |
| Ultra-wide camera | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55″ sensor size, 120-degree field of view | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55″ sensor size, 120-degree field of view | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55″ sensor size, 120-degree field of view |
| Selfie-camera | 12MP, f/2.2 aperture, 25mm, 80-degree field of view, HDR10+ | 10MP, f/2.2, 80-degree field of view, 25mm, HDR10+ | 10MP, f/2.2, 80-degree field of view, 25mm, HDR10+ |
| Hardware | 3.36GHz Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 ‘for Galaxy’ chipset, 8GB RAM + 256GB, 12GB RAM + 512GB, 12GB RAM + 1TB | 3.36GHz Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8GB RAM + 256GB, 8GB + 512GB storage | 3.36GHz Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8GB RAM + 128GB, 8GB RAM + 256GB storage |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, 45W wired, 15W wireless charging | 4,700mAh, 45W wired, 15W wireless charging | 3,900mAh, 25 wired, 15W wireless charging |
Keeping most of the hardware but the chipset the same has allowed Samsung to launch the Galaxy S23 and S23+ at the same prices, even if it doubled the base storage of the Plus and introduced a bright LTPO display panel with fast refresh rate on it, because $999 for the same LTPS display would have been overkill. This tag may still skew the decision in favor of the S23 Ultra, which may be Samsung’s goal all along as it has the least amount of units forecast for the sales of the middle child. Here’s a leaked quick S23 series specs sheet.
Leaked Galaxy S23 specs sheet
Galaxy S23 camera
The biggest hardware upgrade that will arrive with the Galaxy S23 series will be Samsung’s newly announced 200MP ISOCELL HP2. The sensor features 200 million 0.6-micrometer (μm) pixels using a 1/1.3-inch optical format. This is a sensor size that is deployed in 108MP main smartphone cameras allowing users of high-end smartphones to have a high-resolution camera without having to deal with large camera bumps.
Galaxy S23 Ultra camera specs to expect
- Main camera: 200MP custom Samsung ISOCELL HP2 1/1.13″ sensor with 0.60 micron pixel size
- Front camera: 12MP with large pixels and AF
- 3x telephoto camera: 10MP, Sensor size: 1/3.52″; Pixel size: 1.12 μm
- 10x periscope zoom camera: 10MP, Sensor size: 1/3.52″; Pixel size: 1.12 μm
- Ultrawide camera: 12MP sensor size: 1/2.55″; Pixel size: 1.4 μm
It won’t be the first time that Samsung sells an ultra high-res sensor to other phone makers to brag with, like its last 108MP and 200MP products, but keeps their customized version for itself and the Galaxy S Ultra line for its last few generations. Not that the 108MP sensor of the S22 Ultra is a slouch, even though it’s getting a bit long in the tooth as Samsung has been using such sensors for three years in a row now.
The main camera hardware upgrade is not expected to carry over to the zoom cameras of the S23 Ultra, as they are still expected to remain a 10MP one with 10x periscope magnification and another 10MP sensor under the 3x telephoto camera lens. We can’t complain, as the Galaxy S22 Ultra possesses one of the mightiest phone camera zoom levels we’ve ever tested, with the only direct competitors being some other flagships with 10x optical zoom lens, or the Google Pixel 6 Pro’s shorter-range periscope zooming.
Galaxy S23 Ultra 8K video recording mode
Thanks to the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 imaging co-processor, Samsung will bring 8K video recording with smoother 30 frames per second that would be a boon for videographers as the new high-def format is wiggling its way into living rooms and streaming platforms with increasing frequency.
While we are waiting on the smooth 8K video recording that will be available on the Galaxy S23 series, you can preview it allegedly shot on an S23 Ultra somewhere in Nicaragua by a local tech blogger in possession of the phone.
8K a 30 FPS #23s el innombrable.@geekdegafas@isa_marcial@MARCIANOPHONE@TecnonautaTVpic.twitter.com/McHo0wHVKL
— Edwards Urbina (@edwards_uh) January 25, 2023
Samsung may also have an answer to Apple’s Action Mode video recording called “Ultra Stabilization,” as per one credible tipster. It would be aptly called “Ultra Stabilization” and be exclusive to the top end Galaxy S23 Ultra model as an extension to Samsung’s resident Super Steady mode that you see pitted against the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s Action Mode below.
Galaxy S23 storage
| Model | Storage |
|---|---|
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Galaxy S22 Ultra | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB |
| Galaxy S23+ | 256GB/512GB |
| Galaxy S23 | 128GB/256GB |
As the manufacturer of its own RAM memory and internal flash storage chips, Samsung can afford to be generous with its phones’ gigabytes. With the Galaxy S23 series, Samsung may finally break the cycle of 128GB starting storage, at least for the S23+ and Ultra variants.
The S22 Ultra was rumored to start from 256GB and this time the speculation may hold water for its successor which will have an upgraded camera sensor that can capture huge single RAW photo files and breathtaking 8K video footage that will occupy a lot of space inside, so 128 gigs may simply not cut it this time. Ditto for the S23+ that will also upgrade to 512GB storage option as well.
Moreover, Samsung announced the latest version of its Universal Flash Storage (UFS) solution and version 4.0 will go into mass production during the third quarter of this year. UFS 4.0 will deliver big-time gains in speed and efficiency for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets and could be present on the 2023 Galaxy S23 flagship series.
Galaxy S23 design
There will be slight changes in the series design, with the Ultra taking a boxier shape, while the regular S23 and the Plus sibling will drop the camera island plateau on the back, and adopt the individual protruding lenses from the Ultra, as you can see from the leaked press promo images of the phones below.
As for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the big design change is said to be the different curvature radius of the side frame, according to Ice Universe, which is shaping up to be higher on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, potentially freeing up a bit more space on the inside of the phone.
Apart from the boxy design when looked at from the sides, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is not expected to sport any other exterior alterations. Even the rumored 200MP main sensor, up from 108MP, won’t change the raindrop camera set design on the back, for instance.
Galaxy S23 Ultra colors
The base Galaxy S23 series colors to expect are as follows:
- Botanic Green
- Misty Lilac
- Phantom Black
- Cotton Flower
As if to confirm the colors at launch, the hues of the leaked S23 Ultra’s S Pen are exactly those, but Samsung usually shakes things up and offers exclusive colors that can only be had if one purchases the phones from its own store.
Meanwhile, a leaked case roster for the Galaxy S23 includes black, camel, green, white, cream, and lavender colors, while the S23+ adds orange and navy to the mix. The Galaxy S23 Ultra case colors, on the other hand, are an interesting mix include of a camel hue for the leather case, and navy and orange as well for the official silicone cases, so these might be its exclusives at Samsung’s store, or just new jolly wrapper colors.
Galaxy S23 display
The Galaxy S23 and S23+ won’t get the tired hybrid LTPS display that Samsung managed to introduce variable refresh rate to, which can only go down to 48Hz, while the LTPO panel on the Ultra models can cover the whole 1Hz-120Hz range, but will rather get the Ultra panel technology that saves on battery while displaying static images. The Galaxy S23 and S23+ screens are now expected to be brighter, up to 1750 nits, and with wider refresh rate range than their predecessors.
As for the high-end phone of the series, a rumor for a quad-curved S23 Ultra display was shot down, and it indeed doesn’t make a whole lot of sense on a phone with an S Pen stylus integration, as you need as much flat canvas to doodle on as possible. Samsung, however, will be going with a curved display, but just the side slopes, judging from the leaked Galaxy S23 series screen protectors.
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