Samsung Galaxy S23+ review

Samsung Galaxy S23+ Introduction

Time certainly goes by.  Just yesterday we were celebrating the New Year, and now it's time to welcome the Samsung Galaxy S23 flagship of the year.  Immediately, there are no major changes to the lineup and its composition.  We still have the vanilla S23, which is the slightly larger but very similar S23+ that we're seeing today, and the S23 Ultra, which is a continuation of the S22 Ultra and successor to what was previously the Galaxy Note line.

Another thing that hasn't changed much is the Galaxy S23+, compared to its predecessor.  This year Samsung is giving a small incremental update rather than anything big.  So you have to take a look at the Ultra and its new 200MP camera.

Instead, the S23+ packs the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 of the Galaxy chipset, a new 12MP selfie camera and a slightly larger 4,700mAh battery.  These are all major changes over the S22+, with a few other small details here and there that we'll cover in the review.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ specifications:

• Body: 157.8x76.2x7.6mm, 196g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised).
• Display: 6.60" Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 393ppi; Always-on display.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM; UFS 4.0.
• OS/Software: Android 13, One UI 5.1.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm, 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120-degree, 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video.
• Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 4700mAh; 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); NFC; stereo speakers; Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support), Bixby natural language commands and dictation, Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified), Ultra Wideband (UWB) support.

Of course, the look of the S23+ is fresh, but just like its spec sheet, it's not radically different from last year's design.  The camera island is gone this year, and each end stands alone on the back of the phone.  It's very similar and fits the Ultra's design, making the entire S23 line very cohesive in terms of design.

Source by Google.com

Pricing on the S23+ hasn't changed much either.  In the US, you can get one starting at $1,000, which is the same MSRP that the S22+ launched at.  Only this time, Samsung has decided to bump up the base storage of the phone to 256GB instead of 128GB.  A very cool deal Samsung is running even before any other bonuses and discounts.  However, in Europe, the S23+ saw a price hike compared to the S22+.

Overall, we don't expect any major surprises from the S23+.  It's shaping up to be a solid update to last year's model, and is therefore a very "safe pick."  So, without further ado, let's dive in.

Unboxing Samsung Galaxy S23+

Let's get the retail package out of the way first.  Once again, Samsung's packaging is slim.  The slim, two-piece box that the phone comes in is made from 100% recycled paper, minus the shrink-wrapped vinyl and seal sticker.  The screen protector is attached to the screen of the phone, and the protective layer on the back of the phone is also made from 100% recycled paper.

Source by Google.com

We've come to expect very little from the Galaxy S devices in terms of accessories, and the S23+ is no different.  Inside the box, you get a USB Type-C to Type-C cable, a SIM ejector tool, and a slim getting started guide.

The days of bundled chargers are long gone, so if you don't have a suitable PDP of at least 45W, be prepared to pick one up, preferably with a PPS.