Quick Links

As usual, Samsung kicked off 2023 with the latest entries in its mainline flagship series. The Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra aren't the most exciting phones we've ever seen, but if you've been holding off on upgrading that aging Galaxy Note 9, these devices are as good a trio as the company has ever released. Last year's Galaxy S22 series blew us away, after all, and this year, Samsung has brought the best of its design to all three models.

Since Samsung took to the stage in San Francisco in February, we've spent hundreds of hours testing and using the entire Galaxy S23 lineup. While it should come as no surprise that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra leaped up our list of favorite Android phones, don't sleep on the Galaxy S23+. It's nearly as magnificent as a smartphone for $200 less. Not to be outdone, the Galaxy S23 left us seriously impressed. It's the best small phone the company's made since the S10e nearly half a decade ago. All three phones are now highlights of our best Samsung phones list.

This guide will cover everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. We'll walk through the hardware specifications for the trio, explore unique features on each device, do a deep dive on the various camera sensors across the series, and provide durability and support details. We'll also share insights and issues we've encountered over the past several months. Whether you're contemplating making the jump from the iPhone to a new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or you're thinking about upgrading your old Android phone, this guide will give you all the details you need to know to about Samsung's 2023 flagship trio.

  • Samsung Galaxy S23 in Lavender
    Samsung Galaxy S23

    The Galaxy S23 offers the best that Samsung has — from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset to a high-class camera system led by an impressive 50MP sensor — at just the right size with a vibrant and "palmable" 6.1-inch display. The phone also brings a larger battery than the S22's, plus a sector-leading five years of monthly security updates. That's all for the same price as last year.

  • samsung-galaxy-s23-plus-green-render-square
    Samsung Galaxy S23+

    The Galaxy S23+ is built to provide a top-notch Android experience in 2023 for those who like to live just a little larger. The 6.6" AMOLED display runs smooth, the 45W wired charging should allow for longer days with shorter breaks plugged in, and there's also more room to run around with, thanks to the 256GB and 512GB options. Backed by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, it's about as much phone as you can get right on that $1,000 mark.

  • samsung galaxy s23 ultra lime, front and back views with the stylus
    Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

    If you're looking for the best of the best out of Android in 2023, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is it. It's the only one in the S23 lineup to feature the company's flagship 200MP ISOCELL HP2 camera sensor, the only one with a 5,000mAh battery, and the only one to push the storage envelope up to 1TB. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy should run fast while everything on that 6.8" Dynamic AMOLED 2x display should look smooth and beautiful.

Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Design and display

Samsung's design language is more unified than ever, surpassing the days of the S21 lineup and its unique camera bumps. For the Galaxy S23 series, the company found inspiration in last year's Galaxy S22 Ultra, dropping its Tetris-esque camera block for something far more minimal. The result is a bit of a boring year-over-year upgrade for S22 Ultra owners but a fresh take on Samsung's house style for all three models.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series of phones

The Galaxy S23 Ultra's look is nearly unchanged from its predecessor. It sports the same frosted glass back (though with some new color choices), the same squared sides that echo the Note series, and some ever-so-refined curved edges along the display. It's not to say the S23 Ultra is an ugly phone or even that it's uninspired. Instead, it's more of the same. A "don't fix what ain't broke" approach to design that is guaranteed to keep most S22 Ultra owners from feeling any buyer's remorse.

The Samsung Galaxy S23

The Galaxy S23 and S23+ are the more interesting devices design-wise, though Samsung isn't rocking the boat here either. Rather, these two devices — the smaller, more affordable choices for consumers — adopt the same camera trends set by the last two Ultra models. Last year, the company blended its module seamlessly into the frame of the device, giving both models a unique look that built on the legacy of the S21 series. This year, it's all about the protruding lens. Although both phones lack the same amount of cutouts as their Ultra-sized sibling, it's clear these three devices are part of a family.

A purple Galaxy S23+ laid over a white S23 Ultra with the camera lenses shown.

Exciting? No, not especially. But Samsung's design chops are so far ahead of the pack. It's hard to argue with the choice to avoid a revolutionary look for another year. While early adopters and enthusiasts might feel disappointed by the decision to recycle this style for another year, regular folks — those who upgrade their devices every three, four, or even five years — are bound to find it as fresh and exciting as shoppers found Samsung's last-gen models one year ago.

These design changes mean you'll need to buy new cases, even if you're upgrading from the Galaxy S22 Ultra to the S23 Ultra. Thankfully, you'll find plenty of excellent options, no matter what size device you have.

Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Specs

Keeping in line with the general sense of familiarity, those shells aren't housing some incredible new technology. The specs for all three phones are exactly what you'd expect for a 2023 flagship, but only if you live in North America. While Samsung has generally used Qualcomm's top-tier chipset in the U.S. and other regions, much of the world relied on Samsung's Exynos chips to power their previous Galaxy experiences. Still, these chips haven't kept up with the fastest Snapdragon-branded CPUs, something that becomes more obvious with each passing year.

A group of Samsung Galaxy S23 phones in various colors

So, for the Galaxy S23 series, Samsung did something drastic. Not only did it ditch Exynos for Qualcomm, but it did so in style. All three models are powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, a souped-up model made for Samsung. It keeps everything that made the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 so impressive in last year's debut but with a higher 3.36GHz clock speed for the main Cortex-X3 core. It's a little bit better than the standard chipset.

Phone

Galaxy S23

Galaxy S23+

Galaxy S23 Ultra

Chipset

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy

RAM & Storage

8+128GB, 8+256GB (UFS 3.1)

8+256GB, 8+512GB (UFS 4.0)

8+256GB, 12+512GB, 12GB+1TB (UFS 4.0)

Display

6.1" FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate, 425ppi, 1,750nit (outdoor peak)

6.6" FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate,393ppi, 1,750nit (outdoor peak)

6.8" QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate, 500ppi, 1,750nit (outdoor peak)

Software

Android 13 / One UI 5.1

Android 13 / One UI 5.1

Android 13 / One UI 5.1

Battery

3,900mAh, 25W fast charging, 15W wireless charging, Reverse wireless charging

4,700mAh, 45W fast charging, 15W wireless charging, Reverse wireless charging

5000mAh, 45W fast charging, 15W wireless charging, Reverse wireless charging

Rear Cameras

50MP f/1.8 primary, Dual Pixel AF, OIS; 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide (120° FoV); 10MP f/2.4 3x optical zoom sensor with OIS; 30x space zoom

50MP f/1.8 primary, Dual Pixel AF, OIS; 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide (120° FoV); 10MP f/2.4 3x optical zoom sensor with OIS; 30x space zoom

200MP f/1.7 primary, OIS, and PDAF; 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide (120° FoV); 10MP f/2.4 3x optical zoom sensor with OIS; 10MP f/4.9 10x optical zoom with OIS; 100x space zoom

Front Camera

12MP f2.2 with PDAF

12MP f2.2 with PDAF

12MP f/2.2 with PDAF

Connectivity

5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC

5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, ultra-wideband

5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, ultra-wideband

Dimensions

70.9 x 146.3 x 7.6mm, 168g, IP68 certified

76.2 x 157.7 x 7.6mm, 196g, IP68 certified

77.9 x 163.3 x 8.9 mm, 233g, IP68 certified

S Pen

-

-

Yes

Colors

Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Lime, or Graphite

Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Lime, or Graphite

Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, or Red

Price

Starting at $799.99

Starting at $999.99

Starting at $1,199.99

The expansion of Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S-series phones is a big deal. But outside of this change, the S23 lineup's specs are about as unsurprising as the design.

We're once again looking at three screen sizes — 6.1", 6.6", and 6.8", respectively — and they're as impressive as anything Samsung has ever launched. Each AMOLED panel runs at 120Hz and can hit 1,750 nits of brightness outdoors. The S23 and S23+ screens are 1080p, while the S23 Ultra sports a 1440p QHD display — though it ships at a 1080p resolution by default.

Three Samsung Galaxy S23 phones against an orange background

For fans of small phones, the Galaxy S23 is getting the short end of the stick when it comes to specs. While the two larger phones include 45W charging and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage in its base configuration, the S23 starts with 128GB of slower UFS 3.1 storage and can only charge at 25W. At 3,900mAh, it also sports the smallest battery of the bunch, compared to the 4,700mAh and 5,000mAh batteries in the larger phones.

The microphone end of a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Otherwise, we're looking at similar specs across the board. All three phones are IP68 water resistant, support modern connectivity standards like Wi-Fi 6E and mmWave, include ultrasonic fingerprint sensors and face recognition for biometric authentication, and are protected by Corning's latest Gorilla Glass Victus 2. And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the S23 Ultra's S Pen, which continues to keep the Note's legacy alive and well.

Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Software

For the most part, the S23's software experience is as consistent as we've seen in previous launches. Samsung One UI 5.1 shipped on Samsung's latest series before rolling out to older models like last year's Z-series and all the various S22 models. It's based on Android 13, but as you might expect for a mid-generation bump, it only contains some slight changes.

If you're upgrading from an older Samsung phone, keep an eye out for a new battery widget for your connected devices, AR filters, changes to Notes for simultaneous editing, and more. Google and Samsung also designed a streamlined method for setting up your new phone using Fast Pair, and it launched first on the Galaxy S23 series. It helps speed up transfer times.

You'll want to make sure you set some time aside during the setup to make some key changes to your One UI experience. Although Samsung's software is the best it's ever been, there's plenty of space for improvement.

Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Cameras

The Galaxy S23 Ultra might look the same as last year's model, but don't be fooled. It has some big changes to help upgrade those photography skills. Forget about last year's 108MP sensor. This year, Samsung's largest phone is rocking its largest MP count. At 200MP, the S23 Ultra should be capable of capturing immense detail throughout a scene, though you'll need to adjust your settings first to get the most out of a shot.

As you'd expect, the company is relying on pixel binning to translate its massive shots into 50MP or 12MP images, which, in our testing, improved low-light photography in even the darkest situations. Still, motion can cause some problems with Samsung's photo output, so you'll need to be patient if you're trying to capture moving objects.

A Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and an S-Pen

Plenty of other advancements are coming from this next-gen hardware, including 8K video recording at 30FPS — up from 24FPS on last year's phones — and improved object-based AI detection.

As for the smaller S23 and S23+, Samsung kept the same lens lineup as last year's phones: a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide lens capable of 120-degree shots, and a 10MP telephoto lens capable of 3x optical zoom and up to 30x digital zoom. The selfie cam has been upgraded, moving from 10MP to the same 12MP lens on the Ultra with Super HDR support for higher-quality shots.

Two Samsung Galaxy S23 phones sitting on a book

Finally, pro photographers should take note. All three models have Expert RAW settings built into the software once the app is downloaded from the Galaxy Store, something you've been begging Samsung to add for years.

Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Release date and price

Samsung launched all three Galaxy S23 smartphones on February 17th, 2023, a couple of weeks after the announcement on February 1st. While that means you've missed out on preorder deals, buying any of Samsung's latest phones is easy — especially if you know where to look. We recommend our where to buy the Galaxy S23 guide so that you can find the right deal for you.

A lavender Samsung Galaxy S23 being held in a hand

The Galaxy S23 price is set at $800 for its cheapest variant, the S23+ jumps up to $1,000, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra costs $1,200. These prices are for the basic storage variants of each model, so expect to spend more if you want higher specs on your phone. It's an identical pricing structure to what we saw last year. It's great to see some stability in these prices, but regardless, Samsung's lineup remains pretty expensive.