The Samsung Galaxy S23 is a series of high-end Android-based smartphones developed, manufactured, and marketed by Samsung Electronics as part of its flagship Galaxy S series. The phones were announced and unveiled on 1 February 2023 at the Galaxy Unpacked in-person event and were released on 17 February 2023.[4][5][6][7][8] They collectively serve as the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S22 series. It was succeeded by the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.

Samsung Galaxy S23
Samsung Galaxy S23+
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
S23 (left), S23+ (center), S23 Ultra (right)
BrandSamsung Galaxy
ManufacturerSamsung Electronics
Type
SloganS23/S23+: Experience NOOOW
S23 Ultra: Epic Nights are Coming
SeriesGalaxy S series
First releasedFebruary 17, 2023; 20 months ago (2023-02-17)
DiscontinuedJanuary 17, 2024; 9 months ago (2024-01-17)
PredecessorSamsung Galaxy S22
SuccessorSamsung Galaxy S24
Compatible networks2G / 3G / 4G LTE / 5G NR
Form factorSlate
ColorsS23/S23+: Cream, Lavender
S23 Ultra: Green, Phantom Black
S23 FE: Graphite, Mint, Purple
Dimensions
  • S23: 146.3×70.9×7.6 mm (5.76×2.79×0.30 in)
  • S23+: 157.8×76.2×7.6 mm (6.21×3.00×0.30 in)
  • S23 Ultra: 163.4×78.1×8.9 mm (6.43×3.07×0.35 in)
  • S23 FE: 158×76.5×8.2 mm (6.2×3.01×0.32 in)
Weight
  • S23: 168 g (5.9 oz)
  • S23+: 195 g (6.9 oz)
  • S23 Ultra: 233 g (8.2 oz)
  • S23 FE: 209 g (7.4 oz)
Operating system
System-on-chip
CPU
  • S23/S23+/S23 Ultra: Octa-Core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
  • S23 FE (International): Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.5 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510)
  • S23 FE (USA): Octa-core (1x3 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.5 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510)
GPU
  • S23/S23+/S23 Ultra: Adreno 740 @ 719 MHz
  • S23 FE (International): Xclipse 920
  • S23 FE (USA): Adreno 730
ModemQualcomm X70 5G
Memory8 or 12 GB LPDDR5X RAM
Storage
  • S23: 128/256/512 GB
  • S23+: 256/512 GB
  • S23 Ultra: 256/512 GB, 1 TB
  • S23 FE: 128/256 GB
  • UFS 3.1 (128 GB), 4.0 (256+ GB)
Removable storageNone
SIMNano-SIM and eSIM
Battery
  • S23: Li-ion 3900 mAh
  • S23+: Li-ion 4700 mAh
  • S23 Ultra: Li-ion 5000 mAh
  • S23 FE: Li-ion 4500 mAh
Charging
  • S23/S23 FE: Super fast charging at 25W
  • S23+/S23 Ultra: Super fast charging 2.0 at 45W
  • All: Qi-certified Fast wireless charging at 15W
  • Wireless Powershare at 4.5W
Rear camera
  • S23/S23+: 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
  • 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, 3x optical zoom
  • 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
  • S23 Ultra: 200 MP, f/1.7, 23mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS
  • 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom
  • 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
  • 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF
  • S23 FE: 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), PDAF, OIS
  • 8 MP, f/2.4, 75mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
  • 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide)
Front camera
  • 12 MP, f/2.2, 25mm (wide), PDAF
  • Dual video call, Auto-HDR, HDR10+
  • 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Display
  • Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Infinity-O, capacitive touchscreen, HDR10+, 1 billion colors, 1750 nits (peak), Diamond PenTile
  • S23: 6.1 in (150 mm) 2340 × 1080 (425 ppi), 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 120 Hz refresh rate
  • S23+: 6.6 in (170 mm) 2340 × 1080 (393 ppi), 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 120 Hz
  • S23 Ultra: 6.8 in (170 mm) 3088 × 1440 (500 ppi), 19.3:9 aspect ratio, 120 Hz LTPO
  • S23 FE: 6.4 in (160 mm) 2340 × 1080 (403 ppi), 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 120 Hz refresh rate
SoundDolby Atmos Stereo speakers
ConnectivityWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth 5.3, A2DP, LE
Data inputs
Water resistanceIP68 water/dust resistance, up to 1.5 m for 30 minutes
ModelInternational models:
SM-S911x (S23)
SM-S916x (S23+)
SM-S918x (S23 Ultra)
SM-S711x (S23 FE)
(last letter varies by carrier and international models)
Japanese models:
SCG19 (au, S23)
SC-51D (NTT Docomo, S23)
SM-S911C (Rakuten Mobile, S23)
SCG20 (au, S23 Ultra)
SC-52D (NTT Docomo, S23 Ultra)
SCG24 (au, S23 FE)
CodenameDiamond
Website
References[1][2][3]

History

The first three phones in the series the Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra were announced on 1 February 2023 at the Galaxy Unpacked event.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE was announced on Oct. 3, 2023 and was released on October 26, 2023.[9]

Lineup

The Galaxy S23 series includes three devices, which share the same lineup and screen sizes with the previous Galaxy S22 series. The entry-level Galaxy S23 features a flat 6.1-inch (155 mm) display with a variable refresh rate from 48 Hz to 120 Hz, 8 GB of RAM, and storage options from 128 GB to 512 GB. The Galaxy S23+ features similar hardware in a larger 6.6-inch (168 mm) form factor, storage options starting at 256 GB, faster charging rate and larger battery capacity. At the top of the lineup, the Galaxy S23 Ultra features a curved 6.8-inch (173 mm) display with a variable refresh rate starting at 1 Hz, 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM, storage options from 256 GB to 1 TB, and the largest battery capacity in the lineup. Additionally, it features a more advanced camera setup, a higher-resolution display, and like the previous Galaxy S22 Ultra, an integrated S Pen for increased functionality and productivity.

Design

 
Back of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Cream (right), S23+ Lavender (center), and S23 Ultra Green (left)

All models in the Samsung Galaxy S23 series are available in four standard colors: Cream, Lavender, Green, and Phantom Black, with four additional colors available only at samsung.com: Graphite and Lime, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra exclusives Red and Sky Blue.[10][11]

Galaxy S23 Galaxy S23+ Galaxy S23 Ultra
Color Name Online exclusive Color Name Online exclusive Color Name Online exclusive
Phantom Black   Phantom Black   Phantom Black  
Cream   Cream   Cream  
Green   Green   Green  
Lavender   Lavender   Lavender  
Graphite   Graphite   Graphite with Black frame  
Lime   Lime   Lime with Silver frame  
Sky Blue with Silver frame  
Red with Black frame  

Specifications

Hardware

Chipset

Unlike the Samsung Galaxy S22 and previous generations, which in some African and all European and Latin American countries utilized Samsung's own Exynos chip, the Galaxy S23 series uses the Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip worldwide.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, which is a special version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 developed specifically for Samsung,[12][13] includes an Octa-Core CPU and an Adreno 740 GPU with a Qualcomm X70 modem for connectivity. The difference between the regular version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 compared to the Samsung version is that the Samsung version features an overclocked Cortex-X3 core at 3.36 GHz instead of 3.20 GHz, and the Adreno 740 GPU has been overclocked to 719 MHz instead of 680 MHz.[14]

Display

The Galaxy S23 series features a "Dynamic AMOLED 2X" display with HDR10+ support, 1450 nits of peak brightness on the Galaxy S23 FE and 1750 nits of peak brightness on other models, and "dynamic tone mapping" technology. The Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra use an ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor,[15] while the Galaxy S23 FE uses an optical in-screen fingerprint sensor.

Model Display size Resolution Density Aspect ratio Max refresh rate Variable refresh rate Shape
S23 FE 6.4 in (163 mm) 2340×1080 ~403 ppi 19.5:9 120 Hz 60 Hz to 120 Hz Rounded corners, flat sides
S23 6.1 in (155 mm) ~425 ppi 48 Hz to 120 Hz
S23+ 6.6 in (168 mm) ~393 ppi
S23 Ultra 6.8 in (173 mm) 3088×1440 ~500 ppi 19.3:9 1 Hz to 120 Hz Sharp corners, curved sides

Cameras

The Galaxy S23 and S23+ have a 50 MP wide sensor, a 10 MP telephoto sensor and a 12 MP ultrawide sensor. The S23 Ultra has a 200 MP wide sensor, two 10 MP telephoto sensors and a 12 MP ultrawide sensor. The front camera uses a 12 MP sensor on all three models.[15]

Camera comparison on the Galaxy S23 series[15]
Models Galaxy S23 FE Galaxy S23 & S23+ Galaxy S23 Ultra
Wide Specs 50 MP, f/1.8, 24 mm, 1/1.56", Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS 200 MP, f/1.7, 24 mm, 1/1.3", PDAF, Laser AF, OIS
Model Samsung S5KGN3 Samsung S5KHP2
Ultrawide Specs 12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 1/3" 12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 1/2.55", Dual Pixel PDAF on S23 Ultra
Model Samsung S5K3L6 Sony IMX564
Telephoto Specs 8 MP, f/2.4, 76 mm, 1/4.4", PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/2.4, 70 mm, 1/3.94", PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/2.4, 70 mm, 1/3.52", Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
Model Hynix Hi847 Samsung S5K3K1 Sony IMX754
Periscope Telephoto Specs 10 MP, f/4.9, 240 mm, 1/3.52", Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom
Model Sony IMX754
Front Specs 10 MP, f/2.4, 26 mm, 1/3" 12 MP, f/2.2, 26 mm, 1/3.24", PDAF
Model Samsung S5K3J1 Samsung S5K3LU

Connectivity

Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra support 5G SA/NSA/Sub6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.

Memory and storage

The Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 FE offer 8 GB of RAM with 128 GB, 256 GB, and, in some regions, 512 GB of internal storage options on the Galaxy S23. The Galaxy S23+ offers 8 GB of RAM with 256 GB and 512 GB of internal storage options. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB of internal storage options.[15]

The 128 GB versions of the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 FE use the older UFS 3.1 storage format, while versions with 256 GB and more use the newer, faster and more efficient UFS 4.0.[16][17]

Models Galaxy S23 FE Galaxy S23 Galaxy S23+ Galaxy S23 Ultra
RAM Storage RAM Storage RAM Storage RAM Storage
Variant 1 8 GB 128 GB 8 GB 128 GB 8 GB 256 GB
Variant 2 8 GB 256 GB 8 GB 256 GB 8 GB 256 GB 12 GB 256 GB
Variant 3 8 GB 512 GB 8 GB 512 GB 12 GB 512 GB
Variant 4 12 GB 1 TB

Batteries

The Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra, and S23 FE contain non-removable 3,900 mAh, 4,700 mAh, 5,000 mAh, and 4,500 mAh Li-ion batteries respectively.[18] The S23 and S23 FE support wired charging over USB-C at up to 25W (using USB Power Delivery) while the S23+ and S23 Ultra have faster 45W charging, branded by Samsung as "Super Fast Charging 2.0" .[19] All three have Qi inductive charging up to 15W. The phones also have the ability to charge other Qi-compatible devices from the S23's own battery power, which is branded as "Wireless PowerShare," at up to 4.5W.[20]

Software

The Samsung Galaxy S23 phones were released with Android 13 with Samsung's One UI 5.1 software. Samsung Knox is included for enhanced device security, and a separate version exists for enterprise use. Samsung has promised 4 years of major Android OS updates and 1 additional year of security updates for a total of 5 years worth of updates.[21]

Controversies

On 10 March, a Reddit user made a post accusing Samsung of using artificial intelligence to digitally enhance photos of the moon with its 'Scene Optimizer' feature, which was introduced with the Samsung Galaxy S10.[22]

Replying to the controversy, Samsung issued an article in which it explains that it used variety of processes such as "Scene Optimiser", "AI Deep Learning" and "Super Resolution" to apply multi frame processing to enhance the moon.[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Samsung Galaxy S23". GSMArena.
  2. ^ "Samsung Galaxy S23+". GSMArena.
  3. ^ "Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra". GSMArena.
  4. ^ "Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ arrive with new design, bigger batteries". GSMArena. 1 February 2023.
  5. ^ Daniel, Petrov (1 February 2023). "Samsung Galaxy S23 release date, price, features, and news". PhoneArena.
  6. ^ Dominic, Preston (1 February 2023). "Samsung Galaxy S23: Everything you need to know". TechAdvisor.
  7. ^ James, Rogerson (1 February 2023). "Samsung Galaxy S23: what we know so far". TechRadar.
  8. ^ "Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is official with 200MP camera and bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2". GSMArena. 1 February 2023.
  9. ^ Johnson, Allison (3 October 2023). "Samsung's new "fan editions" of the Galaxy S23, Tab S9, and Buds bring flagship features to lower prices". The Verge. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  10. ^ Richard, Priday (1 February 2023). "Samsung Galaxy S23 colors — here are your options". Tom's Guide.
  11. ^ Iskra, Petrova (1 February 2023). "Galaxy S23 colors: all the official hues". PhoneArena.
  12. ^ "Promo images feature a new 'Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy' logo". GSMArena.com. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform". qualcomm.com. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  14. ^ "What is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy? Everything you need to know". ZDNet. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d "Specs | Samsung Galaxy S23 vs S23+ vs S23 Ultra". Samsung Global. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  16. ^ "128GB Samsung Galaxy S23 to use slower UFS 3.1 storage". GSMArena.com. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  17. ^ "Samsung Galaxy S23 FE (Snapdragon): specs, benchmarks, and user reviews". NanoReview.net. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  18. ^ Alfani, Andrea (17 February 2023). "Galaxy S23 Teardown". iFixit.
  19. ^ "Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra battery". Dukakeen. 14 February 2023.
  20. ^ Victor, Haristov (1 February 2023). "Samsung Galaxy S23 battery life". PhoneArena.
  21. ^ SamMobile; Matei, Mihai (1 February 2023). "How many updates will the Samsung Galaxy S23 series get?". SamMobile. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  22. ^ ibreakphotos (10 March 2023). "Samsung "space zoom" moon shots are fake, and here is the proof". r/Android. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  23. ^ Allison, Johnson (11 March 2023). "Samsung's Moon photos are fake — but so is a lot of mobile photography". The Verge. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
Preceded by Samsung Galaxy S23
2023
Succeeded by