Samsung Galaxy S23+ review

introduction

Time certainly flies. Just yesterday we celebrated the New Year, and now it’s already time to welcome this year’s Samsung Galaxy S23 flagships. From the outset, there are no major changes in the lineup and its structure. We still have a vanilla S23, a slightly larger but very similar spec-wise S23+, which we are reviewing today, and an S23 Ultra, which continues in the footsteps of the S22 Ultra and, in turn, what was once the line Galaxy Notes.

Another thing that hasn’t changed much is the Galaxy S23+, compared to its predecessor. This year Samsung is offering a small incremental update rather than anything major. You’ll have to look at the Ultra and its new 200MP camera for that.

Instead, the S23+ offers a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset for Galaxy, a new 12MP selfie camera, and a slightly larger 4,700mAh battery. These are pretty much all the major changes from the S22+, with a few more minor details here and there that we’ll cover in the review.

The specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S23+ at a glance:

• Body: 157.8×76.2×7.6mm, 196g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame; IP68 water and dust resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 minutes), Armor aluminum frame with increased resistance to drops and scratches (advertised).
• Screen: 6.60″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 393ppi; Always-On Display.
• chipsets: Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm): Octa-core (1×3.36GHz Cortex-X3 & 2×2.8GHz Cortex-A715 & 2×2.8GHz Cortex-A710 & 3×2.0GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM; UFS 4.0.
• Operating system/software: Android 13, a 5.1 user interface.
• Rear camera: Broad (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, 13 mm, 120 degrees, 1/2.55″ 1.4 µm, Super Steady video.
• Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 26 mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound recording, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
• Drums: 4700mAh; 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W wireless reverse.
• Various: 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.

Naturally, the S23+ has a new look, but just like its spec sheet, it’s not radically different from last year’s design. This year the camera island is gone and each snapper stands alone on the back of the phone. This is much more similar and in line with the Ultra design, making the whole S23 line much more cohesive in terms of design.

Galaxy S22+ next to S23+

The price of the S23+ hasn’t changed much either. In the US, you can pick one up for as low as $1,000, which is the same as the S22+’s MSRP. Only this time Samsung has decided to increase the base storage of the phone to 256GB instead of 128GB. A pretty sweet deal even before any other bonuses and discounts Samsung is running. In Europe, however, the S23+ has seen a price increase over the S22+.

Overall, we don’t expect any big surprises from the S23+. It is shaping up to be a solid update on last year’s model and therefore a “very safe choice”. So, without further ado, let’s dig.

Unpacking

We take off the retail package first. Samsung’s packaging remains minimalist once again. The slim, two-piece box that your phone comes in is made from 100% recycled paper, except for the shrink vinyl wrap and sealing label. Even the screen protector adheres to the phone display and the sheet that protects the back of the phone are made from 100% recycled paper.

We expect little in the way of accessories from Galaxy S devices, and the S23+ is no different. Inside the box, you’ll find a USB Type-C to Type-C cable, a SIM eject tool, and a slim getting started guide.

Long gone are the days of bundled chargers, so be prepared to pick up one separately if you don’t have a decent Power Delivery unit of at least 45W, preferably with PPS.