While the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a “top-of-the-line, equipped with all the best features” kind of phone, the base Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ aren’t devices you can’t easily dismiss.
At first glance, the devices now carry a more cohesive look overall. Samsung‘s brought the “floating camera” design of the Ultra to the Galaxy S23 and S23+. It also kind of ties in with many of Samsung’s other more affordable devices. That may be a good thing for those who can only go for the more affordable option.
The build and materials are meant for the premium space, though. The displays (and backs) on these phones should be tougher to crack with the help of Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2. It is supposedly made from more durable materials and uses more post-consumer recycled material. Samsung also says it uses the toughest Armor Aluminum for the frame of its phone.
Samsung is doubling down on recycled materials with the use of more ocean-bound plastics and recycled paper packaging for the new phones.
The Galaxy S23 series is available in four colors. There are no longer Ultra-exclusive shades. Instead, you can get the entire lineup in black, cream, lavender, and green. If you shop from Samsung’s online store, you can also get the phones in lime, graphite, sky blue, and red.
As a compact phone lover, the base Galaxy S23 model caught my eye. Compact in this case, though, means a 6.1-inch AMOLED display. It’ll still give you enough screen real estate without being too unwieldy. The S23+ is only two inches smaller than the S23 Ultra with a 6.6-inch display. I am a fan of the flat screens, so it’s still good to see that here.
Both devices support a 120Hz screen adaptive refresh rate. What the base Galaxy S23 and S23+ get over the Ultra is a battery boost. Both get 200mAh increases in battery capacities, putting them at 3,900mAh and 4,700mAh, respectively. With large cooling chambers, these phones should work more efficiently and longer than their predecessors.
All three devices get the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor. That “for Galaxy” tag means these chipsets get better clock speeds. It can hit 3.3GHz speeds with the primary core, which is a 0.1GHz improvement from the base Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
The Galaxy S23 and S23+ get a new 50-megapixel primary camera, which supposedly has four times more dynamic color range than their predecessors. They also get a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and 10-megapixel telephoto with a 3x optical zoom. The new 12-megapixel selfie cameras with improved autofocus come to these phones, too.
All the new S23 phones are treated to an “advanced object-based AI” scene analyzer, which can adjust the lighting in a scene, reduce noise, and find other flaws in the frame that need improving.
Samsung promises four Android OS upgrades and monthly security updates for five years, which remains one of the best software upgrade policies on an Android device. The S23 series launched with OneUI 5.1 on Android 13.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ pricing and availability
The Samsung Galaxy S23 retails for:
- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage – PHP 53,990 / USD 799
- 8GB + 256GB – PHP 57,990 / USD 859
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23+ goes for:
- 8GB RAM + 256GB storage – PHP 68,990 / USD 999
- 8GB + 512GB – PHP 76,990 / USD 1,199
In the Philippines, those who pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S23 series until February 23, 2023, through samsung.com will enjoy discounts of up to PHP 76,000 (around USD 1,390). That includes a free memory upgrade worth up to PHP 8,000 (~USD 145). You will instantly get the higher memory variant for the price of the lower variant within the same model lineup.
Those who will trade in their old devices can also enjoy savings of up to PHP 13,000 (~USD 240) on top of their old phone’s residual value. In addition, you will get an e-voucher worth up to PHP 5,000 (~USD 90), a 50% discount on the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, and 30% off on the Galaxy Watch5 Series. You will also get a free 1-year Samsung Care+ coverage worth PHP 5,999 (~USD 110) and earn double Samsung Rewards points.
The Galaxy S23 series is also available for pre-order through Samsung Experience Stores, Authorized Samsung Stores, Lazada, Shopee, Abenson.com, and MemoXpress Online. If you pre-order through these channels, you will enjoy as much as PHP 65,000 (~USD 1,190) worth of discounts. This includes the free memory upgrade, additional savings for traded-in devices, 50% off on the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, and 30% off on the Galaxy Watch5 series.
Send this to someone thinking of getting the new Samsung Galaxy S23!