Samsung unveils three new Galaxy phones – they’re sleek, fast and more stable

The new Galaxy S23 smartphones are expensive to insanely expensive. Prices start at 899 francs and go well above 1000 francs. After all, they are designed for a long life: the Galaxy S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra are the first smartphones with the brand new and, according to the manufacturer, particularly stable display glass Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

First the good news: For the first time in a long time, all three models are also available from us with Qualcomm’s latest high-end processor 8 Gen 2. Samsung also does not install the regular Snapdragon chip, but one optimized for Galaxy phones and one, among other things, a higher clock speed. Compared to its predecessor, it should deliver a performance jump of up to 40 percent. Compared to Samsung’s own Exynos processors from previous years, which were in the devices in Europe, the performance gain should be even greater. In any case, the new chip will be more than stable enough for everyday use in five years’ time.

Appropriately, the operating system gets four generations of Android updates and five years of security updates. After the official software support from Samsung has expired, apps and major Android system components will be updated as usual by Google and the app developers through the Play Store.

All this increases the potential lifespan and makes the smartphones safer and more durable.

To reduce environmental impact, the proportion of recycled glass, aluminum and plastic has increased compared to last year’s models, Samsung says. The display is partly made from recycled glass and the speaker from recycled fishing nets.

First a note: if you don’t need the very best and latest mobile phone, you are better off with Samsung’s mid-range devices from the Galaxy A series. Affordable and still good models such as the Galaxy A33 or A53 are available for 300 to 350 francs and also receive four years of Android updates and five years of security updates.

Galaxy S23: small but mighty

The Galaxy S23 is the smallest, lightest and cheapest model of the new Samsung trio. Like its predecessor, it offers a 6.1-inch, razor-sharp and very bright OLED display, choice of 128 or 256 GB memory and with the new Snapdragon chip 8 Gen 2 the same top processor as the two larger and more expensive Galaxy S23- models.

Compared to the S22, the battery has become slightly larger, which in combination with the more economical processor should ensure a slightly longer battery life. The S23 is charged with a maximum of 25 watts via USB-C cable (or wirelessly with a maximum of 10 watts). The gentle charging speed protects the battery, which should extend its life. However, Samsung’s snail charging speed is not user-friendly, the user should in any case have the choice to charge the device with 50 watts or more in between.

As usual with modern top smartphones, the camera can also take ultra-wide angle shots and zoom shots up to three times larger without loss of quality. Samsung’s marketing emphasizes the improved photo and video quality in low light. Given that smartphone cameras in daylight have long reached a level that satisfies the vast majority of users, this focus is not surprising.

Speaking of the camera, Samsung has eliminated the conspicuous camera bump of the previous models, resulting in a simpler back, as the following comparison image shows.

The most important technical data for the Samsung Galaxy S23:

The Galaxy S23 is available now with a manufacturer recommended retail price (RRP) of 899 francs available.

Galaxy S23 Plus: Big screen, faster charging

The Galaxy S23 Plus is not much more than a larger and more expensive S23. The OLED display grows from 6.1 inches on the S23 to 6.6 inches on the S23 Plus. The battery is slightly larger than last year at 4700 mAh and noticeably larger than in the smaller base model. Instead of a sloppy 25 watts, it is charged with a maximum of 45 watts, which allows a reasonable charging speed. Just like last year, the charger is no longer included in the packaging.

The processor, RAM and camera are identical in the S23 and S23 Plus, with the larger Galaxy being offered with 256 or 512GB of storage (the 128GB variant has been omitted).

The Galaxy S23 Plus is available now with a suggested retail price (RRP) of 1,149 francs available. For the higher price compared to the S23 you get a bigger screen, faster charging and probably a little longer battery life.

Just like last year, Samsung is launching a third Galaxy, the S23 Ultra. It is aimed at business users and creative people who do not want to do without a stylus on their smartphone.

Galaxy S23 Ultra: 200 megapixel sensor and stylus

The Galaxy S23 Ultra with optional pen control is the flagship of the Galaxy S series. Customers will receive a 6.8-inch display that would be particularly well protected against fall damage thanks to Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The Galaxy for power and business users comes with up to 512 GB of storage and up to 12 GB of RAM. Interesting for gamers: the S23 Ultra supports ray tracing in real time. The battery is 5000 mAh and can be charged at a maximum of 45 watts.

The central difference with the S23 (Plus) is the pen integrated in the device and the slightly stronger camera. Among other things, it differs from the two cheaper models, which “only” offer a 3x optical zoom, thanks to the 10x optical, ie lossless zoom.

The South Koreans are installing their 200 megapixel camera sensor specially developed for smartphones here for the first time. This can simulate different pixel sizes to adapt to different lighting levels. This should enable better photos in difficult lighting conditions by combining four to 16 adjacent pixels, depending on the situation. In a way, you get a 50 or 12.5 megapixel image sensor with pixels that are exceptionally large for cell phone cameras. The result is likely to be better exposed images and less image noise.

The new sensor should also help with video recording: “In poor lighting conditions, which would normally cause blur, videos on the Galaxy S23 Ultra are stable in all directions thanks to the dual optical image stabilizer (OIS),” writes Samsung.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is now available 1,349 francs offered.