Samsung Galaxy S23+ review: a beautiful baby!

The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is actually a larger S23: same chip and same photo unit. It is therefore aimed at users who like devices with large screens. The price is also quite substantial with a price starting at 1219 €. He therefore plays in the big leagues and he has no interest in missing out, because in these Premium devices, the competition is fierce. As you can see from our photos, the device is quite nice with thin bezels, not very thick (7.6 mm) and rather light for its size (196 g). It offers Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on the back and is IP68 certified. If it is available in 256 or 512 GB version, it must be taken into account that the system still weighs 61 GB… No surprise in this range, we have the right to the best: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, e- SIMs, etc.

A giant screen and top performances

This Galaxy S23 + ate soup, so it incorporates a larger screen with a 6.6-inch panel (16.7 cm diagonal). Let’s not hesitate to say it: this is one of the strong points of the device with its AMOLED 2X technology, its definition of 2340×1080 pixels and its variable refresh rate (from 48 to 120 Hz depending on the use made of it). Pleasing to the eye with a very powerful maximum brightness and – like all devices in this range – the possibility of adjusting the colorimetry as you see fit, this Samsung Galaxy S23 “XL” is the ideal companion for nomadic film lovers, especially as the sound aspect has not been neglected with very good restitution, even at high volume.

On the performance side, the S23 + is equipped with the same chip as its brothers. With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 specially designed by Qualcomm for Samsung, the device is flawless. Not only is it never priced short, but with its very wide screen and comfortable refresh, it can very well be considered a gaming device. Even in intensive use, the device heats up little. The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is truly “quiet strength”

A coherent photo set

As far as the photo part is concerned, Samsung has not strayed and has taken exactly the same modules as the S23, leaving the 200 megapixel sensor and the x10 telephoto lens to the Ultra version. We will therefore find here a main lens of 50 MP (24 mm with an aperture f / 1.8), an ultra wide-angle (f / 2.2) of 12 MP and a telephoto x3 of 10 MP (72 mm – f/2.4).

Like the other years, the S23+ offers “champagne” shots with a very “social network” colorimetry. Understand that the AI ​​corrects the photos to make them look nicer to the eye at the risk of arranging with reality. It’s not very disturbing unless you’re a boomer who did his range on a Minolta from the 70s. It’s nice and clean: you rarely have bad surprises. The Galaxy S23 does very well outdoors and the x3 zoom works wonders, even indoors with difficult light conditions.

The hybrid zoom is usable up to x6, but beyond that, it is the zone of all dangers. At night, it smooths out a bit, but just enough to avoid noise and pixel blocks. The colors are rather respected in this case. If we quibble, we can blame it for its “basic” ultra wide-angle and its sometimes slow autofocus. The software part for portraits clearly does the job and selfie aficionados will not be disappointed. Another chapter that ended well. It’s incredible. It would not have any default then this S23+?

Zero autonomy (no, it’s not true!)

The Galaxy S23+ has a special battery that experts call the “flat jelly roll” model. The latter actually allows you to “fit” more power in the same space. While the S22+ and S23+ are almost identical in terms of chassis, the latter has a 4700 mAh battery instead of the 4500 mAh of its predecessor. It may seem small, but already last year the S22+ offered very honest autonomy and this is even more the case this year. With this greedy chip and this almost giant screen, the Galaxy S23 + holds up particularly well. It largely lasts the day in intensive use and even allows itself the luxury of doing two days without GPS and using the screen sparingly. We are a long way from the older generations of Galaxy S which ended the day badly.

Only problem, the S23 + still does not offer fast charging worthy of the name. So it’s true that 45 Watts is not derisory either when compared to the 20 Watts of the Google Pixel 7, but it is much lower than the champions of the category from Xiaomi or Oppo. It will therefore take 1h20 to go from 0 to 100% and 30 minutes to go from 0 to 58%. Note that for this price all the same, the compatible charger is not in the box. The device has a 15 Watt wireless charge, and there is an anecdotal reverse charge of 4.5 Watts, the equivalent of a large potato.

Our Verdict:

It’s hard not to like the Galaxy S23+ as it is so full of quality. The Galaxy S was often criticized for poor autonomy, but here the device largely lasts the day in intensive use. Admittedly, the 45 W fast charge is well below what we are used to seeing from Xiaomi, but that is to forget the progress at this level. The Galaxy S23+ is beautiful, offers a beautiful screen, a good grip and the power of the latest Snapdragon. On the photo side, it’s very good and complete, as usual. Unless you are really allergic to giant smartphones, this S23 + is a hell of a number. The price still stings a bit.

Shooting tests