what are the differences with the S22?

With the new Samsung Galaxy S23 series, Samsung has three new smartphones in the starting blocks to participate in the high-end segment for another year. We give you a first look.

Preview of Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra

Three new models have been announced in the Galaxy S series. For weeks, if not months, Samsung has dominated telecom news with its new Galaxy S23 series and that is actually not very strange. The company knows how to score well with its smartphones every year. DroidApp has already been able to see and try out the three new models. Time to catch up on the three new devices. If you want to know all (technical) details, read our extensive article about the Galaxy S23 announcement.

Because Samsung has looked even more closely at what there is a need for. Consider, for example, the storage space that is offered. You can still get the S23 with 128GB, the two other models are not. You will only find it in the store with 256GB and higher. According to Samsung, we also use a lot more storage space. All users together use an average of 109GB after 18 months (in the case of the Galaxy S22 series). With the S21 series this was an average of 87GB, with the S20 models it was 73GB and in the time of the S10 series it was 58GB. Samsung expects this to be even higher with the S23 series due to even more options and cameras with which you can take larger photos. For a limited time, you can take advantage of an offer that gives you the version with even more storage space for the price of the storage version before it.

The environment has been thought of. According to Samsung, the Galaxy S23 series is equipped with recycled glass on both the front and back, the aluminum grame with an eco-friendly layer of paint and the film layer is also made of recycled plastic. No plastic is used in the sales package either; this has given way to paper.

What’s different?

What is really different compared to the Galaxy S22, you may think. To begin with, there are two major differences. First of all on the outside, where the camera module has disappeared as an island and has been replaced by three separate lenses. There is a ring around these lenses, which should protect the lens against scratches. The S23 Ultra also includes a 200-megapixel camera, the two other models have a 50-megapixel camera. We will come back to this later on. In addition, there is the full focus on the night mode that has been much improved, partly thanks to AI. The night mode is also much better for videos and we should also see improvements in noise reduction.

Another major switch that Samsung has made has to do with the processor. Where in Europe the S-series devices were almost always equipped with their own Exynos chipset, Samsung now opts for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor from Qualcomm. This is not only much more efficient and faster on paper than the Exynos, according to Samsung it is also more readily available given all the chip shortages worldwide. In some regions, the Galaxy S series models already shipped with a Snapdragon, and now they are rectifying that globally. We will of course deal with this in an extensive review.

Battery and battery

Samsung indicates to DroidApp that it has received feedback about the battery life of the current Galaxy S22 series. Especially with the normal model and the Plus. The Snapdragon should also contribute to improving the battery life of the new models. We also see a 200 mAh larger battery in the regular model and the S23 +. The loading speed remains the same. Samsung indicates that they are convinced that this will benefit the battery in the longer term, compared to devices that can charge at 100W or even higher, for example. It drains the battery less quickly. The time difference would be negligible. All three devices can charge wirelessly, with a power of 15 watts.

Samsung Galaxy S23

The Samsung Galaxy S23 is the entry-level model, and it is clear that this device has remained nice and (relatively) compact. Due to various improvements such as a 200 mAh larger battery and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, the battery life must be a lot better. This is not great with the current Galaxy S22, as Samsung also acknowledges.

In terms of size, we hardly see any difference. It is a 0.3 millimeter longer length and a 0.3 millimeter wider width of the device, compared to its predecessor. Here too we see a 6.1-inch screen. In the field of camera and photos, we only see changes in the front camera. It offers a 12 megapixel camera and also has Dual Pixel. Samsung also indicates that the image sensor has been given more space, which should ensure better photos. The Galaxy S23’s camera consists of a 50-megapixel camera, along with a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

Samsung Galaxy S23+

As the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S22+, here is the Samsung Galaxy S23+. Just like the S23, the S23 Plus also has a 200 mAh larger battery, the new processor and the new colors in which the models are released. The three devices all appear in the colors black, green, lavender / pink and cream. The latter is a mix of cotton color with mother of pearl. I personally think the green color is very cool and is more matte and in my opinion even more beautiful than the S22 in green. The camera of the S23+ is also the same as that of the Galaxy S22+, although Samsung also talks about more space for the image sensor here and so this should yield better photos. We will of course test that as soon as we have a review sample. In addition, the necessary improvements have been made in the software area.

In terms of size, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ is almost the same as the Galaxy S22+. It makes a difference of 0.4 millimeters in both length and width, in which the S23+ is slightly ‘bigger’, as far as a name is concerned. Despite that, the weight is the same.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

At first glance, not much seems to have changed with the Ultra. Nothing could be further from the truth if we pay attention to the details. What immediately struck me was the placement of the S Pen. Where in previous generations it was on the right at the bottom, it is now on the left. Samsung couldn’t give us a clear reason, but maybe it has to do with the space inside the device, or Samsung wanted to align the placement of the S Pen with that of the camera.

We see another change at the side of the device. This is no longer convex and rounded, but is flatter with a small kind of notch. I noticed it immediately when I grabbed the Ultra. This is clearly better in hand with the S23 series. Other than that, there is nothing exciting to note. The rest is from within.

Is there so much exciting to report about the Galaxy S23 Ultra inside? Maybe not so much. It’s a subtle upgrade from the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The dimensions are almost the same as the previous model with only 0.1 millimeter difference in length and 0.2 millimeter in width. The weight has increased by five grams to 234 grams. The smartphone offers a 6.8-inch QHD+ display, where the other two models have Full-HD+ resolution. The Ultra also offers a variable refresh rate between 1-120Hz, where the low number can have a positive effect on endurance. With the S23 and S23+ this is 45-120Hz, so the refresh rate can be less low; which could make a difference with the Always On Display, for example.

What do we think?

The new Samsung Galaxy S23 series is a set of beautiful devices in also very beautiful colors. However, it does come with a price tag. At the time of writing, the price difference is about 300 euros with the predecessor of the S23 Ultra. The price difference between the S22 + and the S23 + is approximately 200-250 euros, the same as the difference between the S22 and S23, assuming the same memory. That is serious money. However, now with the many promotions, including at Samsung itself, you can get significant interesting discounts. Will you get a better smartphone for that?

The camera on the S23 and S23+ is the same on paper. As soon as we have a review sample, we will of course start working on whether there is a real difference. The Samsung Galaxy S23 family does have the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and expectations are high. Above all, we hope that this will significantly improve endurance. If that is the case, I personally think it is definitely worth the extra price, as I also wrote in my Galaxy S22+ review after 8 months. In addition, the device is a bit newer and you therefore have longer to enjoy the updates. Speaking of this; Samsung promises five years of monthly security updates and four Android OS updates.

Nice if you can’t wait for your new smartphone; the devices from the S23 series are immediately available. For the Samsung Galaxy S23 series you can go to;