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It’s pretty much inevitable that we will be getting a Samsung Galaxy S23 at some point. Of course, Samsung could decide to go in a different direction when it comes to naming, form factor, or any other element of the device, but one thing’s for sure: there will definitely be another Samsung flagship smartphone. With that said, what can we expect from the Samsung Galaxy S23? When will it launch, how much will it cost, and what kind of phone will it be? It’s time to take a look at some of the rumours swirling around the Samsung Galaxy S23.
When will the Samsung Galaxy S23 release date be?
We don’t need to look at rumours for this one. The Samsung Galaxy S22 launched on February 9th, 2022, and before that, the Galaxy S21 arrived on January 29th. As such, we can expect the Samsung Galaxy S23 to arrive around late January or early February in 2023. While a chip shortage and various other manufacturing issues could cause a delay to the phone, we’re not currently expecting one, so if you’re excited for the Galaxy S23, you can expect it to arrive on schedule early next year.
How much will the Samsung Galaxy S23 cost?
One of the few ways in which the Galaxy S22 innovated over its predecessor was in a refocusing of the lineup. The S22 and S22 Plus were extremely similar devices, with the Plus simply sporting a larger screen and adding £180 to the phone’s cost. The S22 Ultra was no longer the straightforward choice for anybody who wanted the latest Samsung flagship, as it was more akin to a Galaxy Note device, although it was priced in a similar way to the S21 Ultra.
All of this is to say that if Samsung does keep its redesign from the Galaxy S22 range intact, then we can expect a similar pricing structure, especially given that the S22 was priced similarly to the S21. That means the base model will retail for around £750-£800, the Plus model will likely sell for about £950-£1000, and you can expect the Ultra model to set you back £1150-£1200, with those prices rising depending on your choice of internal storage capacity and other extras.
What will the Samsung Galaxy S23’s specs be like?
Here, we can turn to rumours and speculation, as well as leaks and inside information from trustworthy sources. Let’s break this down into sections.
Camera
For many, the Samsung Galaxy S23’s camera will be the most important element of the phone. As far as the telephoto lens goes, one (rather disappointing) early leak suggests that the phone will have the same 10MP telephoto lens as the one featured on the Galaxy S22. Now, it should be noted that we are still extremely early in the S23’s development cycle; the phone hasn’t even been officially announced yet (although its existence is not a secret). That means you should take any leak like this with a huge pinch of salt, of course.
Other leaks suggest that the camera’s other lenses will indeed be upgraded, with one leak in particular pointing to a huge 200MP rear camera that would put other flagship cameras to shame. It’s still early days, but it’s looking like if the camera on the S23 is upgraded, that upgrade will focus mainly on the core lens, with the other lenses remaining the same as on the S22 model.
Processor
Rather intriguingly, a report has suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S23 could drop the company’s long standing partnership with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon line of processors, opting instead to include the latest MediaTek chip. Samsung already uses MediaTek chips for its Galaxy A budget range, but making the leap for its flagship range would be a big change indeed. Of course, consumers would be unlikely to notice any major difference, but the switch in allegiance would still be important for Samsung’s future. Still, other leaks and rumours suggest that the Galaxy S23 won’t go anywhere near MediaTek and that it will continue to use Snapdragon chips. Evidently, we’ll just have to wait and see what Samsung announces.
What do we want to see from the Galaxy S23?
As huge smartphone fans, we have a couple of items on our Galaxy S23 wishlist that we’d like to see fulfilled. Here’s what we want to see from the S23 lineup.
Better model differentiation
The Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus aren’t particularly exciting devices. The S23 Ultra adds a little more spice with its resemblance to the Note lineup, but honestly, it’s difficult to get excited about two phones which are practically identical; after all, who’s going to plump for the Plus when they could just spend a little more for the Ultra? As such, we want to see Samsung shift towards a two-device lineup; the core phone and the Ultra. This would help consumers to differentiate better between the devices and would allow Samsung to focus more on what each phone can offer to different markets.
Better battery life
This is always a sticking point for flagship smartphones, but one of the things we really want to see from the Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup is better battery life. With heavy usage, we’re finding that our devices struggle to get through a full day, especially with the smaller Galaxy S22 device. More battery power would be much appreciated, and we definitely don’t want Samsung to lower the battery capacity again like it did from the S21 to the S22.
Expandable storage
One of the big disadvantages of Samsung flagship devices is their lack of expandable storage. While it’s fair to say that many consumers will never max out the storage on their phones, you’d be surprised; we know many people who are struggling to manage their internal storage, and since there’s no micro SD port on the Galaxy S22 range, we’d like to see Samsung consider adding an option like this to the S23 range.
