Samsung announced a new batch of Galaxy S flagship phones at its Unpacked event this week, all of which should arrive soon. As expected, the new class to choose from this year includes the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung’s trio of flagships for 2023 feature polished designs – which look a bit like an iPhone, if I’m being frank – with some camera, battery and processor upgrades over the S22 generation of the iPhone. ‘last year. But which one is right for you?
This might be a no-brainer if you don’t want a phone that’s too big (the S23 is the smallest of the three) or if you want a stylus (the S23 Ultra is your only option for using the S Pen). But if you’re on the fringe and need to figure out which phone is best for your specific needs, let’s take a look at how they compare on paper. You can expect our detailed reviews soon, but, in the meantime, there’s a lot you might be able to figure out right now – especially if you need an overdue upgrade and you want to take advantage of some juicy pre-order promotions.
Galaxy S23 vs. S23 Plus vs. S23 Ultra
Looking at the specs, the biggest “wow” is the megapixel count for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung’s Ultra model is still the boundary-pushing one with the most cameras, the most RAM and storage potential, and now, by far, the most megapixels. So for $1,199.99 you get that 200-megapixel main camera, the S23 phones’ largest battery (5,000 mAh), and a giant 6.8-inch display. Last year’s S22 Ultra ended up being our favorite phone for photography over the iPhone 14 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro, so it’ll be interesting to see what the Ultra’s new high-res sensor brings at the table.
Aside from the Ultra and its fancy camera sensor, the S23 and S23 Plus seem to offer plenty of great specs for $799.99 and $999.99, respectively. You get three cameras in each model, but with a 50-megapixel main sensor for the S23 and its Plus counterpart. The S23 and S23 Plus also have bigger batteries (200mAh more each) than their 2022 predecessors, plus a revised camera lens bump that brings them closer to the Ultra. Additionally, all three S23 phones have the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 120Hz OLED panels, and now feature Wi-Fi 6E radios for potentially faster speeds on less congested bands.
What do you think? Will a Galaxy S23 phone be your next smartphone? Are any of the specs above decisive for your next phone purchase? Let us know in the comments.
