Samsung Galaxy S23 release date, price, and features
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The best Samsung phones that don't have a hinge to fold around - Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra - come with their own set of S23 deals that usually give free storage upgrades, as well as Samsung store trade and credit that are hard to beat. Oh, exclusive colors there, too!
The new S23 series phones all sport an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor designed for Samsung with real-time Semantic Segmentation for the selfie camera for the first time on a phone. That's not to mention the other exclusive - a 200MP Samsung ISOCELL sensor on the S23 Ultra camera kit - or the brighter S23 and S23+ screens and their larger batteries!
As the Galaxy S23 series is now official, we slowly turn our heads to the immediate future and brace ourselves for the upcoming Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S24/Galaxy S24 Plus flagships, which will break cover in early 2024!
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Galaxy S23 release date
| Model | Announcement date | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S23 series | February 1, 2023 | February 17, 2023 |
| Galaxy S22 series | February 9, 2022 | February 25, 2022 |
| Galaxy S21 series | January 14, 2021 | January 29, 2021 |
| Galaxy S20 series | February 11, 2020 | March 6, 2020 |
| Galaxy S10 series | February 20, 2019 | March 8, 2019 |
The Galaxy S23 phones were released on February 17, 2023, a week earlier than the S22 launch last year, with nearly three weeks of preorder deals that were stacked to the reservation bonus Samsung initiated prior to their announcement.
Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra prices
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | $1199 (256GB), $1299 (512GB), $1619 (1TB) |
| Galaxy S23+ | $999 (256 GB), $1119 (512GB) |
| Galaxy S23 | $799 (128 GB), $859 (256GB) |
Samsung kept the Galaxy S23 line prices the same as last year, but doubled the Galaxy S23+ base storage and introduced a 512GB tier to the S23 and its base $799 price for the 128GB version. At the carriers, the Galaxy S23 Ultra price starts at $1,199.99 before trade-in deals, or subscribers will be able to get it for 36 monthly payments of $33.33.
Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile Galaxy S23 Ultra deals
As usual, Samsung's own store has the best Galaxy S23 T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T carrier deals and no less than four exclusive colors - Lime, Graphite, Red, or Blue - to choose from, plus we have extra store credit for you with the links above in addition to the free 512GB S23 Ultra storage upgrade, so at T-Mobile or AT&T the phone starts from $200 with eligible trades.
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S23+ vs Galaxy S23 specs
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | Galaxy S23 Plus | Galaxy S23 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.8-inch, 3080 x 1440 pixels, 500ppi, 1-120Hz Dynamic AMOLED, 1750 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | 6.6-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2340 x 1080 pixels, Infinity-O-Display, 48 Hz - 120 Hz, 1750 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, HDR10+, 393 ppi | 6.1-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2340 x 1080 pixels, Infinity-O-Display, 48 Hz - 120 Hz, 1750 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, HDR10+, 425 ppi |
| Dimensions | 163.4 × 78.1 × 8.9 mm, 233g. weight | 6.21 x 3 x 0.3 inches (157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6mm) 6.88 oz (195 g) | 5.76 x 2.79 x 0.3 inches (146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6mm) 5.89 oz (167 g) |
| Main camera | Custom 200MP 1/1.13" ISOCELL HP2 sensor, f/1.7 aperture, 23mm, OIS, 85-degree field of view, Quad PD | 50MP, F1.8 aperture, 23mm, 1/1.56" sensor size, OIS, PDAF, 85-degree field of view | 50MP, F1.8 aperture, 23mm, 1/1.56" sensor size, OIS, PDAF, 85-degree field of view |
| Telephoto camera | 10MP, 3.0X optical zoom, F2.4 aperture, 69mm, 1/3.52" sensor size, OIS, 36-degree field of view | 10MP, 3.0X optical zoom, F2.4 aperture, 69mm, 1/3.94" sensor size | 10MP, 3.0X optical zoom, F2.4 aperture, 69mm, 1/3.94" sensor size |
| Telephoto camera #2 | 10MP, 10x optical zoom, F4.9 aperture, 230mm, 1/3.52" sensor size, 11-degree field of view, 100x Space Zoom; | n/a | n/a |
| Ultra-wide camera | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55" sensor size, 120-degree field of view Dual PDAF, Macro | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55" sensor size, 120-degree field of view, Dual PDAF, Macro | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55" sensor size, 120-degree field of view, Dual PDAF, Macro |
| Selfie-camera | 12MP, f/2.2 aperture, 25mm, 80-degree field of view, HDR10+ | 10MP, f/2.2, 80-degree field of view, 25mm, HDR10+ | 10MP, f/2.2, 80-degree field of view, 25mm, HDR10+ |
| Hardware | 3.36GHz Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 'for Galaxy' chipset, 8GB RAM + 256GB, 12GB RAM + 512GB, 12GB RAM + 1TB | 3.36GHz Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8GB RAM + 256GB, 8GB + 512GB storage | 3.36GHz Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8GB RAM + 128GB, 8GB RAM + 256GB storage |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, 45W wired, 15W wireless charging | 4,700mAh, 45W wired, 15W wireless charging | 3,900mAh, 25 wired, 15W wireless charging |
Check out our dedicated S23 specs pages for a deep dive into each model's specifications:
Samsung Galaxy S23 reviews
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review - bold camera, great battery life
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review - not a bad deal, but not worth the price difference with the Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S23 review - great performance in a cutsy package
Galaxy S23 comparisons
- Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S22 Ultra - is the Galaxy S23 Ultra worth the upgrade from the S22 Ultra?
- Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Plus - is the Galaxy S23 Ultra worth the $200 price difference with the S23+? Pretty much yes.
- Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 - what about $400 more for the S23 Ultra from the S23?
- Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold 4 - flat screen S23 Ultra or foldable display Z Fold 4? Now with less of a price difference.
- Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Pixel 7 Pro - Google's finest is cheaper but the S23 Ultra is better, even in night shots.
- Galaxy S23 Ultra vs OnePlus 11 - budget OnePlus 11 flagship has unbeatable price that the S23 Ultra can only match with deals.
- Galaxy S23 Plus vs Galaxy S22 Plus - should you upgrade from the Galaxy S22 Plus?
- Galaxy S23 Plus vs Galaxy S23 - same phones, different screens, which one to go for?
- Galaxy S23 Plus vs iPhone 14 Plus - Can the Galaxy S23 Plus match the new iPhone 14 Plus line? You bet.
- Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14 - the iPhone 14 or the newer Galaxy S23 are worth the $800 price? The Galaxy S23 specs make it unfair competition.
- Galaxy S23 vs Galaxy Z Flip 4 - what about a clamshell foldable for a slightly more money than the Galaxy S23? Pretty cool.
- Galaxy S23 vs Pixel 7 - the Pixel 7 is cheaper but is the Galaxy S23 better? Should you go with the Pixel or the Galaxy S23?
Galaxy S23 colors
The base Galaxy S23 series colors are as follows:
- Botanic Green
- Misty Lavender
- Phantom Black
- Cotton Cream
Samsung, however, shook things up, as usual, and offers exclusive Red, Blue, Lime, or Graphite colors that can only be had if one purchases the phones from its own store.
What is the Galaxy S23 battery capacity?
| Galaxy S23 model | Battery capacity |
|---|---|
| Galaxy S23 | 3,900 mAh (+200 mAh compared to S22) |
| Galaxy S23 Plus | 4,700 mAh (+200 mAh compared to S22+) |
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | 5,000 mAh (no change) |
The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a battery with the model number EB-BS918BY that has a rated capacity of 4,855mAh, resulting a typical capacity of around 5,000mAh, just as on its predecessor and it indeed delivers the 20% longer battery life that Samsung promised in the specs sheet.
As for the exact Galaxy S23+ battery capacity, the model number is EB-BS916ABY, and it is a 4700 mAh unit, or a 5% bump over the 4500 mAh piece in its predecessor. The unit is made by China's Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), one of the largest battery makers with which Samsung recently began to diversify its Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 pack suppliers in order to lower their production costs and pass those savings onto the consumer. The Galaxy S23 battery also landed the same 200 mAh upgrade to hit 3900mAh in capacity.
Here are our battery life test results, conducted on Wi-Fi and at a brightness level preset at 200 nits:
PhoneArena Battery Test Results
The Galaxy S23 battery life is leaps ahead of the series' predecessors, especially when it comes to the S23 and S23+ with their larger batteries, but also the Galaxy S23 Ultra whose battery endurance is now on par with the iPhone 14 Pro Max but with twice the charging speeds.
PhoneArena Battery Charging Test Results
Charging, however, remains at 45W maximum for the S23 Ultra and S23+, while the S23 makes do with 25W charging speeds, which means that the 2023 Galaxy S line is once again brought to a full charge in over an hour (66 minutes for the Galaxy S23 Ultra to be precise), unlike the competition from China which is already at the 100W+ charging mark.
| Model | Galaxy S23 25W wired | Galaxy S23+ 25W wired | Galaxy S23+ 45W wired | S23 Ultra 25W wired | S23 Ultra 45W wired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in 15 mins | 28% | 27% | 43% | 27% | 41% |
| 30 mins | 58% | 55% | 74% | 51% | 68% |
| 45 mins | 79% | 80% | 92% | 71% | 89% |
| 1 hour | 95% | 95% | 100% | 91% | 98% |
| Full Charge takes (in hrs / mins) | 1 hour 8 mins | 1 hour 11 mins | 1 hour | 1 hour 19 mins | 1 hour 6 mins |
What are the Galaxy S23 camera specs?
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | Galaxy S23 Plus | Galaxy S23 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main camera | Custom 200MP 1/1.13" ISOCELL HP2 sensor, f/1.7 aperture, 23mm, OIS, 85-degree field of view, Quad PD | 50MP, F1.8 aperture, 23mm, 1/1.56" sensor size, OIS, PDAF, 85-degree field of view | 50MP, F1.8 aperture, 23mm, 1/1.56" sensor size, OIS, PDAF, 85-degree field of view |
| Telephoto camera | 10MP, 3.0X optical zoom, F2.4 aperture, 69mm, 1/3.52" sensor size, OIS, 36-degree field of view | 10MP, 3.0X optical zoom, F2.4 aperture, 69mm, 1/3.94" sensor size | 10MP, 3.0X optical zoom, F2.4 aperture, 69mm, 1/3.94" sensor size |
| Telephoto camera #2 | 10MP, 10x optical zoom, F4.9 aperture, 230mm, 1/3.52" sensor size, 11-degree field of view, 100x Space Zoom; | n/a | n/a |
| Ultra-wide camera | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55" sensor size, 120-degree field of view Dual PDAF, Macro | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55" sensor size, 120-degree field of view, Dual PDAF, Macro | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55" sensor size, 120-degree field of view, Dual PDAF, Macro |
| Selfie-camera | 12MP, f/2.2 aperture, 25mm, 80-degree field of view, HDR10+ | 10MP, f/2.2, 80-degree field of view, 25mm, HDR10+ | 10MP, f/2.2, 80-degree field of view, 25mm, HDR10+ |
What are the best Galaxy S23 cases?
Here's a list of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+, and best Galaxy S23 cases, including the new genius Samsung Gadget cases that let you carry various attachments with the phone at all times.
What are the best Galaxy S23 deals?
The Galaxy S23 deals include fine offers on the Galaxy S23 Ultra camera phone with a 200MP sensor, whose outstanding performance in the photography, battery life, and processing speed departments makes it the best phone you can get for the foreseeable future!
As usual, Samsung offers the best Galaxy S23 deals at its own store, and for the first time they extend to the Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile versions bought there, complete with exclusive colors like Blue, Red, Graphite and even Lime, plus it tacks extras like free storage upgrades!
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