Samsung likes the Galaxy S22 so much that it will only swap the S23's processor
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Old wine ages best, said Samsung, and didn't change a thing about the Galaxy S23 and S23+ from their predecessors but the processing power upgrade. We kid, but that's exactly what comparatively credible Samsung leaker Ice Universe tips for the S23 series phones that don't carry the Ultra moniker.
"Same screen, the same sensor, the same camera, and the battery is estimated to be similar," they say, while even the midframe is not expected to undergo any changes, while the S23 Ultra is at least going to sport some subtle design changes in curvature.
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Plus vs Galaxy S23 specs
In other words, here are the Galaxy S23 specs we can expect from Samsung when winter hits the Northern hemisphere:
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | Galaxy S23 Plus | Galaxy S23 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.8-inch, 3080 x 1440 pixels, 500ppi, 1-120Hz Dynamic AMOLED, Gorilla Glass Victus | 6.6-inch, 2340 X 1080 pixels, 390ppi, 48-120Hz Dynamic AMOLED, Gorilla Glass Victus | 6.1-inch, 2340 x 1080 pixels, 422ppi, 48-120Hz Dynamic AMOLED, Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Dimensions | 163.4×78.1×8.9 mm | 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6mm | 146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm |
| Main camera | Custom 200MP ISOCELL HP2 sensor, OIS, Dual PDAF | 50MP, F1.8 aperture, 23mm, 1/1.56" sensor size, OIS, PDAF | 50MP, F1.8 aperture, 23mm, 1/1.56" sensor size, OIS, PDAF |
| Telephoto camera | 10MP, 3.0X optical zoom, F2.4 aperture, 69mm, 1/3.52" sensor size | 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, 10.0X optical zoom, F4.9 aperture, 230mm, 1/3.52" sensor size | - | - |
| Ultra-wide camera | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55" sensor size | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55" sensor size | 12MP, F2.2 aperture, 13mm, 1/2.55" sensor size |
| Hardware | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 12GB RAM + 256GB, 12GB RAM + 512GB, 12GB RAM + 1TB | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8GB RAM + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB storage | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8GB RAM + 128GB, 8GB RAM + 256GB storage |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, 45W wired, 15W wireless charging | 4,500mAh, 45W wired, 15W wireless charging | 3,700mAh, 25 wired, 15W wireless charging |
Unfortunately, that may also mean that the Galaxy S23 and S23+ will get the hybrid LTPS display that Samsung managed to introduce variable refresh rate, too, but which can only go down to 48Hz, while the LTPO panel on the Ultra models can cover the whole 1Hz-120Hz range and save on battery while displaying static images.
Given that the battery pack sizes will most likely stay, then the only battery life boost possibility will have to come from the rumored efficiency-focused Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor of Qualcomm.
That would be a significant gain, though, as it will be built on the second-gen optimized 4nm process and reportedly have an ingenious mix of older and newer ARM Cortex core generations that should make it very gentle on the battery with everyday tasks, unlike the 3GHz Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 monster that heats up and throttles quite a bit under heavy load like 3D gaming.
Given that Samsung will only use Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 across the regions where it will sell the Galaxy S23 and no Exynos has been planned to go in, it could have the best performance/power draw ratio of any Galaxy S series so far.
Keeping the rest of the hardware the same should hopefully mean that the Galaxy S23 and S23+ will be able to launch at lower prices, too, as a grand for an LTPS display and just a processor upgrade may put many people off from the S23+ in favor of the S23 Ultra.
This could be Samsung's ultimate goal, though, as the surprise success of the S22 Ultra forced it to redirect processors for it from an eventual S22 FE that will never materialize, and the company might expect the same from the Galaxy S23 Ultra release, explaining why it may not be putting some sort of tangible effort to upgrade the S23 and S23+ in any other meaningful way.
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