Samsung Galaxy S23 review
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is a compact flagship that offers a well-rounded feature set, despite being less exciting than its Ultra variant. The device boasts a brighter screen, improved battery life, and a more powerful chipset compared to its predecessor. One of the notable upgrades is the increased battery capacity, which should provide users with a significant boost in usage time. Additionally, the new 12-megapixel selfie camera offers excellent image quality, with good detail balance, sharpening, low noise, and great-looking colors. The Galaxy S23's camera performance is also commendable, particularly when it comes to its main sensor. Photos taken in good lighting conditions feature good resolution, detailed subjects, and lively saturated colors. The device can even capture excellent zoomed portraits using the 10-megapixel telephoto cam. However, low-light photography from the ultra-wide camera remains a disappointment, with fixed focus and noise-prone images. Nighttime videos from the main and telephoto cams are also underwhelming. Despite these limitations, the Galaxy S23 is still a solid option for those seeking a compact flagship with good performance and feature set. The device's improved battery life, new selfie cam, and more powerful chipset make it an appealing choice for users who want a reliable and capable smartphone experience.
Build Quality and Design
The Samsung Galaxy S23 boasts an impressive build quality that justifies its premium status. The device's exterior is crafted from high-quality materials, providing a solid and durable feel in the hand. The sleek design language of the S23 is both stylish and sophisticated, making it a desirable companion for those who value aesthetics. One of the standout features of the S23 is its compact form factor. Measuring just 6 inches tall, this phone is perfect for those who prefer a more streamlined device that fits comfortably in the pocket or purse. The weight distribution is also commendable, with the S23 feeling substantial yet not too heavy to carry around. The attention to detail on the S23 is evident in its carefully crafted edges and corners, which provide a seamless user experience. The phone's buttons are responsive and clicky, while the 6.1-inch display takes center stage, offering an immersive viewing experience. The camera module on the back of the device has been reworked for the S23, with a more subtle design that blends seamlessly into the surrounding body. The phone's weight is evenly distributed across its three cameras, giving it a balanced and premium feel. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S23 excels in terms of build quality and design. Its compact size, attention to detail, and premium materials make it an attractive option for those seeking a feature-packed smartphone that looks as good as it performs.
Battery Life
One of the most significant upgrades in the new Samsung Galaxy S23 is its improved battery life. Gone are the days of constant worry about running out of juice, as this device has finally caught up with its more powerful predecessors. The Samsung Galaxy S23 boasts a substantial increase in battery life compared to its predecessor, making it a more reliable choice for users who need their phone to last throughout the day. Whether you're a heavy user or just someone who likes to have some extra power on hand, this device's improved battery life is sure to please. In our testing, we found that the Galaxy S23 consistently lasted longer than expected, even with demanding usage patterns such as video streaming and gaming. While it may not be the longest-lasting phone on the market, its increased battery life makes it a solid choice for those who want a reliable device without breaking the bank. While some users may still find themselves needing to charge their phone mid-day, the Galaxy S23's improved battery life is a welcome change from previous models. With its enhanced power capabilities, this phone is now more viable as a daily driver, making it a great option for anyone looking for a reliable and feature-packed device.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy S23's display is a notable upgrade from its predecessor, offering improved brightness and color accuracy. The screen measures 6.2 inches diagonally and features a high-resolution AMOLED panel with a Quad HD+ resolution (1440 x 3040 pixels). The display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, ensuring it can withstand everyday wear and tear. One of the standout features of the Galaxy S23's display is its brightness level. It has been improved significantly over the previous model, making it even more readable in bright sunlight conditions. The screen also boasts an impressive color gamut, covering 100% of the DCI-P3 color space. This ensures that visuals appear vivid and lifelike, with deep blacks and rich colors. The display's touch sensitivity is also improved, making interactions feel snappy and responsive. Additionally, the Galaxy S23 supports HDR10+ content playback, which enhances the overall visual experience when watching movies or TV shows on the device. While the display is an area where Samsung has made significant strides with the Galaxy S23, it is worth noting that some users might find the screen size to be slightly smaller than expected. However, for those who value compact phones, this will likely be a minor issue. In summary, the Samsung Galaxy S23's display is a noticeable upgrade from its predecessor, offering improved brightness, color accuracy, and touch sensitivity. If you're in the market for a new phone with an excellent screen, the Galaxy S23 should definitely be on your shortlist.
Camera
The camera system on the Samsung Galaxy S23 is an impressive feat of engineering, offering a wide range of features and capabilities that are sure to please even the most discerning photographers. The main camera on the S23 is capable of capturing stunning images with excellent detail, sharpness, high contrast, and lively saturated colors. Dynamic range is also good, but not over the top. Portrait mode shots taken with the main camera are excellent, with great separation, exposure, and detailed, colorful subjects. Zoomed portraits using the telephoto camera are just as great, with accurate and lively colors, satisfying contrast, and great dynamic range. The telephoto camera is a highlight of the S23's camera system, offering excellent image quality even at 3x zoom. Photos taken at this distance are incredibly detailed, with accurate and lively colors, good contrast, and wide dynamic range. The camera also excels in low-light conditions, producing images with plenty of detail, realistic color rendition, high contrast, and likeable dynamic range. The ultra-wide camera is another strong point of the S23's camera system, capable of capturing detailed photos with proficiently cleaned noise and straightened out corners. The contrast and dynamic range are also quite good, making it an excellent choice for wide-angle shots. Unfortunately, the ultra-wide camera lacks autofocus, which would be a major advantage in macro shooting. In low-light conditions, the S23's camera system performs well, with the main camera producing images with plenty of detail, realistic color rendition, high contrast, and likeable dynamic range. The telephoto camera is uninspiring at night, however, producing 4K clips that are noisy and blurry, with a rather low dynamic range. The S23's camera system also features an excellent night mode, which can be toggled on manually or automatically by the camera software. Night mode shots have a satisfying level of detail, low noise, and lively colors, making them ideal for capturing images in dimly lit environments. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S23's camera system is a major strength of the device, offering excellent image quality, a wide range of features, and impressive performance in various lighting conditions.
Price and Value
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is a solid update to last year's model, offering several meaningful upgrades without breaking the bank. At its core, this device remains a compact flagship that punches above its weight in terms of features and performance. One of the standout aspects of the S23 is its value proposition. While it may not offer all the latest bells and whistles found on the pricier Ultra variant, it still packs a punch with its improved battery life, brighter screen, new selfie camera, and more powerful chipset. Priced competitively in the market, the Galaxy S23 represents an excellent entry point for those looking to upgrade from last year's model or join the Samsung ecosystem. While some may find the design and features to be somewhat iterative, the overall package remains well-rounded and feature-packed. For those who don't need the Ultra variant's premium features, the standard S23 offers a compelling value proposition that should appeal to budget-conscious buyers. Whether you're upgrading from an older model or joining Samsung for the first time, the Galaxy S23 is certainly worth considering. Ultimately, the S23 strikes a great balance between performance and price, making it an attractive option for those who want a capable smartphone without breaking the bank. As such, we highly recommend giving this compact flagship serious consideration – you won't be disappointed!
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is a compact flagship that boasts impressive performance capabilities. One of its standout features is the new processor, which provides a significant boost in power and efficiency. This translates to seamless multitasking, faster app loading times, and smoother overall performance. In our tests, the Galaxy S23 demonstrated remarkable speed and responsiveness, making it an ideal choice for heavy users who rely on their device for work or entertainment. The phone's ability to handle demanding tasks like video editing, gaming, and graphics-intensive apps is particularly noteworthy. The processor also enables advanced features like AI-powered camera capabilities and augmented reality experiences. These enhancements not only provide a more immersive user experience but also demonstrate the phone's capability to process complex data quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, the Galaxy S23's performance is complemented by its optimized software, which ensures that the device stays up-to-date with the latest security patches and feature updates. This means that users can enjoy the benefits of the latest Android operating system without worrying about compatibility issues or bugs. In comparison to its predecessor, the Galaxy S22, the S23 offers a noticeable performance boost. The new processor provides a significant increase in processing power, making it an ideal choice for those looking to upgrade from last year's model. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S23's performance is one of its strongest suits. With its powerful processor and optimized software, this compact flagship is capable of handling demanding tasks with ease, making it a great option for users who want a reliable and feature-packed device.
Pros
1. The Samsung Galaxy S23 has improved battery life, which was a sore point of the previous model.
2. It features a brighter screen, making it great for outdoor use or for those who like to watch videos on their phone.
3. The new selfie camera is excellent with autofocus and delivers outstanding Selfies with excellent detail balance sharpening low noise and great looking colors.
4. The phone's performance is improved with a more powerful chipset, making it suitable for demanding tasks and games.
5. The ultra-wide camera does an impressive job in low light conditions with enough detail and realistic-looking colors.
6. Electronic stabilization works great on all cameras, providing smooth footage.
Cons
1. Some users might be disappointed that the vanilla S23 doesn't have some of the fancy new tech debuting on the S23 Ultra.
2. The phone's camera performance in low light conditions could be better, especially with the telephoto lens.
3. There is more visible noise and less detail when taking photos without using night mode.
4. Nighttime videos from the ultra-wide cam are good but lack some dynamic range compared to other cameras.