Design & Build Quality
The base model S23 remains the most anticipated phone in this series since it is also the most affordable. You are still expected to get a vibrant and responsive 6.1-inch 120Hz sAMOLED FHD+ display, with support for all sorts of high-resolution HDR playback. You can expect it to be a tough yet flexible next-gen E6 panel to enable the completely bezel-less design, featuring precise punch-hole notch cutouts.
The rear is also getting a more minimalist design, with just the individual raised camera rings making up the entire setup. There are multiple renders of what the camera layout is supposed to be, depending on the models, considering that the S23 Ultra will feature a much more expansive array than the regular S23. So, expect to see a lot of variation in terms of sensor size and use cases.
The phone will feature an under-display fingerprint sensor and some form of facial recognition technology, with the physical button placement limited to the volume keys and the off button. While we will get the familiar USB-C port, the lack of the 3.5mm audio jack will still make it a compromise.
Internals
This series will get another expected bump in terms of performance, thanks to the introduction of the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. The SoC is rumoured to be made up of the main core running at 3.36GHz, another four mid-cores tuned at 2.80GHz, and three additional efficiency cores clocked at 2.02GHz, for a balanced workload. It also features a built-in Adreno 740 GPU right on the new mini motherboard.
Qualcomm has managed to maintain the size of the package while increasing the thermal and power efficiency by a lot, compared to the 8+ Gen 1 model, which has already proven its mettle in these areas. Rumours suggest it will still bring a modest 15-20% improvement to peak performance as well. The processor will be paired with up to 16GB of RAM and at least 512GB of UFS Storage. Thus, making it a true flagship-level system.
Leaks of the Geekbench scores of these devices suggest as much, with the base S23 getting 1,524 and 4,597 points, respectively, in single-core and multi-core performance. In comparison, the S23 Ultra scored 1,521 and 4,689 points in the same testing, thanks to its bigger size and more elaborate cooling mechanism.
Cameras
The S23 is expected to carry over the majority of the camera tech from the previous generation, owing to its already refined design and technologies. The main camera will remain the OIS-enabled 50MP wide-angle unit alongside the 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto sensors. We can expect more improvements to computational photography and colour science, with a strong focus on 8K shooting at up to 60fps.
The S23 Ultra will get the real upgrade thanks to the introduction of the much-awaited 200MP sensor, which will make a great addition to the Galaxy series. We have already seen Apple and Google's interpretation of sensor-based high-res zoom photography, and this addition would give Samsung a chance to showcase its own efficiencies in this area. Samsung is already pretty invested in the Periscope Zoom tech, so we can expect them to expand the limits and refine the results considerably.
Battery
All of this will be powered by a 3900mAh battery, which will support at least 25W wired fast charging. The S23 Ultra should get a bigger setup thanks to a bigger body, but with the same tried and tested 4500mAh unit. There is also the now familiar 15W Wireless Charging and similar reverse wireless charging functionalities. These are relatively conservative estimates, considering some of the recent controversies the brand has faced regarding its battery tech, so it will be a good chance to see how they respond to the challenge.
Price & Availability
We have no new updated on the pricing and availability front, but we do expect to see some increase in the top-end price. As far as the launch goes, it should follow the same January time schedule that the brand is known to go for. So stay tuned as we will continue to bring all the new and exciting information about the Samsung Galaxy S23 Series.
