First impression of the Android smartphones – the Samsung Galaxy S23 in the first test: How good are the new flagships?

Samsung unveiled the new smartphone flagship models of the popular Galaxy series and its new notebook line-up at its annual Unpacked event – we were already able to get a first impression on site. As usual, the Samsung Galaxy S23 comes in three different models with partly different options in terms of memory, equipment and camera setup. The S23 Ultra gets a camera upgrade to an impressive 200 megapixels – and the legendary S Pen is also integrated back into the housing. The starting price of the new models will be an average of 100 euros more expensive than the Galaxy S22 models last year.

The eagerly awaited devices can already be pre-ordered from some major retailers and online shops.

If you want to be there digitally at the Unpacked event, you can do so via the live stream on the manufacturer’s website. You can find the link here:

Alternatively, you can follow the presentation of the new Galaxy models in the stream on YouTube. This can be done at this link:

Samsung Galaxy S23 in the test: the specs at a glance

Display:
The “standard and the plus model” keep their form factor: The Samsung Galaxy S23 comes with a 6.1-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD Plus resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels and a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hertz. The S23+ packs the same resolution at 6.6-inches. Both screens are flat and do not have curved edges. The display of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is rounded on the long sides, measures 6.8 inches and displays 3,080 x 1,440 pixels. Up to 120 Hertz are also possible here. With all three devices, Samsung again relies on an adaptive, automatic adjustment of the refresh rate. The smartphone recognizes whether 120 Hz is required for smartphone gaming or only a slow 1 Hz when viewing text. The S23 Ultra has a range between 1 and 120 Hz and the S23 as well as the S23+ a range from 10 to 120 Hz.

Camera:
The design and composition of the rear camera of the S23 and S23 Plus is almost identical to its predecessor, the S22 (test) and S22 Plus (test). Samsung has designed the camera island even more discreetly. So now only the individual lenses protrude from the back. Most of the cameras are in the Galaxy S23 Ultra: A main camera with a 200-megapixel sensor is accompanied by two telephoto lenses with 3x and 10x zoom and 10 megapixels each, as well as an ultra-wide angle with 12 megapixels. The front lens snaps with a maximum resolution of 12 megapixels. The Galaxy S23 and S23+ have to make do with a 50-megapixel main camera. The ultra wide-angle lens is identical to the Ultra, the 3x telephoto lens has a 10 megapixel sensor. The front camera takes photos with 12 megapixels. All three models support 8K video recording. As usual, the S23 also offer a lot of camera and video features such as night mode, single take and the exciting “director’s view”. With the latter, you can switch back and forth between the different perspectives of the other lenses during the video shoot. With Vlogger view, videos can be recorded simultaneously with the front and rear cameras. New functions should significantly improve night shots and self-portraits, among other things.

Processor:
When it comes to the processor, Samsung is breaking new ground for the first time and is installing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy from Qualcomm worldwide. So far, the not so powerful, Samsung’s own Exynos processor has always been installed in this country. Our tests will show how powerful and energy-efficient the SoC (system-on-a-chip) specially adapted for the new Samsung Galaxy models will be.

Furnishing:
In terms of equipment and scope of delivery, the S23 and the S23 Plus only differ in the battery size and memory configuration. The Plus model supports up to 512 GB of internal memory. In complete contrast to the S23 Ultra, because here Samsung has donated an S-Pen integrated in the housing and up to 1 TB of storage space. In the following table we show you the most important technical data of the three Galaxy S23 models in a direct comparison. There is a first assessment of the devices directly below.

Samsung Galaxy S23: The models in the first hands-on

Excellent workmanship, Samsung-typical high-resolution and very good displays, top performance and a camera setup that is excellent at first glance: the previous smartphones were already among the best in the CHIP leaderboard. If there are no nasty surprises waiting for us in the test, fans of the Standard and Plus models can look forward to a very solid battery life thanks to the current Snapdragon processor.

The clear highlight for us remains the pen support of the S23 Ultra. The predecessor was also able to do this – but the pen recognition and the writing feel of the S23 Ultra are one step better and very natural. The practical pen can also be used as a remote trigger for the camera. This should be a useful tool for TikTok influencers and digital creators in particular.

The new 200-megapixel main camera of the Ultra model is also exciting – however, we can only say after our laboratory tests whether and how meaningfully so many megapixels can be used by Samsung’s image processing. Competitors’ models, such as the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra (test), do not show any significant advantage in terms of photo quality – a 200 megapixel sensor is also installed here.

Samsung Galaxy S23: The prices

Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S23:

• RAM 8 GB, internal memory 128 GB: 949 euros
• RAM 8 GB, internal memory 256 GB: 1,009 euros

Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S23+:

• RAM 8 GB, internal memory 128 GB: 1,199 euros
• RAM 8 GB, internal memory 256 GB: 1,319 euros

Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra:

• RAM 8 GB, internal memory 256 GB: 1,399 euros
• RAM 12 GB, internal memory 512 GB: 1,579 euros
• RAM 12 GB, internal memory 1 TB: 1,819 euros