Samsung’s Galaxy S23 is a well-rounded smartphone that combines aesthetics and functionality. It has a sleek design, stunning display, outstanding camera performance, and excellent battery life.
Both the S23 and S23 Plus feel snappy in daily use, as smartphones in this price range should. The cameras capture impressive photos, though Samsung sometimes cranks up the color saturation too much.
Camera
If you want a top-notch Android smartphone but are not willing to pay the price for an iPhone, the standard Galaxy S23 is probably the best choice. It is one of the last remaining smaller phones that can be comfortably used with one hand and it has a camera that competes with the best in class.
The rear cameras deliver very good exposure and wide dynamic range, capturing lots of detail in the shadows as well as in the highlights. They also do a great job with color, not showing the over-saturation that can be seen in many competing models. The only area where the S23 falls short is in low light, where it has a tendency to add a magenta cast that many people may find unpleasant.
In a blind test of photos taken with the best phones in 2023, the Galaxy S23 finished 2 positions ahead of the iPhone 15 Pro and left all other flagships behind (including Pixel 7a, 8, Fold and OnePlus Open). If you like to shoot video on your phone, the S23 can record at up to 4K60 with no problem.
Samsung’s software is excellent and its new feature set makes it a pleasure to use. It’s easy to configure the phone to your own tastes, with different wallpapers, lock screens and colors for the clock and notifications.
Display
The Galaxy S23 feels snappy in everyday use, as a flagship phone should. Running demanding games like Genshin Impact and Apex Legends at the highest settings was smooth, and the apps launched quickly. It also has a fast 120Hz refresh rate, which is nice for scrolling and animations.
Samsung’s Super AMOLED display is gorgeous with saturated colors and dark-as-night blacks. It has a max brightness of 1750 nits, which makes it easy to see in direct sunlight. It supports HDR and Widevine L1, which is great for streaming video content at its best quality.
It has a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which is more than enough to handle hard-hitting games and multitasking without any noticeable lag or frame drops. It can easily run three apps simultaneously with some window splitting, and it has a built-in feature called DeX that lets you connect to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse through USB-C for a full desktop experience on your phone.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 has plenty of features to make it a compelling smartphone, but there are some notable downsides. First, there’s the software redundancy and bloat Samsung is notorious for, where settings are found in multiple places or spread across several menus. It’s a little frustrating, but most Android users are used to it and can deal with it.
Performance
The Galaxy S23 is a great flagship phone that provides users with a premium experience. It is fast and efficient with excellent battery life and a superb camera. In addition to this, the device features a beautiful and colorful display. The Galaxy S23 is also comfortable to use with its large screen and easy-to-use buttons and touchscreen.
The phone performs well in day-to-day tasks and can handle graphics-intensive apps with ease. The CPU, GPU, and RAM are well-optimized for smooth multitasking and fluid performance. The camera app has a variety of modes and features that make it easy to capture images in any situation.
Despite being two years old, the Samsung Galaxy S23 remains an excellent phone. The smaller size is perfect for those who prefer a compact smartphone, and the camera quality is top-notch. It is also a very good pick for anyone who wants a great Android phone at an affordable price.
The S23 comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 “Made for Galaxy” chipset. This is a slightly overclocked version of the chip used in other Samsung flagship phones and it provides a significant performance boost over competing smartphones. The new chipset is also much more power efficient and it allows for better battery life. The phone offers up-to-date features, such as 8K video recording and a dual-lens front-facing camera. The S23 also includes the usual bloatware from Samsung and Google, but it shouldn’t be too much of an issue for most Android users.
Battery Life
Nothing ruins the experience of using a smartphone like a sudden low battery warning just as you’re trying to snap a photo or connect with someone. That’s why battery life is so important, and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series does a good job of managing this crucial aspect.
The smaller regular Galaxy S23 is powered by a 3,900mAh battery, while the larger 6.6-inch Plus model packs in a 4,700mAh cell. Both models offer a moderate improvement over last year’s Galaxy S22, and they should also outlast many of their Android rivals when it comes to real-world battery performance. The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processors should also be more power efficient than their predecessors, which can help the phones get a little bit more out of their respective battery cells.
Despite these solid numbers, we recommend keeping an eye on your usage habits and optimizing your phone’s settings to make sure the S23 will serve you well. Keeping the display brightness a little lower, enabling adaptive brightness or dark mode, and clearing out some unused apps can all help you squeeze a few extra hours out of your phone every day. You can even check your charging status and battery health on the phone by going to Settings > Battery. These tips and tricks can make all the difference when it comes to keeping your S23’s battery in tip-top shape.
