Samsung Galaxy S23 review: Bigger is better? Hold on.

Samsung Galaxy S23 was one of many three flagship launches from Samsung this yr and the demo zones on the Opera House showcasing the Galaxy S23 had been fairly packed, grabbing a variety of eyeballs. After having used the telephone for the final couple of days, we now see what the underreported hype was all about.

Samsung Galaxy S23’s price ticket is gentle on eyes; would not elevate these brows. It is available in 128GB and 256GB storage configurations, priced at Rs 74,999 and Rs 79,999, respectively. Doubling the storage for that Rs 6,000 additional makes extra sense. Unlike the restricted storage choices, there’s extra to select from when it comes to colors: Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender. Samsung despatched us the Cream shade for assessment, which is a matte white hue.

Before we dive into the assessment, take a fast look on the key options the telephone gives. Clearly, the Galaxy S23is each bit flagship on paper.

Samsung Galaxy S23: Features to know

Display: 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 1080×2340 decision, Victus 2

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy

Storage: 128GB/256GB

RAM: 8GB

Maindigital camera: 50MP f/1.8, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS +10 MP, f/2.4, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom + 12MP ultra-widef/2.2, 13mm

Front digital camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, Dual Pixel PDAF

Battery: 3,900mAh with 25W quick charging

OS: Android 13 based mostly OneUI 5.1

Add-ons: UD ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, stereo audio system, IP68

Design and show

Samsung Galaxy S23, in contrast to the S23 Ultra, has some visible traits to set it aside from final yr’s S22. The digital camera module shifts from the Contour Cut to floating lenses as seen within the Ultra mannequin. This is a welcome change because it provides continuity to the whole flagship collection. The three protruding cameras with protecting rings on the matte end Gorilla Glass Victus 2 look elegant and the body, in case of white, compliments the general look with its matte golden hue.

But what’s really working for the S23 is the compact kind issue. The S23 is the identical dimension because the iPhone 14 Pro however feels extra compact when held in hand. Single-hand usability within the S23 is one of the best on the market. The button placements and the ports have not modified, and so they stay tremendous accessible.

One factor that will have been good and sort of refreshing to see within the S23 is if Samsung had launched some vibrant and peppy colors.

As for the show, it is a 6.1-inch tall magnificence with 1080×2340 pixels. The show decision is default and there is no choice to vary the decision, which is anticipated. But you’ll be able to select the refresh fee, Adaptive or Standard, however we advocate utilizing the previous. The icing on the cake is that the show is flat, which dismisses any probabilities of unintended contact. The show itself is sharp, vibrant and brighter. The digital camera cutout on the centre is barely seen. Under harsh gentle, nevertheless, the show struggles. But in most lighting conditions, it labored simply positive with max brightness.

The show additionally homes the fingerprint scanner beneath it. The ultrasonic scanner works effectively. It did not register any errors and shortly unlocked the telephone, simply as we anticipated. The total show suggestions is glorious, courtesy of these mushy complementing haptics.

Overall, the S23 is one of the best compact flagship on the market, which has a show to assist it effectively.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy S23 homes a triple digital camera setup on the again and an upgraded 12MP 25mm f/2.2 selfie snapper with dual-pixel PDAF. The rear setup is made up of a 50MP major sensor paired with 10MP telephoto and 12MP ultra-wide sensors, which is the identical as final yr’s S22. If you are questioning what is the change, it is acquired to do with the post-processing enabled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor.

Shooting with the Galaxy S23 in daylight will yield one of the best outcomes, full with sharp particulars, vibrant colors and a bit hotter shade. The distinction is maintained at a excessive word, and the dynamic vary is glorious. The major digital camera must be your go-to alternative for all issues daylight.

With one faucet, you’ll be able to change between ultra-wide and 3x zoom. The optical zoom works as anticipated, retains most particulars and vibrant colors. There’s some noise, however it’s fortunately not seen until you go in search of it within the finer particulars. The 3x zoom delivers as promised and works successfully in fast seize of distant topics. There’s as much as 30x digital zoom, which is unusable.

The ultra-wide mode is a winner. Besides dramatic impact, the S23’s ultra-wide manages well-detailed, rich-coloured photographs. The outcomes seize a satisfying quantity of dynamic vary and distinction. Overall, the ultra-wide pictures on S23 evenly unfold out high quality finish to finish.

Then there’s the portrait mode, which shoots in 1x or 3x. Both work nice. The topic outlining is good, and manages to seize hair strands fairly effectively. The bokeh impact is pure and mushy, with choices to vary the background to numerous filters – none of which appeared adequate apart from some good-old ones like zoom, spin, and color level.

Turn to selfies, Samsung Galaxy S23 has a fame for clicking Instagrammable pics. The S23 would not lose that contact, actually, it ever-so-mildly improves it with its detailing and sharpness. Shooting towards harsh lights is a breeze and portrait mode on the entrance digital camera works simply as nice.

In low gentle, you’ll be able to shoot in Night mode or simply Auto mode. What actually issues is, the outcomes are nice in low gentle utilizing the first 50MP sensor. The telephone manages good particulars, and hues have a more true tone, however there’s some seen noise solely in case of actually darkish settings. Using the night time mode added a little bit of punch to the photographs, taking the consequence away from its pure course. We most well-liked taking pictures with out Night mode for better-quality photographs.

Using different modes like ultra-wide and zoom is not as nice as the principle photograph mode. Both modes have a tendency to select up noise, however nonetheless, handle to keep up first rate colors and dynamic vary.

Shot on Samsung Galaxy S23:

Performance

Samsung Galaxy S23 is powered by the identical chipset that powers the S23 Ultra. Isn’t that trace sufficient to let you know there is no compromise on the efficiency? There’s much less confusion this yr as Samsung offers its Exynos chip a cross. The overclocked chipset within the S23 appears highly effective and that compact physique makes for an ideal flagship. The cooling system is not as environment friendly as within the S23 Ultra, which we sort of anticipated given the compact dimension of the telephone.

The S23 is very secure and retains it calm it doesn’t matter what you throw at it. We ran the identical video games and apps as we transferred over from S23 Ultra and we did not discover any lags or stutter. In reality, the app load time is sooner, and utilizing the telephone is graphically easy. We had been operating 3-4 apps concurrently and had no points. Playing Free Fire Max was seamless, however we missed the bigger display screen actual property, which is why there’s S23 Plus within the providing. But we totally loved watching our TV collection on the S23, only for the pleasure of holding such a compact telephone for hours collectively. The unbelievable stereos added to the expertise with its thumping sound.

The S23 runs OneUI 5.1 out of the field, a well-known interface we have grown to admire through the years. The software program is snappy and straightforward to navigate. There’s no scarcity of pre-loaded apps from Samsung and Microsoft, all of them tucked away from sight in devoted folders. The better part is the software program assist this telephone will get, like each different flagship Samsung telephone, which is 4 main Android updates and 5 years of safety updates. This means you may get strong software program assist until 2026.

Battery

Samsung Galaxy S23 has a barely greater battery, by 200mAh to be exact. We do not see any modifications within the specs that will drain the S23’s battery sooner than S22, apart from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, however it may go the opposite method because it is huge on effectivity as effectively. In our constant assessments, the outcomes seem to favour the latter because the S23 is higher when it comes to battery and should you go by the scale of this smartphone and the battery it packs, the S23 can outlast its opponents.

The S23 lasted a complete day with none points, with a 120Hz refresh fee. Putting the telephone by way of some endurance assessments drained the battery sooner, however the day by day common person will discover the telephone to final a complete day. You may be streaming the web, social media, making your common calls, chatting on IMs, and throwing in some music throughout your commute to get by way of the entire day earlier than you plug the telephone to cost as you wind down within the night time. The outcomes could differ should you’re on 5G, and anticipate prolonged use should you’re on Wi-Fi on a regular basis and dealing from residence or the workplace.

The S23 is supported by 25W quick charging, which is an instantaneous disappointment. No, you aren’t getting the adaptor within the field. And with a 25W charger, you’ll be able to put the telephone down for an hour and stand up to 85 %. The telephone absolutely fees in 80 minutes. On the brilliant aspect, there is no overheating. But if in case you have a lower-wattage adapter, it’s going to naturally take longer to cost. This, particularly coming from a flagship when there are opponents providing blazing-fast charging, is a bummer.

Verdict

Samsung Galaxy S23 has its personal fan base. The compact kind issue is a successful ingredient for us. But there’s a lot extra within the S23 to like. The design is extra refined now, the efficiency is top-notch, the cameras are nice and there is a dependable battery regardless of the small dimension of the telephone. It’s not good although. The charging velocity may have been commonplace for the S23 at 45W, which might’ve made this telephone unbelievable. The different concern is the restricted storage choice, which maxes out at 256GB. At least 512GB would have been good for severe high-end customers who need the consolation of a compact telephone with flagship efficiency.

Though we do not see S22 customers upgrading to the S23, there’s quite a bit on the desk for S21 customers apart from the battery bit. But the competitors is fairly stiff on this worth section, so it nonetheless largely caters to Samsung loyalists or somebody who actually wants an improve to an ecosystem of one thing greater and desires an affordable entry ticket. Samsung Galaxy S23 does that at Rs 75K.