What features Samsung might include in the Galaxy S flagship in 2019
The Galaxy S23 will have some big shoes to fill when it debuts, but we’re confident that Samsung can do it with its new lineup of flagship devices.
The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus felt among this year’s releases to be much more iterative than innovative, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra had no such issue, bringing the Galaxy Note back to life.
Although the Galaxy S23 rumours are just getting started, we wanted to share what is already known and what we hope to see. Here is what we currently know about the Galaxy S23 as well as our wish list.
In This Article
Samsung Galaxy S23 latest news (updated September 30)
- The Galaxy S23 Ultra 200MP camera rumours are still going around.
- We now have a preview of the potential design of the top-of-the-line Galaxy S23 Ultra thanks to leaked renders.
- In an effort to discourage users from switching to an iPhone or Pixel, Samsung may try to release the Galaxy S23 earlier than expected.
- The Galaxy S23’s alleged design, which recently surfaced in some lovely renders, resembles the Galaxy S22 Ultra quite a bit.
- According to one leaker, there might not be many upgrades between the S22 and S23.
Samsung Galaxy S23 possible release date
We anticipate the Galaxy S23 to launch in a similar manner to the Galaxy S22, which launched in February. Samsung likely delayed the release of the Galaxy S22 because it needed to make room for the Galaxy S21 FE, which was released in January 2021. Of course, Samsung isn’t likely to be working on a Galaxy S22 FE, so the S23 rollout plans might not be affected.
If you want proof that the Galaxy S23 Plus will launch in February 2023, a battery for that device appeared in early September for certification with a South Korean organisation. The timing coincides with the S22 rollout, which would seem to indicate that a launch in February 2023 is on schedule.
Only recently have we learned that Samsung might want to release the S23 in the middle of January. This should prevent users from switching to non-Samsung phones as soon as the new year arrives, according to sources.
In either case, the Galaxy S23 appears set to debut in the first half of 2023. Nowadays, phone release dates are fairly predictable, so we don’t anticipate Samsung to stray from this trend, even though recent phone launches have been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and chip shortages.
Design for Samsung’s Galaxy S23
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in particular resembles the Galaxy S22 quite a bit, suggesting that the Galaxy S23 lineup may adopt the Galaxy S22’s aesthetic. According to a tip from leaker Ice Universe, the smartphone will have dimensions of 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches, which is a slight improvement over the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 6.42 x 3.06 x 0.35 inches dimensions. All of this is true despite the fact that a new camera tip has been theorised to be one way we might end up with a bigger camera module and a thicker phone overall.
Since the publication of this initial rumour, Ice Universe has examined the situation more closely and believes that Samsung may be thickening the Galaxy S23’s bezel. We still don’t know why the bezel thickness might increase; it could be a decision to increase durability. As the phone’s release date approaches, we’ll want to keep an eye on that.
Are you curious as to what these rumours might imply for the S23 Ultra’s final design? Renders of the allegedly leaked Galaxy S23 Ultra display the potential look of the upcoming flagship. A black phone that is strikingly similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra that came before it is what we see.
However, based on another leak from Ice Universe, which claims that the Samsung Galaxy S23 series will feel very similar to the preceding S22 series, that’s likely to be the case for all the phones Samsung releases in early 2023. The dimensions and screen size of the phones are nearly identical to those of their predecessor models. The Galaxy S23 will have a 6.1-inch 1080×2340 display, the Galaxy S23 Plus a 6.6-inch 1080×2340 display, and the S23 Ultra a 6.8-inch 1440×3088 display, according to the leak. This is precisely what the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra currently offer as a point of comparison.
However, Ice Universe did note that the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s display would be one of the few features that would be improved over the S22 Ultra. He didn’t specify how, but we can assume that it will be a minor improvement, such as brightness or power efficiency, rather than a new resolution or faster refresh rate.
The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus may have a different appearance on the back while the front of the phones may remain the same. According to fresh renderings based on OnLeaks leaks, the phones will have individually embedded camera sensors, similar to the S22 Ultra.
Cameras Samsung Galaxy S23
The 200MP camera on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which would be a significant improvement over the 108MP camera on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, has been the subject of several rumours.
This camera rumour has recently gained a lot of steam, but according to a new leak, Samsung may opt for the older ISOCELL HP1 sensor rather than the more recent ISOCELL HP3 sensor.
But according to a more recent rumour, Samsung’s unannounced sensor, later identified as the ISOCELL HP2, will give the Galaxy S23 Ultra a 200MP camera that will outperform the company’s existing HP1 and HP3 200MP sensors.
This might be advantageous for the upcoming Samsung flagship device. Samsung’s HP3 is a mid-range sensor, while Motorola’s X30 Pro or the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra are expected to use the larger, more advanced HP1 sensor. Samsung may be planning an additional sensor for its own flagship in an effort to outperform its rivals.
If you’re curious about the capabilities of this sensor, Samsung has demonstrated one in a video by taking a photo of a cat and then enlarging it to fit a 28 x 22-meter canvas that was hung off the side of a building. The image appeared impressive, though it’s difficult to tell for sure in a YouTube video and not in person. Individual cat hairs can be clearly seen, and the details appear to be very sharp.
Due to their lower megapixel counts, even some of the best phone cameras can have trouble with this. Unlocking more of Samsung’s technology may require a 200MP main camera, as shown in the company’s video.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is said to have a 200MP camera, according to a leak, and it could compete with the iPhone 14 Pro. According to a tweet from Ice Universe, the phone’s 200MP camera will have pixels that are 0.6 mm in size and a larger aperture of f/1.7 to capture more light. This suggests a barely perceptible increase in camera sensor size from the S22 Ultra, though it is reportedly only marginally larger than the 48MP camera sensor found on the iPhone 14 Pro.
Another rumour claims that the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus will both have a 12MP front camera. This rumour comes from GalaxyClub. Since the 2019 release of the Samsung Galaxy S10, neither model has received a selfie resolution upgrade.
It’s unclear what additional upgrades might be involved or whether this rumour is true. However, given that the front camera on the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a resolution of 40MP, it’s high time Samsung gave the two more affordable models a camera upgrade.
There won’t be any changes to the telephoto cameras, so be ready. GalaxyClub’s sources say that the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus will use a 10MP telephoto camera, like the S22 and S22 Plus, and that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will also keep its 10MP 10x optical zoom camera too. That doesn’t rule out other potential modifications to zoom cameras, but it seems unlikely that anything will alter if the sensor has the same resolution.
Galaxy S23 chipset from Samsung
The Galaxy S23’s chipset has only been the subject of conflicting rumours up to this point. A tipster initially asserted that Samsung would use a MediaTek chip in some Galaxy S23 models, but that assertion has since been debunked. Then it appeared as though Samsung would stop making its own Exynos chips so that it could concentrate on a brand-new Galaxy-exclusive chipset that would be ready by 2025. It appears that Qualcomm has confirmed that over the summer, it will only supply Snapdragon silicon to the Galaxy S23 lineup.
Given that Samsung used the Exynos chipset in some of its earlier Galaxy S models, it makes sense that the company would want to find ways to make it better. Exynos-powered Samsung flagships typically perform worse than Snapdragon-powered devices; this was definitely the case during our Galaxy S22 benchmark testing.
However, according to leaker Ice Universe, there is internal discussion about whether to make Qualcomm the only source of power for the Galaxy S23. Given that some models use the Exynos 2300, that might indicate an Exynos comeback.
Rumors surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S23
The Galaxy S23’s base model is anticipated to receive a slight battery boost. According to one report, the phone’s battery could have a 5% capacity increase over the Galaxy S22. The S23 Plus or the S23 Ultra for a battery boost are not mentioned in the rumour.
According to leaker Ice Universe, the Galaxy S23 may have a 25W charging speed, the same as the Galaxy S22. The Galaxy S23 Plus and S23 Ultra have not yet been announced, but their S22 iterations support 45W charging. It appears that Samsung will continue to distinguish between the entry-level model and the more expensive versions.
The only other thing we’ve heard is that Samsung might refer to the Galaxy S23 internally as “Project Diamond.” Previously, some thought this codename instead referred to a third foldable, but that’s apparently not the case, according to DSCC analyst Ross Young.
Samsung Galaxy S23: What we want to see
Here is what we’re hoping to see as Samsung has a long time to finalise some Galaxy S23 details.
long-lasting batteries
In one word, all three Galaxy S22 models’ battery lives fall short of expectations. In the Tom’s Guide battery life test, even the Galaxy S22 Ultra with its 5,000 mAh battery couldn’t last as long as devices like the OnePlus 10 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max. The battery life of the mid-range Galaxy A53 is also not great.
Samsung may be up against the OnePlus 11 Pro, which may also debut in 2023, and will need to improve battery life. It was a bad idea to reduce the battery capacity from the Galaxy S21 to the Galaxy S22 (3,700 mAh vs. 4,000 mAh) and Galaxy S22 (4,500 mAh vs. 4,800 mAh), which clearly hurt both phones in testing.
improved cooling
By this point, it’s common knowledge that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip gets hot. This results in throttling issues, especially in demanding games. Additionally, Samsung was discovered deliberately throttling some apps to protect system performance. The action proved one thing: the Galaxy S22 required better cooling. For some, the action ultimately came across as shady or outright evil.
In my experience, the OnePlus 10 Pro’s new cooling system makes the phone noticeably more comfortable than the Galaxy S22 Ultra after extended gaming sessions. The S22 can get extremely hot, but we’re not asking for something on par with the best gaming smartphones. We expect the Galaxy S23 to address this.
Exynos or Snapdragon or superior
Look, we’re all in favour of ending Qualcomm’s global near-monopoly on Android smartphones. Out of all the best Android phones, Snapdragon chips deliver the best performance. Samsung’s Exynos processors are inferior to Qualcomm in many ways, even though Apple Silicon is still light years ahead in others.
We all had high hopes for the flagship Exynos 2200 with its AMD-powered graphics, but the chip ultimately proved lackluster at best. Samsung either needs to figure out why Exynos chips lag behind Snapdragons, or it needs to give up and use Snapdragons everywhere.
Continuous zoom
One problem with telephoto lenses on smartphones is that you either use the full optical zoom or get stuck with digital that fills in the gaps. Rumors surrounding the Galaxy S22 Ultra suggested that Samsung was going to introduce continuous zoom, where the phone could go from 1x to 10x and all of the spots between smoothly.
We want to see Samsung introduce this on all three Galaxy S23 models, though we have a feeling the feature might be an Ultra exclusive if it ever materializes.
Better model differentiation
Let’s face it, the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus are pretty boring. They look just like their predecessors, without many new features. The biggest change involved improved “nightography” for low-light photos, but all of Samsung’s efforts clearly went into the most expensive Galaxy.
Although understandable, we’d really like to see something added to the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 that elevates them above incremental improvements. The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus did, in fact, feature a minimum of 48Hz instead of the 10Hz Samsung initially advertised. Other improvements include a new design, more powerful cameras, and display refresh rates that actually dip to 10Hz.
Simply put, we don’t want to get bored with the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. However, the Galaxy S23 Ultra ought to be anything but monotonous. According to Samsung executive Roh Tae-moon, the Ultra will be back for the S23 lineup and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.