The return of the king. Available in stores from Friday, February 17, the Galaxy S23, the most affordable and compact model in Samsung’s new S series, should allow the South Korean manufacturer to establish its dominance in the segment of premium Android smartphones every year. This after a Galaxy S22, certainly effective, but which sinned in certain aspects, in particular autonomy.
While a continuation of its predecessor, Samsung has made a true break from the Galaxy S23 by putting the Exynos, its in-house processor, in the closet to equip its latest flagship with a Qualcomm chip: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Result: a super powerful device that nothing resists and that easily stands among the best mobiles on the market. And this despite its higher price (959 euros) than the Galaxy S22 when it was launched (859 euros) and the slight inconveniences that, in short, do not tarnish the overall experience.
Its advantages
A compact and lightweight format
With its 6.1-inch screen and weighing 168 grams, the Galaxy S23 is undoubtedly intended for lovers of compact and light smartphones. With these dimensions, Samsung’s terminal almost manages to fall into oblivion in a trouser pocket and stands out for its easy grip, although its contours, in shiny aluminum, can be quite slippery if you have sweaty hands.
Although it may seem aesthetically minimalist, the device, which sports clean and elegant lines, shines with the refinement of its finishes. We appreciate its rounded corners, its matte back – which limits the appearance of fingerprints – as well as the premium quality of the materials used to assemble it.
The Galaxy S23, available in four colors (cream, black, green and lavender), is certified IP68 to make it waterproof and dustproof.
Samsung has a habit of rewarding its high-end devices with gorgeous screens. The Galaxy S23 is no exception to the rule and incorporates an AMOLED panel with the most beautiful effect, capable of offering exceptional visual comfort in particular thanks to the delicacy of its edges that allow it to take up more space.
Very bright, the slab reacts to the finger and the eye. It offers an adaptive screen refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz for maximum daily fluidity, as well as perfect colorimetry.
The screen glass, reinforced to resist bumps and scratches thanks to Gorilla Glass Victus 2 technology, has a fingerprint sensor under the glass layer. It is also possible to perform the operation with facial recognition.
The power of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip
The Galaxy S23’s biggest change from its predecessor isn’t directly visible, as it’s under its hood: The device packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, instead of the much-criticized Exynos processor found in previous models. Very powerful, its new chip allows it to show exceptional performance. The device performs every conceivable mobile task without blinking an eye.
Improved autonomy
Poor battery life was one of the main complaints against the Galaxy S22. The Galaxy S23 does a much better copy thanks to the much more efficient Qualcomm processor. Thus it is possible to last a day and a half in mixed use, without going through the cargo box. A very good performance for a smartphone of this format.
The quality of the photo module.
The Galaxy S23’s three sensors – a 50-megapixel wide-angle, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle and a 10-megapixel X3 telephoto lens – offer a wide range of possibilities. In daytime use, photos favor the retina. They are sharp, highly detailed and bright. To the point of having, in some cases, to adjust the brightness before taking a photo to avoid overexposure.
The shots are also very satisfying in low light. Although the rendering may appear artificial due to the light sources added by artificial intelligence, it is clear that the Galaxy S23 gets away with producing accurate images, even at night. In addition, the front module allows you to take very good selfies.
For its part, portrait mode offers a nice background blur effect, in order to highlight the face of the photographed person. On the video side, the Galaxy S23 offers many settings (image stabilization, filters, etc.) as well as the possibility of filming up to 8K/30 frames per second.
our reservations
The storage capacity of the 128 GB version
As soon as the terminal starts, 40 GB of the available storage space is allocated to the operating system. This is acceptable if you have a version equipped with 256GB or 512GB of memory, but much more problematic when it comes to the 128GB model, since you only really have less than 100GB left.
Between videos, photos, or even downloaded apps, this remaining space is likely to fill up quickly. A state of affairs that can be circumvented by resorting to the top 256 GB model, which for its part crosses the 1,000-euro mark.
The absence of a charger in the box.
A USB-C cable without a power adapter is included with the purchase of the Galaxy S23. So you’ll be forced to buy this accessory separately if you want to use a power outlet to recharge it.
The price increase
The Galaxy S23 is 100 euros more expensive than the Galaxy S22. A rising price justified by inflation and the scarcity that the technology sector has suffered in recent months. But quickly forgetting the 128 GB version for the 40 GB that the operating system already occupies, the bill goes up to 1019 euros. A sum that places Samsung directly at the level of Apple.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is a bumper crop. A tech showcase fueled by the power of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, this iteration fixes the main flaw of the Galaxy S22, which wore out too quickly due to a disappointing processor. With a very good quality screen, an effective camera and finally a convincing autonomy, the Galaxy S23 ticks almost all the boxes for a high-end smartphone. As long as you pay the price, which, just like with Apple, is rising sharply.
Source: BFM TV
