Is the Samsung Galaxy S23+ a Worthwhile Update From Its Predecessors?

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While it isn’t a groundbreaking product, Samsung’s Galaxy S23+ is a fantastic phone that has no trouble standing up to the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7 . The camera quality is superb, and I’m constantly impressed by this device’s battery life. Still, the Galaxy S23+ upgrade isn’t for everyone.

This device is too similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S22+. And I’m not sure how to justify the $999 price tag, as last year’s model currently sells for half that price. Still, if you score a good discount or trade-in deal, I think that the Galaxy S23+ is worth it.

I’d like to give a quick thank-you to AT&T, which provided a Galaxy S23+ and 5G networking access for our testing. I know, this probably sounds disingenuous, but AT&T’s service actually managed to work in my home—I usually have to drive off somewhere to test a device’s 5G capabilities.

Samsung Galaxy S23+

8/ 10

SoC

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy

Display

6.6-inch FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate

RAM

8GB

Storage

256GB, 512GB

Battery

4700mAh

Operating System

Android 13 (One UI 5.1)

Front camera

12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm

Connectivity

5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, UWB, NFC

Dimensions

6.21 x 3 x 0.30 in (157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm)

Main Camera

50MP, f/1.8, 24mm

Wide-Angle Camera

12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120-degree

Telephoto

10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (3x optical zoom)

Pros

Fantastic photo quality, impressive selfie camera
Comfortable Size
Great build quality
Exceptional battery life
Five years of software support

Cons

Too similar to last year’s model
One UI can be overwhelming
$999 MSRP is silly, look for discounts

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Usability: Modest Design, Great Battery Life

Justin Duino / Review Geek

From a design standpoint, the Galaxy S23+ is a distilled and refined version of previous Galaxy smartphones. The huge camera bumps and curved screens of the past are gone, leaving us with a bland rectangle. It’s a modest design, and from an engineering standpoint, it’s a sign of progress. But I wish that this phone had a bit more personality. It looks boring!

Still, the hardware is impressive. The Galaxy S23+ feels like a premium piece of machinery (as it should at this price). It has a comfortable weight of about 6.9 ounces, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the screen and backside, plus an IP68 water and dust resistance rating.

I had no trouble using the Galaxy S23+’s 6.6-inch display—it’s a very good size. And while the AMOLED display panel is pretty, it isn’t all that groundbreaking. A 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate are pretty standard for this price, although I savored the phone’s 1750-nit peak brightness when outdoors. (Note that this brightness level only occurs with Auto Brightness activated. I assume that this is to preserve battery life and extend the lifespan of the display.)

But I’m mainly impressed by the battery life. The Galaxy S23+ uses a 4700mAh battery, which tends to last about a day and a half with regular use. This may be due to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which offers better power efficiency than its predecessors.

Oh, and a quick side note; the Galaxy S23+ doesn’t fit in S22+ cases . This is due to a very small difference in size—a difference of less than half a millimeter. Did Samsung make this change to sell more phone cases? Either way, it’s frustrating to see such casual wastefulness from a company that talks about environmentalism every time it debuts a new product.

Cameras: Excellent, but Similar to Last Year’s Model

Justin Duino / Review Geek

Predictably, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ offers industry-leading camera quality. Photos from this device are bright, colorful, and crisp, even in unfavorable lighting. That said, Samsung’s camera software can be a bit heavy-handed, so some photos come out looking over-sharpened or over-saturated.

And from a hardware standpoint, the Galaxy S23+’s cameras are nearly identical to that of its predecessor. We’re working with a 50MP main camera, a 10MP telephoto lens (with 3x optical zoom), and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. The only notable difference is the 12MP selfie camera, upgraded from 10MP in the previous model. For what it’s worth, this new selfie camera outperforms what I’ve seen in the latest smartphones from Google and Apple.

In any case, the Galaxy S23+’s photo quality is on par with the iPhone 14 , and often exceeds the iPhone 14 when shooting indoors. I also prefer the Galaxy S23+’s cameras to that of the Pixel 7, especially when taking pictures of plants and other greenery (photos from the Pixel 7 often have a slight blue hue , which can make green subjects look dull, in my opinion).

I’m also very satisfied with the Galaxy S23+’s various camera modes. Portrait Mode and Night Mode are extremely effective, and there are dozens of other settings (Multi-Exposure, Expert RAW, Director’s View) that help you capture the perfect shot.

As for video, the Galaxy S23+ supports HDR10+ and can hit a maximum video resolution of 8K at 30FPS. But most people will shoot in a lower resolution, such as 4K (at 60FPS) and 1080p (also 60 FPS, though the frame rate goes a lot higher for slow-mo video). I have no complaints or notes about Samsung’s video quality—it looks great and it’s stable, just as you’d expect.

Performance: Fast and Warm

Justin Duino / Review Geek

The theme of this review is iterative upgrades. And the Galaxy S23+’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset doesn’t provide a substantial boost in performance when compared to last year’s model. That said, this chipset can take anything you throw at it, and it’s notable for its increased power efficiency, which provides a longer battery life.

I should also note that this is a custom version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Samsung claims that this chipset offers a 5.3% faster CPU clock speed and 5.7% faster GPU speed than the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 2—on paper, this is pretty impressive, but it isn’t something that you’ll notice in the real world. (So, if you’re choosing between the Galaxy S23 and the OnePlus 11, don’t worry about the difference in the chipset.)

I’ve also found that the Galaxy S23+ gets a bit warm, even when performing basic tasks. But it doesn’t overheat. Instead, it has a very well-defined warm spot next to its rear cameras (where the SoC is located). I don’t think that this is a thermal problem or a power-efficiency issue. In fact, I believe that it’s a result of the phone’s ridiculously thin design. But it’s still worth mentioning, as the S23+’s predecessors are known to run a bit hot.

Those who are coming from a smartphone that’s a few years old will see a substantial performance upgrade with the Galaxy S23+. But if you’re using a flagship phone from 2022, the boost in performance is negligible—at least, that’s the situation in the U.S. market.

Samsung usually forces its slower Exynos chipset on customers outside the United States. But regardless of where you live, Galaxy S23-series devices only use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. If you currently own an Exynos-equipped Galaxy S22-series phone, an early upgrade may be worthwhile.

Software: Samsung Needs to Calm Down

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Justin Duino / Review Geek

Samsung is finally learning to compete with Apple’s support cycle. The Galaxy S23+ comes with four years of guaranteed OS updates, plus five years of security updates. That means you can reliably use this phone until 2028! But there’s one part of Samsung’s software strategy that leaves me frustrated—don’t kill me, but I think One UI is getting a little out of hand.

I used to be a really big fan of Samsung’s One UI. But I’ve had a hard time adjusting to the Galaxy S23+. Between the preinstalled apps, unnecessary animations, overwhelming default options, and stupid Bixby assistant, the software experience just feels messy and confusing.

Before the Samsung fans send me hatemail, I should clarify that One UI has a ton of awesome and exclusive features. You can wirelessly hand files between Samsung devices (including tablets and laptops), or even use the Galaxy S23+ as a desktop PC by plugging it into a TV or monitor. I also love Samsung’s Edge Panel, which ensures that your favorite apps are always a swipe away.

But Samsung really needs to pare things down a bit. For example, the average person doesn’t need two photo gallery apps (Samsung Photos and Google Photos). Nobody needs a fully-loaded Quick Settings menu, and it’s time to put Bixby to rest. I hate that it’s still difficult to disable Bixby.

If you’re a huge fan of Samsung’s UI, the S23+ shouldn’t be a big adjustment. But if you’re coming from another phone, especially a device that sticks with the stock Android experience, get ready to spend a lot of time in Settings.

The Gist: A Great Phone, but an Incremental Upgrade

Justin Duino / Review Geek

If you’re using a phone that’s a few years old, the Galaxy S23+ is a fantastic upgrade. It offers a powerful array of cameras, plus an extra-speedy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, a durable design, and an impressive battery life. The extended support cycle is just icing on the cake.

But this device is just a small improvement over last year’s Galaxy S22+. If you want to save a few hundred bucks, buy last year’s phone. The only drawback to buying the Galaxy S22+, at least in my opinion, is that its selfie camera doesn’t match that of the S23+.

I should also reiterate that this phone uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset in all regions. If you’re currently using an Exynos-equipped Samsung Galaxy device, then an S23-series device is a sizable performance upgrade. (If you live in the United States, you can ignore this point).

Samsung Galaxy S23+

8/ 10

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Is the Samsung Galaxy S23+ a Worthwhile Update From Its Predecessors?