The Galaxy S23 is still a bit of a mystery, but the leaks and rumors surrounding it are beginning to paint a better, clearer picture.
The Galaxy S23 — one of 2023’s most-anticipated smartphones — remains unofficially announced by Samsung. Luckily, the company tends to have a consistent and predictable schedule when it comes to its hardware releases. Exact details and specs regarding the S23 remain pretty murky this early on, but a few details are beginning to paint a picture of what to expect.
As we wait for official confirmation and more details on the Galaxy S23, here’s a quick roundup of everything we know so far.
Like the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S21 families before it, we expect the Galaxy S23 to be available in three different options: the Galaxy S23, the S23+, and the S23 Ultra.
The “normal” S23 should offer the core Galaxy S23 experience in a smaller form factor and at the lowest price. The S23+ will likely offer a bigger display and battery in exchange for a higher price. Lastly, for folks who want the very best that Samsung has to offer, that’s where the S23 Ultra should come into play.
Of course, this is all assuming Samsung follows its usual release cadence. 2021 gave us the S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra. Then, 2022 gave us the S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra. We have no reason to believe Samsung is changing that strategy for 2023, so for now, the S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra all seem like safe bets.
One such leak gives us a decent look at the size differences between each model’s display based on screen protector accessories. As expected, the base S23 is the smallest, the S23+ is slightly larger, and the S23 Ultra is the biggest, sporting a less rounded design.
Based on a handful of leaked renders making the internet rounds, it seems likely that the Galaxy S23 line is going to look very similar to those found in the S22 line. This is to be expected, as most smartphone manufacturers tend to make incremental changes with each year’s design. However, the base S23 and the S23 Ultra seem to be nearly identical to their predecessors, with the only noticeable changes being slight differences in the camera layout and the edges.
In terms of the edges, the Galaxy S23 likely has a slight change in its curvature. Instead of having the more rounded edges seen in the S22, the S23 is going to be adopting a squarer look that reduces the curvature of the glass — at least according to leaker Ice Universe. While not a huge change in design, it’s one that may impact how the S23 feels to hold, as its harsher edges may give users a better grip on their devices.
The reason for the change in the S23’s edges appears to be the result of a new metal frame used internally. It seems to be a little bit wider on the edges, necessitating a sharper curve than we’ve seen before in Galaxy devices.
The camera design on the S23 is changing slightly as well. On the S22, all of the lenses and sensors sat on a raised island, and now they appear to be following the floating camera design seen on countless other smartphones. It’s not a major change, but it seems like it might be one of the only things distinguishing the S23 from the S22 at a quick glance.
Recent leaks have started painting a much clearer picture of the Galaxy S23 in terms of its specs. According to leaker Yogesh Brar, the S23 seems to be very similar to the S22 before it, but with one key difference: It may be running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC (system on chip). Although Brar’s track record is pretty solid, there are conflicting reports about the S23’s processor.
