Samsung Galaxy S23: release date news, price, features and spec leaks

Samsung's Galaxy S23 – the tech titan's next flagship phone – is expected in early 2023. Three versions are rumoured to be on the cards: Galaxy S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra. But how will they compare to the Galaxy S22, and the iPhone 14?

To shed some light on what the Galaxy S23 might offer, we've scoured the internet for the juiciest leaks. From a 200MP camera to a faster chip, you'll find the most recent Galaxy S23 rumours leaks and news neatly arranged below. We've even spotted some early renders...

Excited for a new flagship Samsung superphone? Here's everything we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy S23...

Samsung Galaxy S23 predictions at a glance

• Galaxy S23, S23 Plus & S23 Ultra

• S23 Ultra to get 200MP camera

• "Almost no" design changes

• New Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets

• 8K video capture for Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S23 release date rumours

Samsung typically chooses the Friday before Mobile World Congress to make its latest flagship device available. Based on that historical trend, the upcoming Galaxy S23 is tipped to be unveiled on 8th February 2023 and released on 24th February 2023.

Nothing's official, of course, but it's interesting to note that the S23 Plus's battery was registered with the South Korean Safety Agency on 6th September 2022. That would appear to indicate that the S23 is on track for an early 2023 release.

It's also worth remembering that three of the last four Samsung Galaxy S-phones have launched in early February. Here's a look back at past S-series launch and release dates...

• Read our full Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review

• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max 

Samsung Galaxy S23 price predictions

There are no credible Galaxy S23 price leaks around at the moment, but with rumours suggesting that the S23 won't look that different to the S22, there's a general feeling that Samsung will stick with its current pricing.

If that proves to be the case, the vanilla S23 could start at £769 / $799 / AU$1249.

The Galaxy S23 Plus could start at £949 / $999 / AU$1549.

And the range-topping Galaxy S23 Ultra could cost from £1149 / $1199 / AU$1849.

After Samsung's 2022-launched Galaxy S22 phone? Check out the tempting deals below...

Samsung Galaxy S23 design leaks

Disappointingly, the vanilla S23 and S23 Plus are expected to look almost identical to their predecessors. Indeed, prominent leaker @IceUniverse has tweeted that "nothing has changed except the chip". Boo!

The S23 Ultra is rumoured to have had a minor make-over. Apparently, this is to accommodate some of its cutting-edge innards, including a beefy new 200MP camera.

OnLeaks has published some unofficial renders (pictured) showing how the S23 Ultra could look, based on recent rumours. The pics seem to point to slightly thinner bezels and a rear camera sensor that protrudes slightly more than the S22 Ultra's did. Other than that, it's business as usual.

Elsewhere, the redoubtable @IceUniverse has take to Weibo to reveal what he says is the exact sizes of all three S23 phones. Here's how they compare to the current models...

• S23 (2023) – 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6mm (TBC)

• S22 (2022) – 146.0 x 70.6 x 7.6mm

• S23 Plus (2023) – 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6mm (TBC)

• S22 Plus (2022) – 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.64mm

• S23 Ultra (2023) –163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm (TBC)

• S22 Ultra (2022) – 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm

If leaked measurements are legit, they appear to confirm that the S23 will look a whole lot like the S22. Perhaps Samsung wants to encourage design-lovers to look to its pricier Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 devices?

Build quality should be decent, if the S22 Ultra is anything to go by. Its casework is made from more durable armour aluminium and sandwiched between two slabs of Gorilla Glass Victus+, which Samsung claims is 12 per cent tougher than the previous-gen glass.

There's no word on S23 colours yet. The S22 models come in green, as well as 'Phantom Black' and 'Phantom White' colour schemes. The S22 Ultra also comes in burgundy, while the S22 and S22 Plus are available in 'Pink Gold'.

Samsung Galaxy S23 display rumours

Respected leaker @IceUniverse reckons that the Galaxy S23 will sport a 6.1-inch 1080x2340 (442ppi) display. He tips the Galaxy S23 Plus for a 6.6-inch 1080x2340 (390ppi) display and the range-topping S23 Ultra for an 6.8-inch 1440x3080 (500ppi) screen (thanks gsmarena).

Sound familiar? That's probably because the current Galaxy S22, S22 Plus and S22 Ultra offer near-identical specs! If @IceUniverse is right, the standard S23 and Plus will once again be stuck with variable refresh rates of 48-120Hz. Only the S23 Ultra is expected to benefit from an LPTO display capable of scaling from 1-120Hz.

Assuming he's right, those who want minimal blurring when playing games and watching sports, as well as maximum battery efficiency when reading static content such as text, will have to shell out top dollar for the rumoured S23 Ultra. It's early days, though, and Samsung has not even confirmed the existence of the S23.

Samsung Galaxy S22 camera speculation

The camera was one of the biggest selling points of the S22, and that's likely to be the case when the S23 arrives.

As ever, the 'Ultra' model is tipped for the best tech – specifically Samsung's new and as-yet-unreleased 200MP ISOCELL HP2 sensor. You can get an idea of what this ultra-high-res sensor might be capable of by viewing this Samsung teaser video for the last-gen HP1 sensor, titled 'How Big Can a Cat Get?'.

Considering that the current S22 Ultra makes do with a 108MP main camera, the S23 Ultra's 200MP camera could create quite a stir. Especially when you consider that the current iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max offer a 48MP main camera...

Elsewhere, the S23 Ultra is tipped for a 12MP ultrawide lens and two 10MP telephoto lenses, one of which will sport a 10x optical zoom. Again, Samsung seems to have the jump on Apple – even the rumoured iPhone 15 is only thought to have a 5x or 6x optical zoom.

The standard S23 and S23 Plus will benefit from a 50MP main shooter, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto with a 3x optical zoom. Again, that mirrors what the S22 already offers.

When it comes to videography, the S23 Ultra is expected to offer the same 8K @24fps highest-resolution frame rate (at 120Hz) as the S22 Ultra, albeit with a sprinkling of new AI features.

• Flagship, ahoy! iPhone 13 Pro Max review

Samsung Galaxy S23 performance predictions

Good news: the Galaxy S23 is due to get some extra zip. Apparently, Samsung’s in-house Exynos chipset (used in the European version of the S22 Ultra) is set to be replaced by a faster, smarter Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.

"[We] were 75% on Galaxy S22 before the agreement. You should be thinking about [that] we're going to be much better than that on Galaxy S23 and beyond," said Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon on an earnings call in July 2022 (via gsmarena).

Respected leaker Ming-Chi Kuo seems to be on the same page. He previously suggested (via 9to5Google) that Samsung's next Exynos chip couldn't "compete" with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Data engineer Yogesh Brar has also tipped the S23 for the latest Qualcomm chip.

The 8 Gen 2 is due to be unveiled in November 2022, with the first phones to use it expected in December, so it won't be long before we can get an idea of the S23's raw power.

Of course, any extra processing oomph will likely need to draw power from a bigger battery. There's a rumour that Samsung is developing a game-changing "stacked battery" inspired by electric cars (via sammobile). The idea is to increase the density of the battery without increasing its size. If this pans out, the S23 Ultra could sport a 5500mAh battery with the same volume as the S22 Ultra's 5000mAh battery.

Then again, @IceUniverse, who carries a lot of weight when it comes to phone leaks, reckons Samsung will stick with the current 5000mAh battery.

As for the standard S23, it's tipped for a five percent increase in battery capacity compared to the Galaxy S22's 3700mAh unit. That ties in with Yogesh Brar's assertion that the base S23 will get a 3900mAh unit. The S23 Plus has been through certification in South Korea but the image of the battery was blurred, so its capacity remains a mystery.

There's no word on storage but the S23 family is expected to run Samsung Mobile's One UI 5 operating system. The beta version doesn't appear to offer any major advancements.

Samsung Galaxy S23 initial thoughts

If you've read our review of the iPhone 14, you'll know that it's "uncannily similar" to its predecessor. Going by the most credible S23 rumours, it seems that Samsung is using the same playbook to produce a brand new flagship with just enough incremental improvements (better cameras, say) to keep Android fans coming back for more.

But from what we can tell so far, most buyers will probably be able to make do with the Galaxy S22 for another year.

We're expecting plenty more Samsung Galaxy S23 leaks in the build-up to the big day, so keep checking back between now and February 2023.

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