Samsung Galaxy S23 Review: The Galaxy To Get!
Purchase price: $699
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I’ve spent most of 2023 with the Samsung Galaxy S23 as my daily driver and I’ve come to the conclusion that the regular sized version of Samsung’s flagship phone just might be the most well rounded phone I’ve ever used from the Korean giant. Why would I recommend the S23 over its pricier and beefier specced siblings? I’ll let you know right now.
Look Mah, One Hand
In terms of physical design, I don’t blame anyone for not being able to distinguish between a S21, S22 and this current model. Aside from the previously segmented camera bump corner on the rear, the basic S models have retained essentially the same body for years now. That’s not to say that it's a negative thing as this is one of the best remaining one handed mobile phones left in the US market. With a relatively smaller (by modern standards) 6.1 inch AMOLED display, the S23 is quite comfortable to hold with one hand. That 1080 x 2340 p display has a 120 Hz refresh rate and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.
Watching videos in both portrait and landscape mode is quite comfortable for long periods of time due to how ergonomically friendly it is to grasp with either one or two hands. Even though this isn’t the sharpest panel Samsung has thrown on a phone, the 425 ppi is still extremely satisfying to view. Darker colors are deep in contrast and the vibrant nature of the AMOLED panel makes for a terrific companion for space wallpapers like the one I use from Wallpaper Engine. If you’ve used a modern Samsung smartphone in the past, the S23 will continue to honor the tradition of quality viewing experiences that the company is known for.
There’s an under display fingerprint scanner that recognizes my thumbs pretty much all of the time. At this point, this is probably the most accurate it’ll get with this technology, so I can live with what the S23 gives me 95% of the time. I’ve seen slower and far worse. The face scanner is also a reliable screen unlock method that I double up with the fingerprint scanner.
Not On Top But…
As with what I said about the display, while not the highest of specs being offered by Samsung, the triple camera setup is more than enough for a modern smartphone user. In fact, I’m immensely impressed with the results this shooter gave me while using it as my only camera on a trip to a scenic Florida at the start of summer. The 50 MP f/1.8 wide sensor that you’ll be using most often, covers a terrific amount of ground without warping the image. Actually, the 12 MP f/2.2 ultrawide also does a terrific job of expanding the frame without making the image look abnormal. I avoid using ultrawide on some phones due to the fisheye barrel distortion, but S23 has my confidence. They do a good job of retaining what my eye sees in person.
Samsung processes light fairly well in a variety of situations. During sunset, the S23 exposes the source light rather accurately and offers a solid contrast around the darker shades. In a brightly lit environment, it’s very rare for the phone to overexpose in auto mode. The S23 doesn’t wash out the background for shots under a scorching sun. Another feature I rarely use on smartphones is the telephoto zoom capabilities. I threw the 10 MP f/2.4 telephoto lens to the test while on the safari ride at Animal Kingdom and once again, the results were surprisingly decent. Punching in 3x the wide aperture didn’t reduce the sharpness as much as I thought it would.
I want to talk briefly about the low light capabilities of the S23 because it’s quite good as a night time snapper. In most scenarios, I would say the S23 will give you solid, usable photos to post onto your Instagram. If you look closer for detail, you’ll see that the phone ups the exposure to pick up details the further away the main focal point of source light is. I’ve seen much grainier in better lighting situations at this price point so I do feel that Samsung did pretty well here. I’m still on the fence about whether I prefer the Pixel 7 or iPhone over the S23 for low light photos, but at least they are all within the ballpark of each other. You can’t really go wrong with any of them in 2023
You expect these results from a flagship phone and I’m satisfied with the quick nature in which I was able to snap a photo and move on. This is what I believe is the key to Samsung’s success with the base S series phones. While these phones don’t give the highest specs or results, they are great auto mode snappers that most people can just take out and snap a great shot for their social media without needing to spend time adjusting their frame to get the perfect photo. If you’re that type of smartphone user, then the S23 is extremely competitive in the photo taking category for you.
PErforming Near The Top
Keeping with the theme of the review, the 3,900 mAh battery in the S23 isn’t as big as the Ultra, but it’s been a battery champion for me. I’m shocked at how long the phone lasts with my daily usage. After a full workday, I get home at around 8 PM with normally over 50% of battery life left. Android 13 skinned with One UI 5.1, the S23 seems to run effectively with good background management of apps idling. This phone has really gained my confidence that it’ll last as long as I need it to on any given day. There’s also wireless charging that makes juicing the phone up even more convenient.
Product Specs +
- SD 8 Gen 2 CPU
- 8 GB Ram
- 128 GB Storage
- 6.1 Inch AMOLED Display
- 1080 x 2340 p (425 ppi)
- 120 Hz Refresh Rate
- 3,900 mAh Battery
Camera Specs +
Rear Cameras
- 50 MP, f/1.8 Wide
- 12 MP, f/2.2 Ultrawide
- 10 MP, f/2.4 Telephoto
Selfie Cameras
- 12 MP, f/2.2
Diverging from the lesser spec trend, the S23 shares the same flagship Qualcomm processor as its beefer siblings. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the heart that pushes the phone forward with its 8 GB of ram and 128 GB of storage. The phone is as snappy as any flagship I’ve used to date. I’ve only come across a few times where an app would lock up or force close, but hiccups were few and far. The combination of the healthy battery and the high end chipset makes the S23 also terrific for mobile gaming. I’ve been running Honkai: Star Rail frequently since launch day to fantastic results. This is a game that requires long play sessions in which I did not once feel uncomfortable holding in my hands. The S23 for what it’s worth in the gaming world, doesn't run too hot.
Audio comes out of the bottom firing speaker and the earpiece. It gets rather loud, but still retains decent quality without becoming distorted at higher levels. The projection isn’t as filling our whole sounding as I’ve heard coming out of some recent phones, but it does the job well enough when you don’t have a pair of bluetooth earbuds connected.
An Unsung Hero
The S23 is such a simple phone to review. Physically it has the right build materials with its aluminum frame and glass body to feel like an expensive phone. The flagship chipset keeps it up there with the best of the best and the camera setup doesn’t fall behind industry leaders. What truly sets it apart is that it’s more affordable and easier to hold in one hand than many of its flagship counterparts. I honestly don’t see that drastic of a difference between this $700 phone and a $1200 Ultra or Max-upped smartphone. There’s tremendous overall value with the S23 and I think it’s a worthy consideration for every single type of buyer on the market today.
Alex
Caught in between the conundrum of his fascination with retro and the future, Alex has a very unique taste in technology. Never one to follow trends like his millennial peers yet constantly desiring to get ahead of the curve, he sees technology like he does his other love: comic books. Always looking for the best value or a hidden gem, his collector mindset reflects on some of his favorite gadgets: the Moto X (2015), HTC U11 and the Google Pixelbook. If there’s a good tech deal out there, Alex is on the hunt!