After months of speculations and what has turned into an open secret by the time of unveiling, Samsung officially unveiled their line of 2023 flagship range earlier today via Samsung’s online event, Samsung Unpacked.

Enter the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, S23+ and S23.

L-R: S23 Ultra, S23+ & S23

Yes, we are aware they are a mouthful and we know you what you are thinking; what separates one model from the other? Well, allow us to explain to the best of our understanding.

Replacing last year’s S-range devices, the 2023 lineup promises incremental yet significant improvements across the board, both on the hardware and software front. The base model, the S23, while on the surface identical to its predecessor, is anything but underneath.

All of Samsung’s 2023 S-range devices are equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. This promises a more powerful and power-efficient range of devices compared to the respective models they are replacing. The S23 Ultra does get a slight overall boost in power however those opting for the S23 or S23+ won’t feel much of a difference considering the different nature and purpose each of these devices carry.

Apart from the S23 which comes with the Super AMOLED screen, the S23+ and S23 Ultra both have the Dynamic AMOLED slapped on. Those particular about screen refresh rates would be happy to know that all devices come with a 120Hz refresh rate which is expected of flagship-tier models.

The S23 still comes with the same amount of RAM at 8GB now paired with the latest Adreno 740 GPU. It is worth noting that the S23 comes with a slight bump in battery capacity from last year’s model – an increase of 200mAh to 3900mAh which should be more than adequate even for a semi-heavy user.

Camera-wise, on paper the S23 camera module is very much similar to what came with the S22 device. However, you can expect an overall improvement in processing and experience due to the increase in computational power which comes with the new chip.

The S23+ is basically the souped-up version of the base model. If you are happy with the technical specifications of the base S23 but yearn for a wider screen, larger internal storage and a longer-lasting battery, this one’s for you.

The S23+ has a wider screen; 6.6-inch to be exact, compared to the 6.1-inch found on the base S23 and internal storage which is double the capacity of the base S23 at 256GB. It is worth noting that all S23 devices do not have the option to expand the size of storage. Of course, a larger footprint equals a weightier device and the S23+ is about 30g heavier overall. Our review of the S22+ can be found here. 

Lastly, and surely the best of the lot, the star of the show – the S23 Ultra. As its name implies, everything with the Ultra is a bit extra. As if the 50MP main camera on the other S23 devices weren’t sufficient, the S23 Ultra comes with a whopping 200MP main camera. Believe us that this bump is definitely nuts considering last year’s model, the S22 Ultra main camera ‘only’ had 108 megapixels. Supporting it are two 10-MP telephoto cameras of differing Optical Zoom levels and a 12-MP camera to complete the quad-camera setup. And of course – the S Pen. This is essentially a modern-day Note device all but in the name.

At a quick glance, the S23 Ultra has almost the exact same silhouette as the S22 Ultra. However, those who handled last year’s model would quickly notice some key distinguishing traits upon picking up the new model. Compared to the S22 Ultra which was softer around the edges, especially due to its curved screen, the S23 Ultra feels more angular.

In terms of battery capacity, Samsung decided to stick with the 5000mAh battery and while we’d hope for a larger one with the latest device, believe that paired with a more efficient chip, the battery performance should at the very least, match last year’s device which was pretty respectable. During Samsung’s recent closed-door event, we were able to play around with the S23 Ultra and can confirm that the S-Pen from the S22 Ultra is fully compatible with the newer device.

The major difference between current and previous Ultra models can be summarized as follows:

• A 200MP main camera vs 108MP main camera from last year’s model
• Latest-gen and more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip
• Larger internal storage of 256GB + 12GB RAM for its base model compared to 128GB + 8GB RAM in the 22 Ultra

In all, the S23 Ultra picks up from where the S22 Ultra left off and refined all areas. Personally, the S22 Ultra was the best phone of 2022. To know why, check out the review of it here. 

All S23 devices come with wireless charging (reversible), and USB-C as main connection ports, with no jacks given. All sport an on-screen Ultrasonic fingerprint reader for security and are IP68-rated. All models are available in four colors; Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender.

Fingers crossed, we will return with a full and thorough review of these devices in the weeks to come.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra retails from RM5,699, while the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+’s recommended retail price starts from RM3,899. Stay tuned for further details in regards to pre-order deals starting February 2nd 2023.