Samsung Galaxy S23: Release Date & Feature Rumours

Will the next Samsung Galaxy handset blow the S22 out of the water? Find out more below...

When will the Galaxy S23 be released?

The Galaxy S23 range hasn’t been officially announced yet, however, Samsung has been pretty predictable with their release dates in recent years, so we expect the new phones to be revealed in either January or February 2023.

Early rumours suggest that there will be three versions of the S23; a standard model, a Plus, and an Ultra (essentially the same line-up that’s available for the S22). They’ll likely fall into a similar price range too, from £750 for the standard version, up to £1,150 for the top-end handset.

In 2022, the releases were staggered. The S22 Ultra was available first, and the standard and Plus versions arrived a couple of weeks after. This could be flipped this year, with the premium Ultra version coming a few weeks after the other two.

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What will the handsets look like?

Historically, when a range of Galaxy handsets was released, they all looked pretty similar. With the S22 however, the Ultra version had a completely different style to the standard and Plus versions. 

There’s some speculation that due to the positive reaction to the sharper-edged aesthetic of the Ultra S22, that style could be used across all versions of the S23. Either way, we’ll almost certainly see another Note-esque Ultra version, as that is now seen as the replacement for that defunct range of handsets.

What features will they have?

We may see the Stylus pen included with every phone in the Galaxy range for the first time. This allows for more precision when using the handset - so it’s something we’d definitely like to see.

There have also been rumours of a new chipset being used in the S23. Samsung could switch from Snapdragon / Exynos processors used in previous generations, to high-end MediaTek chips. While MediaTek has historically only provided their tech for budget Samsung phones; their premium chips used in other brands’ flagship devices recently have performed very well.

The S23 may be the first Galaxy handset to include Samsung’s proprietary Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 4.0, which would lead to higher efficiency when handling apps and content on the devices. Great news for people wanting the fastest phone possible.

In terms of storage, they’re likely to be similar to the Galaxy S22. However, there’s an outside chance the minimum capacity on the standard version could be bumped up from 128 GB to 256 GB, which would be a decent upgrade. The Plus might also be available with the huge 1TB only previously available with the Ultra. Here’s hoping!

This could also be the first Samsung handset to have a coveted ‘under-display’ front-facing camera, so instead of having a little black dot on the screen – the display would be completed uninterrupted. This technology has been available from other brands for a couple of years now, but it’s arguably not been refined yet, and Samsung is probably waiting to make sure they can get it working perfectly before introducing it to their premium range.

The camera arrays on each of the devices will, as always, get an upgrade; particularly the Ultra, which could be increased from 108 Megapixels to 200 on the rear-facing lens. That’s a *big* difference, and could help Samsung beat out the competition next year.

While the displays on the devices are likely to be improved, potentially with an increase to 240Hz frequency across all devices, a more notable (albeit, unlikely) change could be the introduction of a miniature second screen (primarily for power-saving and notifications) on the back of the Galaxy Ultra.

After Samsung decreased the size of the batteries in Galaxy devices last year, it looks like Samsung could revert to larger ones in the S23 range, with sizes ranging from 4500 mAh to 5500 mAh. Whether or not this will dramatically improve charging performance is another matter.

Will it be worth an upgrade?

As always, this could depend heavily on how new your current handset is. If a decent number of the rumoured upgrades occur, and you’re keen to stay at the forefront of mobile tech, the S23 could be a great option; even if you’ve recently purchased another phone. However, if it turns out to be more of an iterative upgrade, you’ll have to weigh it up at the time. The previous generation of Galaxy phones usually receive an instant reduction in price when a new one is announced, so you might end up getting better value for the Galaxy S22 come February 2022. Only time will tell! 

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* Underwriter Assurant General Insurance Limited. Gadget age restrictions, T&Cs & excesses apply. Customer UK 18+. Insurance with Protect Your Bubble for the Samsung Galaxy S23 will be available from the official release date onward.