The Samsung Galaxy S23+ delivers a premium build quality like its predecessor, along with a bright and vibrant display, a host of features and an upgrade in hardware. It has all the makings of being a great device, just like its predecessor was. We suspect the Galaxy S23+ will be a brilliant performer, but we do get the feeling Samsung has played it a little safe this year.
Sticking with a flat display offering a centralized punch hole for the camera at the top, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ is a larger model than the Galaxy S23, but otherwise identical. It is heavier – though still refreshingly light for its size – but it carries the same matte glass rear and glossy frame.
Colour options are the same as the Galaxy S23, with Phantom Black, Cream, Lavender and Green choices. Our personal favourites are the Lavender and Green options, though some will of course prefer the subtlety that the Black and Cream options provide. The camera lenses certainly blend more with the Phantom Black.
The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is the larger of the two ‘standard’ Galaxy S23 devices, boasting a 6.6-inch display like its predecessor. As we briefly mentioned, it’s a flat display so you don’t get those impressive curved edges like you’ll find on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
You also don’t get a built-in S Pen on the Galaxy S23+, or a screen that is compatible with the S Pen, so it’s a device that offers a big, bright and bold screen, but one that is perhaps not as convenient as the likes of the S23 Ultra.
The S23+ has a brighter screen than its predecessor though with a 1750nits peak outdoor brightness compared to the 1500nits on the S22+. It wasn’t possible to test this in the hands-on demonstration – the fact that it was indoors being one of the biggest factors – but it should help with fighting reflections and allowing you to see your display when you’re in super bright conditions.
The Samsung Galaxy S23+ runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset. Essentially this is a customised version of the snapdragon 2nd gen platform that launched in November, with a bump in the clock speed to 3.36GHz, with Qualcomm also claiming that the GPU is more powerful and efficient too. There will be no Exynos models this time around, so it’s Snapdragon for all regions.
The chipset is supported by 8GB of RAM and a choice of 256GB or 512GB of storage, neither of which have microSD support. That is double what is available on the Galaxy S23 so if you are after more storage then the Plus model is the better option.
It also has a larger battery capacity than the Galaxy S23. At 4700mAh instead of 3900mAh, it doesn’t quite take it to the S23 Ultra’s 5000mAh capacity but it does offer the same charging capabilities with both Super Fast Charging 2.0 and Fast Wireless Charging 2.0. Samsung doesn’t specify the charging speeds, though rumours predicted 45W for fast charging capabilities – which although quick, is a little below the likes of what OnePlus and Oppo offer.
There are no reviews yet.