Samsung Galaxy S23 leak predicts overwhelming upgrade | digital trends

Samsung is just a few months away from unveiling the Galaxy S23 series at its next Unpacked event. We’ve already seen some purported renders depicting the phone’s design, which appears to be a mix between the Galaxy S22 and the floating camera lens aesthetic of the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

It’s a welcome design change, but it seems the visual refinement comes at the expense of a rather modest upgrade under the hood. Leaker Yogesh Brar has shared the rumored key specs of the standard Galaxy S23 and things don’t look particularly appealing.

The only major upgrade is the new SoC (system on chip), as Samsung is said to be swapping out the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Galaxy S22 for the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 silicon for the Galaxy S23. The next-generation Qualcomm chip will be paired with 8GB of RAM and 128/256GB of onboard storage.

The only other upgrade takes place in the battery department. The Galaxy S23 will reportedly come with a 3,900mAh battery under the hood, up from the small 3,700mAh unit found in its predecessor. Battery life was one of the Galaxy S22’s biggest weaknesses, and while the upgrade for the Galaxy S23 isn’t huge, it’s still a welcome improvement.

Samsung Galaxy S23
(rumored)

– 6.1" FHD+ SAMOLED, 120Hz
– Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC
– Rear camera: 50 MP (OIS) + 12 MP (UW) + 10 MP (Tele)
– Front camera: 10MP
– 8GB of memory
– 128/256GB storage
– Android 13, OneUI 5
– 3,900mAh battery, 25W wired, 15W wireless charging

— Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) October 18, 2022

However, it looks like charging speeds will remain terribly slow once again, especially when compared to other Android phone makers who are already surpassing the 100W mark. Wattage for wireless charging is also capped at 15W, which again falls far short of what OnePlus and other Chinese brands have to offer.

The camera department also carries on the imaging legacy of the Galaxy S22. The latest leak predicts a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide snapper and a 10-megapixel telephoto shooter. Selfie and video calling tasks are handled by a 10 megapixel lens.

Better than Apple but faces a Google-sized boss

The chip upgrade reported by Samsung, the increase in battery capacity and the fresh design are still generous compared to the Samsung iPhone 14 that barely got upgrade love from Apple. However, Apple isn’t the best brand to emulate, especially when the real competition in the Android world is innovating at a breakneck pace with each generation.

However, the biggest threat comes from Google. The company’s smartphone strategy over the past few years has been really impressive. With the Pixel 7 series starting at just $599, Google is aggressively shrinking the breathing space for any entry-level Android flagship — especially Samsung.

Assuming Samsung keeps the price of its base flagship at $800, the Galaxy S23 will face an uphill battle against the Pixel 7. The only saving grace is the additional telephoto camera, but buyers really need to convince themselves that a zoom camera is worth an extra $200 for them.

For an extra $100, the Pixel 7 Pro will cast its giant shadow over the Galaxy S23, especially with a bigger battery, bigger screen, and well-received camera chops. Samsung will have a chance to undercut the iPhone 14 on the spec sheet, but that probably won’t result in smashing sales.

Also, market trends suggest that Apple — despite its criminally rotten upgrades — is eating up Samsung’s market share, rather than the other way around. Sensible upgrades have been the main selling point of Samsung phones, especially when compared to iPhones, but the Galaxy S23 doesn’t seem to offer that luxury.

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