Of the three telephones Samsung unveiled at its annual Galaxy Unpacked occasion on 1 February, it’s fairly apparent that the S23 Extremely is the star of the present. The agency devoted nearly all of my pre-briefing name to debate its newest flagship handset – a lot of it, in truth, that I used to be starting to assume that the opposite two telephones didn’t exist.
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And now that I’ve had an opportunity to provide the S23 Extremely a whirl in individual, you may type of see why. Reviving legacy Galaxy Observe-like options alongside a recent checklist of unique goodies, the S23 Extremely is a wholly totally different proposition from its siblings. In the event you’ve obtained the cash to splurge on a brand new telephone in 2023, then the S23 Extremely may be the one to purchase.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely assessment: Key specs, UK value and launch date
- 6.8in, 120Hz HDR10+ 1,440p Dynamic AMOLED 2X show
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 2 for Galaxy
- 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage
- Quad rear digital camera: 200MP, 12MP ultrawide, Two 10MP telephoto
- Selfie digital camera: 12MP
- 5,000mAh battery
- IP68-rated waterproofing
- Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- Colors: Phantom Black, Cream, Inexperienced and Lavender
- UK launch date: Preorder from 1 February, out there from 17 February
- UK value: £1,249 (256GB), £1,399 (512GB), £1,599 (1TB)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely assessment: Design, key options and first impressions
Samsung merged its Observe and S-series lineup final yr, and as 2023 begins it’s clear that this dangerous transfer paid off. There’s now clearly a little bit of a client urge for food for the S Pen, since, in spite of everything, Samsung would have probably made the stylus extinct if final yr’s S22 Extremely didn’t meet gross sales expectations.
So, sure, the S Pen has returned for a second yr. A note-taking doodler and all-round productiveness stylus, that is what makes the S23 Extremely really particular. Not a single considered one of Samsung’s opponents affords something even remotely related.
Nevertheless, for those who’re anticipating to see any dramatic adjustments for the S Pen in 2023, then put together to be disillusioned. The core performance stays precisely the identical, and Samsung didn’t point out whether or not the {hardware} had seen any type of improve, both.
The identical could be mentioned in regards to the design of the handset. Regardless of a set of 4 new color choices – Phantom Black, Cream, Inexperienced and Lavender – there’s no hiding the truth that the S23 Extremely seems remarkably much like final yr’s mannequin. Samsung says that the curvature on the left and proper edges of the display screen is a little more dramatic, however this isn’t one thing that was instantly apparent throughout my hands-on session.
It’s nonetheless a mighty brute of a handset, and whereas Samsung didn’t present dimensions and weight particulars throughout my briefing, the S23 Extremely is clearly higher fitted to greater palms, in addition to the deepest of pockets.
The place the S23 Extremely does differ, nonetheless, is in its use of recycled supplies as a part of its building. The S23 Extremely comprises 12 inner and exterior parts (up from six) which encompass discarded fishing nets, plastic from water barrels, aluminium and glass.
The S23 Extremely’s field and packaging can also be product of 100% recycled paper, and the brand new Gorilla Glass Victus 2 display screen safety comprises a median of twenty-two% pre-consumer recycled materials as nicely.
On that observe, the S23 Extremely’s AMOLED show measures 6.8in throughout the diagonal, which is similar as final yr and is 1,440p in decision with a 120Hz refresh fee. Outdoors of a brand new Superior Imaginative and prescient Booster characteristic – which adjusts color tone and distinction at three totally different ambient lighting ranges – there’s not a lot new to report right here, both.
The S23 Extremely comes with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside, which is Qualcomm’s most up-to-date flagship processor. Surprisingly, Samsung talked about that this explicit CPU makes use of a “for Galaxy” designation, however didn’t truly go into any specifics about what this implies. Qualcomm has shed some mild on this, and we now know that the max clock velocity has been boosted to three.6GHz, in comparison with 3.3GHz on the bottom model.
As ever, you get three storage choices to select from: 256GB, 512GB and 1TB. The telephone additionally comes with a 5,000mAh battery (no change right here) and has Android 13 pre-installed, albeit with Samsung’s One UI 5.1 tweaks. A complete of 5 years’ price of safety updates can also be promised, with 4 years of One UI and Android OS upgrades.
There are a handful of latest software program options coming with One UI 5.1, together with co-edit performance within the Samsung Notes app once you’re on a name, in addition to a recent change to Samsung Knox. This now provides you full visibility over which app has entry to your information, the way it’s getting used and a breakdown of the place you may be in danger.
As anticipated, Samsung made an enormous tune and dance in regards to the S23 Extremely’s cameras. The headline characteristic this yr is the inclusion of a 200MP most important sensor, which is the biggest Samsung has ever included in a telephone up to now – changing the S22 Extremely’s 108MP most important digital camera.
It’s not the primary 200MP smartphone, nonetheless. Samsung didn’t go into specifics through the launch occasion, however my assumption is that the S23 Extremely incorporates the identical Samsung-made ISOCELL HP1 sensor because the Xiaomi 12T Professional and Motorola Edge 30 Extremely, which each launched final yr. The remainder of the digital camera lineup is far the identical as earlier than, together with a pair of 10MP telephoto lenses, a 12MP ultrawide unit and a 12MP selfie.
Extra megapixels doesn’t at all times end in a greater image, in fact, however Samsung has made a boatload of enhancements all through. The S23 Extremely will get improved video stabilisation courtesy of one thing referred to as ‘Adaptive VDIS’, which is a software-level algorithm that analyses motion and detects lighting situations in video and stabilises accordingly.
Portrait mode has acquired a wholesome replace, too, and may now seize extra true-to-life pores and skin textures, pores and skin tones and hair color even in difficult lighting conditions. That is much like Google’s Actual Tone characteristic utilized in its Pixel 7 smartphones.
Evening taking pictures is enormously improved, apparently, with new pixel binning tech that mixes neighbouring pixels to assist enhance the lighting in a photograph. It’s best to be capable of take higher footage and video of the night time sky, too, with new Astro Hyperlapse and Astrophoto taking pictures modes.
Lastly, now you can shoot at 50MP within the Professional RAW app, in comparison with 12MP beforehand, and 8K video is filmed at a wider angle than final yr (a rise from 57- to 80-degrees).
Samsung Galaxy 23 Extremely assessment: Early verdict
There’s clearly loads to speak about on the subject of the S23 Extremely’s cameras – I’m wanting ahead to testing them very quickly – and there are a couple of different bits to get enthusiastic about, too. The inevitable velocity enhancements will probably be welcome, as will the larger deal with utilizing extra recyclable supplies within the manufacturing course of, however this may not be sufficient to sway potential consumers come launch day.
We additionally want to speak in regards to the value. The S23 Extremely begins at £1,249 for the bottom 256GB model, rising to £1,399 and £1,599 for the 512GB and 1TB fashions. Final yr’s S22 Extremely began at £1,149, which makes for a considerable improve of £100 this yr.
With a launch slated for 17 February, it gained’t be lengthy earlier than we discover out whether or not the S23 Extremely justifies the additional outlay. Keep tuned for my full assessment within the coming weeks.
