Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus Assessment – Optimised Not Upgraded

On 1 February 2023, Samsung ushered within the newest period for the Galaxy S vary. With the discharge of the S23 vary of flagship smartphones, the model introduced many new options. Nevertheless, the standout for many was its upgraded cameras throughout the lineup. I spent just a few weeks with the brand new Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, switching from my S22 Plus each day driver to make a side-by-side comparability to evaluate whether or not an improve can be well worth the further value. 

RELATED: Samsung Galaxy S23 Vary Launches in South Africa 

As you’ll have undoubtedly seen, Samsung has centered its advertising and marketing marketing campaign on the brand new vary on its upgraded cameras. That mentioned, we do need to marvel about the remainder of the upgrades, how they examine to the earlier era and if It’s certainly a great step as much as justify a smartphone improve. 

Construct and Design 

As with lots of its predecessors, the Samsung design group once more doesn’t stray too far concerning design modifications. Essentially the most important and notable change year-on-year is the digital camera deck. As a substitute of the island strategy we’ve change into accustomed to, Samsung has opted to maintain its digital camera configuration primarily clear. It protrudes a contact from the remainder of the rear casing, however that’s the extent of it. 

The remainder of the design stays principally untouched. It has a barely extra squared strategy to its edges than the S21 and S22 ranges earlier than. Nevertheless, the rest of the aluminium chassis is left intact. It has all the identical ports, buttons and enter positions because the S22 items. 

By way of colors, the S23 vary retains two of its earlier colors, together with the Phantom Black and Inexperienced, whereas including two new ones with Lavender and Cream. The Phantom Black will possible be the most well-liked of the colors, which can also be what we obtained for assessment. The palette has a matte black end, equivalent to the S22 I in contrast side-by-side. 

Different similarities between the S23+ and S22+ are their 196g weight and stereo speaker configuration. As well as, the model has considerably upgraded the construct high quality, together with the brand new Gorilla Glass Victus 2 display screen on the back and front. 

Total, you’re not getting a lot in the way in which of an overhaul on seems to be. The aesthetics are nonetheless strong however don’t stand out over any era of the Galaxy S vary earlier than it. 

RELATED: Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus Assessment – It’s Time for an Improve 

Display screen and Show 

The one facet I assumed Samsung would change between iterations is the display screen. Nevertheless, they’ve caught the identical panel onto the S23 vary because it featured on the S22. This consists of the usual S23, the Plus and the Extremely editions. It was a shock, to say the least. 

Extra particularly, this is identical Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with 120Hz and HDR10+ assist. It does, nonetheless, tweak issues on the brightness facet, permitting for display screen safety however nonetheless providing as much as 1750 nits peak brightness. 

Moreover, it has the identical display screen dimension of 6.6″. This additionally consists of the decision at 1,080×2,340px, with the identical 393ppi pixel density. 

Once more, evaluating the 2 units side-by-side taking part in the identical movies, viewing the identical pictures and taking part in the identical video games, there’s no distinction in high quality, brightness, color depth and the like. So, in the long run, there’s not a lot to debate in the event you’ve skilled the earlier era’s screens. 

Efficiency and Battery 

The place Samsung has made good efficiency upgrades with the brand new Qualcomm SoC. The Galaxy S23 Plus options the brand new Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) processor with its Octo-Core CPU. This features a 3.36GHz Cortex-X3 CPU, alongside x2 2.8GHz Cortex-A715, x2 2.8GHz Cortex-A710 and x3 2.0GHz Cortex-A510 CPUs. The SoC consists of an Adreno 740 GPU. 

Performances from the brand new SoC carry with it efficiency upgrades concerning computation energy, in addition to efficiencies for multitasking and elevated battery life. 

There are two variations to the storage choices, together with a 256GB with 8GB RAM and a 512GB with 8GB RAM. For a restricted time, Samsung provided the 512GB on the 256GB pricing however has since reverted to standardised pricing. 

Though the S23 vary nonetheless options the Android 13 OS, which lots of its most up-to-date smartphones had been upgraded to in 2022, the brand new vary comes with One UI 5.1 out of the field. This brings with it a number of optimisations and recent options, particularly within the type of multitasking. As well as, apps similar to Twin Messaging and DeX have obtained updates to make them extra highly effective and simple to make use of. I examined Samsung DeX utilizing a laptop computer docking station with a Kind-C cable for charging, which routinely detected the S23+ from the place I may launch the desktop OS. It labored nice and felt much more light-weight than earlier iterations. 

Battery efficiency has been the most effective upgrades on the One UI 5.1 updates, together with the Qualcomm SoC. This implies I may push the battery life barely additional over the S22+. I may simply energy by means of the day on a single cost and have one other 20-40% remaining on Day 2. 

Digicam 

Despite the fact that Samsung’s advertising and marketing focuses its marketing campaign on improved images, the S23 and S23 Plus items didn’t see a lot enchancment. Sure, software program tweaks with the brand new One UI 5.1 enhance the efficiency barely however nothing near the overhaul on the Extremely. 

I attempted to seek out any important modifications to the {hardware} of the digital camera configuration, however there aren’t many if any. On paper, it options the identical triple-lens digital camera setup as on the S22+. This consists of the next: 

• 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (extensive), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, Twin Pixel PDAF, OIS 
• 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 
• 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55″ 1.4µm, Tremendous Regular video 

There’s one digital camera that has been upgraded, and that’s the selfie cam. Upgrading from a 10MP configuration, it now sports activities a 12MP, f/2.2, 26mm (extensive), Twin Pixel PDAF lens. 

Is It Value Upgrading to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus? 

When unboxing the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus for the primary time and noticing the brand new digital camera structure, it appeared clear that loads of work was put into redesigning each the design and inside {hardware}. Nevertheless, after just a few days of use, it grew to become clear that this wasn’t the case. 

Virtually nothing has modified between the Galaxy S vary’s two Plus iterations. Sure, there’s a slight design change, simply as slight because the Qualcomm SoC. Should you already personal the Galaxy S22+ smartphone and wish an improve, the S23 Plus will not be your gadget. It’s possible you’ll be higher served trying on the Galaxy S23 Extremely, which has a much wider characteristic set, though at a better premium. 

If you’ll find a ok sale for the older S22+, in the event you’re coming from a earlier Galaxy S smartphone or one other model, the S23+ could also be the most suitable choice for future updates with commonplace pricing not being that disparate.