Samsung Galaxy S23+ review: As good as the S22+ and even better
A TEST REPORT from David Haydl 
on March 04, 2023, 11:20 | Write a comment
Samsung last month unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S23+ as part of the new generation of flagship smartphones. I was able to find out where the strengths and weaknesses of this are.
In terms of size and performance, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ ranks between the Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S23 Ultra in the new range. Among other things, it is equipped with a 50-megapixel main camera, a Dynamic AMOLED display and its own version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen2. The differences between the devices aren't even that big, because the Ultra differs from the Plus only in terms of the display, the camera and the S Pen.
The differentiation from the previous models is also not particularly significant (which shouldn't come as a surprise these days, however). Among other things, something happened in the design, the front camera and the night mode, the performance and the battery. You can now find out here how the Samsung Galaxy S23+ performed as a complete package in my test.
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tl; dr
The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is a top smartphone that leaves little to be desired. It scores with a good battery life, computing power that is difficult to bring to your knees, a great camera and a fast fingerprint sensor. My criticisms include the display resolution and the somewhat overloaded software. As mentioned at the beginning, you also have to keep in mind that the further development of the predecessor is only very marginal and you should therefore think twice about an upgrade.
Picture: TechnikNews
Unboxing and initial setup
The unboxing of the Galaxy S23+ is the same as with other smartphones from Samsung. The device comes in a flat black cardboard box. Inside is the Samsung Galaxy S23+ in two slides, a USB-C to USB-C cable, a SIM tool, and various guides and slips of paper.
The contents of the packaging are unspectacular as ever. (Picture: TechnikNews)
The furnishingprozess off exactly the same as I did in mine Galaxy Z Flip4 review described.
Design and workmanship
Visually, the S23+ is a simplified S21+ and S22+. What I mean by this is that the weight and dimensions of these models are similar, but the aluminum around the camera lenses is no longer used. The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is available in four different colors: Cream (white), Phantom Black (black), Green (dark green) and Lavander (lavender).
The new design definitely appeals to me, the continuous glass back appeals to me more than the look of the predecessor. I find the S23+ to be a device size that many people might like. Only the SIM slot on the underside is not quite to my liking, I would much prefer it to be placed on the side. Incidentally, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ supports two physical SIM cards in addition to eSIM.
Picture: TechnikNews
The processing is also positive. The frame is made of aluminum and is only interrupted by the antenna strips. There is also protection against water and dust. It comes as a display glass Corning Gorilla Glass Victory 2 used, which should be more robust than other glasses. Logically, I can't judge that completely, at least there are no visible signs of wear and tear. In other tests, however, it performs quite well:
Display
The display measures 6,6 inches diagonally and has a resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. With the S21, Samsung dared to take the step back to the lower resolution, so that you can only get the sharpest picture with the Ultra. The panel is a Dynamic AMOLED, i.e. an AMOLED that can variably change the frame rate between 48 Hertz and 120 Hertz. In addition, you get HDR10+ with a maximum brightness of 1750 nits and a fingerprint sensor under the display.
On the one hand, it's a shame that you only get a Full HD resolution for such a high price. On the other hand, I have to say that only a small number of users will probably notice this in everyday life. The good colors and the high pixel density of 393 pixels pro Customs make up for a lot here. In addition, the display is always bright enough. The only drawback is that the image turns bluish when viewed from the side.
Picture: TechnikNews
The fingerprint sensor is incredibly fast, one tap is enough and you're in. Even if the device is inactive, this happens very quickly.
Battery life
The battery in the Samsung Galaxy S23+ is 4700 mAh. In my test, this enabled an average of one and a half days of use with GPS, 5G, WLAN and high display brightness.
You can charge the device wired with 45 watts or wirelessly with 15 watts. Samsung promises that the wired S23+ will go from 30 to 0 in 65 minutes Procent can load. And that also corresponds roughly to reality - with the right power supply unit, my cell phone was always fully charged within an hour. Reverse wireless charging with four and a half watts is also included again. However, this is mainly suitable for charging in-ears and smartwatches and drains the battery noticeably faster.
inner workings and performance
The Samsung Galaxy S23+ gets its computing power from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2 for Galaxy Edition. This was manufactured using the four-nanometer process. There are either 256 gigabytes or 512 gigabytes and eight gigabytes of RAM. For the first time in Samsung smartphones in Europe, a SnapdragonProprocessor installed. Before, you only got an Exynos here with usProcessor, while Qualcomm's chips were reserved for the smartphones sold in the United States.
The "for Galaxy" in the name stands for a higher clock speed than the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen2. The cryo architecture clocks at 3,36 gigahertz instead of just 3,2 gigahertz. This should be particularly noticeable in camera recordings and gaming.
No improvements in performance can be noticed in everyday use. Everything that worked well with the Z Flip4 runs in a similar fashion here. There are no noticeable increases in performance for the camera either. But that's by no means bad, because it means that you will still be able to enjoy the device for several years to come. Elaborate games can also be played without Proplay blem.
More details on Proyou can change the processor here ...
Operating system
One UI 23 based on Android 5.1 with the security patch from February 13st of this year is installed on the Galaxy S1+.
Compared to the software that ran on the Z Flip4, there are hardly any significant innovations. One of them is the customization of the lock screen, which is similar in many respects to in iOS 16 is. The size and type of the clock can be adjusted and the way notifications are displayed can be set. Tapping on the time shows widgets, although you only see tiles from Samsung apps here. Third-party providers have no way of displaying data from their apps here. The whole thing is nice, but not nearly as inviting as Apple's.
Otherwise, the One UI 5 update came with more background images, AR emojis and many small features.
Camera
A triple camera can be found on the back of the Samsung Galaxy S23+. This is made up as follows:
- Main camera: 50 megapixels, f/1.8, 24 millimeters, Dual Pixel Phase Detection Auto Focus, optical image stabilization
- Telephoto: 10 megapixels, f/2.4, 70 millimeters, phase detection auto focus, optical image stabilization, triple optical zoom
- Ultra wide angle: 12 megapixels, 120 degree field of view, f/2.2, 13 millimeters, "Super Steady" videos
The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is equipped with a triple camera. (Picture: TechnikNews)
Videos can be recorded with the smartphone with a maximum of 8K at 30 frames per second with HDR10+. The selfie camera has a resolution of 12 megapixels (f/2.2, 26 millimeters, Dual Pixel Phase Detection Auto Focus). Samsung also advertises the “Nightography” function, which is supposed to provide better pictures at night thanks to AI.
The results leave nothing to be desired, they always look lifelike and sharp. Compared to the snaps from the Z Flip4, the S23+ even has a better grip on saturation. Night pictures are brightened a bit too much for my taste, but can become very detailed with a steady hand.
Samsung Galaxy S23+ pricing and availability
The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is available from Samsung, Amazon and various retailers. The cheapest variant starts at 1199 euros.
