The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is now only minutes away as we head rapidly towards the first Unpacked event of 2023. And while leaks like the image above have revealed a lot of the key details, several key things remain unknown – and that’s what we’ll be focusing on in this regularly-updated liveblog.
It’s almost certain that we’ll see three new smartphones – the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra – revealed during the Samsung Unpacked event, which starts at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT today (February 1).
Barring an unexpected clanger from Samsung, all three will be among the best Android phones you can buy. But how much will they cost, when will you be able to buy them, and what camera software trickery has Samsung managed to keep under wraps ahead of its live event?
We’ll be reporting live from the event itself to fill you in all of these details, as well as giving you our unvarnished opinion on all of Samsung’s latest flagships. So grab the popcorn and join us for one of the biggest Android launches of the year.
Good afternoon and welcome to our Samsung Galaxy S23 live blog.
We’re now just over two hours from Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, which is due to start at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT today on February 1, or 5am AEDT on February 2 for those tuning in from Australia.
The last-minute leaks have been plentiful, with official imagery, marketing videos and spec sheets raining down to give us a pretty clear idea of what to expect from Samsung’s flagships (on paper, at least).
But while we’ll be serving up a refresher on what we already know about the S23 series, this live blog will also shine a spotlight on the details we don’t know, like their pricing and release dates. We’ll also bring you our expert opinions on features like the S23 camera systems and processors.
So, let’s crack on with the show…
What we expect to see at Samsung Unpacked
There have been a lot of rumors flying around, but what exactly are we expecting to see at Unpacked? The main news will be the S23 series, but here’s a broad overview of everything that’s likely en route.
Samsung Galaxy S23: The S23 looks like a relatively minor upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy S22, with the same 6.1-inch FHD+ screen, the same 120Hz refresh rate, and the same rear camera setup. But a new chipset – most likely the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – looks a cert, and the design should be brought more in line with the S23 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus: As with the S23, the Galaxy S23 Plus is likely to be an evolution rather than revolution. Expect a bigger 6.6-inch FHD+ screen and a larger battery than on the vanilla model, but not many other differences.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The standout reveal at Galaxy Unpacked should be the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. As well as getting a powerful new chipset it’s tipped to get a whopping 200MP sensor on the rear camera. Elsewhere, a 6.8-inch QHD+ screen, up to 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery should give it the specs to compete with the best phones.
Samsung Galaxy Book 3 family: Rumors suggest that there will be several Galaxy Book 3 models debuting at Unpacked, including the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, and the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.
One UI 5.1: The only software reveal at the event is likely to be the latest version of Samsung’s One UI. This is unlikely to be a huge release, with bigger changes likely held back for the arrival of Android 14 later this year.
Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Design
As Samsung fans will already be well aware, we’re expecting three members of the Galaxy S23 series to arrive in just over an hour: the Galaxy S23, the Galaxy S23 Plus and the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The leaked image of dummy units you see below (credit: Sonny Dickson) echoes other leaks and rumors around the design direction Samsung is taking with this generation. Each device looks strikingly similar in form to the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The standard and Plus models of the S23 this year appear to shrug off the Contour Cut camera module of the previous two generations of Galaxy S phone, in favor of something a little more sleek and sharp.
TechRadar’s Editor in Chief, Marc McLaren has done a deep-dive on the difference between the three expected models in our Samsung Galaxy S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra comparison feature.
Samsung Galaxy S23 series: price
Regardless of how many leaks there have been around the Galaxy S23 – and seriously, this thing has leaked like a sieve – we don’t know everything about it yet.
For one, we don’t yet know for sure how much it will cost.
The smart money (pun intended) says that in the US at least, all three models will keep the prices from the S22. If true, that would mean prices of $799.99, $999.99 and $1,199.99 respectively, for the base variants.
However, earlier this week we heard rumors that Galaxy S23 prices could go up in some countries – and considerably so. Fingers crossed that isn’t the case.
Samsung Galaxy S23 pre-orders: hurry!
If Samsung Galaxy S23 prices do rise, then you’ll want to save every cent you can on the new phones. That’s particularly true if you have your eye on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, because that phone is unlikely to be cheap wherever you are.
The good news is that you can save money on the devices if you act quickly (within the next 20 minutes or so). Galaxy S23 preorders are still live, and the official Samsung site is running a unique pre-registration promo which could save you $50 on one of the phones.
Simply head on over to this page and fill out the ‘register your interest’ form to reserve a device. Not only will you secure a firm place in line in doing this, but you’ll also receive $50 of store credit should you commit to a preorder once they go live later today.
But act quickly: the pre-orders will close an hour before the event starts, so you have around 20 minutes to register.
Samsung Galaxy S23 series: the all-important ringtone
Looking for a bit of light relief in the last 15 minutes before Samsung Unpacked kicks off? Check out the series’ new retro ringtone below.
The trademark tune has been around since 2011’s Galaxy S II and this year’s take on it comes courtesy of Yaeji, a Korean-American DJ and producer who straddles the worlds of pop, house music and hip hop. I like its Nintendo-style charm, but as expected it’s divided opinion in the YouTube comments.
Expect to hear this song on a train near you very soon – or perhaps on the music festival circuit, as Yaeji’s booked to play the likes of Coachella later in 2023.
Samsung Galaxy S23 series price: how much will they cost?
Given the amount of leaks we’ve digested over the past few weeks, we’re fairly confident about what we expect to see unveiled at this year’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event – but just how much the company’s new Galaxy S23 phones will cost is still up for debate.
Based on recent rumors, we suspect Galaxy S23 prices to stay the same as their S22 counterparts in the US (i.e. $799.99, $999.99 and $1,199.99), but the news is less promising for European customers, who could be facing price increases of up to €300 (which would mark the biggest generational increase in Galaxy history!).
One leaker has even suggested that Galaxy S23 prices in Turkey will be equivalent to around $2,660 / £2,145 / AU$3,740 – which would probably be enough to get you two of the company’s new phones in the US and UK. Here’s hoping Samsung doesn’t vary its prices quite so wildly across the globe…
Samsung Unpacked 2023: how can you watch?
There’s now just ten minutes to go until the Samsung Galaxy S23 launch. If you’re still wondering how to tune in, you have a few potential options.
Samsung will be streaming Galaxy Unpacked 2023 on the Samsung website, and the event will also be livestreamed across the company’s usual channels.
That gives us a good idea of where else you’ll be able to watch it. Samsung’s YouTube pagewill definitely host a livestream, for one, and we’ve embedded that below.
The Samsung News siteis also likely to host the stream, and it’s very possible the video will be viewable elsewhere, too.
Samsung Galaxy S23 series: performance
If the leaks are to be believed, then Samsung’s Galaxy S23 lineup could be its best-performing smartphones yet.
A big part of that will be down to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a chipset that Samsung hasn’t admitted it will be using but leaks and comments from Qualcomm itself hint that this is indeed what the S23 mobiles will rely on.
Leaked Galaxy S23 benchmark scores suggest that the Galaxy S23 (and its Plus and Ultra models) will be the fastest Android phone on the market, with scores that put the device close to the Apple A16 chip used in the iPhone 14 Pro.
These claims are backed up by another source that says all three S23 models will see an increase in processor speed by 36%, an increase in graphics performance by 48%, and an increase in neural processing of 60% compared to Samsung’s S22 phones.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 also claims to give mobile games a bump in performance, with its Adreno GPU promising 25% faster performance and better visuals thanks to its ray-tracing capabilities. We’ll have to wait and see what Samsung announces, but if its new hardware includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 then we could be in for a treat.
Samsung Galaxy S23 series: specs
It’s not just the chipset being used by Samsung’s hardware that’s been leaked, their other specs might have been revealed early too.
Firstly, in terms of digital storage space, we might see every Samsung Galaxy S23 model will abandon their smallest 128GB variant; that would mean you’d only be able to buy a model with 256GB at a minimum. If these new smallest models adopt prices that are similar to their respective 128GB Galaxy S22 counterparts then we won’t be complaining, but if the change means Samsung’s base models end up being more expensive than before we’ll be disappointed.
That said, those after a budget option may not be out of luck; another rumor has suggested the regular Galaxy S23 will retain its 128GB version, so we’ll have to see which leak is true.
Another note on storage is that some versions of the phones might be exclusive to the Samsung store. This includes some colors but also the rumored 1TB storage / 12GB RAM model of the Samsung Galaxy S23.
Speaking of RAM; the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus are expected to only boast 8GB of it, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is rumored to offer only 8GB of RAM in its 256GB storage model, but its 512GB and 1TB storage models will deliver 12GB of RAM.
When are Samsung’s new phones actually launching?
In terms of when you can physically get your hands on Samsung’s shiny new devices, the latest intelligence suggests that the Galaxy S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra will all begin shipping online and in stores from February 17.
As we’ve mentioned, Galaxy S23 preorders are still live (but only for a few more minutes!), and it’s worth flagging again that you’ll get a nice little $50 store credit should you commit to purchasing one of the brand’s new phones. Go! Go! Go!