Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus: The Premium Feel You Can’t Afford to Miss
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus Review
High praise has been given to the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Ultra for having small and large flagship features, respectively. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, which shares some features with both models, like 45W charging and UWB support, falls in the middle.
Despite sharing a size with the S23 Ultra, the S23 Plus’ specifications are more similar to those of the S23’s entry-level model. Due to the success of its siblings, the S23 Plus must overcome the challenge of demonstrating its importance.
With enhancements like a faster chipset, more storage, and a marginally larger battery, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus is a minor generational upgrade over the Galaxy S22+ from the previous year.
It’s an incremental update through and through, but at the same $1,000 MSRP it’s a slightly improved version of what Samsung gave us last year, making it an alluring upgrade for anyone who has been holding onto their current device for a while. Look at our Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review to make an informed decision about buying this phone.
Overall Design and Build
With enhancements like a faster chipset, more storage, and a marginally larger battery, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus is a minor generational upgrade over the Galaxy S22 Plus from the previous year.
It’s an incremental update through and through, but at the same $1,000 MSRP; it’s a slightly improved version of what Samsung gave us last year, making it an alluring upgrade for anyone who has been holding onto their current device for a while.
The Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 found on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus offers better scratch and crack resistance than the Victus Plus glass found on earlier models. The side rails are still made of aluminum, but their shape has been slightly squared off. They are comparable, despite not being as flat as the iPhone 14 series.
Additionally, Samsung has made a concerted effort to use more recycled materials, such as recycled glass and plastics from the ocean, to manufacture its most recent flagship devices. In addition, all of the packaging’s paper comes from post-consumer recycled sources.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus has every standard feature found on a smartphone, including a SIM tray, speakers, microphones, and a USB-C port. The S23+ still allows users to easily switch physical SIM cards, unlike Apple’s recent move to eSIM. A previously housed triple camera system in its compartment is now on the device’s back.
This design decision resembles the S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra in that it gives the appearance that the cameras are floating on the back of the phone. Even though it’s a typical design choice, the S23 series benefits from it because it sets it apart from earlier models.
Compared to the Galaxy S22+, the volume and power buttons on the Galaxy S23+ are located on the right side. This might be a bit of a stretch for those with smaller hands, but I had no trouble.
The device also has stereo speakers, which can be loud and produce good clarity but lack depth and can sound hollow. Although they fall short of the iPhone 14 Pro’s audio quality, they are still suitable for everyday use. However, those hoping for an immersive audio experience might wish for more.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor from Qualcomm, slightly overclocked to give the CPU and GPU more power, powers every device in the Galaxy S23 lineup. It is the first processor to use the new Cognitive ISP from Snapdragon, which improves images as they are processed.
Only Apple’s A16 Bionic is faster than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy in terms of power. With smooth performance across all tasks, including gaming and multitasking, the Galaxy S23+ is one of the fastest smartphones currently on the market, thanks to this processor. The responsiveness of the device is also aided by One UI 5.1.
The most recent One UI 5.1, an incremental upgrade from One UI 5.0 and built on Android 13, is used by the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus and its siblings. Smaller multitasking improvements, energy widgets that display the battery levels of your phone and linked accessories, and some updates to the camera and gallery functions are just a few of the minor features it adds.
One of the updated features is a shortcut to Samsung’s Expert RAW camera app, which enables users to access advanced camera options and download the app from the Galaxy Store.
Although I don’t directly use advanced camera settings, the new shortcut makes it simpler for those who do and makes the option more accessible to people who might not otherwise be aware of it.
The Galaxy S23+’s enhanced vapor chamber cooling system prevented the gadget from overheating. It only got warm while transferring content during the initial setup but never got uncomfortably hot. The device stayed cool throughout its use, despite my lack of extensive gaming experience, indicating that gamers shouldn’t have to deal with excessive heat.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus Camera Specs
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus’ camera configuration includes a 50MP f/1.8 primary lens, a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens, and a 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto lens, just like the S22+’s. These lenses produce high-quality images that are sharp in focus, vibrant in color and have strong contrast.
However, occasionally, due to Samsung’s image processing, images can appear overly bright and saturated, which can make them appear unnatural, especially in specific situations like overcast days.
Even without using the low-light mode, photos taken at night may appear brighter than the actual scene. The “Scene enhancer” function in the camera app can be disabled to some extent to help with this problem.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus cameras are decent, but they aren’t the best when compared to those of other smartphones. Even with the night mode, the 50MP camera struggles to take good pictures at night but performs admirably during the day.
Although the ultra-wide lens has a wider field of view, the quality suffers in low light, and the slow shutter speed makes taking nighttime photos difficult.
The quality degrades as you zoom in, especially in low light, and the telephoto lens only offers 3x optical zoom and 30x hybrid zoom. Overall, compared to other smartphones like the Pixel 7 Pro or S23 Ultra, the S23+’s camera is less advanced.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus takes videos with respectable quality. The reviewer primarily used 4K at 30 FPS, though it can record 8K videos as well. It’s sufficient for social media sharing but not as impressive as the Galaxy S23 Ultra or iPhone 14 Pro.
Like earlier Samsung phones, the video has more grain in low light and exhibits artifacts and oversharpening around straight edges. The microphones’ stereo recording and wind mitigation capabilities are also subpar compared to other tested phones.
The Galaxy S23 Plus has excellent cameras that work well in most circumstances. While there is a slight difference between the image processing and that of Pixel phones, it is not very noticeable.
The S23 Plus lacks some of the more expensive S23 Ultra’s camera features, such as a 200MP primary camera and a second telephoto lens, but the S23+ camera setup is still sufficient for the majority of people’s needs, negating the need to pay more for the S23 Ultra just for the additional camera features.
The Battery
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus’ 4,700mAh battery is marginally bigger than the S22+’s 4,600mAh battery. Although the reviewer does not frequently use phone batteries, the S23+’s battery life appears typical for a premium phone of this size. The phone required charging after 24 hours because its battery only lasted six to seven hours of mixed-use.
According to the manufacturer, the Galaxy S23 Plus’ USB-C port supports 45W fast charging, which can charge the phone up to 65% in about 30 minutes. In contrast, it only charged up to 55% in the same amount of time during my testing. For added convenience, the phone supports 15W and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Although I wish the fast charging could be faster than 45W, the phone’s charging options are adequate overall.
However, no charging brick is included with the phone, and some third-party chargers might not provide the full 45-watt speed. However, I tested the phone with a compatible PD charger and was pleased with the charging efficiency.
Should You Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus?
A standout smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus offers several features, including a stunning display, quick performance, long battery life, and good cameras. Even though it costs $999, it’s important to remember that other smartphones with comparable features cost less.
As an illustration, the $699 OnePlus 11 has better and faster 80W charging, a sharper display, and excellent cameras. On the other hand, the $899 Pixel 7 Pro has better cameras, especially in low light, smarter and cleaner software, and a slightly bigger screen.
It is not worthwhile to upgrade from a Samsung S22 series phone to the S23+ if you already have one. Cosmetic changes are subjective, and there aren’t many performance or battery life improvements.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus is a good option if you’re looking to replace an old phone and want a brand-new, high-end Android flagship. Although trying to avoid paying full price is advised, the phone is still good, even at $1000.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus Specs
Here are the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus specs if you want them in the raw format.
| Brand | Samsung |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy |
| Display | Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (48-120Hz), 240Hz touch sampling rate in gaming mode, 6.6-inch Full HD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery | 4,700mAh |
| Front Camera | 12MP f/2.2 selfie |
| Back Camera | 50MP f/1.8 main, 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide |
| Operating System | One UI 5.1 w/ Android 13 |
| Connectivity | 4G, 5G, UWB, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC |
| Colors | Phantom, Cream, Green, Lavender + Samsung.com exclusive Lime, Graphite |
| Dimensions | 6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 inches |
| Weight | 6.91 ounces |
| Charging | 45W wired (Quick Charge 2.0, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging), 15W wireless (Samsung Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, WPC), 4.5W reverse wireless |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Price | $999 |
| Micro SD card support | No |
| Security | Ultrasonic fingerprint reader, face unlock |
Receive a standing ovation for your photos and videos. Share epic memories even in low light with Samsung #GalaxyS23 l S23+’s Nightography. #SharetheEpic
Learn more: https://t.co/JQ1vzP4ALz pic.twitter.com/3fuWUwaKWD
— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) February 21, 2023
View this post on Instagram
For more tech reviews and content, visit this website:
Alot of good information on this blog, thanks!