Samsung has finally taken the wraps off the brand-new Galaxy S23 smartphone. The device, along with its bigger brother the S23+, is a fairly iterative update over last year's models but is powered by an exclusive "For Galaxy" version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset worldwide.

It promises fast performance, better battery life, and several camera improvements. The devices are available for pre-order now. Let's take a closer look.

Galaxy S23 and S23+ Specs

The Galaxy S23 and S23+ are virtually the same phones apart from their sizes. The S23+ has a larger display at 6.6 inches, compared to the 6.1 inches on the S23. That extra size makes the phone taller, wider, and heavier, but also enables the battery to be 20% bigger. The S23 is also available in a base model with 128GB of storage.

Samsung Galaxy S23

Samsung Galaxy S23+

Dimensions

5.76 x 2.79 x 0.3 inches

6.21 x 3 x 0.3 inches

Weight

5.93oz

6.91oz

Processor

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy

Memory/Storage

8GB RAM / 128GB, 256GB

8GB RAM / 256GB, 512GB

Display

6.1-inch, FHD+, 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate, 425ppi, 1750nit

6.6-inch, FHD+, 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate, 393ppi, 1750nit

Battery

3900mAh

4700mAh

Charging

Super Fast Charging, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare

Cameras

50MP (OIS), f1.8 main camera; 12MP, f2.2 ultra-wide; 10MP(OIS), f2.4 tele; 3X Optical Zoom, 30X Space Zoom

Selfie Camera

12MP, f2.2

Colors

Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender

Compared to last year's S22 series, the S23 and S23+ are iterative updates. They have slightly different dimensions, and the batteries are a little larger in both cases. But as we've come to expect, there are no revolutionary leaps forward.

The biggest upgrade is the new processor. All versions of the Galaxy S23 phones run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform, including those in places like Europe and India which usually get Samsung's own Exynos chipset instead.

This particular version of the chip is customized for Samsung. It's overclocked, so should be faster than rival devices and deliver excellent performance for gaming. Samsung will even be optimizing some titles to take advantage of the hardware. It remains to be seen whether heat will be an issue at top speed.

Another thing to look out for is the possibility that the 128GB version of the S23 will be slower than the others. A recent rumor suggested it would use slower flash memory than the other models, although this is as yet unconfirmed. Samsung is offering a free upgrade to the 256GB version as a pre-order bonus, so it's worth claiming that if you're planning to buy early.

On the software side, the phones run the new One UI 5.1, although this won't be exclusive to this series—the S21 and S22 ranges are the first to be confirmed as receiving it. One UI 5.1 includes a big list of small but useful new features, like a new battery widget, updates to the Gallery and Notes apps, and some AR tools in the camera.

Galaxy S23 and S23+ Price and Release Date

So when can you get your hands on a new Galaxy S23 device, and how much will it cost you?

Both the S23 and S23+ are available to pre-order from Samsung now and the phones will be available from February 17th. The prices are $799 and $849 for the two S23 models and $999 and $1049 for the S23+.

The New Galaxy S23 Range

Although a fairly modest update, the S23 is likely to be the best choice for many looking for an Android phone this year, while it may be the last year we see a Plus version of the device. As the lowest-selling in the range, there are rumors that there will not be an S24+ next time.

These two phones are joined in the series by the S23 Ultra, the biggest, most powerful, and most expensive device in the range.