After a lot of anticipation, the new Samsung Galaxy S23 series is out. If you've already made up your mind about which model you're going to buy, the next step is to decide which color best matches your personal taste. The Galaxy S23 series is available in four standard colors: Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender.

If you buy from Samsung's official website, you can choose from four extra colors: Graphite and Lime for the whole range, plus two more S23 Ultra exclusives in Sky Blue and Red. Let's go through each color and see which one fits you.

Phantom Black

Samsung Galaxy S23 series Phantom Black colorway

The Phantom Black colorway was first introduced with the Galaxy S21 series and remained a fan favorite on the Galaxy S22 series as well. The color black naturally pairs well with pretty much all items of clothing, so it's a relatively safe and timeless choice if you don't want to risk picking a more adventurous color and potentially regretting it later.

Cream

Samsung Galaxy S23 series Cream colorway

There's sadly no pure white color this time around, so the Cream color is the next best alternative for those looking for a clean, minimal look. Unlike Phantom Black, the Cream color better hides fingerprint smudges and minor scratches.

The best thing about the Cream color is how it highlights the camera rings and makes your phone more recognizable from a distance. However, it also requires more care since dirt will also be more visible, so you'll need to clean your phone regularly or use a clear case.

Green

Samsung Galaxy S23 series Green colorway

Green is the frontman colorway for the Galaxy S23 lineup this year; it's what you've seen in most of the promotional content from Samsung. The Green on the S23 series is very different from the Green on the S22 series; the former is more of a military green while the latter heavily resembles a darker shade of teal.

You can imagine the Green on the S23 series as a slightly grayish version of the Alpine Green colorway of the iPhone 13 Pro. Since most people pick from black or white, green will strike the perfect balance between looking unique and subdued.

Lavender

Samsung Galaxy S23 series Lavender colorway

Lavender is an excellent choice if you love softer pastel colors. It's essentially a replacement for the Bora Purple on the Galaxy S22 (which was perhaps a bit too vibrant) and looks very similar to the Purple colorway on the iPhone 14 but a bit brighter and pinker.

Graphite

Samsung Galaxy S23 series Graphite colorway

Graphite is one of the four exclusive colorways available on Samsung's official website, and it has a bold industrial look—closely resembling Apple MacBooks and iPads. If you like the Phantom Black colorway but don't want your device to look like everyone else's, Graphite is a great premium-looking alternative.

Lime

Samsung Galaxy S23 series Lime colorway

Lime is the second exclusive colorway in the S23 lineup, and it looks very similar to the Lemongrass colorway of the Google Pixel 7. If you're buying the base S23, we can't recommend it enough since it inspires joy, creativity, and liveliness.

On the boxy S23 Ultra, however, Lime doesn't look quite right since the device looks better with darker, more mature colors as opposed to brighter, more fun colors.

Sky Blue

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Sky Blue colorway

Sky Blue is an exclusive colorway reserved for the S23 Ultra, and although we can see its appeal, we're not fully sure if it suits the S23 Ultra for the same reason we gave above.

We would have loved to see Sky Blue on the S23 and S23+, but Samsung has sadly not made the colorway available for those devices. For reference, the color looks brighter and more saturated than the Blue colorway of the iPhone 14.

Red

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Red colorway

Red is another exclusive colorway reserved for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but don't let the name fool you. The actual color looks more like salmon in real life rather than scarlet red or the (PRODUCT)RED colorway of the iPhone. You should probably avoid this color unless you're a fan of orange hues.

Pick the Best Galaxy S23 Color for You

If you're buying the Galaxy S23 or S23+, we highly recommend you choose from Cream, Lavender, or Lime to exhibit that open, lively vibe. We would recommend Sky Blue too, but it's unfortunately reserved for the S23 Ultra. Phantom Black is of course a safe option, but smaller phones usually look better with brighter colors.

If you're buying the S23 Ultra, you can't go wrong with either of the three darker colors—Phantom Black, Green, or Graphite—as all of them give a serious, sophisticated vibe. You can also go with Cream as it highlights the individual camera lenses really well.