Samsung Galaxy S23 series specs: Everything you need to know

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series was a hit with fans for a reason. These phones were the faces of Android in many ways, bringing a familiar name, top-flight specs, and wide availability. The Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra also share features like an IP68 rating, 15W wireless charging, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2. But take a closer look at each model, and you’ll see divergent spec sheets.

Those who expected game-changing upgrades across the board might be disappointed, but there are a few key upgrades worth considering. Join us as we look at the Galaxy S23 series specs.

Specs overview

In the table below, you can check out all the major Galaxy S23 specs.

Samsung Galaxy S23 specs

All three Galaxy S23 devices, including the base model, are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, an overclocked version of the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. This processor is clocked at 3.36GHz, compared to the standard SoC’s 3.19GHz clock speed/ There’s also a GPU upgrade from 680MHz to 719MHz. Either way, this makes for a fairly significant performance and efficiency upgrade over the Galaxy S22 line’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 chips.

Aside from this horsepower upgrade, you’re also getting a slightly bigger battery (3,900mAh versus the S22’s 3,700mAh battery). This isn’t a huge difference in size, but the newer chip and software optimizations will help users squeeze more juice from the handset. In our Galaxy S23 review we found that the device would last about 1.5 days on a single charge.

Otherwise, the vanilla Galaxy S23 is also equipped with 8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of fixed storage, a 6.1-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED screen, and 25W wired charging.

When examining the camera details, things look pretty familiar, as you’ve got a 50MP primary camera, 12MP ultrawide shooter, and 10MP 3x telephoto shooter. In saying so, Samsung has upgraded 2022’s 10MP selfie camera to a 12MP sensor.

It must be said that the Galaxy S23 lacks UWB support, unlike the Plus and Ultra variants. So, use cases like more precise object tracking and vehicle entry are out of the question for owners.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus specs

The Galaxy S22 Plus was basically a larger Galaxy S22, and the Galaxy S23 Plus took the same approach compared to the base S23. In other words, the key differences are a larger size, a bigger screen (6.6-inch FHD+ 120Hz panel), and a bigger battery (4,700mAh). In the case of the latter, this is a minor upgrade over the S22 Plus’s 4,500mAh battery.

There are a couple of other additions here that you won’t find on the S23 though, namely UWB support and 45W wired charging speeds. Furthermore, the Plus model starts at 256GB of fixed storage instead of 128GB.

Other notable specs include the aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB or 512GB of storage.

The Galaxy S23 Plus features the same cameras as the base Galaxy S23. These include a 50MP main shooter, 12MP ultrawide sensor, and 10MP 3x telephoto camera. A 12MP camera is available up-front for video calls and selfies.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs

The Galaxy S23 Ultra also offers that super-charged Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, but almost everything else has been upgraded compared to its stablemates. Samsung’s top-end S23 model sports a 6.8-inch 1440p OLED screen (LTPO, 120Hz), 8GB to 12GB of RAM, 256GB to 1TB of fixed storage, and a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging.

The headline upgrade takes place in the camera department, as Samsung has replaced the S22 Ultra’s 108MP main sensor with a 200MP camera. This camera can offer either full-resolution shots, 50MP or 12.5MP pixel-binned images. Other shooters include a 3x 10MP telephoto camera, a 10x 10MP periscope lens, and a 12MP ultrawide shooter. Samsung also offers a 12MP selfie camera rather than the S22 Ultra’s 40MP lens.

Samsung’s Ultra model also retains the S Pen and integrated slot seen on last year’s phone. So fans of stylus input and the various S Pen features should be at home here.

S23 series vs. the competition: How do they compare?

When it comes to horsepower, the Galaxy S23 series was among the best of 2023. That overclocked chipset means it even had an edge over other Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phones. These devices also offered better performance in benchmarks when compared to the Pixel 7 series.

There’s more to performance than classic benchmarks, though. 2022’s Galaxy phones weren’t great when it came to sustained performance, with the GOS throttling controversy being particularly noteworthy. Fortunately, the S23 series phones perform better than the S22 series when it comes to sustained performance, but it’s still not flawless. Furthermore, companies like Google emphasized AI hardware that offered real-world applications like photo unblurring and offline voice typing. But the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 was still a major step forward for Qualcomm.

Moving away from horsepower, Samsung’s S23 and S23 Plus both deliver the same rear camera systems as the S22 and S22 Plus. That means you’ve got a flexible camera setup, but Samsung relies on software to deliver an improved experience.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 200MP primary camera is a significant upgrade, delivering better images. Furthermore, that 10x periscope camera might be the same shooter as last year’s Ultra model, but it still delivers top-notch long-range zoom.

This higher-end device had some competition, though. The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra also had a 200MP camera, which fell short of Samsung’s. The OnePlus 11 was also a great contender and had a lower $700 price, but it also lacked wireless charging and water resistance.

Turning to the old rival, Apple, the S23 and S23 Plus seem like good matches for the vanilla iPhone 15 models. Samsung’s phones stand out by virtue of faster wired charging (particularly on the S23 Plus), high refresh rate screens across the board, and more flexible cameras. Meanwhile, the S23 Ultra goes toe-to-toe with the iPhone 15 Pro series on paper, serving up a big battery, S Pen integration, and a more impressive camera system. But Apple’s Pro Max model brings a 5x camera for the first time, somewhat narrowing the zoom gap between the iPhone maker and Samsung.

Of course, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series has now been replaced by the 2024 Samsung flagships, the Galaxy S24 series.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FAQs