Samsung confirms Galaxy S23 will launch right on time and teases new cameras
Samsung will unveil its next flagship device family, the Galaxy S23, at an event on February 1. Viewers at home can tune in on Samsung directly, and TechRadar will be on site in San Francisco to check out the new phones, which presumably will include the Galaxy S23 Plus and the 200MP-capable Galaxy S23 Ultra.
If you’re already positive that you want Samsung’s next big thing, reserve sales have started and will run until the event. Samsung isn’t giving away advance details, but you can get $50 or $100 in store credit if you commit to one or two new devices respectively. You don’t need to put money down in advance, just give them your name and email address.
The invitation to the event looks remarkably like the three-hole camera cutout that we’ve seen on leaked renders and images of the Galaxy S23 phone, making it look much more like the Galaxy S22 Ultra design, as seen above.
The Galaxy S23 launch is the first major phone launch of the year, and it arguably sets the bar for other manufacturers to leap over. Qualcomm has been loudly hinting that every Galaxy S23 device will use its next-generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform, and we’ve even heard it could get a speed boost for Samsung’s flagships.
Otherwise, we’re not expecting major upgrades this year, though we’d love to be surprised. The priciest model, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, will likely be the first Samsung phone with a 200MP sensor.
Beyond the massive pixel count, we’re hearing enthusiastic rumblings about the improvements to low light capabilities. We don’t expect big improvements to any of the other cameras, which is probably fine, since the Galaxy S22 Ultra already tops our list of the best camera phones you can buy.
Pricing for the phones is still up in the air, and we’ve heard it could cost the same or may be due for a price increase over last year’s models.
Of course we also expect accessories to match the new phones, so we’ll be on the lookout for new earbuds as well in all of the new Galaxy S23 colors. The new phones should launch in cream (“Cotton Flower”), pink (“Misty Lilac”), “Botanic” Green and “Phantom” Black.
Since we’ve nailed down most of the hardware specs, the big question will be what software features and improvements Samsung will offer on the new phones. We’re hoping that One UI finally matures to match the look and feel we’re enjoying on Google’s own Pixel devices.
Samsung loves to add and change its software with every phone, so we’re curious to see how this plays out on February 1. Keep checking back for the latest news on the Galaxy S23 and all of our most anticipated phones of 2023.
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