The base Galaxy S mannequin from Samsung has loved the privilege of being the one compact Android flagship in India for the previous few years. However, issues are completely different now as Google confirmed up out of nowhere and determined to carry its premium Pixel smartphones to India. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are particular too as they’ve their very own custom-designed SoC which powers the ‘Pixel expertise’. This consists of good options, well timed software program updates, characteristic drops, and its imaging expertise.
Samsung has upped its recreation by going with a barely customised Qualcomm SoC this yr for the Galaxy S23 collection, however majority of the options of the Galaxy S23 are related to final yr’s mannequin. Does the system of a ‘small flagship with large energy’ nonetheless apply in 2023, or would you be higher off with one thing from the competitors? We discover out on this evaluate.
Samsung Galaxy S23 value in India
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is obtainable in 4 finishes and two configurations. There’s Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender finishes to select from. The two storage variants embrace the bottom variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage which is obtainable at Rs. 74,999, whereas the second variant with 256GB of storage is priced at Rs. 79,999. I obtained the Lavender unit with 256GB of storage for evaluate.
Samsung Galaxy S23 design
The Samsung Galaxy S22 (Review) converted from the extra rounded design of the Galaxy S21 (Review), and added a contour cutout for the digicam module which gave it a novel look. With the Galaxy S23, Samsung has recycled a significant a part of its predecessor’s design however changed the contour digicam module with three particular person cutouts for every digicam, identical to the Ultra. Samsung calls this its ‘floating digicam’ design. Everything else just about stays the identical as earlier than and this consists of the skinny bezel across the flat show on the entrance, and the IP68 score for mud and water resistance.
The cellphone doesn’t really feel any completely different within the hand, in contrast to the earlier mannequin. In truth the Samsung Galaxy S23 has almost the identical dimensions because the S22. While the brand new rear digicam design does assist one distinguish the brand new mannequin from the previous one, it would not assist the S23’s premium enchantment when Samsung’s new mid-range choices (Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A34) present up with a really related design.
The Samsung Galaxy S23’s show is analogous to the earlier mannequin
Regardless of what has modified or unchanged, there isn’t any denying that the Samsung Galaxy S23 is the one different flagship within the Android camp that is as compact as Apple’s iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. The S23 won’t provide the capabilities of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, however compact Android flagships are a tough discover in the present day and people with small or medium-sized fingers will recognize its measurement and kind issue which might simply slip into a thin denims pocket. Its measurement additionally allows higher one-handed utilization, which is once more uncommon when it comes to premium Android units and is one thing that is not even potential on the smaller Pixel 7.
Samsung Galaxy S23 specs and software program
Similar to its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S23 affords a 6.1-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED show with a most refresh charge of 120Hz and a contact sampling charge of 240Hz. The fingerprint reader is embedded within the show and is kind of dependable. Just just like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung affords the identical customised “Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy” SoC within the Galaxy S23.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 will get a brand new floating digicam format, whereas the remainder of the design stays related to the Galaxy S22
Samsung affords the cellphone with a most of 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage, nevertheless, needless to say Samsung affords the sooner UFS 4.0 storage solely on the top-end mannequin, because the 128GB variant comes with UFS 3.1 storage. The SIM card tray can maintain two nano-SIM playing cards and the cellphone helps a number of 5G radios with dual-5G standby as properly. However there isn’t a expandable storage accessible with the Galaxy S23.
Communication requirements embrace Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB Type-C port, and help for the same old satellite tv for pc navigation methods. The Galaxy S23 now affords a barely bigger 3,900mAh battery which is a welcome transfer over the earlier 3,700mAh unit. However, wired charging speeds stay the identical at 25W and the identical goes for wi-fi charging, which stays at 15W. As standard, Samsung doesn’t provide a charger within the field anymore.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 comes with OneUI 5.1 out of the field, which relies on Android 13. Samsung guarantees “four generations of Android upgrades” and 5 years of safety updates, which is spectacular. Indeed, that is one space the place Samsung has excelled through the years because it has been racing to replace latest and older handsets to the most recent Android 13 software program.
Updates apart, OneUI 5.1 feels fairly fluid and comes with some new methods akin to the power to take away objects, folks and pets from a picture within the Gallery app, two new battery widgets, and an improved dynamic climate widget. Broader updates additionally enable Samsung Galaxy Book laptop computer homeowners to use their trackpad and keyboard with their telephones.
While there’s quite a bit to like about Samsung’s OneUI, it nonetheless ships with a whole lot of third-party apps akin to Microsoft 365, OneDrive, LinkedIn, Outlook, Facebook, Spotify and Netflix, which isn’t the form of bloatware you anticipate on a smartphone that prices upwards of Rs. 70,000. More so, as a result of Google’s Pixel 7 collection manages to keep away from this solely.
There are loads of Samsung-branded apps that come preinstalled on the Galaxy S23
Add to this, Samsung’s variations of the default Google apps and you’ve got sufficient choices to confuse the informal consumer as to which one they need to go together with. However, I’m glad to report that none of those Samsung-branded apps throw spammy notifications and most of them (aside from the core Samsung ones) might be uninstalled.
Samsung Galaxy S23 efficiency
The Samsung Galaxy S23’s Super AMOLED show affords punchy colors on the default ‘Vivid’ setting which was not to my liking, so I switched to ‘Natural’ for higher color accuracy. The show will get fairly vivid outdoor throughout the day and likewise manages colors and distinction properly in such conditions.
The 120Hz refresh charge does are available in use whereas taking part in sure video games, however the 240Hz contact sampling charge did not really feel prefer it was supposed to, particularly when taking part in Call of Duty: Mobile and Genshin Impact. It was arduous to precisely level and intention when taking part in each titles, which could possibly be problematic for those who play such titles. The show additionally has an HDR10+ certification and playback of supported streaming content material appeared as anticipated.
Taking its new and customised processor into consideration, the Samsung Galaxy S23 truly managed increased benchmark scores than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, primarily due to its decrease decision show. It scored 1,944 and 5,008 factors in Geekbench 6’s single and multi-score assessments, and 1,186,610 factors in AnTuTu. Despite its increased scores, the cellphone didn’t warmth up as simply because the earlier mannequin beneath load, nevertheless it throttles quite a bit sooner than the Galaxy S23 Ultra when operating the CPU Throttling app.
Battery lifetime of the Samsung Galaxy S23 has undoubtedly improved over final yr’s Galaxy S22
Last yr’s Galaxy S22+ and the Galaxy S22 Ultra fashions have been upgraded with vapour chamber cooling methods, however Samsung omitted the Galaxy S22, utilizing simply graphite sheets as a substitute. Now, for the primary time ever, Samsung claims to have used a vapour chamber cooling on its smallest Galaxy S collection mannequin and the outcomes are noticeably higher. The cellphone does warmth up when utilizing the digicam on a sunny afternoon, however it’s nonetheless fairly manageable in contrast to the new mess the Galaxy S22 was final yr.
The identical applies to gaming, the place the cellphone manages sustained efficiency and runs quite a bit cooler than the earlier mannequin. However, the Galaxy S23 will nonetheless warmth up when maxing out the visuals in video games like Genshin Impact as it’s a very graphically demanding title that is higher suited to extra gaming-centric units just like the Asus ROG 6 (Review).
The Samsung Galaxy S23’s battery has elevated by a small margin, however it’s sufficient to make a distinction. The cellphone simply bought me by an entire day’s price of heavy utilization on one cost, which additionally included some gaming. However, the latter exercise does find yourself draining the battery sooner. In our HD video loop take a look at, the Galaxy S23 ran for a stable 17 hours, 56 minutes.
While the Galaxy S23’s battery life has improved over the Galaxy S22, it is nonetheless a one-day-use smartphone solely. Competing smartphones which are greater in measurement additionally pack greater batteries, and might simply deal with a day and half (or extra) of utilization. Charging the Galaxy S23 from empty to full can also be related to its predecessor (round 1 hour, 30 minutes), which is a bit disappointing.
Samsung Galaxy S23 cameras
Continuing the streak of restricted {hardware} modifications, I discovered that solely the selfie digicam has been up to date from a 10-megapixel sensor to a 12-megapixel sensor, which is identical one used on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. According to Samsung, this improve allows HDR10+ recording on the entrance digicam. The remainder of the digicam {hardware} stays related to the earlier mannequin and it features a 50-megapixel major, 10-megapixel telephoto (3X optical zoom), and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide. Just just like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the Expert RAW app now has a shortcut inside the primary digicam app. The remainder of the digicam interface is identical as earlier than.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is priced related to the Google Pixel 7 Pro
Sine the Pixel 7 Pro is the Galaxy S23’s closest competitor, it simply made sense to do a number of comparability pictures. The Galaxy S23 captured high quality photos with loads of element and good dynamic vary in daylight. But the colors seemed a bit oversaturated regardless of maintaining the cellphone’s ‘Scene Optimise’ AI enhancement characteristic disabled. Compared to the Pixel 7 Pro, the Galaxy S23 fell a bit brief when it got here to resolved element, dynamic vary and color accuracy.
Shooting close-ups of objects is the place the Samsung delivers significantly better particulars (dare I say extreme) than the Pixel. The Pixel 7 Pro then again nails it when it comes to color accuracy and dynamic vary, which the S23 simply can’t match.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7 Pro daylight digicam samples. Top: Primary digicam, backside: Ultra-wide digicam (faucet to see full measurement)
With the ultra-wide digicam, Samsung manages to replicate the color tone of its major digicam fairly properly which is nice for consistency, however these photographs look a bit saturated. Dynamic vary is superb on each smartphones and the identical goes for particulars, which is kind of good.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7 Pro low-light digicam samples. (Tap to see full measurement)
In low gentle, I used every smartphone’s auto-night mode letting every cellphone’s digicam resolve whether or not it wanted to fireplace up Night mode or not. The Samsung Galaxy S23 had the identical issues which I seen when evaluating the Galaxy S23 Ultra to the iPhone 14 Pro, the place it captures barely dreamy trying photographs in dimly-lit scenes, and with a noticeable halo impact round objects. However, in contrast to the S23 Ultra, the Galaxy S23 lacks the excessive decision sensor, so the resolved particulars aren’t pretty much as good. The Pixel 7 Pro then again has minor issues with vivid lights however manages significantly better photographs with higher particulars, color accuracy and dynamic vary than the Galaxy S23.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7 Pro daylight zoom samples (Tap to see full measurement)
When it got here to zoom, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 captured barely oversharpened photographs at 2X magnification, whereas Google’s Pixel managed photographs with higher resolved particulars. At 3X, which is the Galaxy’s optical zoom restrict, each telephones handle an analogous stage of high quality, which was shocking as a result of the Pixel’s photographs are digital crops from the first digicam. At 5X zoom, which is Pixel’s optical restrict, it managed higher high quality photographs, whereas the Galaxy S23’s photographs appeared a bit flat with some oversharpening (as a result of they’re digitally cropped photographs). In low gentle, the Samsung Galaxy S23’s 3X telephoto digicam’s optical zoom efficiency is not spectacular and is unable to focus correctly. Meanwhile, the Pixel 7 Pro does a significantly better job at 5X optical zoom.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7 Pro low-light samples (Tap to see full measurement)
Selfies in Portrait mode from the entrance digicam look nice from each smartphones, however Samsung’s Galaxy S23 has an edge thanks to its newer sensor. The Pixel 7 Pro additionally showcases pure pores and skin tones whereas the Galaxy S23 produces a barely reddish look. The Galaxy S23 additionally captures sharper photos thanks to its PDAF system, however the Pixel has a a lot wider subject of view, which is helpful if in case you have many individuals within the body.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7 Pro daylight and low-light selfie digicam samples (Tap to see full measurement)
Capturing selfies in low gentle is the place the Samsung Galaxy S23 comes out on high, when used with the display screen flash switched on. The Pixel’s photos look fairly messy with the identical settings. However, each cameras present related high quality when capturing selfies with their respective Night modes.
When capturing video, I caught to 4K setting as each smartphones are equally able to capturing the identical. The Galaxy S23 captures barely sharper trying video whereas the Pixel 7 Pro has a extra practical look when recording at 4K 60fps. The Pixel additionally managed extra correct colors whereas the Galaxy had extra cooler tones. Both telephones managed a gradual bitrate and good stabilisation when panning and transferring round.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 can also be able to capturing 8K video. While it is not as detailed because the footage captured from the Galaxy S23 Ultra, it does job at it and manages a gradual bitrate. However, do needless to say 8K recordings take up a whole lot of space for storing.
I additionally tried HDR video recording on the Samsung Galaxy S23. While the Pixel’s HDR capabilities have not improved since my final shootout with the iPhone 14 Pro, Samsung did a significantly better job, albeit with saturated colors. In low gentle, each smartphones did a good job when capturing at 4K 60fps, however Samsung managed to management noise quite a bit higher than the Pixel. However, the Galaxy S23’s aggressive noise discount comes at the price of weaker particulars.
Verdict
Samsung is at the moment the one smartphone model in India to provide a very compact flagship cellphone, yr after yr. Most producers withdrew from this type issue within the premium area as show measurement and battery life turned greater priorities amongst patrons. This holds true as even a model as inflexible as Apple, introduced it is second XL-sized smartphone within the type of the iPhone 14 Plus (Review) final yr.
While final yr’s Samsung Galaxy S22 nearly lower it when it got here to battery life, this yr’s Galaxy S23 does a greater job. It improves on that one paint level most patrons have with compact flagships and this ought to certainly assist it discover much more takers. If you might be available in the market for a compact flagship and are keen to dwell with the compromises these telephones are identified for (comparatively smaller battery and show), then get a Samsung Galaxy S23 by all means, as there isn’t any competitors.
However, when it comes to worth, it will get actually arduous to justify the Galaxy S23’s Rs. 74,999 value. Samsung’s personal Galaxy S22 (Review) comes fairly shut to the S23 by way of options and efficiency, together with that compact kind issue. Since it is greater than a yr previous, now you can discover it for roughly Rs. 57,999 and even lesser in on-line shops.
If you might be snug with one thing barely bigger, Google’s Pixel 7 is a worthy competitor. While it cuts down on the variety of rear cameras and is just accessible in a single storage choice, it is also priced quite a bit decrease than the Galaxy S23 at Rs. 59,999. The greater Pixel 7 Pro (Review) provides a 3rd digicam with stable telephoto efficiency at a value that’s related to the Galaxy S23’s 256GB variant. Google’s Pixel units are additionally the primary to get software program updates and it is all inventory, minus the bloatware that Samsung nonetheless masses on its smartphones. Also accessible on the identical value is Vivo’s X80 Pro (Review) which at Rs. 79,999, affords unimaginable digicam functionality together with higher battery life.
