Samsung Galaxy S phones used to be the pinnacle of what an Android phone could do. Backed by one of the largest phone manufacturers in the world, these devices have earned a lot of respect as innovative products annually. To some extent, this remains true, as the Galaxy S22 lineup is well represented among the top Android phone ratings.
But that honor appears to be reserved more for the Galaxy S Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold these days. The regular Galaxy S and Plus models have been fairly similar for a while now – neither pushed the envelope like their predecessors from previous years.
And I’m afraid that will still be true when the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus arrive early in the year. With competitors like the Pixel 7 and OnePlus 10 Pro taking big leaps forward this year, I worry the Galaxy S23 won’t do enough to beat the hardware that came after it in 2023.
Compared to some of its Android competitors, Samsung looks like a leftover with two-thirds of its flagship portfolio.
OnePlus has rapidly improved camera systems and battery life. Google has cut its full power with Tensor chips, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and computational imaging — all at very reasonable prices. In contrast, Samsung looks like a relic that owns two-thirds of its flagship portfolio. The Galaxy S23 has a steep hill to match what’s already available.
In recent years, Samsung has dumped most, if not all, of the Galaxy S’s perks into the Ultra series, leaving the regular and Plus models with scraps. The Galaxy S20, Galaxy S21, and Galaxy S22 were all full of milk — good phones, but far from exciting. I’m afraid the same will apply to the Galaxy S23 in a few months.
I base this concern on the relative lack of rumors and leaks we’ve seen regarding the Galaxy S23. Most of the industry’s focus is on what to expect from the Galaxy S23 Ultra, with a 200MP main camera, significantly improved night photography, and ongoing S Pen support driving potential features.
In contrast, we only heard rumors of some minor design changes in the Galaxy S23 as well as a report that the front camera could get a bump up to 12MP, up from 10MP. Obviously, I’m expecting the yet to be announced Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which in itself could add some excitement to the Galaxy S23.
Not only do we expect an increase in raw CPU power, but many believe that Qualcomm will greatly improve the GPU. This can make the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra really powerful gaming phones. Plus, who knows what advances Qualcomm has made in the field of AI in the past year? With the enhanced AI features thanks to the new chipset, the Galaxy S23 could be smarter than its predecessors.
I still worry that the Galaxy S23 is going to be boring. Is this a bad thing? Not by itself. We’ve had a lot of boring phones lately that’s been getting solid recommendations from us here at Tom’s Guide. But I miss the days when Samsung’s new phone launch inspired excitement and awe of what the company will do next — meaning all the devices announced, not just the best model.
There is no doubt that the Galaxy S23 will do well, and it will probably be among the best Android phones of the year. But I can’t help but wonder if it would be more like the iPhone 14 – a phone that quickly grabs attention rather than the spectacle all Galaxy S phones once had.
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