Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Galaxy S22: Worth the upgrade?

Samsung has officially unveiled its latest flagship series consisting of three models, and representing the base model is the Galaxy S23. How is it different from its predecessor, the Galaxy S22? So, what’s new, and is the new hardware worth the upgrade?

Table of Contents

Display

There’s not much difference between the two in terms of display. Both have the same screen size at 6.1 inches, the same Full HD+ resolution, Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, and 120Hz refresh rate. This means that both devices have crisp screens with deep blacks, with smooth animations and transitions.

If there’s any difference, though, that would be in the glass protection. The new S23 has Gorilla Glass Victus 2 which has improved drop performance on rougher surfaces like concrete and improved shatter resistance.

Chipset

The new Samsung flagships carry the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 which was introduced in November 2022. It packs more performance compared to the Gen 1, and based on benchmark results obtained by nanoreview, the Gen 2 got a higher score of 1.23M on AnTuTu v9 compared to the Gen 1’s 1.03M, or about 20%.

The Gen 2 also scored 16% higher on Single-Core score and 29% higher on Multi-Core Score in Geekbench 5. For GPU performance, the Gen 2 chip got 48% higher score in 3DMark Wild Life.

While the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 remains to be a commendable chip, the Gen 2 will satisfy those who are looking for the best performance possible in a flagship.

Memory and Storage

Samsung probably didn’t see the need to offer a higher RAM option for the S23, and like the S22, it only comes with 8GB of RAM, which I think is more than enough, even for a flagship. The improvement though is in the storage.

When the S22 launched last year, it came with 128GB and 256GB UFS 3.1 variants. With the S23, it now has 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. The notable part is that the 256GB and 512GB variant of the S23 uses UFS 4.0, while the 128GB uses UFS 3.1. This means, when you purchase the higher storage models of the S23, you can benefit from the faster performance of UFS 4.0.

UFS 4.0 boasts sequential read speeds of up to 4,200 Mbps and sequential write speeds of 2,800 Mbps. In comparison, UFS 3.1 has 2,100 Mbps read and 1,200 Mbps write. With the former, you’ll experience faster file processing, app launches, and installation, to name a few.

Cameras

If pixel count is important to you, there’s not much to be excited about in the S23 as it has the same resolution as the S22. We’re talking about a 50MP main, 10MP telephoto, and 12MP ultra-wide. Although, Samsung mentioned improved low-light performance and AI capabilities. We’ll know more about that once we’re done with the review.

However, the front camera gets a resolution bump at 12MP, compared to the S22’s 10MP.

Other features

The two devices almost have the same extra features such as IP68 dust and water resistance, 5G, NFC, GPS, stereo speakers, and in-display fingerprint scanners. However, the S23 comes with upgrades like the faster WiFi 6e, updated Bluetooth 5.3, and runs OneUI 5.3 based on Android 13.

Battery

The S23 gets a slight bump in capacity at 3,900mAh, compared to the S22’s 3,700mAh. Fast wired charging remains at 25W, wireless charging got slower at 10W, while reverse wireless charging remains at 4.5W. There’s not much to be excited about in this aspect. If you want a higher capacity and faster charging rate, you have to look at the S23+ or S23 Ultra.

Should you upgrade?

If you’re coming from the S21 and older, the S23 is a welcome upgrade. But if you have the Galaxy S22, I suggest skipping the upgrade to the S23. You’re only getting an updated glass protection, faster chip, and storage, a slightly improved front camera, updated connectivity features, and slightly higher battery capacity — features that you won’t feel bad missing out on. But if you really want an upgrade from the S22, go for the S23 Ultra.

The Galaxy S23 retails for PHP 53,990USD 920INR 77,994EUR 876CNY 6,700 for the 128GB variant and PHP 57,990USD 988INR 83,772EUR 941CNY 7,197 for the 256GB variant.