Uswitch comments on the new S23 at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event

Ru Bhikha, mobiles expert atUswitch.com, comments: “The first major handset launch of the year saw Samsung unveil three new handsets in hopes to outshine Apple and Google’s autumn devices. 

“The standout feature announced today is the new 200MP camera sensor on the S23 Ultra. It’s safe to say that Samsung is clearly pushing hard to offer the best smartphone camera on the market. The picture quality is good enough that Samsung had enough confidence in it to film the event using the new handset.

“The standard S23 devices have removed the camera bump on the back of the device which gives it an overall sleeker design. The cameras may have broadly the same specs as last year’s S22 so this model might not be enticing to those who bought the phone last year. However, it might be worth considering for those who have the older models as there are significant improvements to low-light photography and the use of AI in enhancing images.

“The S23 and S23+ both come with a decent boost to their battery life but the Ultra has remained unchanged. This could attract some criticism by those earmarking the model as the ultimate gaming and productivity phone. 

“We are still a while away from seeing Samsung create its own chipset, but the exclusive version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will give users powerful new capabilities across all three handsets — something that can’t be said for the way Apple treats its standard and premium phones. 

“Samsung is definitely shooting for the stars when it comes to the power of their technology, but their prices are pretty astronomical too. While the basic Samsung S23 is the same price as the standard iPhone 14 at £849, the S23+ and the Ultra are both much more expensive than their Apple equivalents. Whether or not this introduces a new precedent of £1,500+ handsets on the market remains to be seen. 

“It will be interesting to see how many people go for the Ultra, especially as we’ve seen demand for premium smartphones in the market soften, with people choosing to spend less on gadgets due to the cost-of-living crisis. 

“Throughout the pre-order period, Samsung and selected partners will also be offering a deal to purchase the S23's higher memory variant for the same cost as the entry variant. This means that customers can get the 256GB version for the price of 128GB and 512GB for the price of the 256GB one  - so keep your eyes peeled!”