The Samsung Galaxy S23 is one of the best compact smartphones in the market at the moment. Well, ‘compact’ is a relative term in the world of smartphones, but it is smaller than most flagship-grade phones out there. In this article, we’ll pit it against its predecessor. We’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S22. You may find this useful if you plan on upgrading, or are trying to decide whether to get last year’s model, or a new one.
Now, these two phones are quite similar in many ways, but the Galaxy S23 does have several advantages you may be interested in. Samsung did improve some main aspects of the phone this time around. We’ll first list their specifications, and will then compare them across a number of categories. Those categories include design, display, performance, battery, cameras, and audio.
Specs
| Samsung Galaxy S23 | Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Screen size | 6.1-inch fullHD+ flat AMOLED display (120Hz refresh rate, 1,750 nits peak brightness) | 6.1-inch FullHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 1,300 nits peak brightness) |
| Screen resolution | 2340 x 1080 | 2340 x 1080 |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Samsung Exynos 2200 |
| RAM | 8GB (LPDDR5X) | 8GB (LPDDR5) |
| Storage | 128GB (UFS 3.1)/256GB (UFS 4.0)/512GB (UFS 4.0), non-expandable | 128GB/256GB (non-expandable), non-expandable |
| Rear cameras | 50MP (f/1.8 aperture, 24mm lens, 1.0um pixel size, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF) 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 13mm lens, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size) 10MP (telephoto, f/2.4 aperture, 70mm lens, 1.0um pixel size, OIS, 3x optical zoom, PDAF) |
50MP (f/1.8 aperture, 24mm lens, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF, 1.0um pixel size) 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 70mm lens, telephoto, 1.0um pixel size, OIS, PDAF, 3x optical zoom) 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 13mm lens, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size) |
| Front cameras | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 26mm lens, Dual Pixel PDAF) | 10MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, 26mm lens, Dual Pixel PDAF) |
| Battery | 3,900mAh, non-removable, 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging (Qi/PMA), reverse wireless charging Charger not included |
3,700mAh, non-removable, 45W wired charging, 15W Qi wireless charging, 5W Wireless PowerShare Charger not included |
| Dimensions | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6mm | 146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm |
| Weight | 168 grams | 167/168 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | In-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic) | In-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic) |
| OS | Android 13 One UI 5.1 |
Android 12 (upgradable to Android 13) One UI 4.1 |
| Price | $799/$849/TBA | $799 |
| Buy | Samsung | Samsung |
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Design
These two devices do look very similar. The main differentiating factor can be found on the back. The Galaxy S22 has a dedicated camera island, which has all three camera sensors in it. That camera island connects to the frame on the side. The Galaxy S23, on the other hand, has three cameras sticking out of its backplate, without a special camera island or anything of the sort. Other than that, the two phones are very similar.
They both combine a metal frame with a glass back, and have rounded corners with rounded display corners. The bezels are very thin on both phones, while both devices also have a display camera hole that is centered. The physical buttons are located on the right-hand side in both cases. The protection on the back is different, though. The Galaxy S23 includes a newer Gorilla Glass Victus 2, while the Galaxy S22 features Gorilla Glass Victus+.
In terms of size, there’s not much difference either. The Galaxy S23 is 0.3mm taller, and 0.3mm wider, but you won’t notice that, as the difference is so minimal. They’re also about the same weight, at 168 grams. Well, the regular Galaxy S22 model is 1 gram lighter, while the mmWave variant weighs 168 grams as the Galaxy S23. That’s really not a difference at all, they feel very similar in the hand, and that goes for the weight too. Both phones do feel quite premium, and they’re quite slippery. If you’re looking for a compact, premium-feeling handset, they’re both ready for the part.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Display
Both of these phones include a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. That display offers a 120Hz refresh rate on both phones, and the same goes for HDR10+ support. We’re also looking at the same display aspect ratio of 19.5:9 here, and also the same pixel density, of course. Both of those panels are flat, but they are not identical, though. The Galaxy S23 does have two advantages.
The Galaxy S23’s display does get considerably brighter. It goes up to 1,750 nits of peak brightness, while the Galaxy S22’s display can reach 1,300 nits maximum. This can be achieved through adaptive brightness only, though, you can’t go that high via the manual slider. Another advantage that the Galaxy S23 has is display protection. It comes with the Gorilla Glass Victus 2, compared to the Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the Galaxy S22. That’s not exactly a big difference, though.
Both of these displays look great. They’re vivid, sharp, and offer good viewing angles. The touch response is also good, we had no issues with either device. That brightness difference could be a major advantage for some of you, though. If you do spend a lot of time outside, in direct sunlight, you will notice the difference. The Galaxy S22’s panel is plenty bright in general, though.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Performance
The Galaxy S23 is the more powerful phone of the two, of course. It’s a generation newer, but it does not only come with a better SoC, but also with newer and faster RAM and storage units, which is not always the case from one generation to the next. The Galaxy S23 includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy SoC worldwide, along with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage (except the 128GB base model, which has UFS 3.1 storage). The Galaxy S22 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the US and most markets, while the Exynos 2200 fuels it in Europe. The Galaxy S22 also includes LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage.
Now, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is a considerably better SoC than its predecessor. Not only is it more powerful, but it’s way better when it comes to power consumption. It also doesn’t heat up as much. Newer and faster RAM and storage will also help with future-proofing. So, if you do have a choice, getting the Galaxy S23 may be a better idea from a performance standpoint. That’s not the only reason for it, but it is one of the main reasons.
Having said that, both phones do perform well. With the exception of the Exynos 2200 variant of the Galaxy S22, which does tend to stutter more often. The Galaxy S22 with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 can easily keep up with the Galaxy S23 at this point. That is to be expected, as it’s Samsung’s flagship for last year. They both can handle pretty much any game out there, but the Galaxy S23 will provide better performance with the most demanding titles. Slightly better, but still. The Galaxy S23 is definitely the better performer of the two, but that is to be expected.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Battery
There is a 3,700mAh battery inside the Galaxy S22, while the Galaxy S23 includes a 3,900mAh unit. That may not seem like a big difference, but when you take the SoC, RAM and storage into account, it does make a difference. The Galaxy S23 actually offers considerably better battery life than its predecessor. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is better with power consumption, and new RAM and storage do help as well.
The difference can be quite big actually. The Galaxy S23 should be able to go up to 6 hours of screen-on time if you’re not really pushing the device over the edge. Well, 5.5-6 hours of screen-on time. It will all depend on your usage, though. The Galaxy S22, on the flip side, couldn’t really go over the 4.5-hour mark for us, even landing lower than that at times. Your mileage may vary considerably, of course, but for us, the Galaxy S23 provided a lot better battery life, though still not the level of its bigger siblings, not even close.
When the charging is concerned, they’re basically identical. They both support 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Neither phone includes a charger in the box. The Galaxy S22 will charge slightly faster due to the fact it has a smaller battery, but the difference is not that big. It would be nice to see faster charging here, considering that the battery life is not outstanding on either phone, but… there you have it.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Cameras
As far as camera hardware is concerned, these two phones are quite similar. They both include a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The performance is not identical, however. We did notice some improvements with the Galaxy S23 over the Galaxy S22. First of all, the shutter is faster, and that is something you will notice straight away if you’ve used the Galaxy S22.
The pictures are, in some cases, better optimized. That goes for HDR shots, and shots where there’s not a lot of light in the scene. Both phones tend to brighten up low light shots quite a bit and pull plenty of detail from the shadows. Images from both devices are more than sharp enough, and are generally very pleasant. They’re not too saturated, but tend to look a bit processed for effect. That’s what most people prefer either way.
The telephoto and ultrawide cameras do a good job on both phones. Not to the level of some other flagship-grade phones, but still, chances are most people will be happy with the performance. You’re getting a 3x optical zoom on both phones. The video recording is good, but nothing to write home about, that goes for both devices, as there are better phones for shooting videos out there, like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, for example.
Audio
There are stereo speakers included on both of these phones. They are tuned by AKG, and considering the size of both devices, they’re not bad. They sound really good, and are detailed enough. The sound is well-balanced, even though it cannot compete with the loudness of some larger phones, but that is to be expected. The output is loud enough, though. The Galaxy S23 does seem to have an edge in more than one way, though (details, bass and sound stage). It’s worth noting that the difference is minimal, though.
What you will not find on either phone is a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can connect your headphones via the Type-C port, which is included on both phones. If you opt for a wireless connection, Bluetooth 5.3 is supported on the Galaxy S23, while Bluetooth 5.2 support is included with the Galaxy S22.
2023-04-13 15:05:54