The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is the larger of the two flat-screen models in the 2023 Galaxy S lineup. Samsung announced it on February 1, 2023, and sales began on February 17, 2023. It launched in the US at $999.99 with 256 GB of storage. Samsung has since stopped selling it, and the Galaxy S24+ took its place.
Design and display
The phone uses a 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 2340 x 1080 resolution. Its refresh rate adapts between 48 Hz and 120 Hz. Tom’s Guide lists a peak brightness of 1,750 nits for the lineup.
Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects both sides, and the frame is aluminum. The phone is IP68 rated against dust and water. It measures 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm and weighs 196 grams. Apart from size and battery, it matches the smaller Galaxy S23 closely.
Performance
The Galaxy S23+ runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in a version tuned for Galaxy phones. This 4 nm chip pairs a 3.36 GHz main core with an Adreno 740 GPU. Samsung used the same chip in every market.
The phone has 8 GB of RAM with 256 GB or 512 GB of storage. Both versions use UFS 4.0 storage. There is no memory card slot.
Cameras
The rear cameras match the Galaxy S23. A 50 MP main camera with an f/1.8 lens has optical stabilization. A 12 MP ultrawide camera adds a 120-degree view. A 10 MP telephoto camera gives 3x optical zoom with stabilization.
Video recording goes up to 8K at 30 fps on the rear. The 12 MP selfie camera records 4K video at up to 60 fps.
Battery and charging
The battery has a typical capacity of 4,700 mAh. Wired charging reaches 45W with a compatible adapter. Samsung says this fills about 65% of the battery in 30 minutes. The phone supports wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare. A charger is not included in the box.
Software and updates
The Galaxy S23+ launched with Android 13 and One UI 5.1. Samsung promised four Android upgrades and five years of security updates from the February 2023 launch.
Other features include an ultrasonic fingerprint reader under the screen, stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC. The USB-C port supports USB 3.2 speeds, but there is no headphone jack.
Should you buy the Galaxy S23+?
The Galaxy S23+ fits buyers who want a larger screen and battery without the Ultra’s price. It also charges faster than the base Galaxy S23. It keeps the same cameras as the smaller model, though, and lacks the Ultra’s 10x zoom. Samsung no longer produces it, so new units are scarce. The Galaxy S24+ is the direct successor.
