Smaller phones, including things like both Android and iOS, have suffered — with the bleeding edge reserved for high-end big phones. Not only has it become hard to find flagship phones that don’t compromise on specifications, user experience and battery life, but over time, some phones have increased in price. However, Samsung has hit a home run with the launch of the Galaxy S23 series. Despite being smaller than many, compared to the Galaxy S23 Plus and the top of the line Galaxy S23 Ultra, the tiny (compact by today’s standards) holds its own in every way—be it camera, display, or even Battery life too.
In this long-term review of the Galaxy S23, we’ll see whether Samsung’s latest compact flagship deserves a place in your pocket and whether it gets crowned the best compact flagship of 2023.
Design and performance: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Adopting the design from last year’s Galaxy S22, the Galaxy S23 retains the boxy, squared-off look – while making enough changes to give the phone a new identity of its own – with a new minimal camera bump. The phone’s frame is made of polished aluminum, and as expected, the back is glass, as well as the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front.
When it comes to durability, I’d rate Samsung’s latest flagship highly. Over the months of my testing, the phone has held up well—without any subtle scratches and barely a notch on the frame. It still looks brand new.
The bezels around the stunning 6.1” FHD+ display are also symmetrical—giving the phone a premium feel. The punch-hole camera cutout at the front also sits well, with no visible distortion.
Talking about the display, the 6.1” panel looks incredible and Samsung stays true to the roots that AMOLED panels are known for. With a maximum brightness of 1750 nits, the display is easily visible even in strong sunlight, and watching TV shows and movies in HDR is truly a pleasure on the panel.
And, talking about aesthetics, I have the cream color and to be honest it looks fabulous. It’s not completely white, nor is it a completely warm shade, it just looks right, and combined with the matte back makes the phone feel posh and quite upmarket.
Performance and battery life: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 brings refinement and reliability
The Galaxy S22 was infamous for its heating issues and poor battery life – stemming from the poorly optimized Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. But now, with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, all those problems have been fixed and honestly, the performance is the best I’ve seen on an Android phone. It has really become the gold standard.
Plus, underrated things like the bare mains idle drain, great standby time, and in-app performance are great. Switching between apps, keeping them in memory, and editing photos and videos is some of the best I’ve seen on an Android phone. This is true for the other models – the larger Galaxy S23 Plus and the S23 Ultra.
Gaming is also a pleasure on the Galaxy S23 series smartphones. Check out our dedicated gaming review of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Everything applies to the base Galaxy S23.
Battery life has also improved a lot from the previous generation. Now, it easily lasts a whole working day, and I have more than 20% battery left. So, if you use it judiciously, it might last you a day and a half. On a good day, with a balance between mobile data and Wi-Fi, the Galaxy S23 got me around 7 hours of screen time with a full day’s use.
However, I cannot say enough good things about the charging experience. Despite calling it super fast charging, “Samsung limited charging to 25W with the Galaxy S23, allowing the more expensive S23 Plus and S23 Ultra to offer 45W of fast charging. It’s really shocking to see.” But yes, using 25W charging, you can charge the Galaxy S23 from zero to full in about an hour and a half.
Camera: A reliable camera system with a few inconsistencies
Unlike the Pixels and iPhones of the world, Samsung chose to include a third telephoto sensor with the vanilla model, and I really applaud the brand for not leaving out the lens. Besides me, I know a lot of people who prefer telephoto over ultrawide lenses, but it’s always nice to have them all. So, the camera setup consists of a 50-megapixel wide camera, a 3X telephoto and a 0.6X ultrawide lens – making the camera quite versatile – even when compared to the closest competition.
The photos from the main camera are excellent – with unprecedented dynamic range, sharpness and minimal noise in low light conditions. That also controls lens flaring, which was a notable issue with previous Galaxy flagships. Colors and skin tones are also well reproduced in natural light, but in artificial light, the camera tends to boost yellow—especially in skin tones—and this makes skin appear yellow. I believe a software update can fix this and shouldn’t stop you from enjoying an excellent camera system overall.
Portrait mode is also pretty rock solid with the Galaxy S23 – with solid edge detection and natural bokeh. I’m particularly fond of portrait mode images using the 3X telephoto lens, which gives you a background compression that resembles that of an 85mm full-frame equivalent lens. Even compared to the iPhone 14 Pro, the edge detection is great and works consistently well.
Samsung has long included a Pro mode for both photos and videos, and here, you can tweak the image to your liking. And get high-resolution photos at 50-megapixels too—for those who crave maximum detail.
However, the major problem with Samsung flagship cameras for some time now is the infamous shutter lag, and with the Galaxy S23, it unfortunately makes a comeback. It’s not as bad as it used to be, and most users won’t even notice it, but if you’re an enthusiast and want to capture fast-moving subjects like kids, pets, and more, you’ll end up with constant lag. Will become soft looking pictures.
And speaking of video capabilities, 4K60 and 4K30 video is excellent, creeping up almost to iPhone standards—with great dynamic range, good highlight roll-off, accurate color reproduction, and minimal noise in low light. I’m also a fan of the Portrait Video feature—which is now in its fourth generation. It stays on focus and provides natural looking focus roll-off.
Overall, the Galaxy S23’s camera system is one you can depend on, and you definitely get a dynamic and versatile setup – one anyone will enjoy carrying in their pocket.
Here are some more camera samples:
Attention to Detail: Masterstroke!
Talking about the finer points, the Galaxy S23 impressed me here as well. From how good the haptics are – thanks to the superb vibration motor – to the way it works with other Samsung devices like the Galaxy Books, Samsung has left no stone unturned to ensure a premium user experience. OneUI 5.1 is also a vast improvement compared to some iterations in the past.
Animations are buttery smooth, and other features like Quick Share ensure a seamless experience if you’re in the Galaxy ecosystem. I am also using Galaxy Book 3 Pro along with Galaxy S23 and let me tell you the experience is nothing less than Apple. Copy-pasting, dragging and dropping images, and even using your mobile devices as a secondary screen—it all comes together!
Verdict: The reliable compact Android flagship you’ve been waiting for
The Samsung Galaxy S23 sports a sleek and sturdy design with a stunning 6.1-inch FHD 120Hz display that is bright, symmetrical, and sports a punch hole camera cutout at the front. Thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the phone offers exceptional performance without any heating or battery issues that were present in the previous model.
Additionally, the battery life has been significantly improved, offering a full day of usage and 7 hours of screen time on a single charge. However, the charging experience is limited to 25W. The camera system is also reliable, delivering excellent photos with a versatile set of lenses, although there are some inconsistencies in artificial lighting.
Overall, I would rate the Samsung Galaxy S23 fairly highly, and if you’re looking for a compact Android flagship phone that doesn’t compromise on specifications and overall user experience, then look no further than the Galaxy S23.
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