Samsung Unpacked: Latest Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy Book 3 Ultra news

We’ve gotten our hands on a Galaxy S23 Ultra for more testing, so we’ve already started running Galaxy S23 Ultra benchmarks. The early results? The customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 powering the S23 lineup is the real deal.

With the caveat that we’re testing the 512GB S23 Ultra, which comes with more memory than the entry level model, the S23 Ultra handily beat last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra in our key tests. More impressively, it outperformed an A15 Bionic-powered iPhone 14 in Geekbench 5’s multicore test. And it posted better numbers in the Wild Life graphics test than we’ve seen from Apple’s Pro models.

The A16 Bionic inside the iPhone 14 Pro remains the top mobile processor, we think. But Samsung and Qualcomm seem to be closing the gap in key areas.

Apple releases a phone and w’re going to compare it to the current Samsung flagship. Samsung releases a phone and we’re going to do the opposite with Apple’s current offerings. So it is with the Galaxy S23, which invites inevitable iPhone 14 comparisons.

We’re going to need to test Samsung’s phone for a final verdict but we’ve updated our Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. iPhone 14 face-off now that Samsung’s Galaxy S23 specs are official.

The Galaxy Unpacked event earlier today ended with Samsung’s TM Roh joined by Cristiano Amon of Qualcomm and Google SVP Hiroshi Lockheimer, as the three tech companies announced plans to collaborate on a future mixed reality project. Here’s a closer look at what the Samsung/Qualcomm/Google partnership may yield.

Not that it means anything, but at Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit in November, the chip maker announced Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1, a purpose-built platform for AR headgear. That’s not to say this is what Samsung, Qualcomm and Google are up to here, but it does indicate Qualcomm’s interest in this area.

Now that all three new Galaxy S23 phones have been announced, you might we wondering which one is right for you. That’s where our Galaxy S23 vs Galaxy S23 Plus vs Galaxy S23 Ultra guide comes in.

We break down all the specs and biggest differences between these new flagship devices. The Samsung S23 Ultra stands out with its 200MP camera and of course its S Pen. But there’s some notable upgrades from the S23 to the S23 Plus, such as a larger screen and double the storage. 

See our full breakdown for all the detais. 

And with that teaser, that’s a wrap from the stage. There’s a product experience area, and I’ll be heading there for my own hands-on impressions.

Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon was out to talk about the special version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that powers the Galaxy S23 series. But it sounds like Qualcomm and Samsung are working on some XR collaborations as well. Google’s Hiroshi Lockheimer is there, too, as Google is participating in this collaboration as well.

No products announced, but it sounds as if all three companies are pursuing new platforms with new capabilities.

A word on materials. Samsung’s using a lot of sustainable materials in the Galaxy S23 series. The Victus Glass 2 on the phones, for instance, contains 22% recycled material. The Galaxy Book 3 series uses sustainable materials too. And Samsung continues to offer four years of OS updates on its phones so you can hold on to devices longer.

As for the Galaxy Book Pro 3, it’s going to start at $1,249. The Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 costs $1,399.

You can pre-order all these products now, and they’ll ship February 17.

Good news US users. The Galaxy S23 starts at the same $799 price as before, and the prices on the Plus and the Ultra are the same, too. The Galaxy S22 is sticking around at $699.

Samsung’s talking One UI 5, which is the company’s take on Android. It debuted late last year, and it’s going to ship on the Galaxy S23. (Actually, you’re getting an S23-specific version, One UI 5.1 that includes updates to Gallery for sharing photos and a neat Bixby call assistant feature.)

During Unpacked, Samsung’s focusing more on the general One UI features too, such as privacy and security, home control features, and S Pen support (at least on the Ultra models).

Some Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 highlights from Alex Wawro:

• Included stylus
• Touch-friendly AMOLED screen in a single 16-inch 3K 120Hz configuration
• 5G connectivity, if you like

The laptops don’t stop with the Ultra. It’s the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360’s time in the spotlight. Read our Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 hands-on to find out more about this 2-in-1.

I’m no computing expert, but my colleague Alex Wawro is. Here’s his Galaxy Book 3 Ultra highlights:

• discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series laptop GPU (a first for Galaxy Books)
• a 13th Gen Intel Raptor Lake CPU with up to 32GB of RAM
• a 3K 120Hz AMOLED display

Enough phone talk. Let’s move on to the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. You can get a head start by reading our Galaxy Book 3 Ultra hands-on.

We’ve moved onto Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 talk since that’s the chipset powering all the Galaxy S23 models. It’s a customized version for Samsung’s phones, which basically means that the maximum clock speed is even higher than what a regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 should give you.

In particular, Samsung is touting the revamped GPU, with a new ray-tracing module for more realistic graphics. “PC-like” is how Samsung is putting it.

In terms of battery life, you’re getting a 3,900 mAh battery in the S23 and a 4,700 mAh battery for the S23 Plus. The 5,000 mAh battery in the S23 Ultra is unchanged, but there’s a new cooling system that should keep your phone running longer.

Camera specs include 50MP main camera on the S23 and S23 Plus (same as before). The S23 Ultra gets a 200MP main camera as had been rumored. And every phone gets that 12MP front camera I had mentioned. All other cameras are unchanged from the corresponding S22 models.

There’s an AI Stereo Depth Map for improving portraits in low light, that helps with sharper images. And an AI Object Aware engine recognizes hair and clothes to separate them from the background, before highlighting those objects.

You can also choose between natural and warm tone on selfies. So this explains some of the selfie improvements to the new 12MP front camera on the S23 Ultra. (And all the S23 models, actually.) You may remember the S22 Ultra had a 40MP selfie cam.

Samsung says it’s building on the Nightography features it introduced with the Galaxy S22 last year. Nightography, by the way, is Samsung’s marketing term for the Galaxy’s ability to take more detailed shots in low light or no light.

So what’s new? Video nightography addresses problems with glare, shaky footage and more. Optical image stabilization on the S23 Ultra features double the ability to adjust for your movements. There’s an AI algorithm for reducing noise in shots.

All of this was demonstrated in a movie called  Faith shot by director Na Hong-Jin.

There’s a GIF remaster to sharpen the frames of GIF someone else creates and resends you. An Astro Hyperlapse feature lets you capture the night sky. Expert RAW lets you edit multiple exposures. So it’s not just about the hardware with the S23 cameras.

The 200MP camera is getting its time in the spotlight. In low light, you can combine 16 pixels into one for a brighter shot. In normal light, Samsung uses quad-pixel binning. The end result is higher-quality, more accurate photos.

It’s time to talk cameras, specifically the Galaxy S23 Ultra cameras. First up is a Super HDR video feature for brighter, more accurate colors. Both rear and front cameras support 4K video at 60 fps.

Camera can capture 2.5x more light when shooting 8K video.

We’re watching a film that Ridley Scott shot with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Hopefully, no face-hugger xenomorph bursts out of Samsung’s new phone. Just to be sure, why don’t you look at our Galaxy S23 Ultra hands-on?

Ridley Scott’s film is called Behold, by the way, and Samsung will release it soon.

Here’s our first look at the Galaxy S23 based on some hands-on time with the phone.

Samsung’s TM Roh is here and let there be no mystery — we’re going to see the Galaxy S23 and new Galaxy Books. In fact, the presentations we’re going to see today were filmed with an S23 camera, we’re told.

Lights, camera, action.

Cameras are obviously a big focus with any Galaxy launch, especially with the rumored 200MP sensor tipped for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. But with cameras remaining the same on the S23 and S23 Plus — at least according to rumors — it will be interesting to see how Samsung promotes those two models.

We’re guessing it will have something to do with software features. The front cameras are rumored to be getting a Pro mode. And all those night photography teasers suggests an astrophotograhy or at least low-light photo improvements that build on last year’s changes.

We’ll find out in about a minute…

One thing I’ll be looking for during the live event and my post-event hands-on session with devices — what’s the justification for the Galaxy S23 Plus? Apart from the larger screen, I mean, and I’m not sure that justifies the rumored $200 price difference between the Plus and the Galaxy S23.

I wrote about this last month — give me a reason why the Galaxy S23 Plus is still a thing — and I hope Samsung is up to the challenge today.

We’re focused on the Galaxy S23, but don’t forget that there are laptops rumored to be announced today. If you head to Evan Blass’ Twitter feed (opens in new tab), you can see a leaked document touting the merits of the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, which we could be seeing in just a little bit.

Highlights include a 16-inch display, a 13th Gen Core i9 or Core i7, and your choice of Nvidia graphics. The marketing materials also tout how thin and light the device is.

Philip Michales here, inside the Masonic Auditorium from San Francisco. And if you think Samsung isn’t leaning into the night photography elements of the Galaxy S23, think again, based on the decor in the main room.

With all the attention the Galaxy S23 Ultra is getting, it’s easy to forget about the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. But a last-minute leak has allegedly revealed all the biggest Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus differences (opens in new tab). 

The Galaxy S23 Plus should feature a larger display (6.2 vs 6.6 inches), a larger battery (4,700 mAh vs 3,900 mAh) and perhaps double the storage at 256GB vs 128GB. We’ve also heard that the S23 Plus should have faster UFS 4.0 storage, compared to UFS 3.1 for the S23. 

This same leak says that the S23 Plus will get Wi-Fi 7 vs. Wi-Fi 6E for the S23, but we’re not sure we believe that, though Ultrawideband being exclusive to the S23 Plus makes sense. +

We’re now inside the Masonic Auditorium for Samsung Unpacked and the room is starting to fill up for the big event. The tagline is Share the epic. This is the first big in-person event for Samsung in at least a few years, so we’ll be curious to see how packed Unpacked gets. 

How about a look at some of the expected Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra colors. This leak via WinFuture shows off the four expected hues for Samsung’s big-screen flagship. The rumored colors are: Black, Green, Cream and Lavender.

I’m kind of digging the green, but I can also see people gravitating towards the lavender S23 Ultra color for those who want to stand out in a crowd. Our Galaxy S23 color guide has a full look at what could be coming. 

And we’re live from San Francisco! Our own managing editor of phone coverage Philip Michaels is on the ground across the street from the church where Robert Vaughn tries to intimidate Simon Oakland in Bullitt if you appreciate history.

We’ll be bringing you live coverage from the Masonic Auditorium when the event gets underway. Stay tuned for more! 

Someone at the AT&T store in Atlanta could be in trouble, as the company’s Brookhaven store website posted details of the Galaxy S23 with a quartet of colors: a form of green, what appears to be a take on Phantom Black, lavender and cream. The listing appears to have been removed, but not before Cnet (opens in new tab) gathered the details. 

Alongside the listing, a suite of features and specs were detailed, effectively confirming what we already know about the Galaxy S23 via other tips and leaks; for example, the presence of a 6.6-inch display and 50-megapixel main camera. This also shows us that as usual, the major networks are likely gearing up to offer the new Galaxy S23 range.

The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra should be launching today as the first Ultra laptop in Samsung’s lineup and @TheGalox_ (opens in new tab) on Twitter has leaked some details. This includes a 3K Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and the ability to cover 120% of the DCI-P3 color space. That’s an impressive screen. 

The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra should be launching today as the first Ultra laptop in Samsung’s lineup and @TheGalox_ (opens in new tab) on Twitter has leaked some details. This includes a 3K Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and the ability to cover 120% of the DCI-P3 color space. That’s an impressive screen. 

How about this for a big leak. Here’s a video of the Galaxy S23 Ultra in action, showing off its 200MP camera, “more than all-day battery,” S-Pen and gaming performance.