The current batch of rumors depicts the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus, which are very similar to their predecessors to the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus. You can expect obvious upgrades like a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, but the rumor mill isn’t as excited about these two phones as the more premium Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Ultimately, I think many people will choose the Galaxy S23 when buying one of Samsung‘s flagships, as it will be the cheapest of the three S23 models. With that, it’ll go head-to-head with Google’s Pixel 7, a beast of a $599 phone.
While we all know that many people might choose the Galaxy over the Pixel, Samsung has done its job with the S23. That said, if the Galaxy S23 is to surpass the Pixel 7, it needs to do the following.
Camera
That might be a separate topic, but Samsung has a long way to go to keep up with the Pixel 7’s camera. There are current rumors that the cameras on the non-Ultra S23 models will remain fairly similar. This is disappointing because Google has top-of-the-line camera hardware in the Pixel 7, with a 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor. Megapixel count isn’t everything, but Google also used its software prowess to make a huge difference with the Pixel 7.
Can the Galaxy S23 keep up with its rumored 12MP main camera? At the very least, Samsung might claim one major advantage over the Pixel 7 — the telephoto lens. The Galaxy S22 comes with a 12MP telephoto and 3x optical zoom, and the S23 will likely follow suit. The Pixel 7 only uses digital zoom, leaving the actual telephoto lens to the more expensive Pixel 7 Pro.
But zoom is situational, and the main camera does all the heavy lifting. If Samsung does stick to a 12MP sensor for the Galaxy S23, it will have to seriously tweak its post-processing algorithms to match the detail and dynamic range that Google has almost mastered.
Battery Life
Neither the Galaxy S22 nor the Pixel 7 wowed me with battery life. We test phone batteries by letting the phone constantly reload web pages over a cellular connection until they drain. The smartphone averages under 10 hours, and the Pixel 7 doesn’t come close to that. Neither does the Galaxy S22.
At just 7 hours and 54 minutes when the display is set to an adaptive refresh rate, the Galaxy S22 doesn’t set a good example from 2022. The Pixel 7 also didn’t do the task well, with a result of 7 hours, 17 minutes. The Galaxy S23 needs to do just that. Whether it’s the more power-efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, some tweaks to display efficiency, or tweaks to the software, the next-gen Galaxy S doesn’t need to do much to beat the Pixel 7.
Software function
Samsung has been known over the years for throwing a ton of software features at you. The company has calmed down in recent years and has reserved most of its existing products for the Ultra and Galaxy Z phones.
Honestly, I don’t expect any crazy software features from the Galaxy S23 or Galaxy S23 Plus. But the Pixel 7 has tons of nifty features that only the Pixel can do, like call screens, direct calls, hold and clear calls for me. Guided Frame allows visually impaired users to take perfectly composed selfies. With its accuracy and speaker profile, the Recorder app on the Pixel is without a doubt the best you can get.
The Galaxy S23 needs to impress us. Bixby is a far cry from Google Assistant, especially the smarter Assistant on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series. By comparison, the Galaxy S22’s phone app and voice input are pretty basic.
In fact, the Pixel 7 wipes the floor with the Galaxy S22 when it comes to software features. This is an area where I doubt Samsung will overtake Google. There’s just too much the Galaxy S23 needs to do to match the Pixel 7, let alone beat it.