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Samsung Galaxy S23 review: The small S23 smartphone makes the biggest leap

Full steam ahead. The Galaxy S23 is the smallest smartphone in Samsung's premium range, but takes the biggest step forward this year, closing many of the hardware gaps found in the larger models and even increasing battery capacity. Read on to find out more.
(Photo: Daniel Schmidt)

The smallest smartphone in the Galaxy S series not only has the smallest physical dimensions, but has also always been a little weaker than the Plus model in recent years. This year, the only difference between the two variants is the UWB chip, which the S23 lacks.

Otherwise the Galaxy smartphone has hardly changed in appearance from its predecessor, the S22, and has grown only slightly, but has been given a larger battery. Read on to find out here whether the combination of an improved display, the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy and a larger battery proves successful.

Samsung Galaxy S23 (Galaxy S Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy 8 x 2 - 3.4 GHz, Cortex-X3 / A715 / A710 / A510 (Kryo)
Graphics adapter
Memory
8 GB 
, LPDDR5x
Display
6.10 inch 19.5:9, 2340 x 1080 pixel 422 PPI, capacitive, Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 48 - 120 Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, glossy: yes, HDR, 120 Hz
Storage
128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash, 128 GB 
, 98.7 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: USB-C, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Gyroscope, Rotation, Proximity, Orientation, Pressure, OTG
Networking
Wi-Fi 6E (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/ Wi-Fi 6E 6 GHz), Bluetooth 5.3, 2G (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G (Band 1, 2, 4, 5, 8), LTE (Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66), 5G-Sub6 (Band 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78), Dual SIM, LTE, 5G, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.6 x 146.3 x 70.9 ( = 0.3 x 5.76 x 2.79 in)
Battery
3900 mAh Lithium-Ion
Charging
wireless charging, fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 13
Camera
Primary Camera: 50 MPix (Samsung GN3, f/1.8, 85°, 23 mm, OIS, DPAF) + 12 MPix (Sony IMX564, Ultra Wide, f/2.2, 120°, 13 mm, PDAF) + 10 MPix (Samsung S5K3K1, 3x opt. Zoom, f/2.4, 36°, 69 mm, OIS, DPAF)
Secondary Camera: 12 MPix (Samsung S5K3LU, f/2.2, 80°, 25 mm, HDR10+)
Additional features
Speakers: Dual, Keyboard: Onscreen, One UI 5.1, 24 Months Warranty, IP68, Dolby Atmos, Wireless PowerShare, DeX, GNSS: GPS (L1, L5), Glonass (L1), BeiDou (B1, B1C, B2a), Galileo (E1, E5a), QZSS (L1, L5); Head-SAR: 0.963 W/Kg, Body-SAR: 1.304 W/Kg, fanless, waterproof
Weight
167 g ( = 5.89 oz / 0.37 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
949 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Possible Competitors in Comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Drive
Size
Resolution
Best Price
90.5 %
03/2023
Samsung Galaxy S23
SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740
167 g128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.10"2340x1080
89.1 %
02/2023
Xiaomi 13
SD 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740
189 g256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash6.36"2400x1080
90.3 %
01/2023
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16, A16 GPU 5-Core
206 g256 GB NVMe6.10"2556x1179
89.1 %
02/2023
Vivo X90 Pro
Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11
214.9 g256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash6.78"2800x1260
88.5 %
11/2022
Google Pixel 7
Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7
197 g128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.30"2400x1080
88.6 %
09/2022
Asus Zenfone 9
SD 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730
169 g256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash5.90"2400x1080

Case - Compact and comfortable

Unnecessary: a lot of foil on the frame of the S23 (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
Unnecessary: a lot of foil on the frame of the S23

The Samsung Galaxy S23 is available in a total of six color variants, of which Cream, Phantom Black, Green and Lavender are widely available in stores, and Graphite and Lime are sold exclusively via the Samsung shop.

The smartphone is again unmistakably recognizable as a Galaxy smartphone. However, Samsung has brought the camera design in line with that of the Ultra model. This protrudes 2.3 millimeters from the case, so that the smartphone wobbles slightly when on a flat surface.

The build quality is excellent. Gaps are snug and very even. The S23 easily withstands torsional stress, but creaks slightly. The frame is made of polished Armor aluminum and the glass on the front and back is Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. It feels great in the hand and has a high quality feel, but is quite susceptible to fingerprints despite the matte back.

The Galaxy S23 is again both dust and waterproof according to IP68 certification

(Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
(Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
(Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
(Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
(Photo: Daniel Schmidt)

Size Comparison

164.1 mm / 6.46 inch 74.5 mm / 2.93 inch 9.3 mm / 0.3661 inch 214.9 g0.4738 lbs155.6 mm / 6.13 inch 73.2 mm / 2.88 inch 8.7 mm / 0.3425 inch 197 g0.4343 lbs152.8 mm / 6.02 inch 71.5 mm / 2.81 inch 7.98 mm / 0.3142 inch 189 g0.4167 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 68.1 mm / 2.68 inch 9.1 mm / 0.3583 inch 169 g0.3726 lbs147.5 mm / 5.81 inch 71.5 mm / 2.81 inch 7.85 mm / 0.3091 inch 206 g0.4542 lbs146.3 mm / 5.76 inch 70.9 mm / 2.79 inch 7.6 mm / 0.2992 inch 167 g0.3682 lbs146 mm / 5.75 inch 70.6 mm / 2.78 inch 7.6 mm / 0.2992 inch 167 g0.3682 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Equipment - Galaxy S23 without UWB

This year, the Samsung Galaxy S23 again makes use of USB 3.2 (Gen. 1), which supports wired image output and OTG. The latter allows peripheral devices and external storage media to be connected to the smartphone. The interface enables high data transfer rates, achieving a transfer rate of 252 MB/s in our copy test.

A choice of 128 or 256 GB is available for the storage. We recommend the larger model: since there is no microSD slot, this offers greater capacity on the one hand and on the other hand, the smaller storage variant, which we have as our test device, still has the slower UFS 3.1 storage. Samsung informed us that UFS 4.0 (so far) is not manufactured in such small units.

The S23 also has to do without an ultra-wideband chip (UWB), so it is not possible to use digital keys with the Samsung smartphone. Furthermore, neither an IR blaster, a radio receiver nor an audio jack are integrated.

Head side: Microphone (Image: Daniel Schmidt)
Head side: Microphone
Left side (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
Left side
Right side: volume rocker, function key (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
Right side: volume rocker, function key
Chin side: speakers, microphone, USB, microphone, SIM (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
Chin side: speakers, microphone, USB, microphone, SIM

Software - Samsung DeX and long update cycles

The Samsung Galaxy S23 comes with Google Android 13, which was up to date at the time of review, and the in-house One UI 5.1. Like all smartphones in the Galaxy S series, the S23 also receives four system upgrades and an additional year of security patches. The latter are released monthly, but whether this will continue to be the case until the last year is not entirely clear. Then again, the Galaxy S20 still receives security patches monthly, so this is unlikely to change in the next few years.

In addition to the Google apps, Samsung's own apps are also available on the S23, as well as the Galaxy App Store. Facebook, Netflix, Spotify and various Microsoft apps are also preinstalled on the Samsung smartphone. Apart from OneDrive, all third-party apps can be completely uninstalled, while the said app can only be deactivated.

The desktop mode DeX is also supported and can be used both wirelessly and via an optional cable. The latter variant works much more smoothly.

Communication and GNSS - Fast WLAN and precise positioning

The Samsung Galaxy S23 offers a wide range of frequencies for all mobile communication standards, and there are no compromises in this area compared to the more expensive models. Reception values in metropolitan areas were subjectively very good and gave no cause for criticism.

Although the Galaxy smartphone does not support Wi-Fi 7, it achieved very high and stable transmission rates in both the 5.0 and 6.0 GHz networks in our test with our Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 reference router.

Networking
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
iperf3 receive AXE11000
1659 (min: 1603) MBit/s ∼93%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
1749 (min: 1253) MBit/s ∼100%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1799 (min: 1744) MBit/s ∼95%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1590 (min: 1562) MBit/s ∼88%
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
iperf3 receive AXE11000
894 (min: 803) MBit/s ∼50%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
770 (min: 459) MBit/s ∼44%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1894 (min: 955) MBit/s ∼100%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1656 (min: 1620) MBit/s ∼91%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
iperf3 receive AXE11000
723 (min: 365) MBit/s ∼40%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
822 (min: 409) MBit/s ∼47%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
iperf3 receive AXE11000
1787 (min: 928) MBit/s ∼100%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
227 (min: 115) MBit/s ∼13%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
229 (min: 219) MBit/s ∼12%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1814 (min: 1250) MBit/s ∼100%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
iperf3 receive AXE11000
904 (min: 816) MBit/s ∼51%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
936 (min: 863) MBit/s ∼54%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1716 (min: 845) MBit/s ∼91%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1757 (min: 1694) MBit/s ∼97%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
iperf3 receive AXE11000
919 (min: 892) MBit/s ∼51%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
938 (min: 470) MBit/s ∼54%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1715 (min: 801) MBit/s ∼91%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1602 (min: 797) MBit/s ∼88%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
iperf3 receive AXE11000
763 (min: 386) MBit/s ∼43%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
823 (min: 418) MBit/s ∼47%
Average of class Smartphone
 
iperf3 receive AXE11000
650 (min: 34.8) MBit/s ∼36%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
685 (min: 40.5) MBit/s ∼39%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1543 (min: 229) MBit/s ∼81%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1376 (min: 598) MBit/s ∼76%
01002003004005006007008009001000110012001300140015001600170018001900Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy S23 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1799 (1744-1867)
Xiaomi 13 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1862 (955-1923)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1589 (1562-1612)
Xiaomi 13 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1655 (1620-1684)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 receive AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1658 (1603-1686)
Xiaomi 13 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 receive AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø892 (803-944)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 transmit AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1750 (1253-1880)
Xiaomi 13 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 transmit AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø755 (459-912)
GPS test: indoors
indoors
GPS test: outdoors
outdoors

Positioning with the Samsung Galaxy S23 takes place very quickly and precisely both outdoors and indoors.

In order to be able to more accurately assess the smartphone's positioning capabilities, we took it on a short bike ride, during which it was compared with the Garmin Venu 2. On a route of just under ten kilometers, the distance of the two devices was only 30 meters. In a detailed summary of the route, both did not fare so well and show a few inaccuracies; the Garmin watch is always a little more accurate. Nevertheless, the S23 is well equipped for everyday navigation tasks.

GNSS test ride: around the lake
GNSS test ride: around the lake
GNSS test ride: loop
GNSS test ride: loop
GNSS test ride: summary
GNSS test ride: summary

Telephony and Voice Quality

Telephony app
Telephony app

The telephony features of the Samsung Galaxy S23 performed well under testing. When held to the ear, voice quality is at a very good level and loud background noise from large crowds of people is completely eliminated for the receiver. The loudspeaker also allows for decent conversational experience and even if the user is two meters away from the S23, he/she can still be understood properly.

Features such as VoLTE and WiFi calling are supported, but SIP account support is not implemented in the system. The Galaxy smartphone has two nano-SIM slots, but can also use an eSIM instead of a physical SIM.

Cameras - Good triple camera in the Galaxy S23

Selfie with the Galaxy S23 (portrait mode)
Selfie with the Galaxy S23 (portrait mode)

The front camera of the Galaxy S23 has been completely redesigned and is now identical across the entire S23 series. The optics again relies on autofocus, offers lots of options for settings and filters and can record videos in Ultra HD at up to 60 frames per second. The results are impressive.

The heart of the main camera is a 50 MP sensor that uses pixel binning to generate 12.5 MP images. Images can also be taken in full resolution. In daylight, photos are good and have a high level of detail, but appear somewhat over-sharpened. The contrast also suffers somewhat when backlighting is present. Photo formats are 4:3, 16:9, full screen (19.5:9) and 1:1.

The ultra-wide angle uses the same sensor as the S23 Ultra, which is a visible improvement over last year's model. However, the depth of field could be a little more pronounced and the sharpness decreases significantly in the peripheral areas.

The third lens is a triple optical magnification lens, which, like the main sensor, can utilize optical image stabilization (OIS). The photos are good in daylight, but the resolution could be a little higher. If you want to get even closer to the subject, you can use the 30x digital zoom. The maximum magnification is not really suitable for photos, but up to 10x zoom is sufficient for social media. In low-light situations, the photos turn out very noisy and rarely look good. As in the other S23 models, the Expert RAW app and a Pro mode are also available for the S23.

At best, videos are recorded in 8k at up to 30 FPS, while Ultra HD (up to 60 FPS) and Full HD (up to 120 FPS) with HDR10+ are also available. A number of settings can be manually adjusted via the Pro mode and the 21:9 aspect ratio can also be used.

Main sensor (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
3x zoom (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
10x zoom (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
10x zoom (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)

Zoom levels (from left): wide angle (1x), 3x, 10x, 30x

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Main cameraMain cameraUltra wide angle5x zoomLow light

Under controlled lighting conditions, the Samsung Galaxy S23 shows decent color reproduction. However, the DeltaE deviations are quite high and much brighter than they should be in colors with elements of green and blue.

The test chart is well photographed and many small details are retained, but the sharpness is not optimal in all areas. This phenomenon occurs more in in isolated spots, but is also not particularly pronounced.

ColorChecker
11.3 ∆E
8.7 ∆E
12.7 ∆E
16 ∆E
12 ∆E
9.6 ∆E
9.1 ∆E
13.1 ∆E
11.6 ∆E
6.5 ∆E
8.2 ∆E
10.6 ∆E
7.5 ∆E
11.3 ∆E
12.2 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
9.8 ∆E
14.8 ∆E
3.9 ∆E
3.2 ∆E
7.8 ∆E
7.6 ∆E
3.8 ∆E
5.2 ∆E
ColorChecker Samsung Galaxy S23: 9.23 ∆E min: 3.19 - max: 16.04 ∆E
ColorChecker
12.9 ∆E
12.2 ∆E
14.8 ∆E
16.3 ∆E
17.8 ∆E
21.8 ∆E
13.4 ∆E
13.4 ∆E
12.5 ∆E
17.3 ∆E
14.5 ∆E
21.8 ∆E
14.1 ∆E
20.6 ∆E
8.5 ∆E
15.9 ∆E
18.1 ∆E
26.1 ∆E
17.9 ∆E
17.2 ∆E
20.7 ∆E
24 ∆E
20.6 ∆E
13.2 ∆E
ColorChecker Samsung Galaxy S23: 16.89 ∆E min: 8.46 - max: 26.09 ∆E

Accessories and Warranty - Only the essentials included

Third-party power adapters are significantly cheaper. (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
Third-party power adapters are significantly cheaper.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 comes in very flat box packaging, which suggests that little is included aside from the smartphone. After all, Samsung uses fully recycled paper here. Upon opening, only a USB-C cable, a SIM tool and a few slim information slips can be found inside. A power adapter has to be purchased optionally and has an RRP of around US$35 in the Samsung shop.

The S23 comes with a 24-month warranty in Germany, which may differ in other regions, so buyers should double-check before purchasing. 

This can be expanded with the Care+ insurance package, which can be purchased for one or two years and also includes additional theft insurance. The scope of this insurance package may also differ from country to country. In the US, for example, buyers have the choice between $10/mo (for a maximum of 36 months) which can be cancelled any time, or a 2-year plan for $189 (not available in NY). A $99-$199 deductible or a $29-$99 service fee may apply when you file a claim, and up to three insurance claims can be made in a 12-month period.

Input devices & Operation - Touchscreen with 240 Hz

The surface of the Galaxy S23's capacitive touchscreen has excellent gliding properties and works at a sampling rate of 240 Hz. Inputs are recognized well and implemented quickly and precisely.

Biometric security is provided by an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor integrated into the display, which acts very quickly and reliably. Additionally or alternatively, it is also possible to use the less secure facial recognition unlock via the front camera.

The power button is used as a function key and launches the in-house language assistant Bixby ex works. This can also be switched back to function as a classic power button in the settings. In addition, the camera or any other app can be started by pressing the power button twice. In this respect, the S23 is in no way inferior to its larger siblings.

Display - More brightness for the Galaxy S23

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

The Samsung Galaxy S23 uses a 6.1-inch (15.49 cm) AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 (Full HD+), thus making for a sharp display. If you want to save power, you can reduce the resolution to HD+. The refresh rate of the LTPO panel is dynamically adjusted between 48 and 120 Hz; fixing this at 60 Hz is also optionally possible. HDR standards included are HLG, HDR10 and HDR10+, but not Dolby Vision.

Unlike last year's predecessor, the Galaxy S23 no longer has to settle for a reduced maximum brightness compared to the more expensive models. A high 1122 cd/m² is possible in a pure white display with an activated ambient light sensor. With an even distribution of bright and dark areas (APL18), this even increased to 1653 cd/m² under testing. If you prefer to regulate the luminosity manually, you have up to 431 cd/m² available. With the additional brightness option, this can be boosted to up to 730 cd/m². The situation is similar with the minimum display brightness, which is comparatively low at 1.24 cd/m² under normal circumstances. If you turn on the extra dimming function in the input help, you can reduce the luminosity to as little as 0.9 cd/m².

Like all OLEDs, that of the S23 also flickers. This occurs at a very constant 120 Hz at minimum brightness. The luminosity increases a little (> 3%) and becomes a constant 240 Hz with a very even cycle curve. This indicates permanent DC dimming and should be easy on the eyes. No temporal dithering was detected.

1111
cd/m²
1114
cd/m²
1142
cd/m²
1128
cd/m²
1125
cd/m²
1143
cd/m²
1131
cd/m²
1112
cd/m²
1093
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 3
Maximum: 1143 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 1122.1 cd/m² Minimum: 1.24 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 96 %
Center on Battery: 1125 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.2 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 1.97
Samsung Galaxy S23
Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 2340x1080, 6.10
Xiaomi 13
OLED, 2400x1080, 6.36
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Super Retina XDR OLED, 2556x1179, 6.10
Vivo X90 Pro
AMOLED, 2800x1260, 6.78
Google Pixel 7
OLED, 2400x1080, 6.30
Asus Zenfone 9
AMOLED , 2400x1080, 5.90
Samsung Galaxy S22
AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.10
Screen
26%
23%
25%
21%
7%
12%
Brightness middle
1125
1209
7%
1046
-7%
1018
-10%
936
-17%
793
-30%
853
-24%
Brightness
1122
1208
8%
1049
-7%
1026
-9%
947
-16%
796
-29%
858
-24%
Brightness Distribution
96
98
2%
98
2%
93
-3%
95
-1%
97
1%
96
0%
Black Level *
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.2
1.2
62%
1.2
62%
0.9
72%
1.3
59%
1.9
41%
1.9
41%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.9
3
39%
3.1
37%
2.2
55%
2.7
45%
3.4
31%
3.2
35%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.3
2.1
36%
1.7
48%
1.9
42%
1.4
58%
2.3
30%
1.9
42%
Gamma
1.97 112%
2.26 97%
2.19 100%
2.26 97%
2.25 98%
2.26 97%
2.07 106%
CCT
6504 100%
6504 100%
6538 99%
6473 100%
6664 98%
6860 95%
6460 101%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 240 Hz

The display backlight flickers at 240 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) .

The frequency of 240 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Minimum display brightness
Min.
25% display brightness
25%
50% display brightness
50%
75% display brightness
75%
Maximum manual display brightness
100%

Series of measurements at a fixed zoom level and different brightness settings

The color accuracy of the Galaxy S23 is on a similar level to the S23+ and S23 Ultra. The most natural color representation of the panel is achieved when Natural mode is selected in the settings. However, it then only uses the smaller sRGB color space.

The given quality is good, but for a high-end smartphone it could be a bit more accurate.

Grayscale (color profile: Natural, target color space: sRGB)
Grayscale (color profile: Natural, target color space: sRGB)
Colors (color profile: Natural, target color space: sRGB)
Colors (color profile: Natural, target color space: sRGB)
Color space (color profile: natural, target color space: sRGB)
Color space (color profile: natural, target color space: sRGB)
Saturation (color profile: Natural, target color space: sRGB)
Saturation (color profile: Natural, target color space: sRGB)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
1.77 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 0.9365 ms rise
↘ 0.836 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 5 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
1.36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 0.6965 ms rise
↘ 0.663 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 3 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Outdoors, the Samsung Galaxy S23 makes a very good impression and has sufficient brightness capacity for all lighting conditions. Reflections are present, but not too pronounced.

(Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
(Photo: Daniel Schmidt)

The viewing angle stability of the AMOLED panel in the Galaxy S23 is very good. At very flat viewing angles, the brightness decreases somewhat and the display becomes cooler. However, this does not affect everyday use.

Viewing angle stability of the Samsung Galaxy S23
Viewing angle stability of the Samsung Galaxy S23

Performance - Galaxy S23 with customized SoC

The Galaxy S23 uses the same SoC as its two sister models: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. This variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is one with a higher clocked prime core. Both variants can draw on 8 GB of LPDDR5x RAM.

The single-core CPU performance is correspondingly higher than that of the competition; only the iPhone is faster in this respect. The Samsung smartphone also delivers very good results in terms of system performance, which is reflected in everyday use, as the system is very responsive and always works smoothly.

Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic, A16 GPU 5-Core, 6144
1878 Points +21%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (1542 - 1598, n=7)
1561 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
1549 Points
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
1478 Points -5%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
1384 Points -11%
Asus Zenfone 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730, 16384
1322 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Exynos 2200, Xclipse 920, 8192
1145 Points -26%
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
1050 Points -32%
Average of class Smartphone
  (119 - 2138, n=212, last 2 years)
902 Points -42%
Multi-Core
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic, A16 GPU 5-Core, 6144
5538 Points +11%
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
5090 Points +2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (4906 - 5198, n=7)
5020 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
4974 Points
Asus Zenfone 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730, 16384
4436 Points -11%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
4232 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Exynos 2200, Xclipse 920, 8192
3474 Points -30%
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
3265 Points -34%
Average of class Smartphone
  (473 - 6681, n=212, last 2 years)
2950 Points -41%
Geekbench 6.0
Single-Core
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic, A16 GPU 5-Core, 6144
2531 Points +28%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
1971 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (1958 - 1976, n=3)
1968 Points 0%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
1669 Points -15%
Average of class Smartphone
  (188 - 2531, n=44, last 2 years)
1279 Points -35%
Multi-Core
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic, A16 GPU 5-Core, 6144
6460 Points +26%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (5043 - 5221, n=3)
5130 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
5126 Points
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
4232 Points -17%
Average of class Smartphone
  (512 - 6460, n=44, last 2 years)
3412 Points -33%
Antutu v9 - Total Score
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
1273775 Points +12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (1086936 - 1286774, n=8)
1181107 Points +4%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
1175789 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
1134684 Points
Asus Zenfone 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730, 16384
1081005 Points -5%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic, A16 GPU 5-Core, 6144
965593 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Exynos 2200, Xclipse 920, 8192
813746 Points -28%
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
773655 Points -32%
Average of class Smartphone
  (102602 - 1650926, n=148, last 2 years)
741274 Points -35%
PCMark for Android - Work 3.0
Asus Zenfone 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730, 16384
16528 Points +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (15270 - 17267, n=8)
16185 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
15270 Points
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
14094 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Exynos 2200, Xclipse 920, 8192
14068 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (4761 - 21385, n=206, last 2 years)
11628 Points -24%
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
10530 Points -31%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
9765 Points -36%
CrossMark - Overall
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic, A16 GPU 5-Core, 6144
1332 Points +9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (1120 - 1332, n=8)
1239 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
1221 Points
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
1219 Points 0%
Asus Zenfone 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730, 16384
1163 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Exynos 2200, Xclipse 920, 8192
957 Points -22%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
932 Points -24%
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
898 Points -26%
Average of class Smartphone
  (200 - 1474, n=156, last 2 years)
832 Points -32%
BaseMark OS II
Overall
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (8541 - 9337, n=8)
8859 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
8830 Points
Asus Zenfone 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730, 16384
8273 Points -6%
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
8153 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Exynos 2200, Xclipse 920, 8192
6991 Points -21%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
6755 Points -23%
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
6247 Points -29%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points -35%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic, A16 GPU 5-Core, 6144
Points -100%
System
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
14401 Points
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
13646 Points -5%
Asus Zenfone 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730, 16384
12637 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (1374 - 14401, n=8)
12462 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Exynos 2200, Xclipse 920, 8192
11210 Points -22%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
9767 Points -32%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points -33%
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
9601 Points -33%
Memory
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
9245 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
8871 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (8467 - 9212, n=8)
8823 Points -1%
Asus Zenfone 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730, 16384
8263 Points -7%
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
8179 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Exynos 2200, Xclipse 920, 8192
6413 Points -28%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points -30%
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
5392 Points -39%
Graphics
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (21505 - 31928, n=8)
28672 Points +7%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
27698 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
26748 Points
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
23966 Points -10%
Asus Zenfone 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730, 16384
22938 Points -14%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Exynos 2200, Xclipse 920, 8192
17269 Points -35%
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
16001 Points -40%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points -48%
Web
Asus Zenfone 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730, 16384
1982 Points +11%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung Exynos 2200, Xclipse 920, 8192
1924 Points +8%
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
1838 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
1779 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (1460 - 2032, n=8)
1768 Points -1%
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
1652 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points -16%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
843 Points -53%
UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI
Asus Zenfone 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730, 16384
82462 Points +394%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
44483 Points +166%
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
42556 Points +155%
Average of class Smartphone
  (207 - 84787, n=142, last 2 years)
22246 Points +33%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
16702 Points
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
15961 Points -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (1267 - 16702, n=8)
14423 Points -14%
AImark - Score v3.x
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic, A16 GPU 5-Core, 6144
37396 Points +2733%
Vivo X90 Pro
MediaTek Dimensity 9200, Immortalis-G715 MP11, 12288
31865 Points +2314%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (1216 - 156427, n=6)
27143 Points +1956%
Average of class Smartphone
  (298 - 245629, n=95, last 2 years)
14473 Points +996%
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
1410 Points +7%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
1320 Points
Google Pixel 7
Google Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7, 8192
1002 Points -24%
Geekbench ML
TensorFlow Lite CPU 0.5
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic, A16 GPU 5-Core, 6144
1043 Points +68%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (620 - 636, n=2)
628 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
620 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (215 - 1418, n=19, last 2 years)
604 Points -3%
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
579 Points -7%
TensorFlow Lite GPU 0.5
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic, A16 GPU 5-Core, 6144
2522 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
2443 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (2440 - 2443, n=2)
2442 Points 0%
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
1833 Points -25%
Average of class Smartphone
  (474 - 2842, n=19, last 2 years)
1780 Points -27%
TensorFlow Lite NNAPI / Core ML 0.5
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic, A16 GPU 5-Core, 6144
3190 Points +375%
Average of class Smartphone
  (344 - 3638, n=17, last 2 years)
1668 Points +148%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  (672 - 679, n=2)
676 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740, 8192
672 Points
Xiaomi 13
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740, 8192
545 Points -19%

The Adreno 740 is capable of very high performance. Whether it has also received a small performance boost is not entirely clear. In any case, the 4k test of GFXBench speaks in favor of this, as the S23 performs excellently in this test. In other tests, however, it delivers weaker results, which is due to the insufficient cooling. More on this later.

3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
3792 Points +3%
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
3707 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
3699 Points
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
3265 Points -12%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
2698 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
1855 Points -50%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
1800 Points -51%
3DMark / Wild Life Extreme
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
3857 Points
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
3783 Points -2%
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
3751 Points -3%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
3383 Points -12%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
2754 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
1946 Points -50%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
1841 Points -52%
3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
14002 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
13911 Points
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
13492 Points -3%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
12429 Points -11%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
11087 Points -20%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
7458 Points -46%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
6660 Points -52%
3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
6894 Points +11%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
6185 Points
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
4177 Points -32%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
4086 Points -34%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
4000 Points -35%
3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
25306 Points +16%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
22483 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
21767 Points
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
11893 Points -45%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
11491 Points -47%
3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
14878 Points +7%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
13955 Points
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
11914 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
8268 Points -41%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
8192 Points -41%
3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1)
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
Points
3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
0 Points
3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
0 Points
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
120 fps 0%
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
120 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
120 fps
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
120 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
119 fps -1%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
90 fps -25%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
60 fps -50%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
462 fps +1%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
459 fps
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
451 fps -2%
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
395 fps -14%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
381 fps -17%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
302 fps -34%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
249 fps -46%
GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
120 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
120 fps
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
120 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
119 fps -1%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
116 fps -3%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
90 fps -25%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
60 fps -50%
GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
292 fps +8%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
271 fps
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
265 fps -2%
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
257 fps -5%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
193 fps -29%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
176 fps -35%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
132 fps -51%
GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
120 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
120 fps
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
113 fps -6%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
104 fps -13%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
88 fps -27%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
88 fps -27%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
60 fps -50%
GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
197 fps +6%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
186 fps
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
181 fps -3%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
123 fps -34%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
114 fps -39%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
113 fps -39%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
89 fps -52%
GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
109 fps
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
93 fps -15%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
81 fps -26%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
77 fps -29%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
62 fps -43%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
60 fps -45%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
60 fps -45%
GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
123 fps
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
114 fps -7%
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
105 fps -15%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
89 fps -28%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
84 fps -32%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
68 fps -45%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
67 fps -46%
GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
98 fps
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
86 fps -12%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
82 fps -16%
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
66 fps -33%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
59 fps -40%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
51 fps -48%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
48 fps -51%
GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
63 fps
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
56 fps -11%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
51 fps -19%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
44 fps -30%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
44 fps -30%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
33 fps -48%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
29 fps -54%
GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
120 fps
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
113 fps -6%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
105 fps -12%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
98 fps -18%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
66 fps -45%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
65 fps -46%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
60 fps -50%
GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
142 fps +1%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
141 fps
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
133 fps -6%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
112 fps -21%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
111 fps -21%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
71 fps -50%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
67 fps -52%
GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
30 fps
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
25 fps -17%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
24 fps -20%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
23 fps -23%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
21 fps -30%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
14 fps -53%

The browser performance of the Galaxy S23 is very good in our benchmarks. Only the iPhone 14 Pro is faster.

Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 14 Pro (Safari 16)
281.762 Points +78%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (152.9 - 196.3, n=8)
173.4 Points +9%
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Chrome 109)
158.595 Points
Asus Zenfone 9 (Chrome 104)
147.648 Points -7%
Xiaomi 13 (Chrome 108)
143.264 Points -10%
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=167, last 2 years)
104.5 Points -34%
Samsung Galaxy S22 (Chrome 100.0.4896.79)
96.4 Points -39%
Google Pixel 7 (Chrome 106)
96.314 Points -39%
Vivo X90 Pro (Chrome 109)
67.646 Points -57%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Apple iPhone 14 Pro (Safari 16)
375 runs/min +176%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (136 - 197, n=6)
168.7 runs/min +24%
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Chrome 109)
136 runs/min
Xiaomi 13 (Chrome 108)
113 runs/min -17%
Samsung Galaxy S22 (Chrome 100.0.4896.79)
111 runs/min -18%
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=151, last 2 years)
105.7 runs/min -22%
Asus Zenfone 9
102 runs/min -25%
Google Pixel 7 (Chrome 106)
100 runs/min -26%
Vivo X90 Pro (Chrome 109)
60.2 runs/min -56%
WebXPRT 4 - Overall
Apple iPhone 14 Pro (Safari 16)
202 Points +38%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (145 - 187, n=8)
165.5 Points +13%
Asus Zenfone 9 (Chrome 104)
146 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Chrome 109)
146 Points
Xiaomi 13 (Chrome 108)
136 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 202, n=149, last 2 years)
98.7 Points -32%
Google Pixel 7 (Chrome 106)
93 Points -36%
Vivo X90 Pro (Chrome 109)
66 Points -55%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 14 Pro (Safari 16)
74261 Points +24%
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Chrome 109)
59913 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (49582 - 64715, n=8)
59058 Points -1%
Asus Zenfone 9 (Chrome 104)
54646 Points -9%
Google Pixel 7
45158 Points -25%
Xiaomi 13 (Chrome 108)
43632 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy S22 (Chrome 100.0.4896.79)
38992 Points -35%
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points -44%
Vivo X90 Pro (Chrome 109)
21648 Points -64%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Vivo X90 Pro (Chrome 109)
1847.5 ms * -163%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * -136%
Samsung Galaxy S22 (Chrome 100.0.4896.79)
1566 ms * -123%
Google Pixel 7 (Chrome 106)
1021.8 ms * -46%
Xiaomi 13 (Chrome 108)
870.7 ms * -24%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (634 - 1533, n=8)
795 ms * -13%
Asus Zenfone 9 (Chrome 104)
768.66 ms * -10%
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Chrome 109)
701.7 ms *
Apple iPhone 14 Pro (Safari 16)
475.3 ms * +32%

* ... smaller is better

The 128 GB version only uses old UFS 3.1 storage, while the 256 GB model uses UFS 4.0. A comparison shows that the performance increase of the newer standard is primarily noticeable in sequential reading, otherwise the increases are not too pronounced, which is also due to the fact that the write speeds of the UFS 4.0 in the Galaxy S23 are well below its capabilities.

Samsung Galaxy S23Xiaomi 13Vivo X90 ProGoogle Pixel 7Asus Zenfone 9Samsung Galaxy S22Average 128 GB UFS 3.1 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
117%
114%
-11%
49%
-2%
-11%
0%
Sequential Read 256KB
3133.7 ?(UFS 4.0)

1686.71 ?(UFS 3.1)

3454.01
10%
3866.75
23%
1280.81
-59%
1986.97
-37%
1486
-53%
1602 ?(1030 - 3134, n=55)
-49%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
-53%
Sequential Write 256KB
844 ?(UFS 4.0)

628.53 ?(UFS 3.1)

2722.77
223%
2643.38
213%
879.39
4%
1776.21
110%
993
18%
778 ?(233 - 1332, n=55)
-8%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
28%
Random Read 4KB
427.61 ?(UFS 4.0)

343.65 ?(UFS 3.1)

393.81
-8%
367.89
-14%
210.47
-51%
298.46
-30%
273
-36%
244 ?(126.2 - 428, n=55)
-43%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
-44%
Random Write 4KB
156.69 ?(UFS 4.0)

130.26 ?(UFS 3.1)

536.76
243%
521.43
233%
253.92
62%
398.39
154%
257.6
64%
245 ?(121.4 - 503, n=55)
56%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
69%

Gaming- Fun with minimal restrictions

The Adreno 740 ensures powerful gaming performance on the Galaxy 23, which we tested with GameBench.

Casual titles such as Subway Surfer pose no issue for the smartphone, even at 120 Hz. The shooter PUBG Mobile also works at very stable frame rates. Only Diablo: Immortal has a few hiccups, which is very likely an optimization issue and should be fixed soon. It is a pity, however, that the highest graphics detail level cannot be selected for the game as of yet.

Subway Surfer
Subway Surfer
Diablo Immortal
Diablo Immortal
PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile
0102030405060708090100110120Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy S23; PUBG Mobile; HD; 2.4.0: Ø59.7 (56-60)
Samsung Galaxy S23; PUBG Mobile; Ultra HD; 2.4.0: Ø40 (39-41)
Samsung Galaxy S23; Subway Surfers; 3.8.0: Ø119.5 (111-120)
Samsung Galaxy S23; Diablo Immortal; 1.7.3: Ø59 (28-60)

Emissions - Weak cooling in the Samsung smartphone

Temperature

Surface temperatures of the Samsung Galaxy S23 remain pleasantly low at all times. Even under sustained load, the smartphone doesn't get so much as lukewarm.

However, this comes at a price, because in the stress test of the 3DMark Wild Life (Extreme) the S23 does not prove to be particularly stable and loses more than 30 percent of its initial performance over longer periods of time. 

Max. Load
 29.8 °C
86 F
29.5 °C
85 F
28.2 °C
83 F
 
 30.6 °C
87 F
30 °C
86 F
28.5 °C
83 F
 
 30.3 °C
87 F
30.2 °C
86 F
28 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 30.6 °C = 87 F
Average: 29.5 °C = 85 F
28.6 °C
83 F
29 °C
84 F
30.1 °C
86 F
28.4 °C
83 F
28.3 °C
83 F
30.2 °C
86 F
28.4 °C
83 F
28.5 °C
83 F
30.2 °C
86 F
Maximum: 30.2 °C = 86 F
Average: 29.1 °C = 84 F
Room Temperature 20.8 °C = 69 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated) & Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 29.5 °C / 85 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 30.6 °C / 87 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 30.2 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.1 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

3DMark Wild Life Stress Test

3DMark
Wild Life Stress Test Stability
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
82 % +20%
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
78.9 % +15%
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
74.1 % +8%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
68.6 %
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
65.5 % -5%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
56.4 % -18%
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
53.1 % -23%
Wild Life Extreme Stress Test
Vivo X90 Pro
Immortalis-G715 MP11, Dimensity 9200, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
81.7 % +52%
Xiaomi 13
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
79.1 % +47%
Google Pixel 7
Mali-G710 MP7, Tensor G2, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
72.9 % +36%
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe
68 % +26%
Samsung Galaxy S22
Xclipse 920, Exynos 2200, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
56 % +4%
Samsung Galaxy S23
Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
53.8 %
Asus Zenfone 9
Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
52.8 % -2%
0510152025303540455055606570758085Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy S23 Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash; Wild Life Extreme Stress Test; 1.1.0.2: Ø15.5 (12.4-23.1)
Apple iPhone 14 Pro A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe; Wild Life Extreme Stress Test: Ø15 (13.7-20.2)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash; Wild Life Stress Test Stability: Ø58.5 (52.3-76.3)
Apple iPhone 14 Pro A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe; Wild Life Stress Test Stability: Ø53.3 (48.7-59.4)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash; Wild Life Unlimited Stress Test Stability: Ø66.7 (56-85.8)
Apple iPhone 14 Pro A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe; Wild Life Unlimited Stress Test Stability: Ø57.9 (54.7-74.4)

Speakers

The two speakers of the Samsung Galaxy S23 have been optimized by AKG and support Dolby Atmos. The sound quality is comparatively good, but the S23 Ultra is a little bit better in the pink noise measurement chart.

Wired headphones can be connected to the USB-C port, which may require an adapter. Bluetooth 5.3 is available wirelessly, but unfortunately the audio codec support (SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC and Samsung Seamless (SSC)) has room for improvement. 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.839.12527.936.93124.332.94028.234.65036.742.86322.238.98025.439.51002141.912518.646.716015.453.520015.155.625013.160.13151262.440012.762.950011.866.963012.966.780010.471.5100013.375.9125013.278.4160012.178.9200012.281.2250012.981.4315014.881400015.881.7500016.180.7630014.481.8800013.6791000013.576.81250014.471.4160001567.8SPL25.991.5N0.788median 13.5median 75.9Delta1.39.735.630.935.22632.630.32928.837.437.630.632.329.334.726.732.324.341.822.555.518.856.716.258.11257.49.95911.76710.367.811.967.61270.612.174.3127612.179.512.777.812.779.312.98013.378.913.279.113.680.313.676.213.368.812.764.225.189.50.778median 12.7median 70.6210hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseSamsung Galaxy S23Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Samsung Galaxy S23 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.5% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.8% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 3% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 21% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 74% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple iPhone 14 Pro audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 9% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 85% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 28% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 64% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life - Long runtimes with 3,900 mAh

Power Consumption

The power consumption of the Galaxy S23 is very low. Only in GFXBench with adjusted display brightness (150 cd/m²) is it significantly higher than that of the Xiaomi 13.

A compromise that has to be made compared to the two bigger siblings is the reduced charging power of the S23, which is limited to 25 watts by cable and requires a relatively long period of 80 minutes for a full charge. It takes even longer wirelessly, because then only 15 watts is possible. Wireless PowerShare is also on board.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.11 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.57 / 0.74 / 0.83 Watt
Load midlight 4.26 / 6.16 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Samsung Galaxy S23
3900 mAh
Xiaomi 13
4500 mAh
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
3200 mAh
Vivo X90 Pro
4870 mAh
Google Pixel 7
4355 mAh
Asus Zenfone 9
4300 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S22
3700 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-19%
-25%
-90%
-22%
-34%
-48%
-124%
-63%
Idle Minimum *
0.57
0.76
-33%
0.56
2%
0.9
-58%
0.89
-56%
1.01
-77%
0.69
-21%
1.531 ?(0.44 - 3.4, n=8)
-169%
0.891 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-56%
Idle Average *
0.74
1.1
-49%
1.37
-85%
2.32
-214%
1.07
-45%
1.1
-49%
1.19
-61%
1.848 ?(0.69 - 3.68, n=8)
-150%
1.448 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
-96%
Idle Maximum *
0.83
1.13
-36%
1.42
-71%
2.39
-188%
1.2
-45%
1.17
-41%
1.26
-52%
1.998 ?(0.83 - 3.91, n=8)
-141%
1.63 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
-96%
Load Average *
4.26
2.99
30%
3.42
20%
3.64
15%
3.27
23%
3.3
23%
6.97
-64%
7.9 ?(3.99 - 15.8, n=8)
-85%
5.57 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-31%
Load Maximum *
6.16
6.63
-8%
5.56
10%
6.53
-6%
5.5
11%
7.89
-28%
8.85
-44%
10.7 ?(6.16 - 15.9, n=8)
-74%
8.27 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-34%

* ... smaller is better

Power Consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)

01234567891011121314Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy S23 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy; Geekbench 5.5 Power Consumption 150cd: Ø6.19 (0.819-14)
Xiaomi 13 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; Geekbench 5.5 Power Consumption 150cd: Ø5.84 (0.888-13.8)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.699 (0.602-1.197)
Xiaomi 13 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.833 (0.772-1.019)

Power Consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)

012345678910111213Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy S23 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy; 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Offscreen: Ø11.8 (10.5-13)
Xiaomi 13 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Offscreen: Ø7.55 (6.97-8.54)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.699 (0.602-1.197)
Xiaomi 13 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.833 (0.772-1.019)

Battery Life

The battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S23 is very good despite its comparatively small battery capacity of 3,900 mAh.

The Samsung smartphone also accompanied us to the Mobile World Congress and positively surprised us with its stamina, because despite intensive use during the trade fair, the battery was still more than 50 percent full late in the evening. If you only use the smartphone sporadically, you'll definitely have enough power for several days, especially since the S23 is very frugal in standby.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
37h 29min
WiFi Websurfing (Chrome 109)
15h 26min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
20h 55min
Load (maximum brightness)
6h 10min
Samsung Galaxy S23
3900 mAh
Xiaomi 13
4500 mAh
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
3200 mAh
Vivo X90 Pro
4870 mAh
Google Pixel 7
4355 mAh
Asus Zenfone 9
4300 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S22
3700 mAh
Battery Runtime
14%
3%
-2%
-24%
0%
-18%
Reader / Idle
2249
2983
33%
2659
18%
1063
-53%
1685
-25%
2182
-3%
H.264
1255
1221
-3%
1397
11%
1230
-2%
1401
12%
887
-29%
WiFi v1.3
926
1021
10%
807
-13%
909
-2%
731
-21%
825
-11%
675
-27%
Load
370
423
14%
351
-5%
302
-18%
462
25%
324
-12%

Pros

+ bright 120 Hz AMOLED
+ lots of power
+ IP68 certification
+ long update supply
+ good triple- and front camera

Cons

- no UWB
- no Wi-Fi 7
- slow charging

Verdict - Galaxy S23 turns out to be a strong upgrade

In review: Samsung Galaxy S23. Test unit provided by Samsung Germany. (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
In review: Samsung Galaxy S23. Test unit provided by Samsung Germany.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 makes the biggest leap forward this year, catching up with the Galaxy S23+. This is particularly noticeable in the display brightness, which is now on the same level. The WLAN standard has also been adjusted, but unfortunately Wi-Fi 7 is omitted.

In addition to the larger display, the S23+ also offers a disproportionately larger battery, which enables even longer runtimes and, at 45 watts, can also be recharged more quickly. In addition, the S23 still has to do without UWB.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 is certainly one of the best compact smartphones of 2023.

Under testing, the Galaxy S23 scores with great voice quality, a long update supply, strong performance and good cameras on both sides. Battery runtimes are also very good and the LTPO-AMOLED display can get very bright, but color reproduction is not entirely perfect.

Compact alternatives are the Asus Zenfone 9 or the Xiaomi 13. The iPhone 13 mini in particular is even smaller, but also comes with technical compromises.

Price and Availability

In the US, the Galaxy S23 starts at S799.99 for the 128 GB model. 256 GB costs $999.99.

Users are advised to look at popular resellers such as Amazon (where applicable) where the smartphone can occasionally be bought at slightly cheaper prices.

Samsung Galaxy S23 - 03/09/2023 v7
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
92%
Keyboard
66 / 75 → 88%
Pointing Device
94%
Connectivity
67 / 70 → 96%
Weight
91%
Battery
91%
Display
91%
Games Performance
70 / 64 → 100%
Application Performance
93 / 86 → 100%
Temperature
95%
Noise
100%
Audio
76 / 90 → 85%
Camera
80%
Average
85%
91%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Transparency

The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Samsung Galaxy S23 review: The small S23 smartphone makes the biggest leap
Daniel Schmidt, 2023-03-10 (Update: 2023-03-10)