The Samsung Galaxy S23 is likely to be one of the first major flagship phones to launch in 2023, but if a new leak is correct, then we shouldn't expect the three phones in the line-up to be all that different in physical terms from their Samsung Galaxy S22 predecessors.
According to the usually reliable Ice Universe (via GSMArena), the dimensions of the 2023 handsets will be more or less the same as the 2022 handsets, and the respective screen sizes and resolutions are going to be identical.
This move would be similar to Apple's latest upgrades, where the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, in particular, look very similar to designs from the previous two generations.
The new Galaxy S23 leak matches up with a previous rumor from the same source that said the Galaxy S23 Ultra would match the Galaxy S22 Ultra very closely in terms of how it looks. Now that information has been extended to cover the entire range.
By the numbers
Only the heights and widths are changing, apparently, and only by a few tenths of a millimeter. The Galaxy S23 is said to measure 146.3 mm x 70.9 mm x 7.6 mm (compared with the 146 mm x 70.6 mm x 7.6 mm dimensions of the Galaxy S22), and will stick with the same 6.1-inch, 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution screen.
The Galaxy S23 Plus will apparently measure 157.8 mm x 76.2 mm x 7.6 mm (compared with the dimensions of 157.4 mm x 75.8 mm x 7.64 mm of the Galaxy S22 Plus). The display will again measure 6.6 inches corner to corner, with a 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution.
And finally the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is reportedly going to have dimensions of 163.4 mm x 78.1 mm x 8.9 mm (up against the 163.3 mm x 77.9 mm x 8.9 mm dimensions of the Galaxy S22 Ultra). The screen is apparently going to be the same again, a 6.8-inch panel with a resolution of 3088 x 1440 pixels.
Analysis: the same but different
We wouldn't be too disappointed if all the upgrades on the Galaxy S23 were on the inside next year – the Galaxy S22 series is stylish enough, and there's always a good chance that Samsung will decide to give us some new colors to pick from next time around.
There are sure to be internal upgrades, starting with the chipset. The next-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset is apparently set to go into the Galaxy S23 phones – and in a change from previous years, there won't be any Exynos chipset variants either.
Reports suggest that a 200MP camera sensor is on the way to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, although the rear camera upgrades on the Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S23 Plus might be more modest based on what we've heard so far.
From what we know right now, it doesn't look as though we'll see anything as innovative as the Dynamic Island on the new iPhone 14 Pro models – but then Samsung has already put plenty of innovative ideas into its foldable smartphones, and there are still months for more leaks to appear.
