They are already here. Once again Samsung has gone ahead of its competitors and has presented its flagship smartphones for 2023. And, as every year, the leaks have hit the target. The Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra are decidedly premium mobile phones, but above all they stand out for having a crew of cameras that, on paper, will allow them to compete for the throne best photographic terminal of this year.
If we stick to their endowment of cameras, the specifications of these three phones are interesting, but the juiciest is, as we might expect, the S23 Ultra model. And it is that it not only stands out from the other two S23 for incorporating a second telephoto lens; it also claims its share of attention thanks to the integration in the main camera of an Isocell HP2 sensor manufactured by Samsung itself and with a resolution of no less than 200 megapixels. This is how these mobiles are spent.
Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra: technical specifications
galaxy s23
galaxy s23+
galaxy s23 ultra
screen
6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED
Full HD+ (2.340 x 1.080 puntos)
LTPO 48-120 Hz
1.750 nits
6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED
Full HD+ (2.340 x 1.080 puntos)
LTPO 48-120 Hz
1.750 nits
6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED
QHD+ (3,080 x 1,440 dots)
Adaptive Refresh from 1 to 120 Hz
100% DCI-P3
perforated panel
Gorilla Glass 2
processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
principal memory
8 GB
8 GB
8 or 12 GB
storage
128 or 256 GB
256 o 512 GB
256, 512 GB or 1 TB
frontal camera
12-megapixel Dual Pixel sensor, f/2.2 and 80-degree field of view
12-megapixel Dual Pixel sensor, f/2.2 and 80-degree field of view
12-megapixel Dual Pixel sensor, f/2.2 and 80-degree field of view
rear cameras
Main: 50-megapixel Dual Pixel AF sensor, f/1.8, optical stabilization, and 85-degree field of view Ultra-wide: 12-megapixel sensor, f/2.2, and 120-degree field of view Telephoto: 10-megapixel sensor, f /2.4, 3x optical zoom, optical stabilization, 36-degree field of view Main: 50-megapixel Dual Pixel AF sensor, f/1.8, optical stabilization, 85-degree field of view Ultra-wide: 12-megapixel sensor, f/ 2.2 lens and 120-degree field of view Telephoto: 10-megapixel sensor, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, optical stabilization, and 36-degree field of view Main: 200-megapixel Isocell HP2 sensor, Super Quad Pixel AF, f/1.7, stabilization optics and 85-degree field of view Ultra Wide: 12-megapixel Dual Pixel sensor, f/2.2, and 120-degree field of view Telephoto 1: 10-megapixel Dual Pixel sensor, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, optical stabilization, and 36 degree field of view Telephoto 2: d-sensor e 10 megapixel Dual Pixel, f/4.9, 10x optical zoom, optical stabilization and 11-degree field of view
operating system
Android 13 con One UI 5.1
Android 13 con One UI 5.1
Android 13 con One UI 5.1
connectivity
USB-C
USB-C
USB-C
wireless connectivity
5G
Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.3
NFC
5G
Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.3
NFC
5G
Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.3
NFC
sound
stereo speakers
stereo speakers
stereo speakers
ip68 protection
Yes
Yes
Yes
battery
3.900 mAh
4.700 mAh
5.000 mAh
fast charge
Yes
Yes
Yes
security and other features
ultrasonic fingerprint reader
2D face unlock
Samsung DeX
Samsung Pay
ultrasonic fingerprint reader
2D face unlock
Samsung DeX
Samsung Pay
ultrasonic fingerprint reader
2D face unlock
Samsung DeX
Samsung Pay
dimensions
146,3 x 70,9 x 7,6 mm
157,8 x 76,2 x 7,6 mm
163,3 x 78,1 x 8,9 mm
weight
168 g
196 g
234 g
precio
From €959
From 1,209 euros
From 1,409 euros
They are committed to continuity, but the S23 Ultra incorporates important innovations
The camera endowment of the Galaxy S23 is essentially the same that the Galaxy S22 proposed to us last year. The Galaxy S23 and S23+ models opt for the usual camera configuration: a main camera equipped with a wide-angle lens, a telephoto lens and an ultra-wide unit. And the S23 Ultra, just like the S22 Ultra did last year, also gives us a fourth camera: an additional telephoto lens much less bright than the main one, but with a more ambitious optical zoom.
The S23 and S23+ share exactly the same set of cameras
A difference that is worth not overlooking between the Galaxy S22 and the S23 is that the latter are committed to the same front camera: a unit equipped with a 12-megapixel Dual Pixel sensor that works in tandem with valuable optics. aperture f/2.2. The S22 and S22+ use a front camera with these same specifications, but the S22 Ultra, curiously, stands out from the S23 Ultra with a front camera equipped with a 40-megapixel sensor that works hand in hand with optics with f aperture value. /2.2.
On the other hand, as we have seen, the S23 and the S23+ share exactly the same set of cameras. The main unit is committed to a 50-megapixel Dual Pixel sensor and optics with an f/1.8 aperture value. This camera has, as usual, optical stabilization. The ultra-wide-angle camera incorporates a 12-megapixel sensor, f/2.2 aperture optics, and has a 120-degree field of view. Finally, the telephoto lens uses a 10-megapixel sensor and f/2.4 optics to give us a zoom 3x optical. Like the main camera, it implements optical stabilization.
Let’s go now with the S23 Ultra. Its most groundbreaking camera is the main one, and it is for a very obvious reason: it is the one that bets on the new 200-megapixel Isocell HP2 sensor manufactured by Samsung itself. This sensor combines 0.6 μm photodiodes and has a size of 1/1.3″ (it is exactly the same as the 108-megapixel sensor proposed by the S22 Ultra). A priori it seems reasonable to think that it is an excessive resolution for a moderately sized sensor, but this is precisely where Tetra2Pixel technology comes into play.
The 200 megapixel Isocell HP2 sensor packs 0.6 μm photodiodes and is 1/1.3″ in size
And it is that the firmware with which this sensor works is capable of grouping the photoreceptors dynamically with two different strategies. On the one hand you can stack them four by four to recreate 1.2 μm photodiodes (in this scenario the resolution is reduced to 50 megapixels), and you can also stack them in sets of sixteen photoreceptors to give rise to 2.4 μm pixels. In this last configuration, not surprisingly, the resolution is reduced to 12.5 megapixels. On paper this strategy may seem too contrived, but it makes sense if we stick to what Samsung tells us.
And it is that according to this brand the flexibility of the main camera of the S23 Ultra allows this mobile phone to better adapt to the shooting scenario to balance the level of detail that it is capable of delivering and its performance in environments with very low light. In addition, according to Samsung, the focusing system they have fine-tuned allows each photoreceptor to contribute independently, which, in theory, allows this camera to focus precisely even in low light. Of course, we will put all this to the test when we have the opportunity to analyze the S23 Ultra in depth.
On the other hand, the ultra-wide camera and the main telephoto lens of the S23 Ultra are identical to those of the S23 and S23+. The ultra-wide angle is committed to a 12-megapixel sensor and optics with an f/2.2 aperture, while the telephoto lens incorporates a 10-megapixel sensor and optics with an f/2.4 aperture value to give us a 3x optical zoom. The second telephoto lens also uses a 10-megapixel sensor, but its optics have an f/4.9 aperture value, so it is less bright than the main one. Yes indeed, gives us ten optical magnifications.
In this generation Samsung has turned to night photography
During the presentation of the Galaxy S23, Samsung spokespersons have insisted that the performance of these smartphones in low light conditions, both when taking pictures and when recording video, is noticeably better than that of their predecessors. Sounds good, but we’ll have to check it out when we try them out. In any case, to make it possible it is necessary to refine both the photographic hardware and the software. In the hardware we have already investigated, but we still have to explore what innovations this brand has introduced in the software of the S23.
The depth map with which the software of these mobile phones works allows them to recover a lot of detail and minimize noise
One of them is a new artificial intelligence engine that works on the front camera and that, according to Samsung, gives us a higher level of detail and less noise. when we take selfies at night. In addition, in theory it is capable of accurately identifying our face to optimize the focus even when the light is very low. Another shooting scenario that Samsung claims to have polished in the S23 are portraits taken in night mode.
Again, once the sensor has collected the maximum information that the available light allows, the ball passes into the hands of the artificial intelligence software. This brand promises us that the depth map with which the software of these mobile phones works allows them to recover a lot of detail and minimize noise, while also maintaining a faithful and rich color recreation. Sounds good, like everything else, but then again, we’ll put it to the test when we get a chance to take an in-depth look at the new Galaxy S23s.
Another of the promises that Samsung has made to us during the presentation of these smartphones is HDR. And it is that, apparently, they have refined the technology that they introduced in the S21 Ultra, and that consists of combining several captures taken with different ISO values to increase dynamic range of the photographs. It will be interesting to see how the 200-megapixel Isocell HP2 sensor built into the S23 Ultra’s main camera handles HDR.
Two more notes to conclude. The new mode for astrophotography allows us to extend the exposure time up to a maximum of four minutes, an option that puts the possibility of recording the movement of the stars in our hands. It is clear that this type of photography does not appeal to all users, but this option is interesting for those who are attracted to the night sky. Finally, an important detail: the Expert RAW mode is integrated into the native camera app, but it does not allow us to shoot at 200 megapixels; we can only get 50 megapixels when using it.
