There is something called the ultimate flagship phone, like Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which come with hefty price tags. Then there are flagship phones that offer everything most of us will need on a phone. Consider this to be the Samsung Galaxy S23+ 5G and iPhone 14 Plus.
Once you get used to the 10X optical zoom on the Galaxy S23 Utra, it’s difficult to choose any other phone but if you are simply keen on high-quality mobile photography as well as a device with all the bells and whistles of a flagship phone, the Galaxy S23+ is a champion of a number.
Designed to last
The design of the phone needs some discussion. It’s slightly smaller than the Galaxy S23 Ultra but bigger than the Galaxy S23. This is the middle child that offers a great in-hand feel. The edges may appear boxy but there is a slight curve, which makes it easy to hold. I never came close to dropping the device because of the grip it offers and lately, I am not using phone cases on flagship devices because of the good build quality. Also, there is a matte finish on the back, which stops it from being as slippery as a bar of soap.
The design philosophy too is eye-catching, thanks to a minimalist approach. There are floating cameras, a design element that we are seeing across many Samsung phones, bringing about a certain degree of cohesiveness. Users get a better-looking lineup. When it comes to protection, Samsung has used Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on all the phones in the Galaxy S23 series. It’s strong and durable. The good news is that I haven’t scratched the back or cracked the screen.
Bright star
The biggest feature of the display is its brightness — 1750 nits. You get a 6.6-inch 2340 x 1080 (Flat FHD+) panel with an adaptive refresh rate from 48 to 120Hz. First, the screen is smaller than the 6.8-inch of the Ultra but if you want something more compact, go for the Galaxy S23 with its 6.1-inch screen. Second, the adaptive refresh rate is sufficient to tackle battery usage. The brightness beats rivals by a mile. Not only can it go substantially brighter than most other phones, which helps if you are outside, the display can also get incredibly dim, meaning if you are trying to relax in the evening; you won’t get blinded by the screen.
As far as the internals go, there are two storage variations — 256GB and 512GB. It’s sufficient for most phone users to upgrade from an older device and will still be left with enough storage space for a few years. The processor is the fastest and most efficient you will get on an Android phone. It’s a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 but tailored for Samsung, so it is faster than most phones with a similar processor. It’s a chip that can handle all kinds of gaming while offering sustained performance and high frame rates.
Consistent camera performance
For the three weeks I have been using the phone to take photographs and videos. Across the board, it’s a solid camera system and Samsung has tuned the cameras perfectly for night photography or Nightography.
On the rear you get three cameras — 50MP wide-angle, 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP telephoto. This is a good setup to have. The 50MP snapper is one of the best you will find on an Android phone. You may say that Xiaomi 13 Pro has a bigger sensor. Yes, it has and the photographs come out well. But when you are buying a smartphone, you need great photography to go with video capabilities and there needs to be a flow between the cameras when you move from one to another. That’s what Samsung is offering — a trustworthy camera that does well both with photos and videos.
Even under uneven lighting, enough details are captured
Photographs sport colours that have a natural feel
Close-up shots come out well on the Galaxy S23+
The shutter speed is fast and you will not miss a shot with the new flagship phone from Samsung
There is good HDR range
The 3X optical zoom is brilliant and even at 30X digital zoom, things are acceptable. The portrait mode too offers a very accurate cutout. Usually the ultra-wide is not well implemented. Not here. There is little colour shift between the main and ultra-wide cameras. You can shoot up to 8K@30fps without much cropping. Personally, I like shooting 4K@30fps because it allows me to zoom out and zoom in seamlessly — 0.6X to 12X. Stabilisation goes toe-to-toe with the iPhone. The only improvement I would like to see is better portrait mode shots in low lighting.
One more feature that’s worth mentioning is the camera implementation on social media platforms. Usually, we shoot with the phone’s camera and then upload it to social media for better quality. Social media apps take advantage of the camera set-up on the Galaxy S23 series, especially on Snapchat.
As far as the front 12MP camera goes, it retains skin tones and it can record 4K@30fps. Further, you can start recording on the front camera and while recording you can move to the rear camera. It’s a simple feature but many Android flagship phones don’t offer it.
Things that matter
One of the features that I like on the phone is on the software side and it’s called Modes. There are six modes — Sleep, Theatre, Driving, Exercise, Relax and Work. You can set routines for each mode. For example, when you turn on Work mode, you can choose by ‘Place’ and ‘Time Period’. Next, choose the activities you need in that mode — Calls and Messages, App notifications and so on. Yes, it’s a bit like on the iPhone but I am enjoying this on Android.
There is a 4,700mAh battery that supports wireless charging and the processor is so well-optimized that you easily get a day out of the phone. I don’t want to talk about the number of hours you get because that varies greatly from person to person. The speakers too are loud and clear. The stereo speaker setup is louder than that on most Android phones and the sound is well-tuned.
Overall, this phone is the go-to device in the Samsung flagship lineup. You’re not getting the 100X zoom feature on the Ultra and you are not getting the S Pen but these are things most people don’t need. What you do get is peace of mind when it comes to security and OS upgrades. Besides Pixel devices, Samsung offers one of the best security upgrade cycles on Android. The Samsung Galaxy S23+ 5G is built to last and offers top-of-the-line performance. It has the power to be the default Android phone.
At a glance
The display on Samsung Galaxy S23+ can get incredibly bright
Device: Samsung Galaxy S23+
Price: Upwards of Rs 94,999
HIGH NOTES
- Excellent performance
- Big, bright display
- Well-tuned camera system
- Consistent performance and excellent security/OS upgrade cycles
- UI is well optimized
- Good battery life
MUFFLED NOTE
- More storage options would have been better