The Samsung Galaxy S23 edges closer to launching, with another spec leaked
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Before a smartphone can go out into the world, it must be approved by various regulators – and the Samsung Galaxy S23 has just appeared at 3C, the Chinese regulatory body, revealing another important specification along the way.
This is from SamMobile (opens in new tab) and Ice Universe (opens in new tab), both of which are reliable sources when it comes to upcoming Samsung products. The fact that the phone has now appeared on 3C suggests it’s still on track for a launch in the not-too-distant future, with February 2023 the month when the handset is likely to launch.
The only real piece of information we get from this application is that the wired charging speed will stay at 25W, just like the Samsung Galaxy S22. By today’s standards, that’s not fast at all, with some handsets nearly five times faster (120W) on battery charge.
Slow and steady
This caution when it comes to charging speeds is something we’ve noticed on Samsung’s other premium phones as well. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, for example, also hits its peak with a wired charging speed of 25W, with wireless charging at 15W.
It’s perhaps understandable for Samsung to stick to the 25W wired charging speed for the Galaxy S23, given what happened to certain Galaxy Note 7 models that caught fire – that was back in 2016, though, so it’s not that recent.
There is one caveat, which is that this regulatory list only mentions the standard Samsung Galaxy S23 handset. It is possible that the other models, the Galaxy S23 Plus and the Galaxy S23 Ultra, will increase the charging speeds.
Analysis: how important is loading speed?
A phone’s wired charging speed may not be the most important spec when it comes to choosing a new device, but it does have an effect on phone usage. If a device can be fully charged in minutes instead of hours, that means battery life isn’t that critical.
If you’re rushing out of the house or stopping at the office for a while, knowing that you can get a significant amount of juice into your phone’s battery in a short amount of time can reduce that creeping fear that can come from ending the day with a phone that died. .
In any case, Samsung can point to Apple as another company that is taking it slow when it comes to battery charging speeds. The iPhone 14 maxes out at 30W when it comes to wired charging, not far above the reported ceiling for the Galaxy S23.
As long as the 2023 phones come with other improvements, Samsung can probably get away with keeping the charging speed on the Galaxy S23 the same as on its predecessors – and it should at least have more powerful internals.