Samsung Unpacked 2023: Galaxy S23 and what else we expect
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The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is almost here, with February 1 as the day these phones will be unveiled.
This is going to be a big date on the smartphone scene calendar, especially for Samsung; these are probably some of the most talked about Samsung and Android phones of 2023.
But what exactly will Samsung show at launch? And will there be anything else besides the S23 series? While nothing is certain yet, we have a very good idea of what we expect to see, as well as what probably won’t launch.
When is Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023?
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 is the official name of the event where the Galaxy S23 series will be launched, and it will take place on Wednesday, February 1.
It kicks off that day at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT, which is 5am AEDT on February 2 for those in Australia.
How to Watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023
Samsung will host a live stream of Galaxy Unpacked 2023 on its website (opens in new tab)so you can tune in there.
We fully expect the event to be hosted on the the company’s YouTube page (opens in new tab) too, and probably in other places, such as Samsung Newsroom (opens in new tab).
What we expect to see at the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23
As you’d expect, the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 is likely to be very focused on this latest family of phones, but we know we’ll see other things too; because not only are there rumors, but Samsung has opened reservations for several devices (opens in new tab), including the Galaxy S23 series. Below is what we’re likely to see.
1. The Samsung Galaxy S23
It wouldn’t be the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 if it weren’t for the Samsung Galaxy S23 itself, so barring some weird naming secrets, we’re expecting to see the vanilla Samsung Galaxy S23 there.
According to leaks, this will be a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S22 in many ways, with the same 6.1-inch FHD+ display, same 120Hz refresh rate, same amount of RAM (8GB) and same rear cameras meaning a 50 MP primary sensor, a 12 MP ultra-wide sensor and a 10 MP telephoto sensor, with 3x optical zoom.
So what’s going to change? For starters, the Samsung Galaxy S23 is clearly getting a new chipset, with most sources pointing to the whole world getting a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. That’s quite a shift for Samsung, which mostly ships Exynos chipsets in some regions.
This is likely to be the most powerful chipset available for Android phones for most of 2023, with the S23 series reportedly getting an even faster version than other brands have access to.
Other rumored changes from the S22 include a new camera design closer in style to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, a slightly larger 3,900mAh battery and possibly an improved 12MP selfie camera. The phone can also start with 256GB of storage, which is double the starting capacity of the Samsung Galaxy S22.
2. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus will most likely be announced alongside the Galaxy S23, and this looks set to be a similar phone, only with a larger 6.6-inch FHD+ display and larger 4,700mAh battery.
Otherwise, the specs are likely to be largely identical to the standard Samsung Galaxy S23, which also means many things will be the same as on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus, with the chipset being the major upgrade.
3. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The third and final Galaxy S23 model we expect to see at this event is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and as with most years, this could benefit from more upgrades than the rest of the line.
According to leaks, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will have a new 200MP camera capable of capturing fantastic night shots. That’s instead of the 108 MP main camera on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
That – along with a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, described above – could be the main improvement, with other rumored specs largely similar to its predecessor, including a 6.8-inch QHD+ display, up to 12 GB of RAM, up to 1 TB of storage and a 5000 mAh battery.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra may also look a lot like its predecessor, which isn’t a surprise given that the design was overhauled last year. That means a boxy look and a slot for the S Pen stylus.
4. The Samsung Galaxy Book 3
It’s not just phones that Samsung is likely to unveil on February 1, and the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 family is also rumored to appear. Samsung has even opened reservations in the US for a new Galaxy Book, so a new entry is sure to arrive, only the name remains uncertain.
These laptops could be the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 and the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, if leaks are to be believed; as this is the first ‘ultra’ laptop Samsung will have launched.
Specs details are light, but some images have leaked TheTechOutlook (opens in new tab), one of which you can see above. Expect a slim and light design, probably along with plenty of power.
5. One User Interface 5.1
In addition to new hardware, we’re likely to see new software at launch, in the form of One UI 5.1. This is likely what the Samsung Galaxy S23 trio will run, but it’s unlikely to be a major overhaul of Samsung’s Android user experience – with any major shifts linked to Google’s launch of Android 14 later this year .
One UI 5.1 is reportedly being tested, according @SamSWUpdate (opens in new tab), strongly suggesting we’ll see the debut on these phones. But it’s unclear what changes it will bring, aside from the expected bug fixes and security patches.
Which we don’t expect to see at the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23
The above is all we expect to see at the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23, meaning there are a lot of things that probably won’t be there.
For starters, we probably won’t see the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 there, even though the Galaxy Tab S8 series debuted alongside the Samsung Galaxy S22 line.
These slates have reportedly been delayed due to slow sales of the current models, and that’s a credible claim given that the Tab S9 series has been rumored very little, and we’d expect it to have been leaked extensively as it was about to land.
In addition, there are other major Samsung products on the horizon, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, but new models in these lines are not expected until the end of 2023. go through past form. Likewise, the timing doesn’t match for new Galaxy Buds.