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We’re probably just a few months away from the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 line, but as usual many of the new features and improvements are rumored before launch, with two potential upgrades just leaked.
First, there’s the potential for the Samsung Galaxy S23 line to support satellite communications in some form. This is according to a report on ETNews (opens in new tab)stating that Samsung has partnered with Iridium – a global satellite communications company – to bring this functionality to the Galaxy S23 line.
While Iridium can provide voice and data communication services, Samsung will reportedly limit the S23’s satellite capabilities to text messages and small images, as only a small antenna can be placed inside a phone.
That may sound restrictive, but it should be enough to reach contacts or emergency services in situations where there is no mobile coverage.
Today’s other Samsung Galaxy S23 leak specifically relates to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which will reportedly have a display that can reach up to 2150 nits of brightness – or maybe even higher.
S23u max brightness, up to 2150 nits”Numbers may differ at launch, due to further tweaks Min 2100Max 2200+Pwz dimming still loses by Q9 (slightly) below 2kNovember 23, 2022
The source of this is @RGcloudS (opens in new tab)who made the claim on Twitter (spotted by SamMobile (opens in new tab)), but noted that the maximum brightness at launch could be slightly different – possibly even over 2,200 nits – due to further tweaks.
For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a brightness of 1,750 nits, so this would be an upgrade, which could be useful in helping you see the screen clearly in bright sunlight. We’d take this with a grain of salt though, especially since the source doesn’t have much experience yet.
Analysis: Matching and beating the iPhone 14 Pro Max
The brightest smartphone screen in the world is currently that of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which can reach 2,000 nits, so if this leak is correct, Samsung will beat Apple and take the new record.
But Samsung will also compete with Apple if its upcoming phones support satellite communications, as the iPhone 14 line is currently one of a very small number of handsets to have this functionality.
However, questions remain about how Samsung’s implementation will compare to Apple’s – if at all – and which one will be better.
On the iPhone 14 series, you can only contact emergency services and this feature is currently only available in the US and Canada. So it remains to be seen whether Samsung will allow more general satellite communications and in which parts of the world its service will be available.
Still, it’s good to see more companies exploring this idea, as it’s a potentially life-saving feature, and one we hope to see on most of the top phones in years to come.