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We’ve speculated for months about a possible launch date for the Samsung Galaxy S23, but it seems we can now confidently circle a date in our 2023 calendar for the big reveal: Wednesday 1 February.
Samsung didn’t come out and specifically name that date, but it did (via SamMobile (opens in new tab)) post a Galaxy Unpacked teaser for February 1 on its Colombian site. We can’t find the teaser at the time of writing, so either it’s been pulled or we’re not very good at searching through the Samsung Colombia portal.
While not officially official, this is almost official. Since it matches previous rumors from reliable sources pointing to the same date, we’d say it’s almost certain that February 1 will be the date for the big reveal.
Rumors, inflated
When Samsung decides to unveil its latest range of flagships, it’s unlikely there will be too many surprises for us given the size of the leaks for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra.
In terms of design, it looks like all three handsets in the series are going to follow the lead of the Ultra model, with raised camera lenses on the back. We have also already received a preview of the colors in which the phones will be available.
There’s also been a lot of talk about camera upgrades, especially when it comes to the Ultra model. Photos and videos shot in both good and bad lighting conditions should be better than ever if the rumors prove to be true.
Analysis: Samsung strikes back
When it comes to smartphone launches from high-profile tech giants, we tend to focus on Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Pixel and Samsung’s Galaxy S – but only one of those three handsets launches at the start of the year.
That puts Samsung in a different position than Apple and Google. You could say that the iPhone 14 and the Pixel 7 were in direct competition since they launched around the same time (September and October, respectively). By the time the iPhone 14 was launched, the Samsung Galaxy S22 was already seven months old.
One way to look at it is that Samsung is always half a year ahead of its major competitors; another perspective is that it is always half a year behind. If anything, the strategy means Samsung can get enough attention for its flagship phones no matter what Apple and Google do.
We’ll see the launch of the Galaxy S23 as Samsung hits back at what other phone makers did last year, also setting the pace for 2023. The next question is how much of an upgrade over the Galaxy S22 handsets we’re going to see.