There are three new models within the Samsung Galaxy S series: the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ and the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra sits at the top of the pack, differentiating itself from the rest of the series with a curved display and a built-in S Pen, while the Galaxy S23 and the S23+ feature the same design as each other, and one that doesn’t differ all that much from their predecessors, the S22 and S22+.

You can read our first impressions of the Galaxy S23 Ultra in our separate feature and we have also dived into the Galaxy S23 elsewhere too, but here is what we initially thought of the Galaxy S23+.

Similar design

  • 157.7 x 76.2 x 7.6mm, 196g Phantom Black, Lavender, Cream, Green IP68, Armor Aluminium

Much like what Apple has done over the last couple of years with its standard iPhone range, Samsung hasn’t altered the design of its smartphones all that much. Small changes here and there can be found if you are looking for them, but overall, there’s nothing huge to write home about.

  • Custom Snapdragon hardware Great display Good software support

  • Too soon to tell Not much change from S22

Sticking with a flat display offering a centralised hole-punch camera at the top, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ is a larger model than the Galaxy S23, but otherwise identical. It is heavier - though still refreshingly light for its size - but it carries the same matte glass rear and glossy frame.

The frame loves a fingerprint, though it is flatter than the Galaxy S22+, making for a more comfortable hold overall. Look at the Galaxy S23+ from the front, and you’ll struggle to tell the difference compared to the S22+, or even the S21+.

It’s a slightly different story from the back though. For this year, Samsung has opted for the same design trait as the Galaxy S22 Ultra, ditching the camera housing that surrounds the three lenses on the rear of the Galaxy S23+. Instead, the lenses sit solo, protruding slightly from the rest of the rear.

While the design is slick and of a lovely premium build quality, it’s a little difficult to get too excited about it given not a great deal has changed.

Colour options are the same as the Galaxy S23, with Phantom Black, Cream, Lavender and Green choices. Our personal favourites are the Lavender and Green options, though some will of course prefer the subtlety that the Black and Cream options provide. The camera lenses certainly blend more with the Phantom Black.

Like the Galaxy S23, the S23+ has an IP68 water and dust resistance. It is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

Brighter display

  • 6.6-inches, Super AMOLED, Infinity-O Full HD+, 398ppi 1750nits peak Gorilla Glass Victus 2

The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is the larger of the two ‘standard’ Galaxy S23 devices, boasting a 6.6-inch display like its predecessor. As we briefly mentioned, it’s a flat display so you don’t get those impressive curved edges like you’ll find on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

You also don’t get a built-in S Pen on the Galaxy S23+, or a screen that is compatible with the S Pen, so it’s a device that offers a big, bright and bold screen, but one that is perhaps not as convenient as the likes of the S23 Ultra.

The S23+ has a brighter screen than its predecessor though with a 1750nits peak outdoor brightness compared to the 1500nits on the S22+. It wasn’t possible to test this in the hands-on demonstration - the fact that it was indoors being one of the biggest factors - but it should help with fighting reflections and allowing you to see your display when you’re in super bright conditions.

The resolution is Full HD+, again like the S22+, which results in a pixel density of 393ppi - a little lower than the regular Galaxy S23. By comparison, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 500ppi display thanks to its Quad HD+ resolution, while the S23 has 425ppi. It’s unlikely the human eye would be able to tell the difference, and detail certainly appeared sharp on the Galaxy S23+ so we don’t foresee any issues here, though we will need to review it in full to be sure.

Colours represented on the Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display appeared vibrant and punchy, with blacks lovely and rich, as is typical for AMOLED panels. Viewing angles also appeared to be good and there’s a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz on board, as well as support for HDR.

Hardware and performance

  • Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy 8GB RAM, 256/512GB 4700mAh battery

The Samsung Galaxy S23+ runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset. Essentially this is a customised version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform that launched in November, with a bump in the clock speed to 3.36GHz, with Qualcomm also claiming that the GPU is more powerful and efficient too. There will be no Exynos models this time around, so it’s Snapdragon for all regions.

The chipset is supported by 8GB of RAM and a choice of 256GB or 512GB of storage, neither of which have microSD support. That is double what is available on the Galaxy S23 so if you are after more storage then the Plus model is the better option.

It also has a larger battery capacity than the Galaxy S23. At 4700mAh instead of 3900mAh, it doesn’t quite take it to the S23 Ultra’s 5000mAh capacity but it does offer the same charging capabilities with both Super Fast Charging 2.0 and Fast Wireless Charging 2.0. Samsung doesn’t specify the charging speeds, though rumours predicted 45W for fast charging capabilities - which although quick, is a little below the likes of what OnePlus and Oppo offer.

We couldn’t test the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S23+ during our brief amount of time with it, but we would expect it to deliver a smooth and slick experience. It’s also good to see a larger battery than the S22+, even though we thought the S22+ was a decent performer on this front.

Elsewhere on the hardware front, you’ll find support for sub6 and mmWave 5G bands, as well as Wi-Fi 6E and UWB. It’s worth mentioning that the regular Galaxy S23 doesn’t support UWB so that’s something to keep in mind.

Cameras

  • Triple rear camera (50MP+12MP+10MP) 12MP front camera AstroHyperlapse, 50MP RAW

The Samsung Galaxy S23+ shares the same camera setup as the regular S23, which incidentally is the same as the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+. It’s a triple camera system which is made up of a 50-megapixel main sensor with f/1.8 aperture, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera with f/2.2 aperture and a 10-megapixel telephoto with f/2.4 aperture.

The Galaxy S23 and S23+ are capable of 3X optical zoom and 30X Space Zoom, which is a slight downgrade from the 10X optical zoom and 100X Space Zoom offered on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

You will get many of the same features though, despite the Galaxy S23+ not featuring that extra optical zoom or the 200-megapixel main sensor. There are a few new features arriving on the Galaxy S23+, including AstroHyperlpase, which allows you to take photos of moving stars. It is accessed through the Expert RAW app within the camera settings.

You need to download the Expert RAW app though, which makes accessing features a little more faff than it should be. We often criticised Sony for this, and the same applies here. Once you have downloaded that app though, you will also be able to access a 50-megapixel RAW file, which is an upgrade from the 12-megapixel offering on the Galaxy S22+. That said, the S22+ will be getting this feature in the One UI 5.1 update.

There is an upgraded front camera compared to the 2022 models though, with a 12-megapixel sensor compared to the 10-megapixel sensor. You’ll also find a feature called Selfie Night Portrait.

Naturally, we weren’t able to test the camera capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy S23+ during our time with it, though we are looking forward to putting it through its paces in our full review. Given how great the Galaxy S22+ is though, we expect great things from the S22+.

First impressions

The Samsung Galaxy S23+ delivers a premium build quality like its predecessor, along with a bright and vibrant display, a host of features and an upgrade in hardware. It has all the makings of being a great device, just like its predecessor was.

The only problem with the Galaxy S23+ is that it’s not overly exciting. Yes the design has been streamlined, but it hasn’t moved on all that much so you don’t get quite the same feeling as the likes of the Galaxy S8+ did back in the day when it replaced the Galaxy S7 Edge.

We suspect the Galaxy S23+ will be a brilliant performer, but we do get the feeling Samsung has played it a little safe this year with this range, a little like Apple did with the iPhone 14.