Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus could get a battery upgrade – but the S23 Ultra might not
No changes to the Plus' ultra-wide camera
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While we’re not expecting theSamsung Galaxy S23line to land until next year, there aren’t many high-profile handsets due in the meantime. So a growing number of leaks are focused on these phones, the latest of which reveals some possible camera and battery details.
According toGalaxyClub(viaGSMArena) theSamsungGalaxy S23 Plus will have a 4,700mAh battery, which would make for a not insignificant increase on the 4,500mAh capacity of theSamsung Galaxy S22 Plus.
The latter phone we judged to have adequate life in our review, but far from exceptional, so an extra 200mAh here could be a desirable upgrade.
Sadly though, it’s not an upgrade that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will be getting as well, according to this leak; with that phone apparently sticking with the admittedly decent 5,000mAh capacity cell of its predecessor.
That’s a shame, as while theGalaxy S22 Ultrahas decent battery life, as our review notes it didn’t quite meet our expectations. It’s worth noting also that this is thesecond time we’ve heardthat the S23 Ultra will have a 5,000mAh battery, so that’s looking likely.
Moving on to the camera, and this same source claims that the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus will both have a 12MP ultra-wide snapper; just like their predecessors. The source expects this same sensor to be used by the Galaxy S23 Ultra as well, but is unable to confirm that for now.
Analysis: it’s time for an ultra-wide upgrade
Based on this latest leak it’s sounding like not a whole lot will be changing on these new phones, which is largely in line with what we’ve heard before, but in the case of the ultra-wide camera that’s especially disappointing.
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Samsung has used the same ultra-wide camera from theGalaxy S20onwards, so if it repeats itself once more with the S23 line then that will be four years in a row with no significant upgrades to this particular camera sensor.
That’s unfortunate, as ultra-wide cameras can be extremely useful, if the sensor isn’t up to scratch, however, then people might be disinclined to use them.
Samsung isn’t alone in neglecting ultra-wide upgrades. The primary camera on a phone is the one that usually gets the most attention – and therefore the most upgrades, while telephoto cameras can sometimes have big zoom numbers attached, making them a flashy component that is also more likely to be improved year to year. But ultra-wides often miss out, and that’s a real shame.
Despite this, there’s a high chance the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will rank among thebest camera phones, but it would be even better if Samsung improved this key component.
James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.
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