Nonetheless value it six months later?

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Extremely landed early in 2023 with the entire hype of a headliner at Coachella or Lollapalooza — and we rewarded it with a rock & roll comparability that stretched on simply so long as both of the festivals talked about above. Whereas we received’t be revisiting the Springsteen-centric theme from our authentic Galaxy S23 Extremely evaluate, it’s time to see how a few of Samsung’s finer factors have stood the take a look at of time. In any case, the Galaxy S23 Extremely now faces a special class of rivals than it did in February. Let’s see if the “Boss of Android” (final reference, I promise) remains to be on prime in our Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely revisit.

Whereas I haven’t had my SIM embedded within the Galaxy S23 Extremely over the whole lot of the final six months (I’ve needed to take a look at numerous units!), it’s a cellphone that’s by no means dipped too far out of my rotation. I nonetheless desire a smaller system and, if I’m fortunate, one which flips open and closed, however I’ve come to understand what Samsung’s beast of a flagship has to supply. With some summer season plans on the horizon, I swapped my SIM from the Galaxy Z Flip 5 again to the Galaxy S23 Extremely and bought reacquainted with the S Pen.

What’s nonetheless good in regards to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely

Samsung’s highly effective flagship caught the touchdown throughout our preliminary evaluate interval, securing a five-star ranking and our elite Editor’s Alternative award. The cameras, construct high quality, and total efficiency stood out, but it surely was honest to marvel how the Galaxy S23 Extremely would stand the take a look at of time when it beat so many rivals to the market. We are able to safely say it’s aged like a advantageous wine. The Galaxy S23 Extremely is a prime choose in a lot of our greatest lists — together with the finest Android cellphone listing — and Samsung’s flagship has solely improved over time due to frequent software program updates.

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Extremely rapidly climbed the ranks of the finest digicam telephones, however that shouldn’t come as a shock. Its predecessor held down the highest spot for a very long time, and the mirrored quad-camera setup on the S23 Extremely could also be acquainted, but it surely’s nonetheless one of the crucial versatile you should buy. Nonetheless, Samsung’s digicam energy isn’t only a case of copy and paste — no less than not fully.

Though three of the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s 4 cameras are the identical as they have been on the Galaxy S22 Extremely, the upgraded fourth sensor is the star of the present. Samsung swapped its tried and true 108MP major digicam for a brand new 200MP, shifting to smaller pixels however choosing up significantly better binning potential to spice up your low-light snaps. Outdoors of the whopper of a brand new sensor, the Galaxy S23 Extremely packs two 10MP telephoto lenses and a 12MP ultrawide snapper, all of which assist it to hold onto among the best zoom packages on a smartphone. Samsung’s different swap lies within the selfie digicam, which is now not a 40MP punch gap however a 12MP one with a lot bigger pixels.

Now we have loads of in-depth comparisons between the Galaxy S23 Extremely and its closest rivals, so I’m simply going to spotlight a number of of my favourite photographs. I captured the picture of the toad to the left whereas tenting with my household, and I didn’t have to make use of Evening mode to take action. The inexperienced hues is likely to be a bit saturated, however the element on the toad is superb, and the pink of its tongue is spot on.

My center two photographs are stereotypical journey photographs, attempting to seize life above the clouds and tall timber at night time. Each present colours and particulars how I keep in mind them, with a number of timber choosing up a red-orange glow from the campfire beneath. I’m significantly happy with the picture of a boulder (or perhaps larger than a boulder) taken whereas I used to be in Boulder. The finer particulars up the rock face are glorious, and it separates properly from the timber within the background.

Oh, and I’ll remind you simply how good the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s zoom capabilities are. In my authentic evaluate, I included photographs of stone letters on the facet of a financial institution, however getting up shut and private with a hot-air balloon pilot is a significantly better use case. Whereas I in all probability wouldn’t share the 30x or 100x photos beneath on social media, it’s unimaginable to only about make out the brand on the pilot’s hat and clearly see the passenger behind the basket. The main points aren’t excellent, however Samsung deserves loads of credit score for the picture it did seize, contemplating I wasn’t stabilizing the Galaxy S23 Extremely in any respect.

When spending upwards of $1,200 on a smartphone, it’s honest to count on top-notch supplies to accompany your glorious digicam system. Samsung is aware of this and has decked out its Galaxy S23 Extremely accordingly. Regardless of how you’re feeling in regards to the easy, slab-like design, you may’t deny that Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and Armor Aluminum are a profitable mixture.

The Galaxy S23 Extremely’s mixture of high-end supplies isn’t only for present, both. Its IP68 ranking gives loads of reassurance in opposition to each water and dirt, and our evaluate unit has put up with its justifiable share of abuse over the past six months. It took a tumble earlier than ever making its method into my fingers, however the tiny nicks on the prime of the body are nearly unnoticeable and haven’t any impact on day-to-day utilization.

Samsung’s colour choices for the Galaxy S23 Extremely are slightly extra “grown-up” this yr — until you go for one of many Samsung Retailer-exclusive variations — however we’re nonetheless followers of the satin Phantom end. This era’s darkish inexperienced version is the right mixture of colour with out being too loud, and I haven’t gotten uninterested in the look almost half a yr later.

Then, there’s the show. Samsung’s sweeping 6.8-inch panel is the cherry on prime of the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s premium setup, providing an adaptive 120Hz refresh price, 1,750 nits of peak brightness, and a pointy Quad HD decision. After all, the Galaxy S22 Extremely had all those self same specs, however the Galaxy S23 Extremely swaps to a panel of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 from Gorilla Glass Victus Plus for slightly further toughness.

It’s no secret that the Galaxy S22 Extremely was a little bit of a battery bore. The thermal-hogging Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset chewed by means of the 5,000mAh cell in a rush, forcing us to cost up only a bit greater than we’d like. Fortunately, that chipset is now not within the driver’s seat, with Qualcomm’s rather more environment friendly Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy as a substitute.

Whereas we’ll come again to the efficiency of Qualcomm’s newest chipset in a minute, crucial one is likely to be that battery life is now not a trigger for concern. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely now not heats up like an egg on a sizzling Arizona day after a couple of minutes of use, so the battery now not drops like a stone when put underneath strain. Whereas the Galaxy S22 Extremely was fortunate to eclipse a day and a half of utilization, it’s a lot simpler to push the Galaxy S23 Extremely almost two full days. My utilization is the definition of blended — comprising social media, mild gaming, loads of music streaming, and navigation — and I’ve had no points with longevity exterior of 1 four-hour drive that relied closely on GPS.

Once I do lastly drain the 5,000mAh battery, Samsung’s 45W wired charging hops proper again into the driving force’s seat. It’s nonetheless the quickest method to get the Galaxy S23 Extremely again up and operating, so long as you may have a appropriate USB PD PPS charger. It took about 75 or 80 minutes to select up a full cost throughout my time with the cellphone — proper on par with the earlier era. Samsung additionally caught with 15W wi-fi and 4.5W reverse wi-fi charging, each of that are good to have however take considerably longer to get you again in your toes.

The earlier Galaxy S22 Extremely was already a standout performer, however as talked about above, it had hassle protecting the lights on. Now, the retooled Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset stays cooler underneath strain, which permits it to shine a bit brighter in on a regular basis life. Six months after its introduction, the Galaxy S23 Extremely continues to breeze by means of all the pieces I ship its method, protecting my blended utilization as detailed above and infrequently asking for extra. Sure, prolonged journeys with GPS navigation nonetheless give the Galaxy S23 Extremely some matches, however that degree of utilization is sufficient to heat up any system and trigger it to pump the brakes.

You’ll be able to pair Samsung’s freshly upgraded processor with as much as 12GB of RAM and 1TB of fastened storage, that are lots for most individuals. We’ll come again to the bottom configuration with its restricted RAM in a while, but it surely’s good to see Samsung drop the 128GB choice off the underside of the worth sheet. You may discover which you can get by on 256GB of storage, but it surely’s value contemplating the 512GB model for the elevated RAM.

Samsung additionally units the tone for connectivity, providing Wi-Fi 6E assist, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC for wi-fi funds. The Galaxy S23 Extremely’s stereo audio system are among the many finest round, nonetheless getting loud sufficient that I don’t want a devoted Bluetooth speaker whereas I bathe.

Praising Samsung’s replace coverage is like letting Babe Ruth play Tee-ball, no less than amongst Android OEMs. 4 years of Android model updates and 5 years of safety assist are glorious, and Samsung is backing up its dedication — no less than early on. We’ve obtained common patches to this point, with the Galaxy S23 Extremely sitting on the June 1, 2023, Play Retailer replace and the July 1, 2023, safety patch.

Samsung hasn’t swept its updates underneath the umbrella of “bug fixes,” both. An early April replace introduced particular fixes to the digicam app, making it simpler to seize photos sooner. Now you can faucet the shutter button earlier than the Galaxy S23 Extremely has absolutely targeted and delete photos earlier than they’ve completed processing. Samsung tweaked the stabilization when recording in Full HD at 60fps, together with different tweaks.

What’s nonetheless not so good in regards to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely

The issues of a five-star system with an Editor’s Alternative badge are few and much between, however they exist. On this case, the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s knocks are issues that Samsung can’t repair with a fast patch or a month-to-month replace. We received’t contact on the dearth of a headphone jack or included charger, however we do have a pair of nits to select.

There’s little doubt that the Galaxy S23 Extremely is a premium, well-built cellphone with top-notch supplies. We in contrast the intercourse enchantment of its predecessor to that of a tank, and it’s even more durable to get enthusiastic about one other retread of the identical design.

The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and Armor Aluminum slab stays freed from any persona, providing only some new colour choices to face out from its predecessor. Its measurement and form are nonetheless pulled from the Galaxy Observe line, whereas the digicam setup (aside from the upgraded major sensor) is an identical to the Galaxy S22 Extremely and even the Galaxy S21 Extremely. Granted, Samsung can’t make the S Pen come out of the facet of the Galaxy S23 Extremely, however it could be good to see slightly change from one yr to the following.

Whereas I can knock Samsung for copying and pasting its design from earlier generations, it did make one good enchancment: flatter facet rails. The flatter body makes it simpler to maintain your paws off the sides of the curved show, slicing down on typos and unintentional faucets within the course of. I’ve nonetheless observed a number of unintentional presses, however not almost as many as I had with the earlier era. Sadly, these facet rails are nonetheless shiny, so that they nonetheless choose up fingerprints and smudges all day.

My complaints in regards to the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s design come as one who by no means fell in love with the phablet craze, however you may see it otherwise. You is likely to be eager for the times of the Galaxy Observe 20 Extremely and trying to get an S Pen again in your pocket. In that case, the sturdy, well-polished Galaxy S23 Extremely is likely to be proper up your alley.

Regardless of how you’re feeling in regards to the design, it’s simpler to agree that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely is barely restricted in its base configuration. Whereas the default 256GB of storage is respectable — and doubles Apple’s normal setting — 8GB of RAM is underwhelming for a cellphone that begins at $1,199. It doesn’t really feel like a stretch to say that premium Android flagships ought to include 12GB RAM as their default whenever you’re spending greater than a grand on a brand new system.

A number of of Samsung’s closest rivals would agree, too. Android flagships just like the Pixel 7 Professional provide 12GB of RAM throughout the board, and the OnePlus 11 gives it together with 256GB of storage for a number of hundred {dollars} lower than the Galaxy S23 Extremely. By comparability, it’s important to improve to 512GB of storage to get 12GB of RAM on the Galaxy S23 Extremely, bringing your whole value to $1,379 within the US.

Even for those who take into account your self an influence consumer who wants the additional storage, almost $1,400 is some huge cash to spend on a cellphone you’ll solely have for a number of years.

It’s protected to say that the nice far outweighs the unhealthy six months after Samsung launched its Galaxy S23 Extremely. The headliner of the Galaxy S23 household stormed into 2023 with a star-studded lineup filled with premium specs relatively than one-hit wonders. Certain, it could be good to see slightly extra base RAM and a refreshed design earlier than lengthy, but it surely’s exhausting to argue with what Samsung managed to ship.

The Galaxy S23 Extremely is an all-out workhorse, simply assembly the efficiency wants of energy customers and making strides within the battery division due to the swap to Qualcomm’s overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. It packs a who’s who of wonderful supplies, meshing Gorilla Glass Victus 2 with Armor Aluminum and securing a sturdy IP68 ranking. Samsung’s long-term replace dedication and versatile cameras additionally set the usual amongst Android competitors — even when they arrive at an Extremely-premium worth.

Maybe the largest problem to the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s dominance is that asking worth. In 2022, we stated that it now not takes $1,200 to get your fingers on a wonderful flagship system, and that assertion has solely solidified over the past yr. Google’s Pixel 7 Professional ($589.98 at Amazon) is an ideal instance, beginning at lower than $1,000 and mixing Google’s clear Pixel UI with Tensor G2-powered picture processing. There’s additionally the OnePlus 11 ($1296 at Amazon), which is positioned as a callback to the issues that made the model common within the first place. It has an up to date Hasselblad digicam and 80W wired charging — even when it’s important to make do with out wi-fi charging. Even Motorola is getting in on the inexpensive flagship section, providing its Edge Plus (2023) ($699 at Amazon) at an ideal worth. Whereas the most recent Edge Plus solely has 8GB of RAM, it gives 512GB of storage as its default and delivers 68W wired charging with out giving up its wi-fi choice.

Then, there’s the Apple strategy. Each the iPhone 14 Professional ($999.99 at Finest Purchase) and Professional Max ($1099 at Finest Purchase) come near the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s asking worth, they usually provide the finest iOS expertise you may get. Apple swapped the longstanding notch for a Dynamic Island, and the Professional fashions at the moment are the one method to get the most recent and biggest (for now) A16 Bionic chipset. When you received’t get as a lot RAM or as giant of a battery on both iPhone, Apple’s unequalled optimization permits it to squeeze rather more out of its {hardware}.

Finally, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely stays among the best Android smartphones greater than half a yr after its launch. The primary questions it’s important to ask your self are whether or not or not it’s extra energy than you want in your pocket… and if you wish to spend that a lot cash.