Since the Galaxy S20+ outperformed Samsung’s 2020 flagship sales, the popularity of Plus models has dropped dramatically, with the Galaxy S22+ falling far short of the Ultra and base models. , but Samsung’s insistence on ensuring the Galaxy S23 Ultra has the best features could jeopardize any chances of success.
When I reviewed the Galaxy S22 Plus last year, I appreciated how it struck the right balance between the undersized Galaxy S22 with its poor battery and the gargantuan S22 Ultra with its obnoxious form factor. Beyond the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, which had overheating issues — definitely something outside of Samsung’s control — the most significant drawback was that the S22+ only had 8GB of RAM and an FHD display.
The Galaxy S23+ hasn’t changed much other than a new Snapdragon chip and a 200mAh larger battery. Again he uses a 50MP camera, which Samsung has assured is a significant improvement with “4x wider dynamic range” and improved AI remastering. Yes, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 200MP sensor and 100X space zoom, but the S23+ 50MP camera still has the chops to compete strongly with other brands thanks to robust AI optimizations.
we the following I agree with Samsung’s explanation of sticking to 8GB. That rep touted the default 256GB storage and argued that most customers who want the Plus model are just looking for a bigger screen and longer-lasting battery. They claim to need or seek out 12GB. And I have no doubt they’ll argue the same for why the Galaxy Plus series doesn’t need his QHD resolution.
Even if we accept this argument rather than the more likely explanation that the S23+’s shortcomings are pushing people to spend more on the S23 Ultra, or that it’s a cost-cutting measure, the problem lies in Android’s main market (and iPhone), but Samsung’s stumbling block in this space makes up for its Snapdragon chips and lack of competition in key markets.
12GB is not an unreasonable demand
Considering the Pixel 7 Pro ($899), IQOO 11 (~$800), Xiaomi 12S (~$960), and OnePlus 10 Pro (~$1,100), they all launched with 12GB memory and QHD+ resolution, but their There were 8 GB variants, many hundreds of dollars cheaper. Beyond this sweet spot, you can find a number of Chinese phones that stick to FHD resolutions and offer upgrades to 12GB or 16GB while staying within the sub-$1,000 threshold.
Samsung obviously has fewer Android competitors in North America, but on the iPhone 14 Pro ($1,000), 460ppi resolution isn’t quite QHD, but it easily surpasses FHD, and CPU performance can be pushed to 6GB of RAM. Nonetheless, it’s better than any Android phone. Most importantly, Apple hasn’t set aside features for the Pro Max, so no one sees the Pro as a compromise.
Sure, the Galaxy S23+ has an ultra-bright 120Hz display, but that refresh rate threshold is also becoming increasingly common in mid-range Android phones like the own Galaxy A53 5G, and the Galaxy S23 display brightness, refresh rate, and protection.
It would have been nice if the brand had made 12GB an option after Samsung’s infamous Galaxy S22 throttling issues without it You have to spend $1,200. The Ultra will likely continue to feature exclusive features like QHD, its very powerful camera, and the S Pen that will attract aficionados.Instead, the Galaxy S23+ is really However A “plus” phone with plus-size storage and a larger display is $200 more.
Will the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 save the Galaxy S23+?
A colleague at iMore explained how Apple’s iPhone 14 Plus experiment went awry (opens in new tab) last year. No doubt Apple thought many people would pay $100 more for a bigger screen, but No one wanted a mid-tier $900 smartphone.
Galaxy S23+ is not To be clear, a mid-tier phone. His flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 should offer a solid performance upgrade for him, as his colleague Harish Jonnalagadda found in his testing of his 8 Gen 2’s performance.
However, Harish also revealed that daily usage speeds are not much different than a 2022 phone. The difference is that the 8th Gen 2 is “absolutely great for gaming and manages to deliver sustained performance without any throttling” with his 12GB iQOO 11. Same goes for the Galaxy S23 and S23+, which have more limited RAM.
If the Galaxy S23+ performs well, it could be the differentiator it needs as a great gaming phone that’s slightly more affordable than the Galaxy S23 Ultra. After it was alleged we should get our hands on it and test it ourselves to see how it holds up.
Samsung’s phone business stands at a crossroads of positive scale
Last month, The Elec (opens in new tab) Based on Samsung seeing only the terms “DM1” and “DM3” in the report and assuming that this refers to the S24 and S24 Ultra and the S24+ doesn’t exist, Samsung has abandoned its Plus lineup starting with the Galaxy S24 series. released a controversial report that it plans to However, WinFuture’s Roland Quandt murmured (opens in new tab) That DM stands for Diamond, the internal codename for the S23 series, undermining The Elec’s claims.
Still, many sites took The Elec at face value. Most brands these days only release standard and pro models, and his two Plus phones these days haven’t sold very well. Samsung also appears to have abandoned the Galaxy FE lineup after the S21 FE failed, leaving Samsung’s profits at their lowest in eight years. (opens in new tab)it might decide to shake things up.
I don’t want Samsung to abandon the Plus. So, I like the One UI software, but I don’t think I can buy a Galaxy S23 Ultra (or any other Ultra).
In my short time, the Galaxy S23+ was comfortable to hold and had a beautiful enough display to enjoy Android and cloud games. I wish the Galaxy S23+ had the memory chops necessary to make it a best-selling device for die-hard fans who care more about specs than Samsung allows.
I would argue that Samsung’s software and camera quality make it more attractive than other brands that make up for it with better hardware. Even with the inclusion of , the more affordable Galaxy S23 and premium Galaxy S23 Ultra are likely to replace it in both rankings and consumer benefits.
