Why we love the Samsung Galaxy S23 phones (but still wouldn't buy one)

Samsung's latest launch gives us three upgraded models - the S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra - and the Which? reviews are in.

The new premium line-up comes with some of the most advanced specifications we've seen on smartphones, but that's not to say it's a big leap forward from what we've seen before. The most exciting upgrades are reserved for the biggest and most expensive Galaxy S23 Ultra with its highly-anticipated 200Mp main camera lens.

Nonetheless, differences are small overall and Samsung has launched the phones for even higher prices than last year's S22 range. With the S22s now starting to appear on sale and many other good options around, can you justify the new flagships' high price?

Read on to find out about Samsung's latest upgrades, how they fared in our tough lab tests, and the best deals on cheaper alternatives.

Browse all Samsung smartphone reviews to see if the new models are the best it has to offer.

Samsung Galaxy S23 5G (£849) - impressive specifications

Compared to recent flagship launches that end up looking very similar to the previous device, the Samsung Galaxy S23 does at least look different to last year's Galaxy S22, losing its rear camera notch in favour of a more streamlined look. But under the hood, the changes aren't huge.

That doesn't mean there's not plenty to love - the S23 remains the smallest in the range and it has 6.1-inch AMOLED screen with a high refresh rate 120Hz refresh rate, which means content refreshes quickly for one of the best user experiences. It comes in six colours: black, green, lavender, cream, lime or sky blue. There's also new software features for greater personalisation, such as being able to assign your videos as your wallpaper.

This newer model features an upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which Samsung claims will unlock higher frame rates and sharper, more vivid graphics. It has a larger 3,900-mAh battery, in comparison to the S22's 3,700mAh. The hope is that the new processor paired with a bigger battery will give users a lengthy battery life. 

Like the S22, the S23 has a 50Mp main camera, a 12Mp ultra-wide camera and a 10Mp telephoto sensor with 3x optical magnification on the back of the phone. However, the front-facing selfie camera has been upgraded with 12Mp resolution.

It's more expensive that the S22 at release, costing £849 for 128GB of memory, or £899 for 256GB.

You can read our full Samsung Galaxy S23 review to see if it's for you, see Sim-only prices below, or compare S23 contract deals.

OR find a deal on the Galaxy S22 and save up to £330

The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G has a similar 6.1-inch display has a 2,340 x 1,080 resolution with a high 120Hz refresh rate. The rear cameras are the same 50 Mp wide, 10 Mp telephoto, and 12 Mp ultra-wide lens, but it has a less powerful 10Mp selfie camera. Differences across the two phones are simply minimal, so there could be a big saving to be made if you find a deal on the last year's S22.

You can read our full Samsung Galaxy S22 review to see if it's for you, see Sim-only prices below, or compare S22 contract deals.

OR consider the Google Pixel 7 and save up to £339

Compared to the S23, Google's Pixel 7 has an OLED screen that's 0.2-inch bigger at 6.3-inches, with a slightly higher resolution to match at 2,400 x 1,080 pixels. Like the Samsung Galaxy S23, the Google Pixel 7 has also been released with five years of security updates guaranteed from October 2022, so you'll be able to use it for over four years from now.

You'll be compromising on not having a telephoto camera, which means the zoom quality on images might not be as impressive, and you'll have 4K video recording instead of the most premium 8K. But it has two rear cameras - a 50Mp wide and a 12Mp ultra-wide camera to expand the camera's field of view. And you will get a bigger 4,355mAh battery, in comparison to the S23's 3,900mAh battery.

See if a switch to the Google Pixel 7 will work for you in our Google Pixel 7 review, check out prices below or compare contract deals on the Google Pixel 7.

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Samsung Galaxy S23+ (£1,049) - for the big-screen experience

The S23+ is a bigger version of the S23, sporting a 6.6-inch display with 2,340 x 1080 resolution. A larger screen might suit if you watch a lot of videos, or you want to use the phone for gaming. It's also powered by a bigger 4,700mAh battery.

The memory options start at 256GB up to 512GB. Samsung is launching this phone at £100 more than last year's S22+. You'll pay £1,049 for 256GB of memory or spend another £100 for 512GB.

Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S23+ to see if bigger is better, or if you're ready to buy, see prices below or contract deals on the Galaxy S23+.

OR find a deal on the Galaxy S22+ and save up to £162

The S21+'s screen is 0.1 inches bigger than the S23+, but with the same resolution. The processor is of the previous generation and the battery is slightly smaller, but you'll still get four camera lenses on the back of the phone for versatile photography.

If you're keen on the big screen and are looking for a deal, check out Sim-free deals below, compare contract deals or read our Samsung Galaxy S22+ review.

OR consider the Oppo Find X5 Pro and save up to £250

The Oppo Find X5 Pro has a big 6.7-inch OLED display with a 3,216 x 1,440 resolution and a high 120Hz refresh rate. The top-spec Android smartphone has three rear cameras made up of a 50Mp main sensor, a 50Mp ultra-wide lens and a 13Mp telephoto lens. The front-facing selfie camera has high 32Mp resolution, and Oppo promises fast charging too.

If you're happy to step away from Samsung, look at prices below, check out contract deals or read our Oppo Find X5 Pro review for the full scoop.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (£1,249) - the powerful headliner

In last year's S22 Ultra, Samsung blended some of the best features from the S series with those from its Note range, which included an integrated S Pen - a stylus you can use to browse your phone or use like a pen to write on the screen. 

Last year we wouldn't have called the camera upgrades 'big', but that can't be said this year. The S22 Ultra had four cameras on the rear of the phone made up of a 108Mp wide camera, a 10Mp periscope telephoto camera, a 10Mp telephoto camera and a 12Mp ultrawide camera. This year the main lens has a whopping 200Mp resolution for better detail, joined by a 12Mp ultra-wide lens and a 10Mp telephoto sensor with 3x optical magnification. There’s also a further periscope camera with 10Mp resolution and 10x zoom. This uses a mirror to reflect light onto a sensor that is mounted perpendicular to the back of the phone. 

Videos can be shot in 8K and like the other S23 smartphones, it has the upgraded front-facing camera too. 

Like the other phones in the series, it has a sleek design and comes in comes in lots of colours like black, green, lavender, cream, lime, sky blue, graphite or red. It also is the biggest phone in the range with a 6.8-inch display. But it comes at a price, starting at £1,249 for 256GB. If you opt for the biggest amount of data - 1TB, it will set you back a cool £1,599. If you're looking for great cameras but don't need all the bells and whistles of the S23 Ultra, there are plenty of cheaper options out there. Check out our reviews of the best mobile phones if you want to pay less.

Find out the full story in our Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review, or if you want this powerhouse of a smartphone, check out prices below or compare contract deals on the S23 Ultra.

OR find a deal on the S22 Ultra and save up to £421

The S22 Ultra had some incredibly high camera specs and and a very similar screen. This makes it one of the most premium smartphones still on the market even though it's a year old.

Read our Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review to see how its cameras, battery and more did in our tests - or compare prices below or see contract deals.

OR consider the OnePlus 10 Pro and save up to £450

The OnePlus 10 Pro is a premium Android smartphone with a curved 6.7-inch screen fuelled by a high refresh rate and peak brightness level. It's thin and sleek but still manages to hold four rear cameras including a telephoto camera for high-quality pictures when zooming in.

It's a competitive phone worth considering as an alternative to the S22 Ultra. Find out more in our OnePlus 10 Pro review, and it's currently available Sim-free at the retailers below.

Save even more with a second-hand Samsung phone

With smartphone technology not advancing as much in yearly releases, you're often not missing out on much if you opt for an older model. This has made way for a booming second-hand smartphone market.

You can buy a second-hand device from a retailer, a marketplace or private sellers. You'll always have the right to return your purchase if your phone arrives not as described, fit for purpose or of satisfactory quality, but you'll only receive a warranty if you buy from retailers or some marketplaces. If you want your device to feel like new, lots of second-hand retailers will refurbish old handsets with new screens and batteries, so it shouldn't feel like a second-hand device.

Buying second-hand can get you a serious saving on a flagship Samsung device, with CEX currently offering Samsung Galaxy S22 5G smartphones - with 128GB of memory in Grade B (good) condition - for as little as £385 to £495.

Also, Samsung is releasing more smartphones with a guarantee of at least five years of security support - including the flagship S series, the foldable Z series and a select number of cheaper A series phones. Any device that is connected to the internet needs regular security updates to keep your personal information secure and less vulnerable to be exploited by hackers. With longer support periods, you can keep your phone securely for longer, and buy older models without the risk of losing security support too soon after you buy it.

Find out more advice on how to buy a second-hand phone, and use our Which? phone support calculator to see how long your phone may be supported for.