Samsung Galaxy S23 range: Australian specs, price and availability
As expected, Samsung's got a trio of fancy new smartphones to kickstart its 2023 smartphone strategy.
It wasn't exactly a secret that Samsung was getting ready to announce the latest in its long-running and very popular Galaxy S line of phones at its Galaxy Unpacked event.
That's precisely what it's done, with the heavily leaked Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 finally being formally confirmed.
First up, here's what each model will cost you.
We have also included the pre-order price at Amazon. (Use the code SHARETHEEPIC to get the deal.)
| Model | RRP | Amazon price |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S23 Ultra 1TB | $2,649 | $2,199 |
| Galaxy S23 Ultra 512GB | $2,249 | $1,899 |
| Galaxy S23+ 512GB | $1,849 | $1,599 |
| Galaxy S23 256GB | $1,599 | $1,299 |
Galaxy S23 Ultra: Like the S22, but a little more… ultra?
Last year's Galaxy Unpacked event brought us the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which had a lot of work to do as it not only refreshed the Galaxy S line but also effectively became the new flagship Galaxy Note phone.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the evolution of that model, although much of that evolution is rather subtle were you to put them side by side. Locally, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will sell in cream, lavender, black or green finishes, although there are some other hues that won't (at first) be coming down under. Like the Galaxy S22 Ultra, it supports the S Pen and has a recessed socket for the included S Pen, so it's ready to take notes at any time.
In screen terms, you'll be using that S Pen on a 6.8-inch 3088x1440-pixel Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with support for 120Hz refresh rates. It's wrapped in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for extra durability, though a case would still be a wise investment.
Underneath the screen lurks Qualcomm's fancy new Snapdragon 8 gen 2 processor, with a claimed boost of up to 30% CPU and 40% NPU and GPU performance, which might be enough for Samsung to reclaim the Android performance crown – or maybe even within striking distance of the performance we've seen from Apple's iPhone lines of late.
Storage on the Galaxy S23 Ultra comes at 256GB, 512GB or 1TB, with 8GB of RAM on the entry-level 256GB model and 12GB on the 512GB and 1TB variants. Battery capacity is stated at 5,000mAh, with support for fast wired and wireless charging, as well as reverse wireless charging – or in Samsung-speak, "Wireless Powershare". You'll still have to stump up extra for a charger as it's not included in the box.
The other big story for the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the feature that Samsung hopes will sell an awful lot of its new flagship phone is in the camera inclusions. At the front, there's a single 12MP f/2.2 sensor for selfies. The back has a primary wide 200MP, ultra-wide 12MP and dual 3x and 10x 10MP telephoto lenses.
Yes, you did just read that right – Samsung's throwing a 200MP sensor into the Galaxy S23 Ultra. We've had a tiny bit of hands-on time with the S23 Ultra already, and while you probably won't want to shoot actual 200MP photos all the time unless you hate your storage space, it's already looking like a very capable smartphone camera indeed.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra goes on pre-order from 2 February 2023 (yes, that's today) with availability from 17 February 2023 in Australia. Pricing for the Galaxy S23 Ultra starts at $1,949 outright.
Galaxy S23+: Big screen, slightly lower price
If your budget can't meet the price point of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, then there's the Galaxy S23+.
That plus is there because this is essentially the smaller Galaxy S23 in a larger frame. Although in some ways, you could also just call it a smaller Galaxy S23 Ultra.
That means you get a 6.6-inch FHD (2340x1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with the same Corning Gorilla Glass Victus to protect it, housing the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 gen 2 processor as its bigger and smaller siblings. The interesting point here is that Samsung seems to have largely walked back from using its own Exynos silicon in favour of Qualcomm's solutions. Based on what we used to get in Australia, that's quite the welcome shift.
Speaking of shifts, there is a predictable shift downwards in terms of camera features, with a front-facing 12MP selfie camera, rear-based 50MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide and 3x 10MP telephoto lenses to play with for your photo needs.
There's also a step down from the Ultra in battery terms, with a 4,700mAh sealed battery supporting the same trio of wired, wireless and reverse wireless charging as needed.
The Galaxy S23+ will ship in 3 different storage configurations: 128GB, 256GB or 512GB. All variants come with 8GB of RAM. Samsung has sadly not opted to jump back into offering microSD card expansion for any of the new Galaxy S23 series phones, so what you've got is all you'll ever have.
Like the S23 Ultra, the Galaxy S23+ will go on pre-order in Australia from 2 February 2023 and general sale from 17 February 2023. Pricing for the Galaxy S23+ in Australia starts at $1,649.
Galaxy S23: A great phone in a small package
The smallest of the Galaxy S23 family is the, well… Galaxy S23. No fancy suffixes here, but it is the most "affordable" of the new flagship line. That's relative, of course, because pricing for the Galaxy S23 in Australia starts at $1,349.
The Galaxy S23 will ship with either 256GB or 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, running Android 13 with Samsung's own OneUI 5.1 on top. Like the Galaxy S23+, for camera duties you're working with a front-facing 12MP selfie camera, rear-based 50MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide and 3x 10MP telephoto sensor.
Where the Galaxy S23 gets interesting is in the fact that, like the S23+ and S23 Ultra, it's packing Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 gen 2 processor. Now, it's undeniable that we'll see more than a few flagships with that configuration in 2023, but Samsung's getting there first – and with a relatively small phone to boot.
With a 6.1-inch 2340x1080 Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen (again, wrapped in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2), the Galaxy S23's display is a little sharper than the S23+, a little more pocket-friendly and critically one of only a handful of truly powerful "smaller" Android handsets. If the bigger and wider style of phones like the Galaxy S23 Ultra don't fit your style, hand or pocket nicely, the more affordable Galaxy S23 could be just the phone for you.
The Galaxy S23 goes on pre-order from 2 February 2023 in Australia and on sale from 17 February 2023. Pricing starts at $1,349.
Did Samsung have anything else to unpack?
Samsung did also use its Galaxy Unpacked event to showcase a range of new Galaxy Book 3 laptops – the Galaxy Book3 Pro, Galaxy Book3 360 and Galaxy Book3 Ultra – built around 13th generation Intel Core i5, i7 and i9 processors.
But before you get too excited about getting even deeper into the Galaxy ecosystem, it doesn't appear as though any of the new Galaxy Book3 laptops will be making their way down under just yet. For now, all we're going to see are the new Galaxy S series phones.
Galaxy S23 Ultra 1TB deal – Save $450
Best Samsung phone deals
If you're keen to save a few bucks on Galaxy phones, now is an excellent time to purchase previous-gen models as retailers look to clear out old stock for the S23. Here are a few offers that caught our eye.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | $1,849 $1,499 (save $350)
While Samsung's new generation of flagship phones sounds impressive, there's no need to hesitate when purchasing the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It offers 8K video, 45W fast-charging and an embedded S Pen. Plus, it's available at a bargain price at Amazon right now, at $1,499. That's 19% off the RRP.
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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G | $999 $797 (save $202)
The slow march of time leaves the Galaxy S21 in the past, knocking down its price further. You can now get this device boasting 5G and a triple-lens camera for a 20% discount at Amazon.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 | $899 $699 (save $200)
Get this A-grade refurbished smartphone at Phonebot for a massive discount. Enjoy a bold, modern take on the classic flip phone.
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Samsung Galaxy S22 | $1,249 $819 (save $430)
Score an A-grade refurbished Samsung Galaxy S22 at Phonebot. If you tend to wait for a new generation of phones to be released before making your purchase, now's the perfect time to score some serious value.
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Telco pre-order deals for the S23 have also been announced. Compare Samsung S23 plans in Australia. Need more info on the latest tech? Head over to Technology Finder.