O Samsung Galaxy S23 it may be the most powerful phone you can buy when it hits the market early next year.
This comes from a leak at 91mobiles.com (opens in new tab) this suggests that Samsung’s next flagship (read: flat phone) will use the as-yet-unannounced Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2 chipset. The current king of smartphone chips, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 only recently started to be distributed on flagship phones, including the new OnePlus 10T.
Qualcomm is expected to announce its chipset for next-generation smartphones later this year, but an announcement in November or December would not give manufacturers time to get the chip into phones for the December sales season. The Samsung Galaxy S23 will likely be announced in February 2023, if the history of Galaxy S phone releases is any guide. This time would be perfect to offer the new class-leading chip.
Samsung may deserve to be rewarded with the status of being the first to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen2. Recent news suggests that Samsung is delivering the next generations of Galaxy S phones entirely to Qualcomm chips, rather than using its own Samsung Exynos chipset for a small part of the global shipment.
It’s likely that every Galaxy S23 sold around the world will have the same chip, giving Qualcomm a big win if that chip is the Snapdragon 8 Gen2.
The leaker, anonymous “Ice Universe” with a solid reputation for accuracy, also claims that the Galaxy S23 will get a 5000mAh battery. It would be great if such a large battery ended up in the smaller Galaxy S23, but we’ll withhold judgment until we’re sure. The current Galaxy S22 Ultra uses a 5000mAh battery, while the smaller Galaxy S22 uses an average cell of 3700mAh.
Analysis: Samsung plays to win
Not all phone manufacturers try to come out with a superlative device, the fastest, the longest lasting or the best. Google call your own pixel (opens in new tab) “the smartest and fastest Pixel yet” on its own sales site. Samsung is not satisfied with beating itself, Samsung wants to beat everyone else.
To do that, he needs to get the best parts. It must have the best screen (check), the best cameras (check?), and the best internal chipset. For a few years now, that means whatever Snapdragon chipset Qualcomm has released recently. No matter what phones launch over the holidays with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chips, Samsung is ready to take the lead when the new year rolls around.