Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review: The perfect blend of style and substance

• Samsung recently launched its Galaxy S series, which includes the Galaxy S23 Plus in India.
• The Galaxy S23 Plus is priced at ₹94,999 and available in two variants.
• Here’s my review of the Galaxy S23 Plus that will help you decide whether to buy the device or not.

Korean smartphone maker Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S series smartphones in India in February. The devices include the top-end Galaxy S23 Ultra, the affordable Galaxy S23, and the often-ignored Galaxy S23 Plus.

The Plus variant often gets ignored in the shadow of its elder sibling, the Ultra variant, filled to the brim with features, or the vanilla variant, which is the lowest price option. This year, the Galaxy S23 Plus has been able to make a place for itself as it offers a good balance between performance and price

I have been using the Galaxy S23 Plus for a few weeks now, and here is my detailed review of the latest flagship offering from the Korean smartphone maker.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus price and availability

The Galaxy S23 Plus is priced at ₹94,999 for the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant and ₹1,04,999 for the 8GB RAM and 512GB storage variant. It is available from online retailers, Samsung online stores, Samsung retail stores, and Samsung authorized retailers across the country in Phantom Black and Cream color options.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus specifications

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus pros and cons

Pros

• Premium design and a vibrant display.
• Four years of software updates and five years of security updates.
• Good performance and battery life.

Cons

• Slow wired and wireless charging speeds.
• Expensive and features similar to the cheaper Galaxy S23.
• Full HD resolution on a flagship smartphone.

Design and display

The Galaxy S23 Plus may not look identical to its predecessor, the Galaxy S22 Plus, at first look, but not much has changed this year.


The biggest change you will notice is that the metal cut for the camera module has been removed, and Samsung has instead opted for three separate camera cutouts for the device. I liked the new design as it looks much cleaner than its predecessor. Do note that when placed on a table, the device wobbles as the camera protrudes from the device. So, you will have to use the device with a case.


At the back, the device comes with a glass back, with a minimalistic design. Apart from the camera cutouts, you get a LED flash and the Samsung branding at the bottom, which was barely visible on the Cream color variant. The back comes with the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection.

Samsung has used an aluminum frame at the sides with a squared-off design, which makes it a treat to hold. While they are not slippery, I recommend using the device with a protective case.

The phone weighs under 200 grams, and I found it easy to use even with one hand. People with smaller hands may struggle a bit with one-handed usage.


Coming to the sides, the volume rockers and the power button have both been placed on the right side to make one-handed usage easier. The buttons are easy to use, and the power button allows you to trigger Bixby.


The left side and the top are empty, with the top only featuring a microphone.

At the bottom, you have the SIM slot, the USB Type-C port, the speaker grille, and two more microphones.

Coming to the display, the Galaxy S23 Plus features a 6.6-inch Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED display with a 48-120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Just like the back, the display also comes with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection.


The display is big and offers up to 1,750 nits brightness, allowing users to view it properly even in direct sunlight. The display has always been one of the strongest points of the Galaxy S series, which is also evident here.

While Samsung should have offered a Quad HD+ display at this price point, the Full HD+ display gets the job done, offers vibrant colors, and is very responsive.

Software and performance

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus runs on Android 13 out of the box with the company’s OneUI 5.1 on top. Samsung has promised to provide four years of OS and five years of security updates with the device, making it a great option for users who have used devices for a couple of years.

In terms of user experience, not much has changed since the Galaxy S22 series, with the company only making small changes in widgets, improved apps such as Samsung Notes, and better security features.

Like most smartphones, the Galaxy S23 Plus features its share of bloatware, such as some third-party apps that come pre-installed with the device. This is not a huge issue, as these apps can be easily uninstalled.

Overall, the user experience on the Galaxy S23 Plus is top-notch, and there is very little to complain about.

The Galaxy S23 Plus has the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen for Galaxy chipset. This is a customized variant of the chipset, which has been specifically designed for Samsung devices. The device is offered in two variants – 8GB RAM + 256GB internal storage and 8GB RAM + 512GB internal storage. I tested the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen for Galaxy is quite powerful, with the CPU running at 3.36GHz. It is undoubtedly the most powerful chipset on Android smartphones, which is evident when you use the device. It can easily handle whatever you throw at it without any issues.

I tried popular titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt 9 on the device, and not only do they load very quickly, the performance is quite smooth, even at the highest graphics. Unlike its predecessors, the Galaxy S23 Plus excels at heat management, thanks to Samsung finally offering Qualcomm-powered devices in the country. Even after an hour of playing, the phone did not heat up.

The device is equipped with a 4,700mAh battery and offers 45W charging. While it's only a 200mAh upgrade over the Galaxy S22 Plus, it offers 800mAh more than the vanilla Galaxy S23. The Galaxy S23 Plus lasts over a day, even with gaming and watching videos.

Camera

The Galaxy S23 Plus features the same camera setup as the last year’s Galaxy S22 Plus and misses out on some of the improvements on the top-end Galaxy S23 Ultra.


The Galaxy S23 Plus features a 50MP primary camera with f/1.8 aperture and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle sensor with f/2.2 aperture, and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and f/2.4 aperture. The device allows 4K recording at 60 FPS and 8K at 30 FPS.


The camera performs very well in daylight, capturing images with good color reproduction and details. The images captured with the device come out great; even a regular user can capture good images without fiddling with the settings.

Portrait images captured with the device come out great, with good edge detection and subject details.


While the telephoto lens on the Galaxy S23 Plus is limited to 3x optical zoom, the device offers up to 30x digital zoom. The images captured with 3x zoom turn out properly, but the 30x digital zoom is not as great, and images come out blurred.


Low-light photography is good on the S23 Plus, with the device capturing good images with decent sharpness. Sometimes, capturing images in low-light conditions took a bit, and I had to tap on the subject once or twice before capturing them.


The device has a 12MP selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture that can capture good selfies in daylight. The image struggled a bit with details in low-light conditions, but it turned out decent.


Coming to videos, the Galaxy S23 Plus can capture up to 8K videos at 30 FPS. However, most regular users may opt for 1080p or 4K recording. I tried capturing videos in all three resolutions, and they turned out to be quite good, with good details and audio. The 8K video started heating the device after 5 minutes. You should not have any issues recording at 4K or 1080p.

Verdict

The Galaxy S23 Plus is a feature-packed device that ticks many boxes. The considerable difference in price with the Galaxy S23 Ultra makes it a great option for users looking for a flagship device without spending the additional amount for the top-end variant. At the same time, the company has compromised on the cameras, offering the same setup as the Galaxy S23 and last year’s Galaxy S22 Plus. While the camera is not bad, it doesn’t come close to the Ultra. So if that’s your priority, you can consider spending more for the best of the series.

At the end of the day, the Galaxy S23 Plus is one of the most powerful smartphones in the market, and the smooth UI, long-term updates, and battery life make it a great option.

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