The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is finally here, and just like in previous years, there are three models to pick from. If you want a basic smartphone with no extra bells and whistles, the Galaxy S23 is for you. If you want just a little bit extra, then the Galaxy S23+ might be up your alley. However, if you want to go all out (and even get an S Pen), you'll want to settle for no less than the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

However, decisions — especially expensive decisions — are never that simple. There's a lot to weigh when comparing these devices to see which fits your needs. There are some clear choices you can make (for example, if you need a stylus, you can only really pick one device), but some aspects of each device may prove confusing or make you indecisive. All the devices are great in their own ways. Read on as we break down the differences between all these devices.

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  Samsung Galaxy S23

  The regular Galaxy S23 is a great option if you're in the market for a smaller smartphone thanks to its 6.1-inch display. But despite the size, it's not lacking any features that the larger S23+ has. It has a 120Hz AMOLED display, a 50MP camera, and more.

  $800 at Samsung $800 at AT&T (via Samsung) $800 at T-Mobile (via Samsung) $800 at Verizon (via Samsung) $800 at Best Buy

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  Samsung Galaxy S23+

  The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is slightly bigger than the regular model. That means the screen is bigger, and the battery is bigger, too. It also comes with the same 50MP camera sensor as the S23 and in the same four colors.

  $1000 at Samsung $1000 at AT&T (via Samsung) $1000 at T-Mobile (via Samsung) $1000 at Verizon (via Samsung) $1000 at Best Buy

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  Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

  The Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best phones on the market, packing an all-new 200MP sensor, a refined design, a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, and One UI 5.1.

  $1200 at Samsung

Get the Galaxy S23, if:

• You want an average-sized flagship
• You want great performance and great cameras at a practical budget
• You are fine with mediocre charging and battery life

Get the Galaxy S23 Plus, if:

• You want a bigger screen and faster charging alongside great cameras
• You're alright with spending extra for the larger size and attached benefits

Get the Galaxy S23 Ultra, if:

• You want an integrated S Pen, or you want what is essentially a Galaxy Note
• You want an overkill flagship with great performance, amazing cameras
• You don't mind spending money on a large body device

Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Pricing and availability

The Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra are all now available. The official starting retail prices in the U.S. are as follows:

• Galaxy S22: $799
• Galaxy S22 Plus: $999
• Galaxy S22 Ultra: $1,199

However, there are plenty of great deals, depending on which store or carrier you shop from. Be sure to check out our wrap-up of deals to get the latest information.

Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Specifications

Hardware and design: The S23 Ultra really stands out

The Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are entirely different phones compared to the Ultra. All three devices look more or less the same as last year's models. The regular S23 and the S23+ have kept the camera sensors in the same position but removed the contour-cut camera island that spilled over from the edge of the phone and blended in with the rest of the back. Aside from that, their designs are more or less identical to last year's models.

Other differences between the S23 and the S23+ include the following:

• Screen dimensions:
  • Galaxy S23: 6.1-inch, 1080 x 2340 OLED screen
  • Galaxy S23+: 6.6-inch, 1080 x 2340 OLED screen

• Overall dimensions and weight:
  • Galaxy S23:
    • 2.79 x 5.76 x 0.3 inches (70.8 x 146.3 x 7.62mm)
    • 5.93 ounces (168.1g)

  • Galaxy S23+:
    • 3 x 6.21 x 0.3 inches (76.2x 157.7x 7.62mm)
    • 6.91 ounces (195.8g)

• Battery capacity and charging speeds:
  • Galaxy S22 has a 3,900 mAh cell that can be charged at 25W
  • Galaxy S22 Plus' 4,700 mAh battery can be topped up at 45W speeds.

• Connectivity:
  • Galaxy S23 skips out on ultrawide-band (UWB) support for precise indoor positioning
  • Galaxy S23 Plus has Wi-Fi 6E and UWB support

If you want a smaller smartphone, the Galaxy S23 is almost certainly the one you should go for. With its 6.1-inch display, small phone users might be disappointed to learn that it's still one of the smallest flagship smartphones you can buy. You could go a little bit smaller and pick up the Asus Zenfone 9 if that's your prerogative, though that phone is from last year. You'll be glad to know that the S23+ isn't too difficult to hold, so if you can stomach a mid-sized phone at 6.6 inches, you'll probably be comfortable with that device.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is almost an entirely different device. First of all, it's huge, coming in at 6.8 inches. It also has a curved display on both the left and right, which means it's out of the question for curved display haters. It has some sharp corners at the bottom, something we also noticed with last year's S22 Ultra.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra also recycles last year's design, so the two are basically indistinguishable. It's an even more minor visual change going from the S22 Ultra to the S23 Ultra than from the S22 or S22+ to the S23 or S23+.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a higher resolution display, coming in at 1440 x 3088, which puts it in Quad HD territory. Most people won't notice (or care) about the increase in display clarity versus its smaller siblings, though, as they're all great panels. Samsung is one of the best in the business regarding displays, and its latest flagship lineup is no different. Under the display of all three devices is an ultrasonic fingerprint reader.

Finally, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with an embedded S Pen, just like last year's model, which saw the joining of the S series and the Note lineup for the first time. The S Pen docks in a silo in the bottom-right corner, and it stays out of the way until you're ready to use it.

Cameras: Expect software changes mostly

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra seems to be back with one of the most well-rounded camera setups of the year. Boasting a 200MP primary sensor for excellent photos, a 12MP ultra-wide for wide-angle shots, a 10MP sensor for 3x optical zoom, and a 10MP sensor for 10x optical zoom, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's cameras can do it all. Aside from the primary sensor upgrade, the cameras are mostly the same as last year's.

The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+, meanwhile, have less capable camera systems compared to their bigger brother. They both lack an optical 10x zoom sensor, and their main camera is “just” a 50MP shooter instead of 200MP. These are, again, basically the same cameras as last year.

However, we expect to see changes when it comes to software. Samsung and Qualcomm are saying there are improvements to the Galaxy S23 series thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset in these smartphones. These phones are the first to make use of Semantic Segmentation, which makes use of an AI model to identify objects in photographs and process them differently depending on what they are. In the case of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung bins down the 200MP camera all the way to 12.5MP, using all the information from a higher megapixel camera to help make a more "normal" resolution image.

Software: Small changes with OneUI 5.1

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series comes with OneUI 5.1 based on Android 13 preloaded, and there are a few new features to be aware of. There are new features like expert RAW in the camera app, alongside co-editing Samsung Notes. On top of that, you can set a message for Bixby, which it can recite when it answers, kind of like Google's Call Screening software. There are other smaller changes, although some were already available in OneUI 5.0 in select regions.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has some of its own exclusive features thanks to the S Pen. If you owned a Galaxy Note device or an S22 Ultra, Samsung's changes will be recognizable. You can pull the stylus out from its slot and the Galaxy S23 Ultra will react. For example, if the screen is off, you jump straight to Screen-Off Memo, which allows you to jot notes on a sleeping screen. If the phone has already been unlocked and the screen is on when the stylus is ejected, then a floating command menu pops up on the right side of the screen.

In terms of software, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series will get four major updates and five years of security patches. That's a long time and should ensure you can get the most out of the hardware if you don't tend to be the kind of person to upgrade yearly or every two years. You can also unlock the bootloader of and root the Samsung Galaxy S23 series too, to get more out of it.

When it comes to performance, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series is crazy powerful. It's not the best Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 device out there (despite what the 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy branding may have you believe). Still, it's close enough to the top that, along with the software, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is probably the best smartphone available right now. There's a "light" mode, too, that you can enable to extend the battery life even further.

Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Which one is for you?

All three of the devices in the Samsung Galaxy S23 series are great in their own right, and you won't miss out regardless of which one is right for you. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, in particular, doubles down on what is arguably the best camera system of last generation, which is great to see. There aren't many improvements, but there don't need to be any.

As for the Samsung Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S23+, both are good choices. They're particularly great if you want to save money and don't care about an S Pen or the best of the best photos. Going with either will require choosing whether you want a phone that you can easily use in one hand or if you like a slightly bigger display.

No matter what, you can't go wrong with any of these devices, as they're all some of the best phones out there. Be sure to check them out and see which one might suit you the best, along with some of the best cases you can pick up for each.

• 

  Samsung Galaxy S23

  The regular Galaxy S23 is a great option if you're in the market for a smaller smartphone thanks to its 6.1-inch display. But despite the size, it's not lacking any features that the larger S23+ has. It has a 120Hz AMOLED display, a 50MP camera, and more.

  $800 at Samsung Free at AT&T (via Samsung) Free at T-Mobile (via Samsung) Free at Verizon (via Samsung) $800 at Best Buy

• 

  Samsung Galaxy S23+

  The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is slightly bigger than the regular model. That means the screen is bigger, and the battery is bigger, too. It also comes with the same 50MP camera sensor as the S23 and in the same four colors.

  $1000 at Samsung Free at AT&T (via Samsung) Free at T-Mobile (via Samsung) $1000 at Verizon (via Samsung) $1000 at Best Buy

• 

  Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

  The Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best phones on the market, packing an all-new 200MP sensor, a refined design, a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, and One UI 5.1.

  $1200 at Samsung $1200 at AT&T (via Samsung) $1200 at T-Mobile (via Samsung) $1200 at Verizon (via Samsung) $1200 at Best Buy