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Samsung Unpacked: Latest Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy Book 3 Ultra news

The Galaxy S23 is finally here

samsung banner image featuring galaxy s23, s23 plus and s23 ultra
(Image: © Samsung)

The big Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event wrapped up, which means the Galaxy S23 Ultra with its 200MP camera is official, plus the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. 

But laptops were on the agenda, too, with the Galaxy Book 3 debuting in up to five different configurations. We're most excited about the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, which could go after the MacBook Pro.

All told, there was plenty of news coming out of today's Galaxy Unpacked in San Francisco, including a mixed reality tease. Here's a breakdown of everything that happened today.

When you're done here, be sure to visit our Galaxy S23 hands-on review and Galaxy S23 Ultra hands-on review to see what we think of the new phones. 

About Your Guides
Mark Spoonauer
About Your Guides
Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer has been covering mobile phones for over 20 years and has reviewed every Galaxy flagship phone since the inception of the S series. He is your guide to all of today's news. 

Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide focusing on phone coverage. He was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time, and he's been evaluating smartphones since 2007.

Galaxy Unpacked Announcements

Samsung Galaxy S23: The entry-level Galaxy S23 features an exclusive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip with additional speed, a sleeker design with floating cameras, a brighter display and several camera improvements. 

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus: The Galaxy S23 Plus sports a larger display and battery that the regular Samsung S23, plus double the storage at 256GB. Faster 45W charging is also be on tap, too, versus 25W for the regular S23. 

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: This is the centerpiece of Samsung's phone announcements. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 200MP main camera, which is quite an upgrade over the Galaxy S22 Ultra's 108MP sensor. Add in a flatter display to better accommodate the S Pen, and you've got a device that's likely to contend for the title of best phone overall.

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra: Samsung just revealed the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, which is the Galaxy Book we've been most excited about here at Tom's Guide. This 16-inch ultraportable starts at $2,399 and packs a discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series laptop GPU, a first for the Galaxy Book lineup. Factor in its 13th Gen Intel Raptor Lake CPU and the fact that you can configure it with up to 32GB of RAM, not to mention its 3K 120Hz AMOLED display, and you start to see why we think this could be a surprise contender for the best gaming laptop of 2023.

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360Now Samsung's showcasing the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, the latest and greatest version of the company's 2-in-1 laptop for professionals. Like its predecessors it ships with a stylus included at no charge, which is great for when you want to doodle or jot down a note on the laptop's touch-friendly AMOLED display. Unlike its predecessors, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 doesn't come in multiple sizes. Instead, this year you only get one size sporting a 16-inch 3K 120Hz AMOLED touchscreen. That's bigger, faster and higher-res than the 1080p displays on last year's model, which is an exciting upgrade given how key the display is to getting the most out of this laptop/tablet hybrid. This year's model starts at $1,299 and also comes with an option to configure it with 5G connectivity, a first for the Galaxy Book Pro 360 line.

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro: The new Galaxy Book 3 Pro is currently being shown off, and while it's a little less exciting than its transforming sibling this is still a promising laptop for the productivity-minded. It should have plenty of power to get through your day-to-day tasks thanks to its 13th Gen Intel Raptor Lake CPU and up to 32GB of RAM, plus both the 14-inch and 16-inch models come with 3K 120Hz AMOLED displays. If you care about portability above all, it looks like the smaller 14-inch Galaxy Book 3 Pro is just 2.4 pounds and 0.4 inches thin, which makes it a hair thinner than the Apple MacBook Air M2.

Galaxy S23 specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Galaxy S23Galaxy S23 PlusGalaxy S23 Ultra
Screen size6.1-inch AMOLED (2,340x1.080)6.6-inch AMOLED (2,340x1,080)6.8-inch AMOLED (3,088×1,440)
CPUSnapdragon 8 Gen 2Snapdragon 8 Gen 2Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM8GB8GB8GB, 12GB
Storage128GB, 256GB128GB, 256GB256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Rear cameras50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto (3x zoom)50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto (3x zoom)200MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto (3x zoom), 10MP telephoto (10x zoom)
Front cameras12MP12MP12MP
Battery size3,900 mAh4,700 mAh5,000 mAh
Charging speed25W wired45W wired45W wired
Size5.8 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches6.2 x 3 x 0.3 inches6.4 x 3.1 x 0.35 inches
Weight6 ounces7.3 ounches8.2 ounces
ColorsPhantom Black, Green, Lavender, CreamPhantom Black, Green, Lavender, CreamPhantom Black, Green, Lavender, Cream
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Leaked Galaxy S23 promotional materials showing the more than all day battery claim

(Image credit: Evan Blass)

How about this for a big leak. Here's a video of the Galaxy S23 Ultra in action, showing off its 200MP camera, "more than all-day battery," S-Pen and gaming performance. 

Galaxy Book 3 Ultra display

(Image credit: The Galox_/Twitter)

The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra should be launching today as the first Ultra laptop in Samsung's lineup and @TheGalox_ on Twitter has leaked some details. This includes a 3K Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and the ability to cover 120% of the DCI-P3 color space. That's an impressive screen. 

Image of renders of the Samsung Galaxy S23 in four different colors

(Image credit: FMKorea)

Someone at the AT&T store in Atlanta could be in trouble, as the company's Brookhaven store website posted details of the Galaxy S23 with a quartet of colors: a form of green, what appears to be a take on Phantom Black, lavender and cream. The listing appears to have been removed, but not before Cnet gathered the details. 

Alongside the listing, a suite of features and specs were detailed, effectively confirming what we already know about the Galaxy S23 via other tips and leaks; for example, the presence of a 6.6-inch display and 50-megapixel main camera. This also shows us that as usual, the major networks are likely gearing up to offer the new Galaxy S23 range.

The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra should be launching today as the first Ultra laptop in Samsung's lineup and @TheGalox_ on Twitter has leaked some details. This includes a 3K Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and the ability to cover 120% of the DCI-P3 color space. That's an impressive screen. 

Samsung Unpacked 2023 venue

(Image credit: Future)

And we're live from San Francisco! Our own managing editor of phone coverage Philip Michaels is on the ground across the street from the church where Robert Vaughn tries to intimidate Simon Oakland in Bullitt if you appreciate history.

We'll be bringing you live coverage from the Masonic Auditorium when the event gets underway. Stay tuned for more! 

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra color options

(Image credit: WinFuture)

How about a look at some of the expected Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra colors. This leak via WinFuture shows off the four expected hues for Samsung's big-screen flagship. The rumored colors are: Black, Green, Cream and Lavender.

I'm kind of digging the green, but I can also see people gravitating towards the lavender S23 Ultra color for those who want to stand out in a crowd. Our Galaxy S23 color guide has a full look at what could be coming. 

Samsung Unpacked 2023 auditorium

(Image credit: Future)

We're now inside the Masonic Auditorium for Samsung Unpacked and the room is starting to fill up for the big event. The tagline is Share the epic. This is the first big in-person event for Samsung in at least a few years, so we'll be curious to see how packed Unpacked gets. 

Image of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus in a leaked marketing image

(Image credit: SnoopyTech via Twitter)

With all the attention the Galaxy S23 Ultra is getting, it's easy to forget about the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. But a last-minute leak has allegedly revealed all the biggest Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus differences

The Galaxy S23 Plus should feature a larger display (6.2 vs 6.6 inches), a larger battery (4,700 mAh vs 3,900 mAh) and perhaps double the storage at 256GB vs 128GB. We've also heard that the S23 Plus should have faster UFS 4.0 storage, compared to UFS 3.1 for the S23. 

This same leak says that the S23 Plus will get Wi-Fi 7 vs. Wi-Fi 6E for the S23, but we're not sure we believe that, though Ultrawideband being exclusive to the S23 Plus makes sense. +

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Philip Michales here, inside the Masonic Auditorium from San Francisco. And if you think Samsung isn't leaning into the night photography elements of the Galaxy S23, think again, based on the decor in the main room.

Galaxy Book 3 Ultra leak

(Image credit: Evan Blass/Twitter)

We're focused on the Galaxy S23, but don't forget that there are laptops rumored to be announced today. If you head to Evan Blass' Twitter feed, you can see a leaked document touting the merits of the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, which we could be seeing in just a little bit.

Highlights include a 16-inch display, a 13th Gen Core i9 or Core i7, and your choice of Nvidia graphics. The marketing materials also tout how thin and light the device is.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus hands-on review

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

One thing I'll be looking for during the live event and my post-event hands-on session with devices — what's the justification for the Galaxy S23 Plus? Apart from the larger screen, I mean, and I'm not sure that justifies the rumored $200 price difference between the Plus and the Galaxy S23.

I wrote about this last month — give me a reason why the Galaxy S23 Plus is still a thing — and I hope Samsung is up to the challenge today.

Samsung Galaxy S23 in green showing cameras and S Pen

(Image credit: Evan Blass)

Cameras are obviously a big focus with any Galaxy launch, especially with the rumored 200MP sensor tipped for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. But with cameras remaining the same on the S23 and S23 Plus — at least according to rumors — it will be interesting to see how Samsung promotes those two models.

We're guessing it will have something to do with software features. The front cameras are rumored to be getting a Pro mode. And all those night photography teasers suggests an astrophotograhy or at least low-light photo improvements that build on last year's changes.

We'll find out in about a minute...

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Lights, camera, action.

Galaxy Unpacked 2023 images

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

Samsung's TM Roh is here and let there be no mystery -- we're going to see the Galaxy S23 and new Galaxy Books. In fact, the presentations we're going to see today were filmed with an S23 camera, we're told.

Samsung Galaxy S23 front display

(Image credit: Future)

Here's our first look at the Galaxy S23 based on some hands-on time with the phone.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra colors

(Image credit: Future)

We're watching a film that Ridley Scott shot with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Hopefully, no face-hugger xenomorph bursts out of Samsung's new phone. Just to be sure, why don't you look at our Galaxy S23 Ultra hands-on?

Ridley Scott's film is called Behold, by the way, and Samsung will release it soon.

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

It's time to talk cameras, specifically the Galaxy S23 Ultra cameras. First up is a Super HDR video feature for brighter, more accurate colors. Both rear and front cameras support 4K video at 60 fps.

Camera can capture 2.5x more light when shooting 8K video.

Galaxy Unpacked 2023 images

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

The 200MP camera is getting its time in the spotlight. In low light, you can combine 16 pixels into one for a brighter shot. In normal light, Samsung uses quad-pixel binning. The end result is higher-quality, more accurate photos.

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

There's a GIF remaster to sharpen the frames of GIF someone else creates and resends you. An Astro Hyperlapse feature lets you capture the night sky. Expert RAW lets you edit multiple exposures. So it's not just about the hardware with the S23 cameras.

galaxy unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

Samsung says it's building on the Nightography features it introduced with the Galaxy S22 last year. Nightography, by the way, is Samsung's marketing term for the Galaxy's ability to take more detailed shots in low light or no light.

So what's new? Video nightography addresses problems with glare, shaky footage and more. Optical image stabilization on the S23 Ultra features double the ability to adjust for your movements. There's an AI algorithm for reducing noise in shots.

All of this was demonstrated in a movie called  Faith shot by director Na Hong-Jin.

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

There's an AI Stereo Depth Map for improving portraits in low light, that helps with sharper images. And an AI Object Aware engine recognizes hair and clothes to separate them from the background, before highlighting those objects.

You can also choose between natural and warm tone on selfies. So this explains some of the selfie improvements to the new 12MP front camera on the S23 Ultra. (And all the S23 models, actually.) You may remember the S22 Ultra had a 40MP selfie cam.

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

Camera specs include 50MP main camera on the S23 and S23 Plus (same as before). The S23 Ultra gets a 200MP main camera as had been rumored. And every phone gets that 12MP front camera I had mentioned. All other cameras are unchanged from the corresponding S22 models.

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

In terms of battery life, you're getting a 3,900 mAh battery in the S23 and a 4,700 mAh battery for the S23 Plus. The 5,000 mAh battery in the S23 Ultra is unchanged, but there's a new cooling system that should keep your phone running longer.

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

We've moved onto Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 talk since that's the chipset powering all the Galaxy S23 models. It's a customized version for Samsung's phones, which basically means that the maximum clock speed is even higher than what a regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 should give you.

In particular, Samsung is touting the revamped GPU, with a new ray-tracing module for more realistic graphics. "PC-like" is how Samsung is putting it.

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Enough phone talk. Let's move on to the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. You can get a head start by reading our Galaxy Book 3 Ultra hands-on.

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

I'm no computing expert, but my colleague Alex Wawro is. Here's his Galaxy Book 3 Ultra highlights:

  • discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series laptop GPU (a first for Galaxy Books)
  • a 13th Gen Intel Raptor Lake CPU with up to 32GB of RAM
  • a 3K 120Hz AMOLED display

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The laptops don't stop with the Ultra. It's the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360's time in the spotlight. Read our Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 hands-on to find out more about this 2-in-1.

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

Some Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 highlights from Alex Wawro:

  • Included stylus
  • Touch-friendly AMOLED screen in a single 16-inch 3K 120Hz configuration
  • 5G connectivity, if you like

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

Samsung's talking One UI 5, which is the company's take on Android. It debuted late last year, and it's going to ship on the Galaxy S23. (Actually, you're getting an S23-specific version, One UI 5.1 that includes updates to Gallery for sharing photos and a neat Bixby call assistant feature.)

During Unpacked, Samsung's focusing more on the general One UI features too, such as privacy and security, home control features, and S Pen support (at least on the Ultra models).

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

Good news US users. The Galaxy S23 starts at the same $799 price as before, and the prices on the Plus and the Ultra are the same, too. The Galaxy S22 is sticking around at $699.

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

As for the Galaxy Book Pro 3, it's going to start at $1,249. The Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 costs $1,399.

You can pre-order all these products now, and they'll ship February 17.

galaxy unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

A word on materials. Samsung's using a lot of sustainable materials in the Galaxy S23 series. The Victus Glass 2 on the phones, for instance, contains 22% recycled material. The Galaxy Book 3 series uses sustainable materials too. And Samsung continues to offer four years of OS updates on its phones so you can hold on to devices longer.

galaxy unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon was out to talk about the special version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that powers the Galaxy S23 series. But it sounds like Qualcomm and Samsung are working on some XR collaborations as well. Google's Hiroshi Lockheimer is there, too, as Google is participating in this collaboration as well.

No products announced, but it sounds as if all three companies are pursuing new platforms with new capabilities.

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

And with that teaser, that's a wrap from the stage. There's a product experience area, and I'll be heading there for my own hands-on impressions.

Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup

(Image credit: Samsung)

Now that all three new Galaxy S23 phones have been announced, you might we wondering which one is right for you. That's where our Galaxy S23 vs Galaxy S23 Plus vs Galaxy S23 Ultra guide comes in.

We break down all the specs and biggest differences between these new flagship devices. The Samsung S23 Ultra stands out with its 200MP camera and of course its S Pen. But there's some notable upgrades from the S23 to the S23 Plus, such as a larger screen and double the storage. 

See our full breakdown for all the detais. 

Galaxy Unpacked 2023

(Image credit: Samsung via YouTube)

The Galaxy Unpacked event earlier today ended with Samsung's TM Roh joined by Cristiano Amon of Qualcomm and Google SVP Hiroshi Lockheimer, as the three tech companies announced plans to collaborate on a future mixed reality project. Here's a closer look at what the Samsung/Qualcomm/Google partnership may yield.

Not that it means anything, but at Qualcomm's annual Snapdragon Summit in November, the chip maker announced Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1, a purpose-built platform for AR headgear. That's not to say this is what Samsung, Qualcomm and Google are up to here, but it does indicate Qualcomm's interest in this area.

Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Apple releases a phone and w're going to compare it to the current Samsung flagship. Samsung releases a phone and we're going to do the opposite with Apple's current offerings. So it is with the Galaxy S23, which invites inevitable iPhone 14 comparisons.

We're going to need to test Samsung's phone for a final verdict but we've updated our Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. iPhone 14 face-off now that Samsung's Galaxy S23 specs are official.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra running 3DMark graphics benchmark

(Image credit: Future)

We've gotten our hands on a Galaxy S23 Ultra for more testing, so we've already started running Galaxy S23 Ultra benchmarks. The early results? The customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 powering the S23 lineup is the real deal.

With the caveat that we're testing the 512GB S23 Ultra, which comes with more memory than the entry level model, the S23 Ultra handily beat last year's Galaxy S22 Ultra in our key tests. More impressively, it outperformed an A15 Bionic-powered iPhone 14 in Geekbench 5's multicore test. And it posted better numbers in the Wild Life graphics test than we've seen from Apple's Pro models.

The A16 Bionic inside the iPhone 14 Pro remains the top mobile processor, we think. But Samsung and Qualcomm seem to be closing the gap in key areas.

comp image of a galaxy s23 press image and photo of galaxy s21

(Image credit: Samsung / Tom's Guide)

Sure, a Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S22 comparison is always fun to see how a phone evolves from year to year. But if you bought a Galaxy S22 anytime in the last 12 months, chances are you're not looking to upgrade.

The Galaxy S21 is a different story. That phone is approaching its second birthday, and maybe, if you own one, you're wondering if the grass is greener on the other Samsung flagship. Our Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S21 comparison can help you make that call.