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Samsung Galaxy Unpacked February 2023: all the news and updates from the event

This year’s first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event was presented in front of an audience in San Francisco’s Masonic Auditorium, marking the first in-person event for Samsung in three years.

It started on Wednesday, February 1st, at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, with some exciting announcements.

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra leads the updated lineup with a lightly-tweaked formfactor, 200-megapixel main camera sensor, and more bang for your buck, as its $1,199.99 is unchanged from last year but provides double the storage with 256MB onboard.

Galaxy S23 Ultra: whatcha gonna do with all those pixels?!

Meanwhile, the standard Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus have similarly-updated specs, plus they now share the floating camera design of the Ultra, with MSRPs that also match last year’s phones.

On the laptop side, Samsung’s new Galaxy Book3 Ultra leads the way with a 16-inch, 120Hz OLED screen, an H-Series Core i7 or Core i9, and an RTX 4050 or 4070 GPU. We’ll have to wait to find out how its battery life measures up, but Monica Chin notes it’s slightly thinner and close to a pound lighter than the 16-inch MacBook Pro that Apple just released. The Galaxy Book3 line’s standout new feature is the new “Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display,” and it comes with an Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU inside.

If you’re already sold on the new hardware and can’t wait to read a review first, we can also help you find out where to pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy devices.

If you’re looking to stay up to date on this year’s Galaxy Unpacked, The Verge will keep you posted on all the news and product announcements from the event.

  • Sheena Vasani

    Feb 2, 2023

    Sheena Vasani

    Here’s how Samsung’s Galaxy S23 lineup stacks up against the iPhone 14

    Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in lavender, black, green, and cream shown from the rear.
    You can buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in purple, black, green, and cream colorways.
    Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

    Apple’s iPhone 14 now has a new rival: the Samsung Galaxy 23. Announced during the company’s recent Unpacked event alongside a slate of new Galaxy Books, the S23 series is available for preorder starting this week with a street date of February 17th. The new phones arrive with faster performance, bigger batteries, and updated selfie cameras, with the Ultra offering an even higher resolution camera than its predecessor.

    But before you throw down upwards of $799 on a preorder, you may want to know how Samsung’s forthcoming smartphones measure up to Apple’s latest and greatest handsets. While both lineups include phones with impressive specs, there are a couple of key differences to be aware of.

    Read Article >
  • Mitchell Clark

    Feb 1, 2023

    Mitchell Clark

    Where are the satellites, Samsung?

    Samsung S23 Plus in green shown in-hand with rear panel facing out.
    Pictured: a phone that you can’t contact people with when you’re not near a cell tower.
    Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

    When Qualcomm announced its Snapdragon Satellite tech that will let Android phone makers compete with Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite, I was almost certain we’d see the feature on Samsung’s then-upcoming S23 phones.

    I mean, why wouldn’t we? Qualcomm said the feature would be available this year for phones using its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and Samsung is launching the first big Android flagship of 2023 with that processor — surely, it’ll build in this potentially life-saving functionality, like analysts have been predicting for months.

    Read Article >
  • Here are the key differences between Samsung’s latest Galaxy phones

    Samsung S23 in cream, S23 Plus in lavender, and S23 Ultra in green side-by-side on a table with back facing out.
    We may have to squint to see some of the differences in this iterative update.
    Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

    Samsung announced a new batch of Galaxy S flagship phones at its Unpacked event this week, all of which are set to arrive soon. As expected, the new class to choose from this year includes the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung’s trio of flagships for 2023 offer some refined designs — which look a little iPhone-like, if I’m being candid — with some camera, battery, and processor improvements over last year’s S22 generation. But which one is the right one for you?

    It may be a no-brainer if you don’t want a phone that’s too big (the S23 is the smallest of the three) or if you want a stylus (the S23 Ultra is your only option for S Pen use). But if you’re in the margins and need to contemplate which phone is the right one for your specific needs, let’s take a look at how they compare on paper. You can expect our detailed reviews soon, but, in the meantime, there are plenty of things you may be able to determine right now — especially if you’re in need of an overdue upgrade and want to take advantage of some juicy preorder promotions.

    Read Article >
  • Sheena Vasani

    Feb 1, 2023

    Sheena Vasani

    How to preorder Samsung’s new line of Galaxy Book3 laptops

    The Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra with a houseplant on either side. The screen displays a picture of a dog’s face.
    You can preorder the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra ahead of its release on February 24th.
    Image: Owen Grove

    It wasn’t just all about smartphones at today’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. In addition to introducing the forthcoming Galaxy S23 series, Samsung took the stage to introduce a new line of laptops. The new Galaxy Book3 series starts at $1,449.99 and consists of three models: the clamshell Book3 Pro, the higher-end Galaxy Book3 Ultra, and the 2-in-1 convertible Book3 Pro 360. Both the Book3 Pro and Pro 360 will be available starting February 17th, while the Ultra will be available less than a week later, but you can preorder all three laptops starting today.

    The new laptops are the successors of last year’s Galaxy Book2 line and look very similar, albeit with a few differences. Unlike their predecessor, they feature Intel’s 13th Gen Core processors. Each laptop also comes equipped with a 1800p OLED display that boasts a more spacious 16:10 aspect ratio as well as a fast 120Hz refresh rate. With the higher-end Galaxy Book3 Ultra, Samsung is also introducing a new MacBook Pro rival, one that boasts a 16-inch display and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU.

    Read Article >
  • Where to preorder the Samsung Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra

    Samsung S23 in cream, S23 Plus in lavender, and S23 Ultra in green side by side on a table with back facing up.
    From left to right: the Samsung Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra. The latest Galaxy trio is available for preorder
    Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

    Another year, another round of flagship Samsung phones. This time around, Samsung used its Unpacked event to announce a new line of Galaxy Books, in addition to the Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra. The latter probably feels familiar to last year’s S22 generation, as there are once again three models to choose from: a big-ish one, a bigger one, and the biggest one. That last one, the S23 Ultra, features souped-up specs, a stylus, and some big megapixel gains. However, each member of the S23 family is promising faster performance than last year’s model thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processors.

    The S23 flock starts at $799.99 and goes up to $1,199.99 (unless you opt for pricey storage upgrades), and all three models are set to arrive on February 17th. That gives you plenty of time to mull over your purchase decision, especially if you don’t feel obligated to be an early adopter. That said, Samsung is once again getting out of the gate early with some promos for those tempted to spring for a new smartphone right away.

    Read Article >
  • Adi Robertson

    Feb 1, 2023

    Adi Robertson

    “It’s more of a declarative announcement.”

    I’m as intrigued by a Google/Samsung AR/VR teamup as the next person, but these are some of the most impressively inane statements I’ve ever read. Meaningful plans! The spatial internet! A new generation of immersive computing experiences! It’s the XR hype equivalent of foam packing peanuts. Somebody’d better show up to the next Samsung Unpacked in Google Glass.


  • Sean Hollister

    Feb 1, 2023

    Sean Hollister

    Samsung phones will again get one more year of updates than Google Pixels.

    Samsung just showed up Google yet again, promising “four generations of OS upgrades and five years of security updates” for its new Samsung S23 phones on the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 stage. Google’s phones still only give you three years of new features.


  • Allison Johnson

    Feb 1, 2023

    Allison Johnson

    TM Roh, send us home.

    The live presentation has just wrapped up in a tidy 59 minutes. Now... more hands-on device time. There’s an “experience” waiting, and it’s just a five block shot straight downhill from the auditorium. Better than up I guess?


  • Dan Seifert

    Feb 1, 2023

    Dan Seifert

    Samsung and Google and Qualcomm are doing something with XR.

    Both Qualcomm president and CEO Cristiano Amon and Google SVP Hiroshi Lockheimer came on stage to talk about a new partnership with Samsung related to AR, VR, and XR. But there are no further details other than “this is happening”, so I guess it’s not yet a reality.


  • Emma Roth

    Feb 1, 2023

    Emma Roth

    Everything announced at Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Unpacked event

    Samsung just held its first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year, where it took the wraps off its new Galaxy S23 devices and the Galaxy Book3.

    In case you weren’t able to watch the event live, you can catch up on all the biggest news from Galaxy Unpacked here.

    Read Article >
  • Allison Johnson

    Feb 1, 2023

    Allison Johnson

    Buddies!

    We've got Qualcomm and Google execs on stage with TM Roh talking about the integrations between their products and XR.


  • Nathan Edwards

    Feb 1, 2023

    Nathan Edwards

    It’s a phone charger and a smart home controller.

    The Samsung SmartThings Station is a 15W wireless charger for Samsung phones, with a whole SmartThings hub in it, plus a Matter controller, Thread border router, and Zigbee. Jennifer Tuohy has the full review coming later this week.


    Screencap of SmartThings Station from Samsung Unpacked 2023
    The SmartThings Station is a wireless charger and a smart home hub.
    Samsung
  • Allison Johnson

    Feb 1, 2023

    Allison Johnson

    Lock screens are so hot right now.

    Samsung is highlighting the customizability of One UI 5.0's lock screen. That was kind of iOS 16's thing too. Custom lock screens are fun and good, fwiw. More of them, please.


  • Dan Seifert

    Feb 1, 2023

    Dan Seifert

    We’re just making up Ks now.

    Samsung boasts that the new Book3 line has “3K” displays. Not 4K, not 2K, but 3K. (They are 2880 x 1800 pixels.)


  • Monica Chin

    Feb 1, 2023

    Monica Chin

    The Galaxy Book3 Ultra takes the stage.

    Intel H-Series, Nvidia RTX, OLED screen, the works. The Galaxy Book3 Ultra has the chops for professional work and gaming in a lightweight (as workstations go) chassis. As I write this, Samsung is demonstrating rendering, gameplay, and phone connectivity features at its Unpacked event.


  • Allison Johnson

    Feb 1, 2023

    Allison Johnson

    Ooooo flashy lights!

    Galaxy Book 3 Ultra got a big, flashy introduction on stage. We're hearing all about the specs right now and it's pretty clear that Ultra means "no compromises" in Samsung.


  • Allison Johnson

    Feb 1, 2023

    Allison Johnson

    I’m impressed with how deep we’re going on camera.

    Full-well capacity, ISP, we’re talking about it all. I guess with not much else changing on the phone elsewhere, it makes sense to do more of a deep dive. Also, I’m a nerd, and 100% here for it.


  • Dan Seifert

    Feb 1, 2023

    Dan Seifert

    Samsung sure is proud of the S23 Ultra’s video capability.

    We’re 20 minutes into this event and Samsung’s already told us that all of the vignettes for the event were filmed on the S23 Ultra and we’ve gotten cameos from Ridley Scott and Na Hong-Jin.

    Video performance on smartphones has been dominated by the iPhone for years, we’ll have to see if Samsung’s latest changes that.


  • Allison Johnson

    Feb 1, 2023

    Allison Johnson

    Nightography isn’t going anywhere.

    Our least favorite word for low-light photography is back. Samsung’s highlighting the low light video capabilities of the S23 Ultra with... another film by another director. And it looks dark.


  • Dan Seifert

    Feb 1, 2023

    Dan Seifert

    The Galaxy S23 Ultra is a little more ultra this year.

    Samsung’s event just started a few minutes ago, but you can read about all of its news already. Leading the pack is the new S23 Ultra, which looks a lot like last year’s S22 Ultra, but comes with a 200-megapixel camera. Here’s Allison Johnson’s first look.


  • Jon Porter

    Feb 1, 2023

    Jon Porter

    I’m not convinced Samsung knows who Ridley Scott is.

    Apparently Ridley Scott, the director of Alien and Blade Runner, is best known for... Alien Covenant. (Alongside, yes, Gladiator and The Martian.)


  • Allison Johnson

    Feb 1, 2023

    Allison Johnson

    They said full-well capacity.

    Welp, I was wrong. Samsung’s new 200MP sensor in the S23 Ultra features some under-the-hood updates to better gather light. I was betting that Samsung wouldn’t get into the weeds in this presentation, but they sure did. Guess I owe you all $5.


  • Allison Johnson

    Feb 1, 2023

    Allison Johnson

    We’re live!

    Galaxy Unpacked is underway and we’re on the ground in SF. I’m sensing big megapixel vibes... stay tuned as all is revealed.


  • Allison Johnson

    Feb 1, 2023

    Allison Johnson

    Samsung’s S23 and S23 Plus look a little more Ultra

    Samsung’s S-series phones actually look like they belong together this year. The S23 and S23 Plus have adopted the floating camera design of the Ultra, making for a much more cohesive trio this time around. They’re even all available in the same colors.

    Under the hood, they have all of the incremental updates we expected, including slightly bigger batteries and updated selfie cameras. Both models use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, but there’s a twist here: it’s the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, with an upgraded GPU and overclocked 3.36GHz processor. Pricing for the phones hasn’t budged: the Galaxy S23 starts at $799 and the S23 Plus starts at $999. Both are available for preorder today and will ship on February 17th.

    Read Article >
  • Monica Chin

    Feb 1, 2023

    Monica Chin

    The Galaxy Book3 Ultra is Samsung’s shot at the MacBook Pro

    Samsung has announced the Galaxy Book3 Ultra, a 16-inch workstation laptop with a 120Hz OLED screen, an H-Series Core i7 or Core i9, and an RTX 4050 or 4070 GPU.

    Samsung makes a number of Galaxy Book models, but this is the first one of the past few years that has really targeted the deep-pocketed professional user — that is, the core audience for Apple’s high-powered and wildly expensive MacBook Pro 16. It’ll start at $2,399.99 ($100 cheaper than the base MacBook Pro 16), with a release date still to be announced.

    Read Article >