The new Samsung Galaxy S23 range is now available to buy, and there’s some seriously good offers available from the telcos and outright retailers. In case you missed it, there are three new phones for you to choose from: the regular S23, the S23 Plus and the S23 Ultra. We’re taking a closer look at the first two on this page, as we have a dedicated guide to the best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra plans if you want to check out the premium phone.
Prices for the regular Samsung Galaxy S23 start at AU$1,349, while the S23 Plus will cost you a little more at AU$1,649. The S23 offers 128GB and 256GB storage options, while the S23 Plus comes in 256GB and 512GB models.
There are more options for buying the new Samsung Galaxy S23 series than just going straight to a telco, and we’d even argue that your outright options are better than ever, particularly with the Samsung Subscription offer – we’ve got the full details on that below.
If you’re considering buying the phone outright, check out our dedicated guide to the best SIM-only plans for recommendations on smaller telcos to pair your new phone with.
Noteworthy Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus deals
Various telcos and outright retailers are offering competitive deals on the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S23 range – these are the ones you should know about before committing to a contract:
Best Samsung Galaxy S23 plans: our picks
Best overall Samsung Galaxy S23 plan
Best premium Samsung Galaxy S23 plan
Best Samsung Galaxy S23 plans: our picks
Best overall Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus plan
Best premium Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus plan
Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus at a glance: what you need to know
Samsung hasn’t introduced any drastic upgrades to the Galaxy S23, so what exactly is new? For a start, the Samsung Galaxy S23 has a new look. Cleaner, smoother lines are in, and the raised metal plate that housed the Samsung Galaxy S22’s three cameras is out. From what we’ve seen so far, the aesthetic is reminiscent of a modern iPhone.
All three phones in the S23 line now carry a custom Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset made specifically for Samsung, which is claimed to deliver a big kick in performance versus the S22 equivalents. While we haven’t had the opportunity to benchmark it yet, this CPU could mean improved 8K video capture and smoother gaming.
Unfortunately, Samsung hasn’t done much to update its rear three-camera array on the S23 and S23 Plus, so you’re getting largely the same specs as the S22s. However, Samsung claims you’ll get better photos thanks to its upgraded CPU, so the software is doing more of the heavy lifting with AI. Practically speaking though, the S23 and S23 Plus still use a 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP optically stabilised 3x optical zoom camera.
One major point of difference between the regular S23 and the S23 Plus is size. The standard S23 has a 6.1-inch AMOLED screen, while the S23 Plus stretches its display to 6.6 inches – both look bright and colourful. Since the S23 Plus is a bigger device, you get the added benefit of being able to squeeze in a bigger battery. We’ve yet to put either phone’s battery life to the test.
We don’t think either phone is a must-have upgrade for anyone currently sporting Samsung’s S22 from last year, but if you’re due for a new device, then the S23 looks to be a good choice for the Android crowd. If you want to go all-out though, consider the premium and productivity-focused Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.