Overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chips could be used in all three of the rumored Samsung Galaxy S23 models, which could make them the Android powerhouse phones of 2023.
We’ve heard mention of this rumor before, but it just got more weight thanks to a new Geekbench 5 benchmark that now suggests the standard Galaxy S23 will get an overclocked Qualcomm chip just like the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The S23 Ultra's powered-up Snapdragon silicon was tipped via an earlier benchmark result.
While the Galaxy S23 isn’t explicitly named in the Geekbench benchmark, the model number SM-S911B is used, which is widely believed to be the standard Galaxy S23, as it follows with previous model number conventions of prior Galaxy S-series phones. In this new benchmark, the Galaxy S23’s chip delivers a single-core score of 1,188 and hits 3,099 in the multi-core test.
An iPhone 14 Pro beats that score, with our testing seeing the phone’s A16 Bionic yield Geekbench 5 scores of 1,891 for single-core performance and 5,469 for the multi-core test. Strangely, the Galaxy S22 Plus outpaces this Samsung S23 early result with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, delivering a 1,214 in single-core results and 3,361 in the multi-core test.
But before you dismiss the Galaxy S23 as a dud, it’s worth bearing in mind that these results are likely from early engineering modes yet to have undergone full optimization. And Geekbench results don’t always reflect real-world performance.
Galaxy S23 could avoid iPhone 14 chip confusion
What’s notable here is the hint of a overclocked chip that’ll be used across all three Galaxy S23 models.
This would be taking a different approach from Apple, Samsung’s main rival. The latest iPhones have different chipsets: the iPhone 14 Pro has the aforementioned A16 Bionic, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus use an older A15 Bionic system-on-a-chip.
By seemingly using one chip to rule them all, Samsung can ensure Galaxy S23 users get consistent performance, and thus a consistent experience, across all three phones; the push to go Ultra will likely come from a desire to have more cameras and a bigger display, as well as more RAM.
Having an overclocked chip in all three Galaxy S23 models is still an attractive prospect. That’s because Galaxy flagships are proper powerhouse phones; the Galaxy S22 Ultra, for example, is a rather impressive gaming phone despite its very sleek design. So having such power across multiple models should broaden the appeal of all Galaxy S23 phones.
Speaking of appeal, the Galaxy S23 is tipped to get a design that’s similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, at least on the rear, with the contoured camera cutout reportedly being dropped for lenses embedded into the phone’s back. Other tipped features include Samsung’s take on satellite communication and a new under-display fingerprint scanner.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is expected to look a lot like its predecessor, but its standout feature will apparently be the 200-megapixel camera. That would be a notable step up for the 108MP camera on the S22 Ultra, and could see the Galaxy S23 Ultra have a shot at the top spot of our best camera phone list.
With the Galaxy S23 range tipped for a February 1 reveal, we've not got too long to see which rumors come to fruition and if the Galaxy S23 lineup can secure high spots on our best phones list.
