The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is likely to be the first major flagship phones we see in 2023 if the rumored February launch is accurate. And when it comes, the base Galaxy S23 model could see an important upgrade that tackles one of the big complaints about the Galaxy S22.
According to a report from South Korea, the S23 could see a slight 5% increase in its battery capacity compared to the Galaxy S22. The latter phone runs on a 3,700 mAh battery, so that would push the cell in the upcoming Samsung flagship phone to around 3,885 mAh.
Rumors have indicated that Samsung is giving the S23 a minor 0.15mm increase in its dimensions — this probably ties in with the battery rumor and could mean that the company is set to make some small adjustments to fit in a slightly larger battery.
The report on the Galaxy S23 mentions that Samsung could be using a “stacking technology” where the inner material of the battery would apparently be stacked up layer-by-layer like a staircase to “expand the capacity of small pouch-type batteries.”
A 5% boost in battery capacity may not sound like much, but Samsung's flagship phones could use all the help they can get. When we tested the Galaxy S22, the phone posted a below-average time on our battery test, in which we have phones surf the web over cellular until they run out of power. A bigger battery, couple with more efficient silicon, could help the Galaxy S23 improve upon its predecessor's disappointing result.
The latest rumor only mentions the Galaxy S23 for the battery increase — it's unclear if the Galaxy S23 Plus and Ultra models would see a similar jump. In fact, the Galaxy S23 Ultra was recently tipped to get the same 5,000 mAh battery that was seen on its predecessor, the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The Galaxy S23 Plus battery was recently certified and a leaked image showed the battery as well. But the image was very blurry and the capacity could not be deciphered.
As we noted above, it’s not just the battery size that will play a role in giving the flagships some extra juice. It could also depend on the chip capabilities. Samsung is expected to ditch the Exynos chipset for the rumored Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which in turn is supposed to give phones power efficiency.
Wireless charging hub
Samsung’s tipped February launch may not simply feature the Galaxy S23 series — Galaxy Club reports that the company is working on a new Wireless Charger Hub that could charge several Galaxy devices at one time.
Samsung already has something like this called the Trio Pad Wireless Charger. The $99 accessory launched in 2020 for $99 and is one of the best wireless chargers. The new rumor claims the Wireless Charger Hub could be a successor to this one and might be launched at the same $99 price.
The Trio Pad charger can charge up to three devices at one time — a smartwatch and two phones, or a smartwatch, earbuds, and phone. It is not clear how big the new wireless charging hub will be or what features it will bring.
Read next: older Samsung phones could be hiding a dangerous battery problem.
