The Samsung Galaxy S23 launch is likely to happen a month from now, as rumors point to a February release date for Samsung's next batch of flagship phones. And as you might imagine, rumors about the new phone are beginning to pick up, covering everything from an alleged price hike to new colors to a rumored superior front camera for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
We're anticipating three new models with the Galaxy S23 Ultra getting most of the big changes. But Samsung is also expected to be coming out with a Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus.
Here's a look at the new batch of rumors that are giving us a clearer picture of what Samsung has planned for next month's release.
Samsung Galaxy S23 price hike rumors
You may be paying more for this year's Galaxy S lineup. That's what one leaker claims in a tweet, citing SKTelecom as a source for prices of all three S23 models in South Korean Won.
[Rumor]Galaxy S23 Series Price from Korea.Source from SKTelecom.S23 : 1,199,000won ($933)S23+ : 1,397,000won ($1096)S23 Ultra : 1,599,400won ($1253) pic.twitter.com/khjsGpbRPgJanuary 5, 2023
The rumored prices claim that the Galaxy S23 will cost 1,199,000 won in South Korea, roughly the equivalent of $933 in the U.S. It would also be a 20% hike from the Galaxy S22's debut price of 999,000 won last year.
The leak predicts other price hikes of 1,397,000 won ($1,096) and 1,599,400 won ($1,253) for the Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra, respectively.
Phone makers often adjust prices for specific regions, but if these numbers hold, we'd be talking about a 10% to 20% price hike for the Galaxy S23, depending on the model.
So far, there has not been much on what to expect from the price of Samsung’s upcoming flagships. In fact, a strange rumor even suggested that Samsung could possibly push back the date of the launch because it could not decide on the pricing of the phones.
If we do see this massive price increase for the S23 series this year, it could be a tough one for Samsung to sell. Sales of the Galaxy S22 didn’t meet their expectations and with a disappointing fiscal quarter and a looming recession, Samsung will be pinning all their hopes and pulling out all stops for the Galaxy S23 line-up. Hopefully this would mean not increasing the price.
We'd wait before pressing the panic button about Galaxy S23 price hikes, as these sorts of rumors pop up all the time before a flagship phone launch. The same thing occurred just before the launch of the iPhone 14, where it was rumored that all the iPhone 14 models could get a $100 price hike. Luckily for us, that didn’t turn out to be true.
Samsung Galaxy S23 color leaks
The Samsung Galaxy S23 series also got leaked in every color by Max Jambor on Twitter, where they cite a website called FMKorea as the source.
#GalaxyS23 in some high-res images ⬇️ This is the real deal! I like the Botanic Green color!Source: https://t.co/4Hul6xbkBT pic.twitter.com/52l9rqgh7fJanuary 5, 2023
According to the leak, the S23 series is set to come in a white, light pink, dark green and black colors. The possible marketing names of the colors are also revealed to be Phantom Black, Cotton Flower, Misty Lilac and Botanic Green. The colors look muted and tie in with what we have heard before for Samsung’s flagships, except that the white color was thought to be more beige.
Before we comment on the design of the phones based on these images, it is important to note that reliable tipster IceUniverse has tweeted that these renders could be fake.
Why these renderings are fake?because1. The camera of S23 Ultra is a circle larger than this2. S23 Ultra does not have a red laser focus IR emitter3. The edge of the curved of the S23 Ultra is steeper than this4. The antenna position is wrong pic.twitter.com/GNr9Lt8wrRJanuary 6, 2023
He goes on to list the reasons that these renders don’t seem to be real. Most of the design inaccuracies seem to be with the S23 Ultra where the camera is apparently a larger circle than what is shown, the antenna position is wrong and curved edge is reportedly “steeper,” amongst other things.
Even if the design of the renders are off, it is possible that the colors of the phones could be close to the real deal and are not far from what we have already heard about Galaxy S23 colors thus far.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra front camera rumors
Based on all the rumors around the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, it is already shaping up to be a contender for one of the best phones this year. We could expect to see a huge megapixel bump to a 200MP rear camera and now one rumor suggests that the front camera may not be too far behind when it comes to improvements.
Previous rumors had suggested that the S23 Ultra would feature a 12MP camera just like the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus. That would seemingly be a downgrade from the Galaxy S22 Ultra's 40MP front shooter. But Twitter user AhmedQwaider888 claims that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will have a “Pro” mode and “Dual pixel” technology to make up for the lower-resolution sensor.
⭕️Exclusively12MP front cameraThe"Pro"mode is now on front cameraNightography in front cameraPhoto&video quality will be improved due to"Dual Pixel"technologyThis gives you the best picture in the lowest possible lightcamera has become lower number but the quality is higher pic.twitter.com/t86yZB4CxGJanuary 6, 2023
In other words, the Galaxy S23 Ultra's front camera might get a boost beyond megapixels — good news since more megapixels don't necessarily translate to better shots. The tweet also references nightography, Samsung's marketing term for low-light photography that it introduced with improvements to the S22 lineup.
We will have to see what Samsung ultimately brings on its top tier phone and it seems like we won’t have to wait too long now to know more details on the S23 series.
