Update: Samsung Galaxy S23 just tipped for surprise downgrade.
Despite the persistent rumors of a whopping upgrade to the camera system, the main body of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has been tipped to remain broadly unchanged from its predecessor,
That's according to rather reliable tech tipster Ice Universe who tweeted: “The size of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is almost unchanged from that of the S22 Ultra, with only an increase of 0.1~0.2mm , 5000 mAh, 8.9mm thickness, and still a 6.8-inch 3088 x 1440 screen.”
“As long as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 + One UI 5.1 is excellent, the appearance can remain the same," the leaker added.
Judging from the body size and volume data, this is the flagship mobile phone with the smallest appearance change in Samsung's history. Of course maybe its camera and other design details may have changed.August 21, 2022
Ice Universe went on to add that this would be “the smallest appearance change in Samsung’s history” of flagships, though added that a changed camera design or other details could potentially give the handset a distinct look.
The leaker then gave the full purported dimensions: 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches). That’s a minor increase from the 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm (6.42 x 3.06 x 0.35 inches) of the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
If correct, this is a pleasant surprise. One of the persistent rumors of the S22 Ultra is that it’ll adopt a 200MP camera sensor — a significant upgrade on the already best-in-class 108MP primary lens on the current flagship. Improvements to camera technology often involve larger bumps to compensate for the enhanced hardware. But if Ice Universe is correct, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will look nearly indistinguishable from its predecessor.
Speaking of which, the Galaxy S22 Ultra — the Samsung Galaxy Note revived, in all but name — hugely impressed us when we got our hands on it. In our Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review, our global editor-in-chief, Mark Spoonauer, praised its superb camera performance, super-bright display, built-in S Pen and sleek design, calling it “easily the most powerful and versatile Android phone this side of a foldable.”
The only real drawbacks were the price — a massive $1,199 at launch — and the fact that battery life was slightly down on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Unfortunately, if Ice Universe is correct, it’s unlikely we’ll see that boosted this time around, with the leaker predicting the same 5,000 mAh cell as the last generation.
Given it's very early for Galaxy S23 tidbits, we suggest taking these rumors with a degree of skepticism. As 2023 draws nearer we can then expect to hear more robust rumors around the next generation of flagship Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
Next: A far-out rumor claims Samsung will come out with a buttonless Galaxy S phone, but it’s not going to happen with the Galaxy S23.
