[Mania] Galaxy S23+, Captures Camera, Battery, and Performance All at Once

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Samsung Electronics' next flagship smartphone, the 'Galaxy S23,' is creating a sensation even at the pre-order stage. During the pre-order live broadcast on Samsung.com, all prepared units were sold out, indicating a promising success. Improved camera and display performance compared to its predecessor have raised buyers' expectations.

On the 9th, I tried the Galaxy S23 series, which has been making headlines daily, focusing on the mid-range performance model, the S23 Plus. The most noticeable feature externally was the camera. The metal frame surrounding the lens, previously designed as a 'Contour Cut,' has changed to a droplet shape, giving a cleaner impression than previous models. The grip was also comfortable, with the edges rounded similarly to the predecessor.

The weight remained the same at 195g, but considering the battery capacity increased by 200mAh compared to the previous model, it was evident how much effort Samsung Electronics put into hardware enhancement.

The display is a 6.6-inch 'Infinity-O' screen, filling the entire front except for the camera hole, providing a wide viewing experience. Additionally, with brightness adjustable up to 1750 nits, it offers clear visibility even under direct sunlight.

The most attractive feature of the S23 Plus is its significantly improved camera performance compared to its predecessor. Especially with the Nightography camera function, it captures clear and bright photos even in low light. In completely dark environments, the dual-pixel-based artificial intelligence (AI) stereo depth analyzes the distance to the subject. It also precisely analyzes the subject and background, enabling detailed and clean photography.

Videos can be produced with quality comparable to movies. The maximum resolution 8K shooting option's frame rate improved from 24fps to 30fps, and it supports a wide-angle lens. The optical image stabilization (OIS) module's angle has also doubled.

The Expert RAW app for professionals has also been upgraded. While the previous S22 series supported RAW file resolution up to 12 million pixels, the S23 Plus supports up to 50 million pixels. This app proved especially powerful when capturing the night sky, allowing clear astrophotography in high-resolution RAW format.

Gaming performance has also improved compared to previous models. The installed graphics processing unit (GPU) speed has increased by 41%, and by applying the 'Ray Tracing Module' through the GPU, shadows, light, and reflections in games feel more realistic.

One downside is the ambiguous positioning between the Ultra and the base model in terms of specs. Compared to the top-tier Ultra, there are significant differences in camera performance, display size, presence of the S Pen, and battery capacity. However, compared to the base S23 model, aside from screen size and weight, there is little difference in performance.