What the Samsung Galaxy S23 needs to keep up with the competition

of Samsung Galaxy S22 it has a fresh design and an improved camera that sees better in the dark. But there is enough room for Samsung for further upgrading with The Galaxy S23 is expected to arrive in February.

In particular, I’d like to see longer-lasting batteries, more photography features that take advantage of the Galaxy S family’s impressive cameras, and faster charging that doesn’t require an expensive adapter.

Samsung usually releases new Galaxy S devices in the first few months of the year and will likely maintain this schedule in 2023. The next Samsung Unpacked is scheduled for February 1stwith the Galaxy S23 very likely on the agenda.

Samsung leads the smartphone industry with 21% of the global market in the second quarter of 2022, according to Counterpoint Research. Upgrading key features like the camera and battery could help it retain that top spot, especially as it faces growing competition from An apple and Google.

Longer battery life for the regular Galaxy S23

Battery life can never be long enough, but the standard Galaxy S device is in particular need of a boost. The 6.1-in Galaxy S22 it generally lived up to Samsung’s all-day battery life claims, but sometimes just short. After using it for a month straight, I noticed that the battery level dropped to roughly 30% or 40% by 9pm, even with the always-on display turned off and the screen refresh rate set to standard. That’s enough to get you through a workday, but you’ll probably want to pack a charger if you have plans for after work or a long drive home.

The Galaxy S22 has the smallest battery (3700 mAh capacity) of the three phones in the Galaxy S22 line, and it shows. For example, I was pleasantly surprised when the 6.6-in Galaxy S22 Plus, which has a larger capacity of 4,500 mAh, lasted about a day and a half when I reviewed it in February. I also had the refresh rate set to high, which usually drains the battery faster. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, which has a 6.8-inch screen and a 5,000 mAh battery, had similar battery life.

It makes sense that the smallest phone in the Galaxy S22 lineup would also have the smallest battery. But I hope Samsung finds a way to improve battery life on next year’s 6.1-inch Galaxy phone, whether through better power efficiency or a bigger physical battery. Eventually, Apple made upgrades to the iPhone 13 Mini this gave it an extra two to three hours of battery life compared to the iPhone 12 Mini. Battery life is the main complaint I had with the Galaxy S22, and addressing that would make the Galaxy S23 an even more compelling choice for Android fans who prefer smaller phones.

Korean newsletter The Elec points out that this may indeed be the case, as it reports that Samsung aims to increase the battery capacity of the Galaxy S23 by around 5%.

Smarter camera features

The 50-megapixel camera on the Galaxy S22 and the 108-megapixel camera on the Galaxy S22 Ultra capture impressively colorful and detailed photos. I only wish you could do more with these cameras when it comes to editing and software features.

The Galaxy S22 series has shooting options such as panorama, night mode, portrait mode, slow motion, super slow motion, and director view, which allows you to record video using two different lenses at the same time. Then there’s Single Take, which creates multiple stylized photos with a single press of the shutter button. You can also download the Expert Raw app to get more detailed control over photo settings.

But not much has changed between Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22 when it comes to camera features and shooting modes. I’d love to see Samsung take a page from Google, which regularly adds cool camera tricks that look practical rather than gimmicky. For example, Google introduced a new feature of Pixel 7 and 7 Pro called Photo Unblur, which sharpens low-quality photos, even those taken with an older camera. Photo Unblur builds on Face Unblur, a previous Pixel 6 and 6 Pro camera feature that I also appreciate. As the name suggests, Face Unblur freezes moving objects that might otherwise appear blurry.

Features like these show that Google isn’t just thinking about camera quality, but also ways to eliminate the daily annoyances of mobile photography. Many of Samsung’s updates, on the other hand, aim to give content creators more tools to capture different types of photos and videos.

While the Galaxy S23 likely won’t be released for a few more weeks, Samsung is already making improvements to the cameras on its current Galaxy phones. It added a new feature to the Expert Raw app that helps stargazers take better pictures of constellations, similar to Google’s astrophotography feature for Pixel phones. There’s also a new Camera Assistant app that lets you enable or disable certain features, like a faster shutter or automatic lens switching.

Faster charging that doesn’t cost as much

The Galaxy S22 series supports fast charging up to 25 watts for the Galaxy S22 and 45 watts for the Galaxy S22 Plus and Ultra. But to do this, you need to buy a separate charger. Samsung charges $50 for 45 watt charger and $35 for 25 watt charger, although you can often find them for less through retailers like Amazon and Walmart. In some scenarios, I also didn’t notice much of a difference between the more expensive 45W charger and Samsung’s cheaper 25W charger when powering the Galaxy S22 Plus, which you can read more about here.

With the Galaxy S23, I’d like to see a more noticeable improvement in charging speed, as well as more affordable charger options. The OnePlus 10 Pro, for example, offers 65- or 80-watt fast charging depending on your region, both of which are faster than what Samsung offers on paper. OnePlus also includes a compatible power adapter in the box.

Samsung and Apple have stopped including power adapters in their product packaging to reduce waste, which is an admirable cause. But I at least wish Samsung would let you choose to include a Quick Charge-compatible adapter as a discounted option when you order a new phone, similar to how it lets you choose a storage option or add Samsung Care Plus.

If the rumors turn out to be true, the base model Galaxy S23 could have the same 25-watt charging speed as the Galaxy S22. This is according to Ice universea Twitter account with a history of posting details about unreleased Samsung products.

Samsung is already doing very well with the Galaxy S22, especially when it comes to software support and display quality. But as smartphone upgrades from year to year become more incremental than revolutionary, focusing on essentials like the camera and battery is as important as ever.