by You might think that the best phone the launch of the year comes in September, when Apple announces its latest iPhones 15. In fact, the biggest phone event occurs in February, when Samsung sets the hurdle that any new smartphone will have to jump or duck. After we see the Galaxy S23 Ultra to Samsung Unpacked (assuming we do), the only question left is how Apple, Google and others will try to beat it.
It will be especially difficult this year. We have a good idea of what parts will make up a new smartphone long before it’s launched. Since most manufacturers buy from the same component manufacturers, it is difficult for a phone manufacturer to stand out. Launching a phone early in a new year’s launch cycle is especially bold.
An improved Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform
Take the mobile platform. Last year, Samsung launched the Galaxy S22 Ultra with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. It was the best platform money could buy outside of an iPhone, but it wasn’t exclusive to Samsung. When Samsung announced its Galaxy Z Fold 4 in August, it was already time to upgrade to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.
What’s worse, last year’s Galaxy S22 didn’t launch with the latest Qualcomm chips in every region. Some areas have Samsung Exynos platform inside and the tests proved that the Qualcomm device was the superior phone.
This year, Samsung is taking no chances. Not only does every region have a brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform inside, Samsung offers a better chip than its competitors will use, making it arguably the most powerful phone you can buy. Rumors suggest that Qualcomm will overclock the Snapdragon in Samsung phones to give the devices a speed advantage over the rest of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phones.
Of course, we will certainly see faster chipsets from Qualcomm before the end of the year. Samsung won’t hold the performance crown all year, but it’s possible it could defend the title until reinforcements arrive in August in the form of a possible Galaxy Z Fold 5.
The wild card is the new MediaTek Dimensity 9200 mobile platform which could show up in competitors like Oppo Find N2. MediaTek has made quality chips for mid-range devices as well as some flagship phones sold outside the US market. The latest high-end chipset takes aim at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and MediaTek is talking about its graphics performance as if we are back to the old days of game console wars. We expect fierce competition.
That wild 200MP Samsung camera sensor
If you’ve been following the Samsung Galaxy S23 rumors so far, you know that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform isn’t even the most exciting spec update. Qualcomm has been hinting for months that it would be the exclusive partner for the Galaxy S23. It’s Samsung’s 200MP camera sensor, a huge leap in resolution, that really got us excited.
Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 image signal processor can handle 200MP images, but that doesn’t mean manufacturers will go to that extreme level of sensor data. Samsung is said to include a Samsung Semiconductor ISOCELL HP2 sensor that will blow away the competitors in terms of low-light photography, as well as sheer resolution.
There’s a lot more to smartphone imaging than just counting pixels. A high resolution won’t help if those pixels are too small to collect enough light to make great photos. Phones also need fast lenses and some software to put it all together. Our experience with the best Samsung phones has us excited about the images the Galaxy S23 Ultra will produce with the new shooter.
Apple and Google will have a hard time keeping up if the new camera conveys the excitement it has created. Both competitors could theoretically also buy the new camera module. Samsung Semiconductor camera sensors are separated by a legal firewall from the Mobile Experience group that makes phones for this very reason.
Samsung sells sensors to other phone makers, including Motorola on the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra. Samsung phones use camera sensors from Sony and other camera companies.
Not on the next Apple iPhone or Google Pixel
We don’t expect Apple or Google to upgrade to 200MP, at least not with the upcoming Apple iPhone 15 Pro (or possible iPhone 15 Ultra) or Google Pixel 8 Pro (or possible Pixel Ultra). This just doesn’t match the history or style of the camera.
Apple recently upgraded its iPhone from a 12MP sensor to a larger 48MP sensor, but that’s still nowhere near the 108MP of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra that tops our best camera phones list. Of course, the actual sensor size is very similar between these two, and both companies scale images by default to a more reasonable size.
We don’t expect Apple to significantly update the number of pixels on the iPhone for a few generations. Apple likes to hit a resolution plateau and then hone its imaging prowess for a while, getting the best results from familiar technology.
Google, on the other hand, uses AI enhancements to enhance the images. Pixel 7 Pro uses refined sensors and lenses, but nothing superlative. Instead, the Google Tensor G2 chipset packs unique image processing and editing capabilities that you can only find on a Google Pixel 7 family phone. These really make a difference, but they can only build on existing image quality.
It will be more difficult for Google to improve the optical image quality to match the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra than it will be for Samsung to come up with some new AI and software tricks to give us Google-like results. With a great new sensor and competent lenses, Samsung won’t need to blur photos or dramatically improve zoom. The camera will do the job.
Satellite Emergency SOS will up the ante
Finally, we’ve heard that Samsung will be collaborating with Iridium Communications on a satellite messaging service similar to the satellite Emergency SOS that Apple has included in the iPhone 14 family. Satellite capabilities will be a recurring theme in mobile devices this year.
We expect several competitors to support satellite emergency messaging, so that will be at stake when the next iPhone launches. If a phone maker hasn’t checked this box, does it really care about its customers who regularly climb K2?
Competitors can win with battery and power
There are a few missing ways we’d like Samsung to set the stage for the year, but there will be room for competitors to win like competitors have before. Samsung batteries aren’t big enough, and Samsung phones don’t charge as fast as the best OnePlus phones. We’d like to see Apple and Google step up their game in these areas as well.
Samsung was rumored to be improving the fingerprint sensor on its phones, but it appears to be sticking to the older kit. The latest Qualcomm 3D Sonic Max sensor can handle multiple fingers at once and we expect it to appear on competing phones. Security is going to be a big deal this year, so this could be a major update.
Samsung will not improve where we really need to
With class-leading processors and camera sensors that competitors may not be able to match, we can see how high Samsung is setting the bar
We’re not hoping to improve Samsung’s OneUI again this year, and the gap between Samsung’s software design and the Google Pixel version of Android is more apparent than ever. Samsung needs to modernize, otherwise competitors who go with Google’s elegant, mature and unobtrusive interface will find happy buyers.
It’s going to be a tough year financially for most of us, and we haven’t seen any rumors that Samsung will react to the global cost-of-living crisis. We’re hearing that newer phones from Samsung and Apple will cost more, not less. It would be a mistake and also an opportunity for the competition.
We know where Samsung plans to lead the pack this year. With class-leading processors and camera sensors that competitors may not be able to match, we can see how high Samsung is setting the bar this year. Let’s hope that as competitors try to leapfrog, we also see phones that find the space to step down and give us the battery and security improvements that Samsung lacks.
Before the 2023 editions arrive from Samsung, Google and Apple, take a look at all the best smartphones they have delivered this year.
