Categories: TECH REVIEWTechnology

Samsung unveils Galaxy S23 series designed for a premium experience today and beyond

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd has unveiled the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23, marking a new era of Samsung Galaxy’s ultimate premium phone experience. 

Samsung Galaxy’s epic camera gives users more freedom to explore their creativity, like capturing truly cinematic Nightography videos with transformative AI. 

The “Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy” unleashes a premium experience, including groundbreaking AI, a future-ready mobile gaming experience and powerfully sustained game play with the world’s fastest mobile graphics.  

On the Galaxy S23 Ultra, an embedded S Pen that many long-time Samsung Galaxy users know and love offer more possibilities for productivity, notetaking, hobbies and more.

All of the Galaxy S23 series’ new standard-setting innovations are housed within a striking design that advances Samsung’s sustainability commitment with more recycled materials than any other Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

The global unveil event took place in San Francisco, while the local unveil took place at the Sarit Centre in Nairobi.

Present at the local event was Samsung Electronics East Africa Managing Director Mr. TS Lee as well as local Distributors, Dealers, partners, tech enthusiasts and media representatives. 

“Our 2022 MX business performance was strengthened by strong sales of our premium smartphones, including a sustained performance from the Galaxy S22 series and best-ever recorded foldable sales. I am confident that with the successful launch of our new flagship model, East Africa will play a leading role in driving the success for Africa this year” said Mr BS Hong, President and CEO of Samsung Africa who welcomed the guests to the Galaxy Unpacked event in Nairobi.

  “The most impactful technology is measured, not just by what it enables for people today, but also how it contributes to a better future,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Experience Business at Samsung Electronics.

“Galaxy S23 Ultra and the entire Galaxy S series lineup are the new standard-bearers of a trustworthy premium smartphone experience. We’re redefining peak performance by merging power and lasting innovation in devices that have a less environmental impact.”

 A camera with the most megapixels and extensive ereative controls, from day to night

Galaxy S23 Ultra makes it easier for any level of photographer to capture phenomenal content. 

It offers Samsung Galaxy’s most advanced camera system, tailored for nearly any lighting conditions and engineered to render incredible detail. 

Improved Nightography capabilities transform how the Galaxy S series optimizes photos and videos in a wide range of ambient conditions. 

Filming a favorite song at a concert, snapping a selfie at the aquarium, or grabbing a group shot of friends at dinner — users can get sharper images and videos. 

Visual noise that usually ruins low-light images is corrected by a new AI-powered image signal processing (ISP) algorithm that enhances object details and color tone.

 In a Samsung Galaxy-first, Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a new 200MP Adaptive Pixel sensor that captures epic moments with incredible precision. 

It uses pixel binning to support multiple levels of high-resolution processing at once. And because selfie cameras are more important than ever to how we communicate today, the Galaxy S23 series introduces fast autofocus and our first Super HDR selfie camera, jumping from 30fps to 60fps, for noticeably better front-facing images and videos.

For users who want the ultimate creative control and customization, the Galaxy S series offers a suite of tools that differentiate any photography experience. 

The Expert RAW app, available exclusively on Samsung Galaxy, enables DSLR-style image shooting and editing in RAW and JPEG — no bulky camera equipment is required. 

Users can experiment with Multiple exposures of photo art or capture a clear view of the Milky Way with Astrophoto settings either within the Samsung Camera app or the Expert RAW app. 

Meanwhile, the new zoom capabilities on the Galaxy Watch5 series’ Camera Controller app empower users to capture a perfectly framed shot right from their wrist.

 Additional camera advancements include:

• Low-light or in situations that would normally create a blur, videos are stable with doubled optical image stabilizer (OIS) angles in all directions. 

• Videos feel more cinematic with enhanced 8K video at 30 frames per second with a wider angle.

• Advanced, object-based AI analyzes each detail in the frame, even down to minute facial features such as hair and eyes, to carefully reflect a person’s dynamic characteristics.

• For an even more enhanced video experience, the new 360 Audio Recording feature on Galaxy Buds2 Pro creates multi-dimensional sound.

On Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23, the iconic Samsung Galaxy camera also gets an upgraded look. The contoured housing has been removed, marking a new era of essential Galaxy design that makes the entire series stand out.

Premium performance makes way for the future of mobile gaming

For creators and gamers alike, the desire to push limits and constantly reimagine what’s possible requires technology that outpaces expectations. Qualcomm’s “Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy” enables unprecedented performance while Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 5,000mAh battery lasts more than 20 percent longer. 

Galaxy S23 Ultra’s graphics performance is faster by more than 40 percent and its AI performance is also optimized by more than 40 percent to balance performance and power for photography, videography, low-latency gaming and more. 

In anticipation of the future of ultimate digital realism, Galaxy S23 Ultra comes ready to support real-time ray tracing as it comes to the mobile gaming mainstream. 

Users will be able to see noticeably more lifelike renderings of scenes, thanks to technology that simulates and tracks every ray of light. 

Plus, Samsung Galaxy’s vapor cooling chamber, now bigger and on every Galaxy, S23 series model, ensures immersing in a gaming marathon won’t slow down your experience.

 All this power underpins Galaxy S23 Ultra’s expansive 6.8-inch edge display with a reduced curvature to create a larger and flatter surface area for the best visual experience on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. 

Samsung Galaxy’s unique enhanced comfort feature allows users to adjust color tones and contrast levels, lessening eye strain from screen time at night. 

Vision booster now adjusts at four levels of lighting instead of two to combat brightness and glare in daylight.

Sustainability advances the essence of Samsung Galaxy

The Galaxy S23 series raises the bar for premium technology designed with the planet in mind. 

It is made using even more recycled materials than the Galaxy S22 series, including pre-consumer recycled aluminum and recycled glass, and post-consumer recycled plastics sourced from discarded fishing nets, water barrels and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.

The new S series is the first to market Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus® 2, adding heightened durability for long-term use and designed with an average of 22 percent pre-consumer recycled content. 

Plus, every Galaxy S23 smartphone comes in redesigned packaging box made with 100% recycled paper.

With the Galaxy S23 series, Samsung Galaxy is doing more to minimize its impact on the environment without compromising quality and aesthetics. 

Galaxy S23 series is UL ECOLOGO® certified, meaning that the product has been certified for reduced environmental impact.

For users who want to extend the life of their device, the Galaxy S23 series’ premium experience can be sustained through the years with four generations of OS upgrades and five years of security updates. 

To ensure longevity, users can also leverage a variety of programs such as Samsung Care+, a support service for accidental damages, repairs and more.

User-friendly security and privacy enable a transparent experience without compromise

Secure and private experiences are the foundation of the Galaxy S23 series. Every smartphone comes with Samsung’s end-to-end Samsung Knox protection. 

The Security and Privacy Dashboard on Samsung Galaxy gives users full visibility over who has access to their data and how it’s being used. 

With just a glance, it’s easy to see if personal data is at risk and receive simple prompts to change settings for a more secure experience. 

Users can also decide exactly which applications and programs get access to their data and how it can be used.

For an added layer of security, Knox Vault, which was first introduced on the Galaxy S21 series, protects critical information on the Galaxy S23 series by isolating it from the rest of the device, including the OS, for added protection against vulnerabilities.

More freedom and flexibility for connected lifestyles

At the core of the Galaxy S series’ premium experience is the uncompromising innovation of Samsung Galaxy Ultra. But the power and creative capabilities of Samsung Galaxy Ultra don’t stop at smartphones.

With the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, users can now enjoy the ultimate Samsung Galaxy ecosystem.

Across every Galaxy S series model, connected experiences get added benefits. Samsung Multi Control, which connects mouse and keyboard functionality between a Samsung Galaxy PC and tablet, now extends to Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 for the ultimate flexibility between devices.

Plus, enhanced text usability makes it easy to copy and paste text, like URLs, from one device to another to pick up activity on another device.

On Galaxy S23 Ultra, Google Meet paired with Samsung Notes and the embedded S Pen now make video calls even more collaborative. 

With Google Meet live sharing, participants can simultaneously co-edit a document from each of their Android devices, rather than viewing a shared screen. 

Availability

The Galaxy S23 series comes in four nature-inspired matte hues: Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 will be available for pre-order from 2nd to 28th February 2023. Those that pre-order the Galaxy S23 Ultra will receive an automatic upgrade from 256 GB to 526 GB device storage worth Sh20,000, they will receive 10 GB of data each month for one year (Safaricom Network only). 

Those that pre-order the Galaxy S23+ and the Galaxy S23 will receive a free silicone case as well as 10GB of data each month for one year. 

The Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 will also be eligible for Samsung Care+, which offers among other things 1-year free screen protection.

The pre-order will be available at all authorized Samsung Dealer stores.

Speaking during the Galaxy S23 event Samsung Electronics East Africa Director of Mobile Experience, Charles Kimari noted “We understand that the economic climate worldwide is quite turbulent and customers are tightening their belts in the way they spend. As a business, we are looking to increase inclusivity and affordability for our consumers so that they can acquire the Galaxy S23 Ultra, S23+ and S23 devices and one of the this ways we are doing this is through strategic partnerships with finance partners.” 

“We already have a working agreement with KCB and Safaricom as the first two official device financing partners and are working on getting more partners on board to allow more Kenyans to acquire our devices at a pace that works for them. These strategic partnerships are what we believe will shape the device acquisition landscape in Kenya,” he added. 

 The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 512 GB will retail at Sh209,999, the Galaxy S23 Ultra 256GB will retail at Sh195,999, the Galaxy S23+ 256 GB will retail at Sh154,999, while the Galaxy S23 256 GB will retail at Sh135,999. 

All the devices will be available at Samsung authorized dealer stores including Safaricom from March 1st, 2023.

 

Diana Mutheu

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