Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Galaxy S22 Plus: Should you save and buy the 2022 flagship?

So you have Rs. 70000 to spend on a brand new smartphone and the obvious choice stealing the limelight right now is the Samsung Galaxy S23. The Galaxy S23 is bringing a couple of new things, including the more powerful and efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and a refreshed new design. Starting at Rs. 74,999, the Galaxy S23 seems to be a much better deal than its hardcore rival, the iPhone 14. But then, for a slightly lower price, you also have last year’s Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus – the best of the Galaxy S22 range in our opinion.

The Galaxy S22 Plus was the bigger variant of the standard Galaxy S22 and it tackled two issues with the smaller variant – offering a larger 6.6-inch display as well as a bigger 4500mAh battery. The best part is that the Galaxy S22 Plus is marginally cheaper than the Galaxy S23 at the moment – you can buy it on Amazon for as low as Rs. 64999. Does that make the Galaxy S22 Plus a better deal over the Galaxy S23?

Galaxy S23 vs Galaxy S22 Plus: Which one should you buy?

Design

Purely a subjective choice and we think both of these phones are handsome. The Galaxy S22 Plus is bigger but it looks handsome with its unique camera hump. The Galaxy S23 is slightly better built with its Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and a new camera island design on the back. Both are IP68 rated for water and dust resistance.

Display

The Galaxy S22 Plus has an obvious edge here with its larger 6.6-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display with variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The Galaxy S23 comes with a smaller 6.1-inch display of the same nature. Unless you are fine with a compact display, the Galaxy S22 Plus is a better choice.

Specifications

As logic dictates, the Galaxy S23 with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset is faster and more power efficient; this makes it the obvious choice for performance seekers. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is less capable and less power efficient but for most people with generic usage, it should do just fine. Thermal performance is an issue here.

Cameras

Both of these phones feature a similar triple camera setup, consisting of a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP 3x zoom camera. The Galaxy S23, however, is likely to be superior due to the new ISP on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and the improved image processing. Both have the same 10MP selfie camera.

Battery

The Galaxy S22 Plus has 4500mAh battery whereas the Galaxy S23 has a smaller 3900mAh battery. While the Galaxy S22 Plus was able to last an entire day in our review, keep in mind that the Galaxy S23 with its more power efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip should manage to last almost the same. That said, the Galaxy S23 supports a slower 25W charging whereas the S22 Plus gets the faster 45W charging.

Longevity

The Galaxy S22 Plus was originally launched with Android 12 last year and is already updated to Android 13, leaving three more OS upgrades and 4 years of security support. The Galaxy S23 has launched with Android 13 and will get four more OS upgrades as well as 5 years of OS updates.

Conclusion:

The Galaxy S22 Plus is still good but for someone seeking better value in the premium range. The bigger display and a bigger battery along with 3 OS upgrades left – that makes for a good deal at Rs. 64999. However, the Galaxy S23 at Rs. 74999 gives you access to bleeding edge of smartphone tech and a more compact design, plus a year’s extra support for software.