Samsung Galaxy S23 live blog: last-minute news and rumors ahead of Unpacked 2023

We’re fast approaching Samsung’s first Galaxy Unpacked Event of 2023 – and that means we’re mere hours away from the probable unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S23 series.

Yes, after months of rumors and speculation, we’ll finally be getting eyes on the company’s trio of new flagship phones, alongside a bevvy of new laptops (if the leaks hold true).

The Samsung Unpacked event starts at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT tomorrow (February 1), and we’ll be with you every step of the way. Samsung will be streaming the whole thing online, and we’ve embedded the placeholder for that below. We also have a guide explaining How to watch the Samsung Galaxy S23 launch online live. 

But you don’t even need to do that, because we’ll be at the event ourselves and will be reporting back as Samsung lifts the lid on its latest flagships. So scroll down for more details about what to expect, then keep this page bookmarked for all the last-minute rumors before the event, then all the news once it starts.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 – what to expect

Samsung Galaxy S23: The S23 looks like a relatively minor upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy S22, with the same 6.1-inch FHD+ screen, the same 120Hz refresh rate, and the same rear camera setup. But a new chipset – most likely the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – looks a cert, and the design should be brought more in line with the S23 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus: As with the S23, the Galaxy S23 Plus is likely to be an evolution rather than revolution. Expect a bigger 6.6-inch FHD+ screen and a larger battery than on the vanilla model, but not many other differences.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The standout reveal at Galaxy Unpacked should be the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. As well as getting a powerful new chipset it’s tipped to get a whopping 200MP sensor on the rear camera. Elsewhere, a 6.8-inch QHD+ screen, up to 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery should give it the specs to compete with the best phones.

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 family: Rumors suggest that there will be several Galaxy Book 3 models debuting at Unpacked, including the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, and the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.

One UI 5.1: The only software reveal at the event is likely to be the latest version of Samsung’s One UI. This is unlikely to be a huge release, with bigger changes likely held back for the arrival of Android 14 later this year.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 – livestream

Good afternoon and welcome to our Samsung Galaxy S23 event live blog. 

We’re just under 24 hours out from Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, which is set to start at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT on February 1 (or 5am AEDT on February 2). 

We’ll be keeping a close eye on any breaking news ahead of the event, as well as giving you our verdict on the rumors so far. Then, once the event begins, we’ll be sharing all the big news as it happens.

So, on with the show… 

As Samsung fans will already be well aware, we’re expecting three members of the Galaxy S23 series to arrive on February 1: the Galaxy S23, the Galaxy S23 Plus and the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The leaked image of dummy units you see above (credit: Sonny Dickson) echoes  other leaks and rumors around the design direction Samsung is taking with this generation. Each device looks strikingly similar in form to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. 

The standard and Plus models of the S23 this year appear to shrug off the Contour Cut camera module of the previous two generations of Galaxy S phone, in favor of something a little more sleek and sharp.

TechRadar’s Editor in Chief, Marc McLaren has done a deep-dive on the difference between the three expected models in our Samsung Galaxy S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra comparison feature.

An interesting tidbit that’s arisen from the rumors is that every Galaxy S23 buyer will have equal color opportunities, no matter which Galaxy S model you pick. Whether you go for the entry level device or spring for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, you’ll be able to show off Samsung’s unique colors. 

We’re expecting some interesting shades, accompanied by Samsung’s interesting color branding. A Misty Lilac or a Botanic Green could be your preferred hue this season, whether you go for the enigmatic mid-level Galaxy S23 Plus or any other of the new phones. 

We’re also expecting accessories to match the new colors, though we haven’t heard of new devices like earbuds in this year’s shades. 

James Rogerson has even offered up an in-depth round-up of all the expected Galaxy S23 colors, which includes speculative renders of what each color might look like on different models.

Which one’s your favorite? I have a love-hate relationship with the Cotton Flower color, personally. 

If one thing has become abundantly clear over the past few weeks of leaks, it’s that the cameras on the S23 generation aren’t messing around. This official video posted by Samsung less than ten days ago highlights the low-light capture capabilities of the new phones.

“Epic nights are coming” may seem a little ambiguous as a tagline but we already have an idea of why that might be the focus of the Galaxy S23’s camera experience.

As the Samsung fans over at SamMobile unearthed earlier this month, the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus will sport new primary cameras at the same 50MP resolution as last year’s model. The Galaxy S23 Ultra will drop the 108MP sensor of its predecessor in favor of a new primary camera, rocking an impressive-sounding 200MP.

Not only that, but the new devices will capture photos in RAW format at up to 50MP, up from the previous 12MP limit. We’re also hearing about a feature that helps the camera take hyperlapse videos of the sky.

Cameras Editor, Tim Coleman seems to think we should be looking past that 200MP number when it comes to the S23 Ultra’s camera, saying “it’s more than just a gimmick” in his deep-dive of the sensor the phone’s likely to use.

The S23 Ultra, in particular, looks as though it’s getting more than just a higher resolution camera than its predecessor, with an additional trio of key upgrades over the S22 Ultra expected in a feature by writer, James Rogerson.

For one, how about a powerful new chipset?