For those awaiting the next Samsung flagship devices, the date of the next Galaxy Unpacked event is finally out — well, sort of. Samsung accidentally revealed the date on its Colombian website with what looked like a preview banner, which has since been removed. But what comes on the internet, stays on the internet.
According to the leaked image, the event is set to take place on February 1 and this time the tagline seems to be “Epic moments are coming”. While there is no mention of the Galaxy S23 lineup explicitly, the banner leaves little to the imagination, and well, we all know what this time of the year means for the company.
The camera module looks strikingly similar to the one on S22 Ultra. Could this mean that the S23 Ultra will also feature a similar module? We might put our money on it. What would be interesting is if Samsung adopts a similar design to the younger S23 siblings — the S23 and the S23+ — to bridge the design gap. And probably the only noticeable change to the cheaper models.
There was a time when smartphone companies constantly played with the design of the device — mostly to arrive at something that was practical, unique and handsome to look at. Now, it’s an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach, which helps them focus on upgrading the internals while maintaining a look that can be recognised from far away — some are winning at it, some not. Samsung is in the middle somewhere with most of its devices looking similar now.
The new Samsung flagships will come with a better processor, which is likely to be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC (system on a chip), and an upgraded camera setup — maybe a 200 MP main shooter on the S23 Ultra with a better 100x zoom. A bigger battery or better battery optimisation would also be appreciated, especially given how the device would be 5G-enabled right out of the box. For context, the S22 Ultra featured a 5,000 mAh battery.
The charging speeds — both wired and wireless — are very likely to remain the same but a New Year surprise never hurt anybody, so you never know. As the Ultra model turned into a Galaxy Note last year, there is also a possibility of receiving a more efficient S Pen and new functionalities for the same. The base models might not receive any major updates, just like last year.
If Samsung decides to stick with February 1 for the launch, the S23 lineup could be out in the market by the second week of February. The S22 Ultra was priced at over Rs 1 lakh during its launch and it's safe to assume that the latest Samsung flagship will also be priced similarly.
Also, remember that all of this is pure speculation and nothing is absolutely confirmed unless it comes directly from Samsung.
The launch could be a crucial moment for Samsung after it saw its
lowest quarterly profit in eight years. According to Reuters, Samsung's mobile business is also expected to see profits shrink, with forecasts calling for a 14 percent fall to 2.3 trillion won for the quarter.
