Galaxy S23 codename reveal brings bad news for Samsung's 2022 foldable lineup

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Galaxy S23 codename reveal brings bad news for Samsung's 2022 foldable lineup
With the Galaxy Note family officially out of the picture for good and the Galaxy S22 trio slowly getting long in the tooth, it seems natural for the undivided attention of many hardcore Samsung fans to be directed towards the fast-approaching Galaxy S23 series.

Hold on a minute, it's still March 2022, which means that the S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra are not even a month old. But while it's definitely too early for buyers of these Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 powerhouses to be thinking about an upgrade, the S23 family is already in the news.

That's just how the rumor mill works in this day and age, often churning information about the "next big thing" before the current big thing is even properly released and thoroughly reviewed. For what it's worth, the S23 series info revealed today is not particularly consequential, at least for the 2023 ultra-high-end handset roster itself.

Samsung's crown jewel is getting a fitting codename


They say diamonds are forever, and while that's clearly not true for mobile devices, referring to an unreleased smartphone (or three) as "Project Diamond" internally is certainly exciting.

In case you're wondering if that codename actually means anything, we're sad to report we don't really think so. Samsung has a long history of choosing internal labels for upcoming flagships that sound cool, exciting, or mysterious without having any apparent connection with one another or hinting at new features, designs, or upgrades in any way.


To illustrate that, here's how every recent Galaxy S-series hero device has been codenamed prior to an official announcement:

  • Galaxy S22 family - Rainbow (R - S22; G - S22 Plus; B - S22 Ultra)
  • Galaxy S21 - Unbound (aka Galaxy U)
  • Galaxy S20 - Hubble
  • Galaxy S10 - Beyond
  • Galaxy S9 - Star
  • Galaxy S8 - Dream
  • Galaxy S7 - Project Lucky

In short, we don't expect next year's Galaxy S23 family to include a diamond-encrusted model or anything, but maybe this choice suggests Samsung is working on the robustness and long-term durability of its high-end handsets.

This codename reveal also appears to have come significantly earlier than usual, but before you even go there, we should point out that might have less to do with an early release and more with recent speculation of a mysterious new Samsung foldable.

Here's the bad news


If the Galaxy S23 is indeed codenamed Project Diamond, that almost certainly means there's no third Galaxy foldable in the pipeline for 2022. Of course, there could be such a device planned under a different codename, but until that different codename (or device) starts making the rumor rounds, we wouldn't get too excited at the thought of a Flex Note or rollable handset of any sort.

With 2023 announcements now far more likely for any such experimental products, it's probably wise to focus your energy, time, and money on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4, which are definitely coming out this year.


The Z Fold 4 sounds particularly exciting (if not exactly revolutionary), with a built-in S Pen, vastly improved durability, and an as-yet-unannounced processor under the hood likely to headline its list of key selling points.

But perhaps the best news in all of this is that the Galaxy S23 leaking games are basically officially underway now that the codename is out of the bag, which generally makes it a lot easier for insiders to dig up information and feed it to the masses. Who's ready to feast on some juicy "Diamond" tidbits?

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