7 things the Galaxy S23 absolutely needs (to succeed)

I know this is a bit controversial, but hear me out! There’s no practical reason to have a curved screen on a smartphone. Period. There’s some aesthetic benefit, but apart from that, it’s just not practical.

First, the screen is much more susceptible to damage, and it needs a special screen protector (curved) and a special case (shallow at the sides). The frame becomes a knife-sharp edge that digs into your hand; you constantly phantom-touch the thing with your palm, and the image is distorted where the screen bends.

I hate to give Apple as a good example, but the Cupertino guys moved away from curved screens a long time ago. Nonetheless, Samsung retains the dreadful curve for its most expensive model, the Galaxy S Ultra. Please, Samsung, use a flat screen on the Galaxy S23 Ultra!

Snapdragon for everyone!

By now, probably everyone knows about the Exynos hate that’s going around. Hell, there was even a petition by angry customers trying to make Samsung stop using Exynos chips in flagship phones.

Yep, it was that bad at the time—Exynos chips were inferior to their Snapdragon counterparts, both in performance and efficiency. Samsung fans outside the US had to pay the same money for Exynos-equipped Galaxy models, while the experience just wasn’t the same.

Things are far better now, and with the AMD partnership, Exynos could find its place somewhere on the broad spectrum of Galaxy models. Just don’t make that hardware segregation when it comes to flagship models. It makes people angry!

Also Read: Qualcomm practically confirms Galaxy S23 series to finally ditch Exynos chips everywhere

Better loudspeakers for Christ’s sake!

It’s about time we get good loudspeakers on a flagship Galaxy device! Not those measly, tiny grill holes at the bottom. I know what you’re thinking: “But the speakers are not that bad.” No, they’re not bad, but they can be so much better.

When I tested the iPhone 12 mini a couple of years ago, I was blown away by how loud and clear the sound was. Even the tiny ZenFone 9 boasts better stereo sound than most of the Galaxy S series models. Make the speakers of the Galaxy S23 series front-firing and, please, Samsung, louder!

Bring back the microSD card slot!

I know I’m not getting that one back; I just know. But it’s not fair! Take a look at the Galaxy A53 5G, a brilliant midranger and one of the best-selling Galaxy phones. It can be found for $300 on a deal. Guess what? It supports microSD cards up to 1TB!

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Ultra doesn’t have the slot, despite its $1000+ price tag. It doesn’t make any sense. Well, of course it does, from a commercial standpoint. If you want 1TB of storage on your Galaxy Ultra, you have to pay $400 extra.

I think it would be a great advantage to have a feature that your main competitor (Apple) doesn't have instead of taking it away to fit in. The chances of seeing a microSD card slot on a Galaxy flagship are slim, though.

Bring on some real camera magic!

The camera system on most Galaxy flagships is great; there’s no denying that. We did plenty of blind camera comparisons, and the S-series was always up there, fighting for the top spot. What I want to see is some true innovation, such as the continuous-zoom periscope lens in the Xperia 1 IV, the variable aperture in the Mate 50 Pro, or the 1-inch sensor in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra.

Samsung is playing it safe with the cameras, especially in the vanilla S models. And while we’re on the subject, maybe it’s time to see an under-display selfie camera on an S-series device? The technology has already found its way onto a very expensive foldable device. Why not put it on the S23 Ultra?

Better colors/finishes

Don’t you want a leather-back version of the Galaxy S23 Ultra? I do! I had the opportunity to test the Xiaomi 12S Ultra for a couple of hours (before it went back to China), and the textured leather back made a huge difference. It’s so much better than anything glassy or glass-like, frosted or not.

I know that modern phones are meant to be used with a case, (which is a whole other huge issue to be discussed) but come on. If you want your phone to be “Ultra” add something unique. It doesn't have to be leather; it can be a unique texture, material, pattern, or anything else.

And while we’re on the subject, a better color variety won’t hurt the Galaxy S23. Looking at the official colors of the previous generation, they were pretty boring, especially at launch. I want to see something brighter, let’s say orange or yellow, on the vanilla model. Keep the burgundy and black options for the Ultra if you're worried about it, Samsung.

Don’t go bonkers with the pricing!

That must be an obvious one, but still, in the current economic climate, the smartest thing would be to keep the prices of the Galaxy S23 in check. The $799, $999, and $1,199 scheme is alright as it is; I’m sure there won’t be any riots if it stays the same with the Galaxy S23.

Samsung usually offers great trade-in options as well, and I would love to see those when the new Galaxy S23 series comes out. It’s one of the strongest tools in Samsung’s business arsenal, and it’s a good one.