Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S23: Is it time to upgrade?
The Galaxy S23 is nearing the end of its software journey. Is it time to switch and get the upcoming Galaxy S26?
Samsung usually unveils its new flagship phones around January, and this means we're closing the official announcement of the Galaxy S26 series.
There were some rumors suggesting that the Korean company plans to axe the vanilla mode (or rename it, depending on the angle) and introduce a Pro device in the lineup, but the latest info points toward a regular Galaxy S26 model.
Pro or no Pro, the Galaxy S26 is one of the most anticipated flagships at the moment, but what upgrades and changes will it bring? Thanks to numerous leaks, we know a lot about the phone, as the rumor mill never stops.
Now, if you're rocking an older Galaxy S device, you might be thinking now's a good time to upgrade. Today we're going to check this out, with our comparison starring the Galaxy S23, which is almost three years old.
Now, if you're rocking an older Galaxy S device, you might be thinking now's a good time to upgrade. Today we're going to check this out, with our comparison starring the Galaxy S23, which is almost three years old.
Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S23 expected differences:
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|
| Similar design, slightly different camera housing | Small and compact, separate cutouts for the rear cameras |
| Faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset | Three generations old Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip |
| Bigger 6.3-inch display | 6.1-inch screen, more compact phone |
| 16GB of RAM, 4GB more than the S25 | 8GB of RAM on all memory configurations |
| Improved 50MP ultrawide camera | The old 12MP ultrawide |
| Bigger 4,300 mAh battery | Slightly smaller 3,900 mAh battery |
| Qi2 support with magnets on the back | Regular wireless charging, no magnets |
Table of Contents:
Also read:
- Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S25: Expected differences
- Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S24: Two generations apart
Design and Size
Last of the 6.1-inchers
Leaked renders of the Galaxy S26 | Image by OnLeaks
Smartphones have been growing in size in the past couple of years, and the Galaxy S series is a perfect example of that trend. The Galaxy S23 is the last S-series phone with a 6.1-inch display, coming in at just 146.3 x 70.9. It features the separate camera cutouts on its back, a trend started by the Galaxy Ultra.
The upcoming Galaxy S26, on the other hand, stretches its display diagonally to 6.3 inches and swaps the camera cutouts for a pill-shaped camera housing, not that dissimilar to the Xperia phones of the past couple of years. We already have some leaked renders of the design, so check them out above.
The upcoming Galaxy S26, on the other hand, stretches its display diagonally to 6.3 inches and swaps the camera cutouts for a pill-shaped camera housing, not that dissimilar to the Xperia phones of the past couple of years. We already have some leaked renders of the design, so check them out above.
The bigger screen brings a bigger size as well, but in this case, it seems that the Galaxy S26 will actually be lighter than the S23. The information we have places the S26 in the same ballpark as the previous generation, size-wise, which in numbers is 149.5 x 71.6 height and width, and around 7 mm thickness, but the expected weight of the S26 lands at just 164 grams.
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|
| Thickness 6.96 mm | Thickness 7.6 mm |
| Dimensions 149.5 x 71.6 | Dimensions 146.3 x 70.9 |
| Weight 164 | Weight 168 grams |
In terms of materials, no surprises are expected on the Galaxy S26. The phone will most likely feature some variation of the glass sandwich, possibly using aluminum and Gorilla Glass. The S23 uses the same formula, with an armor aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on its front and back.
The anti-reflective coating of the Galaxy Ultra models of the past two years has caught a lot of attention (even Apple tried one on the latest iPhone 17 series), so we might see it trickling down to the lower Galaxy models, but don't get your hopes too high.
We still don't have any information on the color palette of the Galaxy S26, other than the deep blue hue we saw on the renders. The Galaxy S23, on the other hand, comes in a plethora of colors, including: Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, and Lime.
The anti-reflective coating of the Galaxy Ultra models of the past two years has caught a lot of attention (even Apple tried one on the latest iPhone 17 series), so we might see it trickling down to the lower Galaxy models, but don't get your hopes too high.
We still don't have any information on the color palette of the Galaxy S26, other than the deep blue hue we saw on the renders. The Galaxy S23, on the other hand, comes in a plethora of colors, including: Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, and Lime.
Display Differences
The display of the Galaxy S26 is expected to stretch 6.3 inches diagonally, which is 0.2 inches more than what the S23 has on board. The Super AMOLED tech Samsung has been using in the past couple of generations is getting brighter and brighter. The new phone might push the 3,000 nits peak brightness.
Speaking of brightness, the S23 is listed with "only" 1750 nits of peak brightness, and in our display test the phone managed around 1000 nits at 100% APL, still quite an impressive result.
The resolution is expected to remain unchanged on the new model, and given the S23's display is smaller, the 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution results in a slightly higher pixel density of 425 PPI (compared to the last model and potentially the S26).
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|
| Size 6.3" | Size 6.1" |
| Brightness 3000 nits (peak) | Brightness 1750 nits (peak) |
*rumored
The biometrics are expected to remain the same—we expect the S26 to sport the same ultrasonic fingerprint scanner as the one found on the previous couple of generations. This tech has been working quite well ever since Samsung introduced it, so there's no need for a change there.
Performance and Software
Cream of the crop
The Galaxy S26 is expected to launch with two different chipsets depending on the region. Users will get the Exynos 2600 silicon internationally, but in the US, Canada, and China, the S26 will most likely still launch equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
This silicon is a mouthful, but Qualcomm has decided to keep the Elite moniker from last year and at the same time continue with the "Gen" nomenclature. It's expected to be a powerhouse of a chip, with early benchmarks showing around 3800 points in Geekbench single-core, while the multi-core performance is even more impressive at 12400 points.
Now, the Galaxy S23 is no slouch either, but it does feature quite an old chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Synthetic benchmarks put it at around 1600 points in the Geekbench single-core test and 5000 points in the multi-core benchmark. It's more than twice as slow, at least on paper. Stay tuned for tests once we lay our hands on the new Galaxy S26.
Now, the Galaxy S23 is no slouch either, but it does feature quite an old chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Synthetic benchmarks put it at around 1600 points in the Geekbench single-core test and 5000 points in the multi-core benchmark. It's more than twice as slow, at least on paper. Stay tuned for tests once we lay our hands on the new Galaxy S26.
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (USA/Canada) Exynos 2600 | Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| Process 3nm | Process 4nm |
| RAM, Storage 16/256GB 16/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage | RAM, Storage 8/128GB 8/256GB 8/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage |
The new Galaxy S26 is also expected with double the amount of RAM - 16GB on all memory configurations, in comparison to the 8GB the Galaxy S23 has on board. This will help with AI for sure and make the S26 future-proof. One interesting change is the rumor that the Galaxy S26 will start at 256GB base storage, the 128GB option will be gone for good. This might result in a price hike, but at the moment, we expect the base model to start at the $799.
Speaking about the future, the S23 is slowly closing to the end of its support cycle, the phone launched running Android 13 out of the box, and with four major updates, it will get Android 17 next year. This might transform into a major factor when considering switching to the new Galaxy S26, as it will be supported up until 2033, which sounds like a year taken out of a sci-fi movie.
Speaking about the future, the S23 is slowly closing to the end of its support cycle, the phone launched running Android 13 out of the box, and with four major updates, it will get Android 17 next year. This might transform into a major factor when considering switching to the new Galaxy S26, as it will be supported up until 2033, which sounds like a year taken out of a sci-fi movie.
Camera
First upgrade in years
After years and years of using the same camera hardware on its entry-level Galaxy S devices, Samsung is gearing up for a change. The Galaxy S26 will feature a brand-new ultrawide camera, according to the latest rumors. It will be a big step up from the 12MP used on the past couple of generations, but at the moment we only have the megapixel count - 50MP.
The other two camera will most likely be carried over from the previous generation (yet again), and we're talking about a 50MP main camera with an aperture of f/1.8 over a 1/1.56" sensor. The telephoto is expected to remain on the S26 (albeit some rumors suggested Samsung is considering removing it).
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm 1/1.56" | Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm 1/1.56" |
| Ultrawide 50 MP, f/1.7 13 mm | Ultrawide 12 MP, f/2.2 13 mm 1/2.55" |
| Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3X zoom (67mm) 1/3.94" | Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3X zoom (67mm) 1/3.94" |
The Galaxy S23 scored 137 (out of 158) in our composite camera benchmark, so there's a huge potential for improvement. We expect the Galaxy S26 to outscore its quite old sibling, but stay tuned for the camera benchmark and some side-by-side samples once we get the S26 in our lab.
Battery Life and Charging
400 mAh might not be enough
There's a slight battery upgrade coming to the Galaxy S26 compared to the past couple of generations - а 4,300 mAh cell inside. It's nothing radical, just 400 mAh on top of the 3,900 mAh battery that the Galaxy S23 has on board, and 300 mAh more than the previous two models.
That may or may not translate into battery life, but we hope it does, because the S23 managed just over 6 hours in our battery test, and that's out of the top 100 phones tested in the past 2 years.
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|
| Battery size 4,300 mAh | Battery size 3,900 mAh |
Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging (Qi2) USB-C 3.0 | Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging (Qi) USB-C 2.0 |
Charging is expected to remain unchanged for yet another year, at least based on the information we have at the moment. It's disappointing when we get 100W phones that charge for half an hour but it is what it is.
The Galaxy S26 will most likely charge from zero to full in an hour or more. For comparison, the Galaxy S23 supports 25W of wired charging power and fills its battery from zero to full in 1 hour and 8 minutes.
The Galaxy S26 is expected to jump on the Qi2 train, offering magnets on its back to help with wireless charging alignment, and we expect a slew of MagSafe-like accessories to begin showing up once the new phone goes official.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick specs overview of the two phones. For a detailed Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S23 specs comparison follow the link.
|
|
| Samsung Galaxy S26 | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
Design
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 149.5 x 71.5 x 6.9 mm | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6mm (~9.02 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 168.0 g | |
Display
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.3-inch | 6.1-inch |
| Type | |
| Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz | Super AMOLED, 120Hz |
Hardware
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SM8850-AC (3 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SM8550-AC (4 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) 12GB/512GB |
8GB (LPDDR5X)/128GB (UFS 4.0) 8GB/256GB |
| OS | |
| Android (16), up to 7 OS updates | Android (14, 13) |
Battery
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4300 mAh | 3900 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 10.0W |
Camera
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung GN3 Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.56" Pixel size: 1.0 μm | 50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung ISOCELL Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 23 mm Sensor size: 1/1.56" Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 12 MP (Ultra-wide) Sensor name: Sony IMX564 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 1.4 μm | 12 MP (Ultra-wide) Sensor name: Sony IMX564 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 1.4 μm |
| Third camera | |
| 12 MP (Telephoto) Sensor name: Samsung S5K3K1 Optical zoom: 3.0x Sensor size: 1/2.55" |
12 MP (Telephoto, OIS) Sensor name: Samsung S5K3K1 Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Focal Length: 64 mm Sensor size: 1/3.94" Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
| Front | |
| 12 MP (HDR) | 12 MP |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | |
|---|---|
| 5.4 | 5.3 |
| WLAN | |
| a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 6E,Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax | a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax |
| USB | |
| Type-C, USB 3.2 | Type-C |
| Sensors | |
| Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
| Hearing aid compatible | |
| M3/T4 | |
| Location | |
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning |
| Other | |
| NFC, Ultra Wideband (UWB) | NFC, Ultra Wideband (UWB) |
See the full
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S23 specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Summary
The Galaxy S26 is shaping up to be the usual incremental update over the last couple of generations. That said, the S23 is now quite old, and these increments have piled up to offer an overall better device. If you're coming from the S23, you should think about upgrading and getting the S26, mainly because the software support of the S23 is about to run out.
There are some neat hardware upgrades as well—a new ultrawide camera for the first time in years, a bigger battery, the fastest chip on the market, and twice the RAM of the S23. The only big question that remains unanswered concerns the price of the Galaxy S26.
There are some neat hardware upgrades as well—a new ultrawide camera for the first time in years, a bigger battery, the fastest chip on the market, and twice the RAM of the S23. The only big question that remains unanswered concerns the price of the Galaxy S26.
The latest info points toward the same $799 price tag as the previous generations with a $120 on top if you like more storage, but we'll have to wait and see. Bear in mind that this time around the Galaxy S26 is expected to start at 256GB, so if Samsung decides to keep the $799 price, it'd be great.
We will update this comparison with all the tests and a final verdict once we finish the review of the Galaxy S26.
We will update this comparison with all the tests and a final verdict once we finish the review of the Galaxy S26.
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