Best Samsung phones 2023

Samsung phones have always represented the best of Android, and even though the market has become crowded in recent years, the Korean tech giant still produces some of the most innovative devices around. No matter how you plan to use it or how much you want to spend, there really is a Samsung phone for everyone in 2023, and you can find all the best options below. 

Our top pick is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, namely because it pairs an ultra-efficient processor with a huge, vibrant screen and some of the best camera software on any Galaxy phone to date. The S23 Ultra isn't for everyone, of course, so keep reading to find all of the best Samsung phones for every type of user.

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At a glance

Which Samsung phones are best? 

Best overall

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is likely to be the most powerful Android phone that money can buy in 2023. As we describe in our Galaxy S23 Ultra review, alongside the ultra-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, the S23 Ultra features a big and beautiful 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, a 2-day battery life, and an impressive 200MP main camera that’s been optimized to perform exceptionally well in low light situations. 

Like its predecessor, the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the S23 Ultra features a built-in S Pen stylus for jotting down notes or drawing on your phone’s screen, and in all of our tests so far, the phone has been powerful enough to handle graphics-intensive gaming without skipping a bit. Of course, with a starting price of around $1,200, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is far from cheap. Luckily, there are plenty of great Samsung Galaxy S23 deals to check out if you’re in the market for an outstanding new smartphone.  

Best flagship

With the S23 series, Samsung appears to have chosen refinement over dramatic transformation. After all, the Samsung Galaxy S22 was a great phone, it just needed work in a few key areas. As we note in our Samsung Galaxy S23 review, this phone is exactly what the S22 should’ve been, complete with the new and exclusive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, improved battery life, and a new 12MP selfie camera.

Other than that, the S23 shares most of its specs with its predecessor, but that’s a good thing. The 6.1-inch AMOLED display is bright and detailed, and IP68 and the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 construction ensures that the phone can withstand the occasional tumble. The color variants with the Galaxy S23 may not be as eye-catching as we’d like, but that’s a small price to pay for one of the best flagship releases of the year. 

Best from last year

It may not be very compact, but the Galaxy S22 Plus has a lot to offer, even though it is priced exactly the same as its 2021 predecessor. Samsung took that design and finessed it, replacing the curved glass back with a flat one and possibly giving us the best-looking S22 of them all. The 6.6-inch AMOLED screen is larger but still has a 120Hz refresh rate, so you get those velvety smooth interactions for everything from browsing, scrolling through social media, and gaming.

You'll also get the benefits of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset with Sub-6 and mmWave 5G connectivity as standard. There's no microSD slot or a charger in the box, but the base version comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. You also get reliable cameras, decent battery life, and all the extras you care about: IP68 water resistance, 15W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging. 

Best foldable

It might not look like much of a difference on the outside, but the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a big upgrade over its predecessor, the Z Flip 4. It features stronger foldable glass inside, as well as a new pre-installed screen protector that has better adhesive. That screen protector is also installed differently this time around, which should hopefully prevent peeling over time. The folding screen makes the Z Flip 5 one of the most compact devices you can find today; the unique design makes it easily pocketable, and you can always fold it out to access the sizeable inner screen.

Like the Z Flip 4, the Flip 5 is water-resistant and is built to withstand the rigors of everyday life, including a sleeker, slimmer hinge that's both stronger and closes more softly. This is one seriously elegant device that feels as good as it looks, as we pointed out in our Galaxy Z Flip 5 review. Inside the sleek chassis are a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 chipset and more base storage which blows the Z Flip 4 out of the water. While the Z Flip 5 is worth buying at full price, keep in mind that the best Z Flip 4 deals will often get you one for free — or, at the very least, at a major discount if you trade in a cheap or older smartphone when you buy it.

Best bang for the buck

The Galaxy S21 FE is powered by the same Snapdragon 888 chipset in the Galaxy S21 series, so you also get 5G connectivity. It offers the same excellent AMOLED screen and has a 120Hz refresh rate, making everyday interactions buttery smooth. However, the best part is that it has the same 12MP primary sensor as the regular S21, ensuring you get the same great caliber of photos in any lighting condition.

Samsung hasn't removed any of the extras either. The Galaxy S21 FE has IP68 dust and water resistance, 15W wireless charging, and even 5W reverse wireless charging. The 4,500mAh battery lasts all day without any issues, and there's 25W wired charging as well. The Galaxy S21 FE came with One UI 4 out of the box, but the phone has already made the switch to Android 13. The only downside with the phone (if you can call it that) is that it has a plastic back instead of glass, but the matte texture masks its plastic build. If you're looking to save some cash, you can pick up the S21 FE instead of the regular Galaxy S21. Some may even choose the S21 FE over the Galaxy S22.

Best premium foldable

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a testament to the hardware design teams at Samsung. It takes the beautiful form factor of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and slims it up a bit, shrinks the bezels, and adds in a new hinge that folds flatter and closes more softly. It's also a few millimeters shorter and wider, making the smaller front display much nicer to use than the narrower one on the Z Fold 4.

While the battery size is the same as the Z Fold 4, the battery life is substantially better. That's because of the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 SoC inside, which is not only more powerful, but it's also far more power efficient. I haven't worried about running out of battery for a single day since I started using the Z Fold 5 as my main phone, as I pointed out in my Galaxy Z Fold 5 review.

Samsung also added some impressive camera software, improved the durability of the foldable glass screen, and threw in a new taskbar on the large inner display which makes multitasking a breeze. It works similarly to how a desktop or laptop computer does, and using multiple apps at once is dead simple thanks to the ability to drag and drop any app's icon to where you want it on the screen. If you're a power user, there's no better phone to have. Period.

Best midrange Galaxy

Like the A53 before it, the Samsung Galaxy A54 continues the legacy of the top-tier A series smartphones from Samsung, bringing you great cameras, outstanding battery life, and expandable storage in a phone that costs under $500. 

As we detailed in our Galaxy A54 review, the phone has a 120Hz AMOLED display — just like the Galaxy S23 — and a gorgeous design on the back with a matte finish that makes it easy to hold and use. The Exynos 1380 is snappy and efficient, and like most Samsung phones, you can expect years of software support and security updates (the phone comes with Android 13 with One UI 5.1 straight out of the box). The camera software produces some pretty great images in nearly any light, plus you can film video in 4K. It lags slightly behind the Google Pixel 7a when it comes to gaming performance and display quality, but if you’re a Samsung fan, the Galaxy A54 is the midrange phone to beat.  

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FAQ

Which Samsung phone is the best, and why?

It seems pretty clear that the Galaxy S23 Ultra is destined to be the best Samsung phone of 2023, primarily due to its sophisticated blend of super-powered hardware and elegant design. The 120Hz AMOLED display is sublime, the internal hardware is the fastest of any phone today, and the 200MP camera is on a whole other level (despite its inconsistency). 

That being said, premium specs often come at a premium price, so the S23 Ultra may not be the best choice for everyone. If you're working with a smaller budget, the base model Galaxy S23 is almost just as good. Starting at around $799.99, the S23 boasts a vibrant 120Hz screen with a compact 6.1-inch construction, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor — when paired with the 3,900mAh battery — makes the phone run smoother and more efficiently than any base model Galaxy phone to date. 

Then there's the Galaxy S21 FE. Over a year past its release date, the phone still destroys many of its rivals when it comes to value, and it is great to see Samsung offer such an attractive option for considerably less than its regular flagships. The 12MP camera takes gorgeous photos. The 120Hz AMOLED screen is fantastic to use. It has wireless charging, IP68 water resistance, and a large 4,500mAh battery. If you value bang for the buck, this is the phone to get.

On the lower end, Samsung offers the Galaxy A53 5G with hints of the flagship Galaxy S models trickled down to a mid-range price that can be incredibly appealing if you can't push your budget as high as the S21 FE. The Galaxy A53 5G has a 120Hz AMOLED screen, 5G connectivity, and powerful hardware designed to last several years.

Are Samsung phones better than iPhones?

When you compare a Samsung Galaxy phone to an Apple iPhone, we think there's no real contest. While Apple's products have plenty of positive traits — including great customer service at physical Apple Stores — Samsung's phones are feature-rich and often feel a step ahead of Apple in any given year.

From a physical design standpoint, Samsung phones usually sport bigger screens with smaller bezels around the edges, sleek designs, and sometimes even extra special features like the S Pen built into phones like the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung's displays are world-class and are the brightest you'll find in any phone. There's a reason even Apple uses Samsung displays in its phones.

On top of that, Samsung has been leading the pack in innovation, with devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, which offer large, impressive foldable glass displays in pocket-friendly form factors.

On the software front, no Android vendor offers more updates or better support than Samsung — not even Google. We're talking years of updates and support, and optional add-ons like Samsung Care+ are often better than insurance offered through your carrier of choice.

Samsung phones ship with a bevy of options that cater to every kind of user, from beginners to power users. And optional downloads like Samsung Good Lock offer customization options that Apple users could only dream of, including plenty of features that most other Android phones don't offer either.

Samsung phones are powered by Android — that's the world's most popular operating system if you didn't know — which means they are compatible with a dizzying array of great accessories and smart products in every category imaginable. Since most smartphones are powered by Android, you could always pick a different non-Apple brand of phone the next time you upgrade and you won't lose access to apps or services you already enjoy on Samsung phones.

Do Samsung phones have a wallet?

Android led the way in mobile payments when Google introduced Google Wallet way back in 2011, but Samsung Pay upgraded the experience by offering more functionality, loyalty rewards, and a place to store all your cards and digital payment info. While Samsung Pay has long been the best way to pay digitally with any phone, Samsung's Digital Wallet will expands Samsung Pay's functionality even further and introduce a new, more encompassing name.

In addition to being able to store credit cards, debit cards, and other loyalty cards, Samsung Digital Wallet lets users store their digital driver's licenses, so long as the state they live in supports such an option. Samsung Digital Wallet can also store digital car keys, and lets users store and manage cryptocurrency of all kinds.

Do Samsung phones come with a charger?

Most Samsung phones do not come with chargers these days. Samsung has been making the decision to ship without chargers on a piecemeal basis, typically foregoing them in an effort to become more environmentally friendly and avoid adding e-waste to landfills, as the company previously stated.

Unfortunately, the lack of a charger in the box doesn't mean phone prices have dropped at all. Samsung — and a number of other companies — say that users continue to re-use old chargers and often don't even take new chargers out of the box. Other users pick up great wireless chargers to use in place of traditional wired chargers.

Most Samsung phones utilize between 15W and 25W charging and have for some years, further negating the need for a new charger to be included in the box. Chance is, if you've got a charger at home already, it's probably no better than a new one that would be included in the box.

Do Samsung phones have SD cards?

SD card support is one of the many casualties of modern smartphone design. Along with 3.5mm headphone jacks, IR blasters, and removable batteries, SD cards have become less and less common. No Samsung flagship phone in 2023 — that means phones that normally cost $800 or more — supports removable SD card storage.

While there could be many legitimate reasons for removing SD card support, two of the biggest are the inclusion of more internal storage and the proliferation of cloud storage. Services like Google Photos can automatically back up your photos and videos, keeping your internal storage free for other apps and games, and many phones ship with at least 128GB of internal storage these days.

But one of the many bright sides of saving a bit of cash on a phone is that, more often than not, budget-friendly phones include budget-friendly features like a 3.5mm headphone jack and removable SD card support. That includes the entire Galaxy A series, from the Galaxy A73 down to the Galaxy A12. That means you won't need to spend a bunch of money on expensive internal storage when the best microSD cards only cost a few bucks.

Do Samsung phones support eSIM?

Most modern Samsung phones support eSIM but don't do away with the SIM card tray. That means, on phones like the Galaxy S21, S22, S23, Z Flip and Fold, and many others, users can opt to use a physical sim, eSIM, or both, if they desire.

There are many advantages of having the option to use both eSIM and a physical SIM at the same time. Folks who travel a lot can use multiple carriers that offer better pricing or cell services in different locations. If you have no desire to juggle between more than one carrier, utilizing the same carrier for both eSIM and a physical SIM can increase network bandwidth, offering a way for power users to get better upload and download speeds without having to do much at all.

As usual, the best part of a Samsung phone is the choices offered to users. It's something for everyone!

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