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Not Everyone Should Upgrade to Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Just Yet

You should consider several factors before switching. Compare these older Samsung phones to help guide your decision.

This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung’s most popular products.

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 just launched in February, so you may be wondering: Is it worth the upgrade? Truth is, there isn’t one answer that can be applied to everyone. The age and condition of your current phone, your budget and whether your device will support new versions of Android should all factor into your decision. 

The Galaxy S23, which starts at $800, has a 6.1-inch screen and a 50-megapixel main camera, just like the Galaxy S22. But the S23 has a larger battery, a new processor and slightly updated camera algorithms that improve the way photos are processed. While these changes are appreciated, the Galaxy S23 is generally a minor improvement over the Galaxy S22. The upgrade is worth it if you’re looking to replace a phone you’ve had for several years, ideally one that’s more than two years old. Even the Galaxy S21, which launched in 2021, likely still has enough life left to make it through another year. 

Buying decisions will always vary depending on your needs and budget. But if you’re a current Samsung user considering making the jump, here’s what to know about how the Galaxy S23 compares to older devices.

Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S22

Samsung Galaxy S22Samsung Galaxy S22

The Samsung Galaxy S22.

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

With the Galaxy S23, Samsung addressed my biggest concern about the Galaxy S22: its short battery life. The new phone has a larger battery (3,900 mAh compared to 3,700), which has made a difference in my testing.

Otherwise, compared to the Galaxy S22, you’re getting a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor that’s been optimized for the new Galaxy lineup specifically, while the Galaxy S22 runs on last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. Performance is faster, especially when exporting video. But you probably won’t notice much of a jump in everyday use, since most modern processors are well-equipped to handle gaming, multitasking and other run-of-the-mill tasks.

The Galaxy S23’s cameras are largely the same as the Galaxy S22’s, except the algorithms have been updated to improve processing in low light conditions. The selfie camera also has a slightly higher resolution (12 megapixels versus 10), although I didn’t notice much of a difference. There’s nothing about the Galaxy S23’s camera that feels hugely different from the previous generation, although I did notice that low-light portraits looked better.

The phone launches with Android 13 and Samsung’s One UI 5.1 software, both of which are available for the Galaxy S22 series. 

The bottom line: Don’t upgrade to the Galaxy S23 if you have a Galaxy S22. The changes aren’t noticeable enough to warrant an upgrade. Battery life is the only meaningful change you’ll notice between the two phones, but I’d only recommend upgrading if you can get the S23 for free through a trade-in deal

Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S21

Samsung's Galaxy S21Samsung's Galaxy S21

Samsung’s Galaxy S21.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The differences between the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S21 are more noticeable, but you can probably hold onto your S21 for another year before upgrading. 

The Galaxy S23 has a noticeably improved camera since it inherits the 50-megapixel sensor that debuted on the Galaxy S22. As I wrote in my review, the Galaxy S22’s cameras offer better color, contrast and low-light performance compared to the Galaxy S21. 

The Galaxy S21 also runs on a processor that’s now two years old, compared to the brand-new chip in the Galaxy S23. That said, if you’re just using your phone for simple tasks like video calls, playing games and checking social media, the older Snapdragon 888 chip is probably holding up just fine. 

The bottom line: If your Galaxy S21 still feels fast and the battery life is satisfactory, you can wait another year before upgrading. Samsung supports three generations of Android operating system updates for the Galaxy S21, meaning it will get new platform-wide software updates until 2024. 

Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S20

Samsung's Galaxy S20Samsung's Galaxy S20

Samsung’s Galaxy S20.

Angela Lang/CNET

Whether you should upgrade from the Galaxy S20 isn’t as straightforward of an answer. There’s enough to gain that would justify making the jump, but the Galaxy S20 also still has plenty to offer.

By upgrading, you’ll get a faster chip, an improved camera with significantly better low-light performance and a fresh design. Since the Galaxy S20 launched in 2020 with Android 10, it’ll no longer be eligible for new Android OS updates moving forward. 

Samsung committed to providing three generations of updates for the Galaxy S20 lineup, making Android 13 the last one. That means you’ll have to upgrade to get future versions of Android and the new features that come along with these updates. The company does, however, still provide monthly security updates for the Galaxy S20. 

At the same time, the Galaxy S20 is still a very capable phone. Even though you won’t get the option to shoot photos at a 50-megapixel resolution like on the Galaxy S23, you’ll still get a triple-camera setup on the Galaxy S20. The Galaxy S20 also has a 30x digital zoom like the Galaxy S23, so you won’t miss out on getting close-up shots.

But keep in mind that the Galaxy S20 has a larger battery and a slightly bigger screen than the Galaxy S23. And most importantly, the Galaxy S20 has a microSD card slot for adding more storage, which the Galaxy S23 does not. 

The bottom line: The updates in the Galaxy S23 will feel significant enough to justify the upgrade, but you also don’t need to if you’re happy with your Galaxy S20. Hang onto the S20 if you’re happy with its performance, battery life and if you value keeping that microSD card slot over having a better camera. Just remember you won’t get the next version of Android. 

Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S10

The Samsung Galaxy S10 lineupThe Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup

The Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup.

Angela Lang/CNET

Galaxy S10 owners: it’s time to upgrade. Not only will the camera and processor feel like a huge step up, but you’ll get 5G and the latest version Android. 

If you purchased the Galaxy S10 at launch back in 2019, the processor and battery are now four years old. That means your phone may be starting to feel sluggish, and the battery probably struggles to get through a day. The Galaxy S10’s battery is also smaller than the Galaxy S23’s (3,400 mAh capacity versus 3,900) and the S23’s processor is more power efficient — so the battery gains should be meaningful. Your Galaxy S10 also doesn’t support 5G, unless you splurged on the 6.7-inch Galaxy S10 5G, which started at $1,300 when it launched.

But more importantly, the Galaxy S10 no longer receives Android version updates. Like the Galaxy S20, the Galaxy S10 was eligible for three generations of new Android releases. That would make last year’s Android 12 update the last one since the Galaxy S10 launched with Android 9. (You will, however, still get quarterly security updates if you have the regular Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, S10E or S10 5G.)

While software support and battery life are among the biggest reasons to upgrade, you’ll also get a much better camera on the Galaxy S23. Samsung’s camera has come a long way over the last four years, now offering a higher resolution main sensor (50 megapixels versus 12 megapixels on the Galaxy S10), enhanced performance in low light and a closer digital zoom (up to 30x on the Galaxy S23 compared to 10x on the Galaxy S10). 

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that you’ll lose the beloved microSD card slot by upgrading to the Galaxy S23. So be sure to pick a storage capacity that makes sense for your needs since you won’t be able to expand it. 

The bottom line: Yes, if you have a Galaxy S10 it’s worth upgrading to the Galaxy S23. You’ll get 5G support, access to new versions of Android, longer battery life, a faster new processor and a much-improved camera. But be prepared to say goodbye to the microSD card slot. 

Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S9

Samsung Galaxy S9Samsung Galaxy S9

The Samsung Galaxy S9.

James Martin/CNET

There are many reasons to upgrade from the Galaxy S9 — so many, in fact, it’s hard to know where to start. All of the points mentioned above for the Galaxy S10 also apply to the Galaxy S9. Samsung’s five-year-old phone lacks 5G, and its processor and battery have likely started to show their age. You’ll also no longer receive Android version updates. 

But there are plenty of other benefits to be had from upgrading. The camera is among the biggest changes; the Galaxy S9 only has one rear 12-megapixel camera, and the Galaxy S9 Plus has an additional 12-megapixel telephoto camera. The Galaxy S23 has a higher resolution 50-megapixel main camera, along with a 10-megapixel telephoto camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens for capturing a wider field of view. The Galaxy S23’s selfie camera also has a higher resolution (12 megapixels versus the S9’s 8), along with other improvements like better low-light capture. 

If you have the standard 5.8-inch Galaxy S9, you’ll also get a larger screen since the Galaxy S23 has a 6.1-inch display. The Galaxy S23 also has twice the storage in the base model compared to the Galaxy S9, but there’s no microSD card slot in Samsung’s new phone for adding more storage. 

The bottom line: There are a bunch of reasons to upgrade if you have a Galaxy S9. You’ll get a significantly improved camera with multiple lenses, much faster performance, longer battery life, new versions of Android and 5G support. 

Overall, it’s worth upgrading if you have a phone that’s more than two years old. Galaxy S20 owners can probably get another year out of their device if it’s in good condition, but the Galaxy S23 also offers enough improvements to justify the upgrade. If you have a Galaxy S10 or earlier, the answer to whether you should upgrade is a resounding yes. 

Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. older Galaxy phones

Galaxy S23 Galaxy S22 Galaxy S21 Galaxy S20 Galaxy S10 Galaxy S9
Display 6.1-inch AMOLED; 2,340×1,080 resolution; 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate 6.1-inch AMOLED; 2,340×1,080 resolution; 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate 6.2-inch AMOLED;2,400×1,080 resolution; 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate 6.2-inchAMOLED; 3,200×1,440 resolution; 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate 6.1-inch AMOLED; 3,040×1,440 resolution 5.8-inch AMOLED; 2,960×1,440 resolution
Pixel density 425 pixels per inch 425 pixels per inch 421 pixels per inch 563 pixels per inch 550 pixels per inch 570 pixels per inch
Dimensions (inches) 2.79 x 5.76 x 0.3 in 2.78 x 5.74 x 0.3 in 2.80 x 5.97 x 0.31 in 2.72 x 5.97 x 0.311 in 5.9 x 2.77 x 0.31 in 5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 in
Dimensions (millimeters) 70.9 x 146.3 x 7.6 mm 70.6 x 146 x 7.6 mm 71.2 x 151.7 x 7.9mm 69.1 x 151.7 x 7.9 mm 149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8 mm 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm
Weight (grams, ounces) 168 g (5.93 oz) 167 g(5.93 oz) 171 g(6.03 oz) 5.75 oz (163 g) 5.53 oz (157 g) 5.75 oz (163 g)
Mobile software Android 13 Android 12 Android 11 Android 10 Android 9 Android 8
Camera 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto) 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto) 64-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 64-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 16-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (telephoto) 12-megapixel
Front-facing camera 12-megapixel 10-megapixel 10-megapixel 10-megapixel 10-megapixel 8-megapixel
Video capture 8K at 30fps 8Kat 24 fps 8K at 24fps 8K at 24fps 4K at 60fps 4K at 60 fps
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
RAM/storage 8GB RAM + 128GB; 8GB RAM + 256GB 8GB RAM + 128GB8GB RAM + 256GB 8GB RAM + 128GB 8GB RAM + 128GB 8GB RAM + 128GB; 8GB RAM + 512GB 4GB RAM + 64GB; 4GB RAM + 128GB; 4GB RAM + 256GB
Expandable storage None None None Yes (Up to 1TB) Yes (Up to 512GB) Yes (Up to 400GB)
Battery 3,900 mAh 3,700 mAh 4,000 mAh 4,000mAh 3,400mAh 3,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor In-display In-display In-display In-display In-display Back
Connector USB-C USB-C USB-C USB-C USB-C USB-C
Headphone jack No No No No Yes Yes
Special features 5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, wireless PowerShare to charge other devices 5G (mmw/Sub6), 120Hz display, IP68 rating, 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging IP68 rating, 5G-enabled, 30x Space Zoom, 10W wireless charging, 120Hz display 5G enabled; 120Hz refresh rate; water resistant (IP68) Wireless PowerShare; hole punch screen notch; water resistant (IP68); Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 Dual-aperture camera, water-resistant (IP68); super slo-mo video; wireless charging; iris scanning

Technologies

Speediance’s Compact Resistance Trainer and Wearable Make Wellness and Fitness More Connected

Speediance unveils a portable strength training device and a wearable at CES.

Speediance unveiled its new Gym Nano and Speediance Strap products this week at CES 2026. The smart fitness equipment manufacturer, which previously developed its own smart home gym, the Gym Monster 2, designed the Gym Nano and Speediance Strap to complement its current equipment ecosystem. 

«Rather than developing products in isolation, we’re building a comprehensive training and health ecosystem that adapts to users’ real lives and empowers better decision-making over time,» Speediance founder and CEO Liu Tao said in a statement.

Speediance used the consumer tech expo in Las Vegas to demonstrate the Gym Nano, a portable, motor-driven cable resistance training system designed to occupy minimal space for those who prefer to work out at home. The strap is a prototype wearable device designed to read your health data and provide training recommendations based on this insight.

CNET previously tested Speediance’s VeloNix AI Smart Bike and named it the best AI-powered exercise bike


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Gym Nano

The Gym Nano is a compact digital cable resistance machine trainer that fits any space and delivers full-body workouts. It’s meant to make strength training at home easier if you have limited space and can’t commit to larger home gym equipment. 

The Gym Nano offers up to 220 pounds of resistance through adjustable 1-pound increments. It also has five dynamic weight modes: Eccentric, Chain, Standard, Fixed Speed and Sled.

Speediance Strap

The Speediance Strap is a screen-free wearable that collects data related to your sleep, training and core body temperature. It then uploads and shares this data to the Speediance Wellness Plus app, where it makes suggestions for your daily training and recovery based on this information. 

The strap can be used for both endurance and strength training activities and recognizes various types of exercises, movement patterns, training volume and other insights that can help you learn how well your body is responding to your training. 

The Speediance Strap is a screen-free wearable that collects data related to your sleep, training and core body temperature. It then uploads and shares this data to the Speediance Wellness Plus app, where it makes suggestions for your daily training and recovery based on this information. Similar to other wearables, the Speediance Strap assesses your readiness each day and can detect stress factors to determine if you should focus more on recovery on that day. 

«With Speediance Strap, we are exploring how wearable data can function as part of a decision-support layer within a connected fitness system, rather than existing as isolated metrics,» Tao said in a statement.

Additionally, everyday insights (like core and recovery data) will be free to you unless you want to upgrade to the Wellness Plus access, which will come at an additional cost to receive long-term insights and AI planning.

It’s unclear when the Gym Nano will be available for purchase, but the Speediance Strap is expected to launch through a Kickstarter campaign in spring 2026.

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Technologies

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Health: A Dedicated Tab for Medical Inquiries

The company wants you to upload your medical records and connect the wellness apps you use.

ChatGPT is expanding its presence in the health care realm. OpenAI said Wednesday that its popular AI chatbot will begin rolling out ChatGPT Health, a new tab dedicated to addressing all your medical inquiries. The goal of this new tab is to centralize all your medical records and provide a private area for your wellness issues. 

Looking for answers about a plethora of health issues is a top use for the chatbot. According to OpenAI, «hundreds of millions of people» sign in to ChatGPT every week to ask a variety of health and wellness questions. Additionally, ChatGPT Health (currently in beta testing) will encourage you to connect any wellness apps you also use, such as Apple Health and MyFitnessPal, resulting in a more connected experience with more information about you to draw from.

Online privacy, especially in the age of AI, is a significant concern, and this announcement raises a range of questions regarding how your personal health data will be used and the safeguards that will be implemented to keep sensitive information secure — especially with the proliferation of data breaches and data brokers.


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«The US doesn’t have a general-purpose privacy law, and HIPAA only protects data held by certain people like health care providers and insurance companies,» Andrew Crawford, senior counsel for privacy and data at the Center for Democracy and Technology, said in an emailed statement. 

He continued: «The recent announcement by OpenAI introducing ChatGPT Health means that a number of companies not bound by HIPAA’s privacy protections will be collecting, sharing and using people’s health data. And since it’s up to each company to set the rules for how health data is collected, used, shared and stored, inadequate data protections and policies can put sensitive health information in real danger.»

OpenAI says the new tab will have a separate chat history and a memory feature that can keep your health chat history separate from the rest of your ChatGPT usage. 

Further protections, such as encryption and multifactor authentication, will defend your data and keep it secure, the company says. Health conversations won’t be used to train the chatbot, according to the company.

Privacy issues aside, another concern is how people intend to use ChatGPT Health. OpenAI’s blog post states the service «is not intended for diagnosis or treatment.»

The slope is slippery here. In August 2025, a man was hospitalized after allegedly being advised by the AI chatbot to replace salt in his diet with sodium bromide. There are other examples of AI providing incorrect and potentially harmful advice to individuals, leading to hospitalization. 

OpenAI’s announcement also doesn’t touch on mental health concerns, but a blog post from October 2025 says the company is working to strengthen its responses in sensitive conversations. Whether these mental health guardrails will be enough to keep people safe remains to be seen.

OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

If you’re interested in ChatGPT Health, you can join a waitlist, as the tab isn’t yet live.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

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Technologies

I Tested the Honor Magic 8 Pro and Found a Huge Problem With the Camera

I discovered a catastrophic problem with this phone’s cameras and it needs to be fixed fast.

I’ve found a big problem with the Honor Magic 8 Pro’s camera that urgently needs addressing. I’ve taken hundreds of test photos in my weeks with the company’s latest flagship phone, and while plenty of them are perfectly decent, many of the images I’ve taken with the ultrawide lens display horrendous image processing issues around the edges that ruin them completely.

I discovered the issue when I first got the phone late last year, and while it’s had several significant software updates since then, the problems persist. So what’s gone wrong? It’s possible that I’m monumentally unlucky and happen to have been given a broken unit. If so, I fully expect the replacement models I’ll be testing to be free of any issues. Or, maybe it’s a more widespread problem and I’ll see the same issues cropping up again. I personally think it’s more likely to be an issue at the software level, and as such, it could be a simple fix for Honor to push out in the coming days and weeks.

I’ve spoken to Honor about this and, unsurprisingly, the company is keen to say that this isn’t widespread, stating «Our internal investigation confirmed that the issue was limited to an isolated hardware anomaly in that specific early development sample. It doesn’t reflect the hardware or software polish of the final retail units now launching in the European market.» And sure, my test unit was an early non-EU version, but it is also the phone that the company did send me to review. Receiving early prerelease samples is common in the industry and while small hiccups can sometimes be expected, I rarely find such significant problems as this.

Honor is sending additional retail units for further testing and I hope that I’m able to confirm that this isn’t an issue seen on all models. I was prepared to write a full review of this new flagship phone, but these camera issues are severe and raise more questions than answers. I will update this article with more information and my testing results as they become available.

Read more: Best Phone to Buy in 2026

Even if it is an isolated incident, it’s still disappointing to see such significant problems on a new phone, especially a flagship that costs £1,099 in the UK. Honor doesn’t officially sell its phones in the US, but for reference, that price converts to roughly $1,480. 

The phone does have some positives. I like its processor performance and display, for example, which I’ll come on to later. But the camera issues I’ve seen mean I can’t recommend buying this phone until it’s clear whether they’re limited to my review device or if they’re issues common across all models. 

Let’s take a closer look at what’s going on.

Honor Magic 8 Pro camera troubles

Taken with the camera’s standard zoom, the shot above is fine — there’s a decent amount of detail and the exposure is even overall. 

But switch to the ultrawide mode and things go horribly wrong. There’s a vibrant purple fringe around the edge that’s full of image processing artifacts that ruin the shot. 

It’s not a subtle problem; it’s a huge red flag that something is very wrong with this phone. 

For reference, here’s the iPhone 16 Pro’s ultrawide shot. Notice the difference? 

As you can see, it’s not an isolated incident. It seems to be more apparent when there are areas of shadow in the edges. It makes me suspect that the phone is seeing these dark patches and trying — and failing — to brighten them and add detail back into the scene. It’s not dissimilar to the early problems I found on Google’s Pixel 8 Pro, which also struggled with shadow detail, suggesting to me that this is a software fault, rather than a mechanical problem with my unit. 

It also doesn’t seem to affect the ultrawide lens when recording video, which again suggests it’s not a hardware issue as I’d expect to see the same problems from the lens in any mode. The downside of that is that it could theoretically affect all models of the Honor Magic 8 Pro. However, the big upside is that software problems can be easily remedied with over-the-air updates.

To be honest, I don’t love the camera elsewhere, either. The image processing has gone overboard in this image, brightening the shadows and trying to rescue the highlights in the background excessively. It’s resulted in an over-processed image that looks unnatural. 

The iPhone 16 Pro’s attempt has allowed those shadows to remain what they are — shadows — and I vastly prefer this version as a result. 

I’ve also noticed that there can be significant color shifts when switching between the main and ultrawide lenses, which I would again prefer not to see on a camera phone of this price. 

However, this could be attributed to the same software processing issues I’ve already discussed, so I’ll have to leave my verdict on the camera for when I’ve done more testing. 

On the upside, this shot of the Tennents brewery in Glasgow looks good. 

And I like the colors and tones in this sunset scene in Edinburgh. So it’s not all bad — it can take a decent photo sometimes. So what about the rest of the phone?

Honor Magic 8 Pro: Display, performance and battery life

I like the phone’s 6.71-inch display, which is bright and vibrant. It’s lovely for gaming, too, thanks to its max 120Hz refresh rate. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 processor, which puts in some of the best scores we’ve ever seen on our benchmark tests for both processor performance and graphics processing. 

It certainly feels nippy in everyday use. Games like Genshin Impact, unsurprisingly, played smoothly at max graphics settings. The phone runs on a 6,270-mAh battery, which, while sizable, only gave average results on our battery drain tests. Battery performance sits alongside phones like the Galaxy S25 or Google Pixel 10, but it’s a big step below the iPhone 17 Pro Max or OnePlus 15. 

If it feels like I’m glossing over the rest of the phone somewhat, it’s because I am. With the issues I’ve seen so far, it’s possible that there may be other early teething troubles elsewhere, so I’m going to hold off giving any kind of definitive verdict on any part of the phone until I’ve tested more models and have a full appreciation of what the phone is really like to use. 

Honor Magic 8 Pro: Should you buy it? 

Right now, I absolutely don’t think you should. The issues I’ve seen with the camera are significant and badly need addressing. It could be that it’s a simple software fix that can be rolled out in the coming weeks, or it might be an isolated incident that affects me and me alone. I’ll be retesting on multiple devices and it could be that they’re absolutely fine. 

But unless you’re desperate for a new phone today and you absolutely have to have an Honor phone, then I recommend waiting until we’ve got more clarity about how deep these problems lie. 

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