Technologies

How Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Base, Plus and Ultra Phones Stack Up

The trio of phones in Samsung’s Galaxy S23 lineup are each unique in their own way. Let’s compare them.

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 family is here. The premium smartphone line, which was unveiled at the company’s February Unpacked event in San Francisco alongside the Galaxy Book 3, consists of three models: the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus and the top-specced Galaxy S23 Ultra. So, what are the differences between each model?

Starting prices for the phones, at least in the US, remain the same as last year, with the base Galaxy S23 starting at $800 (£849, AU$1,349), bumping up to $1,000 (£1,049, AU$1,649) for the Galaxy S23 Plus and maxing out at $1,200 (£1,249, AU$1,949) for the Galaxy 23 Ultra.

Samsung has increased prices in the UK and Australia, however, among other countries and regions. For example, the starting price of the base Galaxy S23 has increased in the UK by £80 compared to the launch price of the Galaxy S22. In Australia, the base S23 model received a AU$100 bump.

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Samsung Galaxy S23 series

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Samsung’s all-new Galaxy S23 flagship lineup is now available to buy. You can save on the latest devices with several Galaxy S23 deals already available at Samsung, Best Buy, all the major phone carriers and more.

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The three devices share a similar glass and aluminum design. They use the same processor (the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2), have the same display adaptive refresh rate (up to 120Hz) and 12-megapixel selfie camera. The three phones support ultrawideband, a radio technology that powers features such as using digital car keys and lost item tracking.

The S23 is the smallest of the three, weighing 168 grams (5.93 ounces) with a 6.1-inch AMOLED display. The S23 Plus has a 6.6-inch screen and the S23 Ultra has a 6.8-inch display. They weigh 195 grams (6.88 ounces) and 234 grams (8.25 ounces) respectively.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a four-camera module, with a 200-megapixel main camera, two 10-megapixel telephoto cameras and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens. According to Samsung’s product pages, these sensors have improved resolution (obviously), but also improve the phone’s low-light photography by combining sets of smaller pixels into larger individual ones that can capture more light.

The S23 and S23 Plus have identical triple-camera setups on the rear. Both include a telephoto lens, which should be helpful for capturing faraway subjects. You can learn more about the camera specs in our chart below.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s new Note-like features set it apart from both the rest of the S23 lineup and other premium phones made by competitors such as Apple and Xiaomi. It’s the second time a Galaxy S Ultra phone has come with a stylus included in the box. There’s also a slot for storing it on the phone — just like Samsung’s all-but-discontinued Note series. S Pen fans who bought the Galaxy S21 Ultra had to pay for the stylus separately and find a specific phone case that could store it.

For more information on the similarities and differences between the Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup, look at our specs chart below.

Galaxy S23 lineup compared

	Galaxy S23	Galaxy S23 Plus	Galaxy S23 Ultra
Display size, resolution, refresh rate	6.1-inch AMOLED; 2,340×1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.6-inch AMOLED; 2,340×1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,088×1,440 pixels; 120Hz
Display pixel density	425 ppi	393 ppi	500 ppi
Size (inches)	2.79 x 5.76 x 0.3 in	3 x 6.21 x 0.3 in	3.07 x 6.43 x 0.35 in
Size (millimeters)	70.9 x 146.3 x 7.6 mm	76.2 x 157.7 x 7.6 mm	78 x 163.3 x 8.9 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	168 g (5.93 oz)	196 g (6.91 oz)	234 g (8.25 oz)
Operating system	Android 13	Android 13	Android 13
Rear cameras	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 10-megapixel (telephoto) 10-megapixel (telephoto)
Front camera	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	8K	8K	8K
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
RAM and storage options	8GB RAM + 128GB; 8GB RAM + 256GB	8GB + 256GB;8GB + 512GB	8GB + 256GB; 12GB + 256GB; 12GB + 512GB; 12GB + 1TB
Battery capacity and charging rate	3,900 mAh (25W wired charging)	4,700 mAh (45W wired charging)	5,000 mAh (45W wired charging)
Charging port	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Other features	5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, wireless PowerShare to charge other devices	5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, wireless PowerShare to charge other devices, UWB for finding other devices	5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, wireless PowerShare to charge other devices, integrated S Pen, 100x Space Zoom, 10x Optical Zoom, UWB for finding other devices
US price	$800 (8GB/128GB)	$1,000 (8GB/256GB)	$1,200 (12GB/256GB)
UK price	£849 (8GB/128GB)	£1,049 (8GB/256GB)	£1,249 (12GB/256GB)
Australian price	AU$1,349 (8GB/128GB)	AU$1,649 (8GB/256GB)	AU$1,949 (12GB/256GB)

Technologies

Verum Messenger Goes Desktop: Launches macOS Version as Part of Expanding Digital Ecosystem

The team behind Verum Messenger has announced a new update, introducing a full-featured macOS version of the application.

The launch of the Mac version marks a significant step in the platform’s development, enabling users to access Verum Messenger not only on mobile devices but also on desktop environments.

The macOS version ensures seamless synchronization across devices while maintaining the platform’s core principles: security, stability, and independence.

Unified Digital Experience

With the release of the macOS version, users can now:

— communicate on a larger screen
— manage chats and files more efficiently
— use the messenger in a full desktop environment
— access core features without limitations

This is particularly valuable for users who rely on messaging platforms for both communication and professional use.

Expanding Capabilities

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional platform combining:

— secure communication
— financial tools (Verum Finance)
— digital asset operations, including Tether
— investment features such as Verum Gold

Toward a Full Ecosystem

The macOS release reflects Verum Messenger’s strategy to become a universal digital platform available across all major devices.

According to the team, the goal is to provide users with continuous access to communication and financial services regardless of device or environment.

Verum Messenger continues to build technologies focused on security, usability, and global accessibility.

Technologies

Google, Meta and Amazon Join Global Pact to Fight Rising Online Scams

The companies will share fraud intelligence and coordinate responses as AI makes scams faster, cheaper and harder to detect.

Modern online scams operate across multiple platforms, perhaps spanning social media, messaging apps, email and online marketplaces. Google, Meta and Amazon are among 11 tech, retail and payments companies that have signed a new agreement to combat online scams by sharing threat intelligence across platforms, Axios first reported Monday.

The initiative, called the Industry Accord Against Online Scams & Fraud, is designed to improve how companies detect and respond to fraud that spans multiple services. Participants say they will exchange signals, such as scam-linked accounts and fraudulent domains, and coordinate enforcement actions.

By sharing intelligence in near real time, companies hope to identify these scams earlier and stop them before they spread.

The effort reflects how modern scams operate. A victim might encounter a fake celebrity investment ad on social media, move to a messaging app where the scammer builds trust, then faces prompts to send money through a fraudulent website, payment app or crypto wallet — spanning multiple companies’ ecosystems.

Google said it now blocks hundreds of millions of scam-related results every day using AI, underscoring how both attackers and defenders are increasingly relying on the same technology. Meta removed more than 159 million scam ads in 2025 and is expanding AI tools to detect impersonation and warn users.

Online scams are growing rapidly, in part because generative AI has lowered the barrier to entry. AI can be used not only to produce realistic phishing emails but also to clone voices and deepfake videos that impersonate executives, public figures and even family members.

The agreement is voluntary and doesn’t create new legal obligations, but it comes after regulators’ increased pressure on tech platforms to address fraud more aggressively. The companies say they will begin building frameworks for reporting and intelligence-sharing, though it’s not yet clear how quickly those systems will be deployed or how effective they will be in practice.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, March 18

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 18.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I thought it was a fairly easy one, but read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.