Technologies

Best Samsung Phone for 2023

Whether you’re looking to keep up with the most advanced tech or just looking for something affordable, here are the best Samsung phones of 2023.

Samsung has a huge range of different phones to choose from, which can make finding the best Samsung phone for your needs a bit of a challenge. If you want the best of the best, there’s the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the most advanced phone in its flagship lineup with an S Pen stylus, impressive camera and hefty price tag of $1,200. On the other end, there’s the budget-friendly Galaxy A12, which lists for just $180. And there are tons of different choices in between so you can find a Samsung phone that fits your needs and your budget.

Whether you want a high-performance phone with incredible photo skills and a raft of exciting features, or a more affordable device that nails the basics, there’s a Samsung phone for you.

How to pick the right Samsung phone for you

Like many purchasing decisions, deciding which Samsung phone is right for you comes down to what you want in a phone and how much you’re willing to spend. If you want the largest screen available on a standard Samsung phone, enjoy notetaking with a stylus and want a camera with a significantly closer zoom, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the right choice for you. But you’ll also have to be willing to spend more than $1,000 unless you score a trade-in deal.

Those who don’t need the stylus, prefer more compact devices and still want a top-notch camera should consider the Galaxy S22 or Galaxy S22 Plus. And if you really just want the basics, like a spacious screen, 5G and a decent camera, consider the Galaxy A53 5G. If you want the flashiest tech around — and you have deep pockets — the company’s latest Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 pack innovative foldable displays that are certainly eye-catching. Check out the entries in our guide below for more details on each Samsung phone, including their pros and cons.

It’s also important to consider whether now is the right time to upgrade. If you have a relatively new phone that’s two to three years old and still functions properly, you can probably wait. Phones like the Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy S22 lineup and Galaxy A53 5G all arrived in 2022, so they should still feel fresh and new. Samsung has also committed to supporting four generations of Android security and operating system updates on these devices.

If you’re ready to upgrade but can hang on for a few more months, you might want to wait before making a purchase. Since Samsung typically launches its new Galaxy S phones within the first couple of months of the year, we are likely to see a successor to the Galaxy S22 sometime between January and March 2023.

Finding the best Samsung phone will ultimately come down to preference. Choosing among so many options can get complicated, so here’s how to decide which Samsung phone is best for you.

Frequently asked questions about Samsung phones

How we test Samsung phones

We test Samsung phones similar to the way we test most smartphones: by evaluating core characteristics like camera quality, battery life, software, performance, design and overall value compared to competing devices.

To assess the camera quality, we take photos in various lighting conditions to see how the camera performs in different scenarios. Then, we compare those results to the same photos taken on competing devices or previous models (in many cases both.) We also test various shooting modes using different lenses, specifically focusing on new or unique features (like the Galaxy S22’s Ultra’s zoom).

We generally test battery life in two ways: by assessing how long the battery lasts during a typical day, and by seeing how long the battery lasts during continuous video playback. The video playback test isn’t always included in initial versions of our reviews because it can take up to a full day to run. We typically use that time to test other aspects of the phone to provide a well-rounded review.

Performance is measured anecdotally by using the phone and through benchmarking apps. Design is subjective, but we look for things like build quality, how comfortable the phone feels to hold and how much screen space it provides for the size. For software, we look for unique features that may not be available on other phones, ease of use and update longevity.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Nov. 24, #1619

Today’s Wordle is tricky. Here are hints, answers and help for Nov. 24, #1619.

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

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a little tricky. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with D.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with H.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer is a flour-based mixture used to bake bread.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is DOUGH.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Nov. 23, No. 1618 was BUNNY.

Recent Wordle answers

Nov. 19, No. 1614: MAKER

Nov. 20, No. 1615: GRAVE

Nov. 21, No. 1616: VOWEL

Nov. 22, No. 1617: THICK

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 24, #631

Today’s Strands puzzle has fun theme, or so says a former farm girl. Here are hints, answers and help for Nov. 24, #631.

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

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle has a fun theme, or so says this former farm girl. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Horsing around.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Giddy up!

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

GALE, REGAL, GAIN, ROOM, MOOR, JOCK, WARN, NEAT, WART, FIRE, QUIET, QUITE

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

GROOM, JOCKEY, FARRIER, VETERINARIAN, WRANGLER

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is EQUESTRIAN. To find it, start with the E that’s four letters down on the far-left row, and wind up and over.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

Before You Order a $20K Home Robot, There’s Something You Should See

It’s designed to do your chores — with some help from folks behind the curtain.

The robot stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs about as much as a golden retriever and is nearly the price of a brand-new budget car.

This is Neo, the humanoid robot. It’s billed as a personal assistant you can talk to and eventually rely on to handle everyday tasks, including loading your dishwasher and folding your laundry.

Neo doesn’t come cheap: it’ll cost you $20,000. And even then, you’ll still have to train this new home bot, and possibly need a remote assist as well.

If that still sounds enticing, preorders are now open (for $200 down). You’ll be signing up as an early adopter for what Neo’s maker, a California-based company called 1X, is calling a «consumer-ready humanoid.» That’s opposed to other humanoids under development from the likes of Tesla and Figure, which are, for the moment at least, more focused on factory environments.

Neo is a whole order of magnitude different from robot vacuums like those from Roomba, Eufy and Ecovacs, and embodies a long-running sci-fi fantasy of robot maids and butlers doing chores and picking up after us. If this is the future, read on for more of what’s in store.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

What the Neo robot can do around the house

The pitch from 1X is that Neo can do all manner of household chores: fold laundry, run a vacuum, tidy shelves and bring in the groceries. It can open doors, climb stairs and even act as a home entertainment system.

Neo appears to move smoothly, with a soft, almost human-like gait, thanks to 1X’s tendon-driven motor system that gives it gentle motion and impressive strength. The company says it can lift up to 154 pounds and carry 55 pounds, but it is quieter than a refrigerator. It’s covered in soft materials and neutral colors, making it look less intimidating than metallic prototypes from other companies.

The company says Neo has a 4-hour runtime. Its hands are IP68-rated, meaning they’re submersible in water. It can connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 5G. For conversation, it has a built-in large language model (LLM), the same sort of AI technology that powers ChatGPT and Gemini.

The primary way to control the Neo robot will be by speaking to it, just as if it were a person.

Still, Neo’s usefulness today depends heavily on how you define useful. The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern got an up-close look at Neo at 1X’s headquarters and found that, at least for now, it’s largely teleoperated, meaning a human often operates it remotely using a virtual-reality headset and controllers.

«I didn’t see Neo do anything autonomously, although the company did share a video of Neo opening a door on its own,» Stern wrote last week. 1X CEO Bernt Børnich reportedly told her that Neo will do most things autonomously in 2026, though he also acknowledged that the quality «may lag at first.»

The company’s FAQ says that if there’s a chore request Neo doesn’t know how to accomplish, you can schedule an expert from 1X to help the robot «learn while getting the job done.»

What you need to know about Neo and privacy

Part of what early adopters are signing up for is to allow Neo to learn from their environment, so that future versions can operate more independently.

That learning process raises questions about privacy and trust. The robot uses a mix of visual, audio and contextual intelligence — meaning it can see, hear and remember interactions with you in your home.

«If you buy this product, it is because you’re OK with that social contract,» Børnich told the Journal. «It’s less about Neo instantly doing your chores and more about you helping Neo learn to do them safely and effectively.»

Neo’s reliance on human operation behind the scenes prompted a response from John Carmack, a computer industry luminary known for his work with VR systems and the lead programmer of classic video games, including Doom and Quake.

«Companies selling the dream of autonomous household humanoid robots today would be better off embracing reality and selling ‘remote operated household help’,» he wrote in a post on the X social network.

1X says it’s taking steps to protect your privacy: Neo listens only when it recognizes it’s being addressed, and its cameras will blur out humans. You can restrict Neo from entering or viewing specific areas of your home, and the robot will never be teleoperated without owner approval, the company says.

But inviting an AI-equipped humanoid to observe your home life isn’t a small step.

The first units are expected to ship to customers in the US in 2026. There is a $499 monthly subscription alternative to the $20,000 full purchase price, although it will be available at an unspecified later date. A broader international rollout is promised for 2027.

Neo’s got a long road ahead of it to live up to the expectations set by Rosie the Robot in The Jetsons way back when. But this is no Hanna-Barbera cartoon. What we’re seeing now is a much more tangible harbinger of change.