The latest Galaxy S models usually appear within the first three months of the new year, as Samsung gets the jump on the rest of the competition by releasing its latest flagships. For 2023, that figures to be the Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup, which is expected to introduce three new models. In addition to the standard Galaxy S23, we’re likely to see a Galaxy S23 Plus with a larger screen and a Galaxy S23 Ultra. It’s that latter model that figures to introduce the most significant changes to Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup. Early rumors indicate that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will feature a 200MP main camera and a super-bright display. All three S23 models are expected to adapt the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 silicon and offer satellite connectivity similar to a feature Apple added to the iPhone 14 lineup. That’s a lot of details to know about phones that haven’t even been confirmed yet, and the Galaxy S23 release date is just another bit of information we can glean from the rumor mill. Taking what leakers have claimed about Samsung’s release plans and combining it with when the phone maker has rolled out past Galaxy S models, we can come up with a pretty good guess as to the Galaxy S23 release date. Here’s what we know about when to expect Samsung’s next phones.
Samsung Galaxy S23 release date: When previous Galaxy S models have arrived
Before we get too deep into Galaxy S23 release date rumors, let’s consider when Samsung has released previous models of its flagship phone. A quick glance at the calendar confirms that the launch generally takes place in the first three months of a new year, with Samsung honing in on February for recent launches. In four of the last five years, the Galaxy S lineup for the year arrived in February. The lone exception was 2021, when the Galaxy S21 family appeared in mid-January. In fact, Samsung has pushed the launch date forward in the last two years, announcing the Galaxy S22 in early February. Mobile World Congress, a major trade show for smartphones, is held every year in Barcelona around the final week of February. However, the last time Samsung tied its smartphone launch to MWC was 2018’s Galaxy S9 rollout. Since then, the phone giant has looked to hold its own launch events, well ahead of MWC. As for Galaxy S ship dates, we also see that Samsung usually brings its new phones to retailer shelves a little more than two weeks after announcing them. The longest gap between announcing the phone and releasing it was the Galaxy S20 launch in 2020, The Galaxy S21 went on sale the fastest after launch.
Samsung Galaxy S23 release date: What the rumors say
Forget about the rumor that Samsung was going to start pre-registration in Korea for its upcoming phone on December 23 with that pre-registration program running through January 5. Even if that was consistent with Samsung’s recent track record of Galaxy S launches — it’s not, by the way — there’s been no indication that a release is imminent. Instead, let’s cast our gaze into the new year. A different Galaxy S23 release date rumor pointing toward an earlier-than-usual launch came from ET News, with the Korean publication citing sources that claimed a phone release might happen three weeks earlier than the S22’s big reveal in 2022. That would place the launch date sometime in January, reportedly so that Samsung could steal attention away from the iPhone 14 as quickly as possible. A more credible claim points to business as usual for Samsung’s latest Galaxy S announcement. Korea Joongang Daily cites an unnamed Samsung executive to contend that the Galaxy S23 will get its reveal at an early February launch event. Before you start making plans for early February, though, a new rumor claims that the Galaxy S23 launch could be delayed. Don’t worry too much — it’s only a slight delay, with Twitter leaker The Galox (opens in new tab) predicting a mid- to late February launch. The reason for this delay? The leaker claims it’s because Samsung can’t settle on a price for its new phones. Count leaker Ice Universe as one who doesn’t believe that report, though. Posting on Twitter (opens in new tab), the leaker suggested that a Galaxy Unpacked event was in the works for February 1, which falls on a Wednesday. Presumably, that would be the event where the Galaxy S23 takes its bows.
Samsung Galaxy S23 release date: When we think Samsung’s phones will arrive
When it comes to mobile device launch events, past behavior offers a pretty good clue about what companies might do with their next launch. For that reason, we’re most inclined to believe the early February announcement rumor for a potential Galaxy S23 release date — at least until a more credible claim with additional evidence comes along. But if February is to be the month, what date should we clear on our calendar for Samsung’s next smartphone event? With the Presidents Day holiday set for February 20 in the U.S. we’d rule out that week. Valentine’s Day happens the week before, with February 14 falling on a Tuesday — the preferred day of the week when tech companies are inclined to hold launch events. For that reason, we’d anticipate the week of February 6 as the best potential landing sport for a Galaxy Unpacked event, with the Galaxy S23 release date falling on either Tuesday, February 7 or Wednesday, February 8. Should Samsung stick to its two-weeks-and-change pattern of shipping newly announced phones, that would put the Galaxy S23 models on store shelves by February 24. Ice Universe’s claim of a February 1 launch throws a wrinkle into our calculations. If that’s true, we’d expect the Galaxy S23 to start shipping around February 17. Of course, all this is nothing more than an educated guess using current Galaxy S23 release date rumors and our knowledge of Samsung’s past product launches. To come up with that date, we’d also have to dismiss the rumor that Samsung is pushing back the launch to settle on a price for the new Galaxy S23 models. In the end, Samsung might have a totally different date in mind for its Galaxy S23 release. We won’t be privy to it until the phone maker is good and ready to let us know. Next: I’m worried about Galaxy S23 — will Samsung repeat Apple’s biggest mistake?
