The Samsung Galaxy S23 series. Image: Samsung
The new Galaxy S23 smartphone comes with camera and video upgrades, while the Book3 laptops have been given a focus on device connectivity.
Samsung has showcased new laptops and its latest Galaxy smartphone offerings at its first Unpacked event of 2023.
The event showcased three new models in the Galaxy S23 range, along with four Galaxy Book3 laptops.
The big focus for the company’s flagship launch – the Galaxy S23 Ultra – is upgrades to the camera. The latest smartphone comes with a 200MP camera, with ‘nightography’ capabilities to help users take good quality photos in various lighting conditions.
The front camera has been upgraded with faster autofocus and the ability to take videos at 60 frames per second. Samsung said the latest Galaxy Ultra can also record 8k video at 30 frames per second, with a wider angle than previous models.
The company said its AI software is able to analyse specific details in each frame such as hair and eyes to help enhance photos, while a range of tools are available for users that want more control to fine-tune their images.
The latest smartphone also comes with the latest Snapdragon mobile platform and a 6.8-inch display, which Samsung said will help improve mobile gaming for users.
A new ‘enhanced comfort’ feature lets users adjust colour tones and contrast levels to customise their viewing and reduce eye strain at night.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra and S23 Plus come with 256GB of storage space, with more space available for a higher cost. The S23 starts with 128GB.
Samsung UK and Ireland VP head of MX division, James Kitto, said the new launch is an “exciting moment” for the company as the products feature its most advanced mobile technology.
“With this launch, we are keen to highlight not just what features our devices have, but what they can empower users to achieve,” Kitto said.
“With our new camera capabilities, the Galaxy S23 Series will offer our customers more social currency, as new owners can expect to be asked ‘can you send me that?’ on a regular basis when it comes to the photos they capture.”
The new launch comes after Samsung revealed a profit plunge earlier this week, as the company had its weakest quarterly profit since 2014. Despite this, the company indicated it will keep up spending in its semiconductor and smartphone businesses, as it expects demand to start recovering later this year.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a starting price of €1,459, with the S23 Plus coming in at €1,249 and the S23 starting at €999. The prices for each phone rise based on the amount of storage space requested.
Samsung said the latest smartphones will be available in most retailers on 17 February. Those who pre-order by 16 February can have their phone’s storage doubled.
Galaxy Book3
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 laptops. Image: Samsung
The new Galaxy Book3 laptops have been given a focus on device connectivity, letting users move between multiple screens with minimal disruptions.
Samsung said users will be able to continue web sessions from their phone to these new laptops seamlessly, while the Instant Hotspot feature makes it easier to connect to wireless hotspots.
The company said users will be able to sync all of the Galaxy services they’ve been using on other devices to the new laptop by signing in with their Samsung account once.
“We are hearing loud and clear from our customers that they want seamless and intuitive experiences across their devices, allowing them to work, create and play on their own terms,” Kitto said.
“Taking advantage of our unique partnerships, our customers can expect their new devices to work seamlessly around them, supporting creativity and boosting their productivity.”
Samsung said the strongest laptop within the new range – the Galaxy Book3 Ultra – is its fastest Galaxy Book to date with an Intel i9 processor and the NVIDIA RTX Geforce 4070 graphics card.
The laptop comes with 3K resolution and an adaptive 120hz refresh rate to give enhanced visual quality for gaming and creative projects.
Audio has also been enhanced, as the Ultra and Pro models feature a quad-speaker system to deliver clear notes and good quality bass sounds, while AI noise cancelling lets users reduce background noise when recording their own audio.
There are five models in the new laptop range: Book3, Book3 360, Book3 Pro, Book3 Pro 360 and Book3 Ultra, with the Ultra being the most powerful model.
The Book3 Ultra laptops will be available to pre-order in Ireland from 14 February and will be on sale from 17 February. Preorders are already open for the other laptop models. The Book3 laptop has a starting price of €749, while the Book3 Ultra costs €2,799.
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