Most of the Samsung Galaxy S23 rumors that we’ve heard so far have been pointing towards a February 2023 launch, but a new report adds some extra precision: apparently the flagship phone is going to show up at the start of that month.
According to South Korean outlet Chosun (opens in new tab) (via SamMobile (opens in new tab)), the launch is scheduled for “the first week” of February 2023 – though as the month starts on a Wednesday it’s not clear if that means before the first weekend or in the first seven days.
The report goes on to say that Samsung is planning to hold an in-person media briefing for the Galaxy S23 series in San Francisco, California. If that happens, it would be the first such event since 2020 (for obvious pandemic-related reasons).
A few days early
Another tidbit included in this latest rumor is that the Galaxy S23 phones are going to be actually on sale and in people’s hands by February 17. Apparently “intensifying competition” is the reason Samsung wants to get the devices out as quickly as possible.
Those of you with good memories may recall that the Samsung Galaxy S22 phones were first unveiled on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 – so it seems as though next year’s batch are going to show up slightly earlier, albeit only by a few days.
The rest of the report doesn’t reveal too much else that hasn’t already been previously rumored, but the specificity of the launch window here is significant. If you’ve got your eye on the Samsung Galaxy S23, you might want to start saving.
Analysis: sticking to the schedule
There’s a reassuring familiarity to the scheduling of all the major flagship phone launches these days, which certainly makes it easier to plan ahead and get ready for a new phone upgrade – particularly if you’re considering switching between makes and models.
While the latest report that we’ve covered here talks about Samsung releasing the Galaxy S23 earlier than normal to improve sales, the launch window is actually very similar to the one for the Galaxy S22. The Galaxy S21 range was actually announced in January 2021, while the Galaxy S20 phones made their debut in February 2020.
Apple can usually be relied upon when it comes to phone launch timings as well: September is typically new iPhone month, though the iPhone 12 didn’t show up until October 2020 because of supply chain problems brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and several knock-on effects.
Of course if we know when phones are coming out then so do the manufacturers – and that makes it somewhat trickier for these phone makers to get a march on their rivals. Ultimately it’ll be the quality of the Galaxy S23 rather than its launch date that determines how much of a success it’s going to be.