The base Galaxy S23, the Galaxy S23+, and the top-end Galaxy S23 Ultra have shown up multiple times on the Geekbench website over the last few weeks. As expected, those benchmark scores weren't exactly what you would expect from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, no doubt because Samsung is still working on optimizing its next flagship series.
And as we get closer to the launch of these phones, things are starting to look up, at least for the Galaxy S23 Ultra's multi-core performance when compared to other phones that will be powered by the same chip. The latest benchmark entry for the S23 Ultra shows a multi-core score of 5179, which is its highest yet.
Of course, benchmark scores mean squat if the real-life performance of the device is lackluster, so we wouldn't recommend getting too excited just yet. And if you've set your sights on the Galaxy S23, we would recommend lowering your expectations further, as all the benchmark listings for the base model currently show scores that are closer to those of the Galaxy S22 series phones.
That is likely because the smaller footprint of the base model means the components are more tightly packed together and there's less space inside to dissipate heat as quickly and efficiently as the Galaxy S23 Ultra or the Galaxy S23+ (which sits a couple hundred points below the S23 Ultra at the moment).
Galaxy S23 will hopefully strike a good balance between performance and battery life
However, until the Galaxy S23 series goes official, we can't trust anything without a healthy dose of skepticism. Judging by the Galaxy S22 series and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4, though, Galaxy S23 performance should be excellent, partly because the entire S23 series is expected to be powered by a slightly overlocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.
We just hope Samsung doesn't focus on the chip's performance so much that it becomes a detriment to battery life. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 have crazy good endurance for their battery capacities thanks to the TSMC-manufactured Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, and it would be a shame if Samsung isn't able to replicate that on the Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra in the pursuit for peak performance that most customers might never need in day-to-day use.
