Samsung Galaxy S23 suddenly sounds less appealing after key specs leak

The Samsung Galaxy S23 isn't expected until early 2023, but already the device is the subject of swathes of speculation online. Following on from the Samsung Galaxy S22, the S23 will take the reins as the best Samsung phone.

And early impressions look good. The S23 Ultra, which is tipped to take over from the hugely popular Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, is rumoured to feature a 200MP camera. We've also seen images rumoured to have been taken by the device, which blow the competition out of the water.

Now we've got word on the processor which will be used. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 was unveiled less than 24 hours ago, and was widely rumoured to be featured in the Samsung Galaxy S23 range. Now, renowned tipster, Ice Universe, has leaked benchmark scores for the S23, confirming that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will feature on European models, too.

That's a great upgrade for European users, no doubt. But the scores themselves are... underwhelming. This is a flagship phone. It should be vying for the title of best phone and should have best Android phone on lockdown.

Those benchmark scores are in the same region as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, and lower than the vanilla iPhone 13. Those devices have long been replaced by the iPhone 14 range, which begs the question... why are Samsung lagging so far behind?

Now I know benchmarks aren't the be-all and end-all when it comes to flagship smartphones – we know Google doesn't care about benchmarks on their new devices, like the Google Pixel 7 and the Google Pixel 7 Pro, for example. But benchmarks are still a useful tool for analysing the raw CPU performance of a device. And for a new Samsung flagship, with a brand new, premium processor? I expected more.

Nothing has been seen yet for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which has been tipped to use the same chipset. That will likely give a better score when it gets tested. Let's hope, anyway.