News

Samsung Galaxy S23 Series: Price, availability in the Philippines

Switching to Samsung?

Published

February 2, 2023

Rodneil Quiteles

The Samsung Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra have just launched and are officially landing in the Philippines. Here’s how much it’ll set you back if you decide to grab the latest Galaxy.

Price and availability

The Galaxy S23 series is available in four colors: Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender. Pricing are as follows:

Samsung Galaxy S23:

128GB — PhP 53,990
256GB — PhP 57,990

Galaxy S23+:

256GB — PhP 68,990
512GB — PhP 76,990

Galaxy S23 Ultra:

256GB — PhP 81,990
512GB — PhP 89,990
1TB — PhP 103,990 (samsung.com exclusive)

Pre-order details

Pre-order period is February 2 to 23, 2023. Those who pre-order any of the three smartphones can get discounts of up to PhP 76,000. This includes a FREE memory upgrade worth PhP 8,000. They will instantly get the higher memory variant for the price of the lower variant within the same model lineup.

Those who will trade-in their old devices can also enjoy savings of up to PhP 13,000 on top of their old phone’s residual value. In addition, they will get an e-voucher worth up to PhP 5,000, a 50% discount on the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, and 30% off on the Galaxy Watch5 Series. On top of this, they will also get a FREE 1-year Samsung Care+ coverage worth PhP 5,999, and earn double Samsung Rewards points.

As an exclusive samsung.com offer, the Galaxy S23 Ultra 1TB will be offered as part of a limited-edition Samsung Galaxy VIP bundle (PhP 119,378) with total savings of PhP 38,000.

The VIP bundle includes :

1TB Galaxy S23 Ultra
Galaxy Watch5 Pro 46mm
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
Super Fast Wireless Duo Charger
Galaxy S23 Ultra Leather Cover
1-year Samsung Care+ coverage

The Galaxy S23 series is also available for pre-order through Samsung Experience Stores, Authorized Samsung Stores, Lazada, Shopee, Abenson.com and MemoXpress Online. Customers who pre-order through these channels from February 2 to 23, 2023 will enjoy as much as PhP 65,000 worth of discounts. This also includes the FREE Memory Upgrade, additional savings for traded-in devices, 50% off on the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, and 30% off on the Galaxy Watch5 Series.

Focused refinement

Samsung honed in a few improvements for this series. Specifically, they targeted “Nightography,” Gaming, Customization, and Sustainability.

The Galaxy S23 sports the first 200MP sensor on a Samsung smartphone. Working in tandem with their AI, the phone promises to produce images that appear well lit even in environments with poor lighting conditions. And this also applies to video.

For gaming, the entire Galaxy S23 series is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. That’s the best one for Android smartphones right now. It’s also accompanied by improved cooling for overall better gameplay.

Samsung is approaching customization on both hardware and software fronts. They have plenty of accessories that you can style in your own way for your Galaxy device. Meanwhile, ONE UI 5.1 is introducing perhaps the most robust software customization that Samsung has had yet. All these to make your smartphone Your Galaxy.

For sustainability, Samsung has made it a point to use recycled materials not only on the packaging, but also on the actual smartphones. The Galaxy S23 Ultra actually has 12 components made with recycled materials. That’s double of what the Galaxy S22 Ultra had.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Series Specs

Galaxy S23 Ultra

Display — 6.8-inch QHD+ Edge, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Vision Booster, Enhanced Comfort
Processor — Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
RAM and Storage — 12GB+1TB, 12GB+512GB, 12GB+256GB
Battery and Charging — 5,000mAh, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless Powershare
OS — Android 13, ONE UI 5.1
Water Resistance — IP68
Cameras:
- 200MP f/1.7 Wide
- 12MP, f/2.2 Ultra-Wide
- 10MP, f/2.4 Telephoto, 3x optical zoom
- 10MP, f/4.9 Telephoto, 10x optical zoom
- 12MP, f/2.2 Front

Samsung Galaxy S23+

Display — 6.6-inch FHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Vision Booster, Enhanced Comfort
Processor — Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
RAM and Storage — 8GB+512GB, 8GB+256GB
Battery and Charging — 4,700mAh, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless Powershare
OS — Android 13, ONE UI 5.1
Water Resistance — IP68
Cameras:
- 50MP f/1.8 Wide
- 12MP, f/2.2 Ultra-Wide
- 10MP, f/2.4 Telephoto, 3x optical zoom
- 12MP, f/2.2 Front

Galaxy S23

Display — 6.6-inch FHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Vision Booster, Enhanced Comfort
Processor — Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
RAM and Storage — 8GB+256GB, 8GB+128GB
Battery and Charging — 3,900mAh, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless Powershare
OS — Android 13, ONE UI 5.1
Water Resistance — IP68
Cameras:
- 50MP f/1.8 Wide
- 12MP, f/2.2 Ultra-Wide
- 10MP, f/2.4 Telephoto, 3x optical zoom
- 12MP, f/2.2 Front

News

Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for $15 million

Samsung allegedly used her image without her consent.

Published

May 11, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Samsung has an unlikely rival. Dua Lipa is suing the South Korean company for using her image without her permission.

In the marketing world, brand endorsers are part and parcel of how products are pushed to the market. Famous celebrities are often asked to advertise a product for their potential star power. That said, a company needs the endorser’s consent first.

According to a new suit (via Variety), pop star Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for using her image to endorse TVs without her consent. The South Korean brand is reportedly using Lipa’s photo on the packaging of its TVs. Lipa alleges that the photo’s usage implies that she endorses the TV, which she does not.

The complaint also alleges that Lipa asked Samsung to take down the image last year. However, Samsung’s reply was, to her, “dismissive and callous.” The brand has then continued to use the image in its packaging.

To prove her point, the suit includes anecdotes of Samsung customers who bought the TV specifically because the packaging has Lipa’s image on it. To pay for damages, Lipa is asking for US$ 15 million from the global brand for copyright infringement.

Gaming

The Switch 2 is getting more expensive this year

The price increases will start this month.

Published

May 11, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Gone are the days when consoles get cheaper as time goes by. These days, especially because of the RAM crisis, gaming consoles are getting more expensive. Joining this worrying trend, the Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a price hike.

Even upon launch, the Switch 2 was already pricier than its original counterpart. Currently, without the incoming price hikes, the console retails for US$ 449.99. It’s a lot but not completely out of reach.

Last week, Nintendo announced a price hike that might push the console to less than attainable levels. Starting May 25, the Switch 2 will cost JPY 59,980 (up from JPY 49,980) in Japan. The original generation is also getting a hike: JPY 47,980 for the Switch OLED, JPY 43,980 for the base Switch, and JPY 29,980 for the Switch Lite.

Abroad, you can expect price hikes on September 1. The Switch 2 will jump to US$ 499.99, CAN 679.99, or EUR 499.99, depending on where you live. These are the only official hikes announced right now, but Nintendo has confirmed that price revisions will be implemented in other regions, too.

As you might expect, the price increases are due to the ongoing RAM crisis. Though the console is an undeniable hit, the Switch 2 can’t hide behind its popularity against the price shortage dealt by unnecessary data centers. At the very least, users worldwide have time to grab the console in its original pricing before the hikes.

Gaming

Call of Duty drops the PlayStation 4 starting with its next game

Is this the beginning of the end for the PlayStation 4?

Published

May 8, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

When can we declare that a console is officially dead? Is it as soon as the launch of the next generation? Is it when games no longer come out on the console? Recently, Call of Duty has confirmed that the next game will not be available anymore on the PlayStation 4, which presents an important question: Is the PlayStation 4 officially dead?

Call of Duty is one of the most persistent gaming franchises today. The last entry, Black Ops 7, is still available for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Both consoles were launched over twelve years ago. (If that doesn’t make you old, the current generation was launched almost six years ago.)

As such, the franchise is one of the last stalwarts keeping the past generation alive. This week, Call of Duty, via a post on X, confirmed that the next game will not arrive on the PlayStation 4. Presumably, this also means the Xbox One.

Not sure where this one started, but it’s not true. The next Call of Duty is not being developed for PS4.

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) May 4, 2026

Currently, we don’t have details about the upcoming game yet. But a new entry is confirmed to arrive later this year.

With the departure of the Call of Duty franchise, it’s fair to ask what will become of the old generation moving forward. Over the years, developers have started shying away from the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Since the franchise still maintains a steady fan base today, a lot of PlayStation 4 users might be forced to make an upgrade to play the latest entry.