Samsung has unveiled its latest premium product in Kenya under the Galaxy flagship; the Samsung Galaxy S23 series, in a colourful event, held on Wednesday at the Sarit Centre in Nairobi.

The global unveil event took place in San Francisco.

Samsung unpacked the Samsung Galaxy S23 at Sarit Center's cinema hall and invited members of the public to be part of the unpacking by watching a livestream of the event.

This was also the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic that Samsung hosted an in-person unveiling event after three years.


Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S23 Plus, Galaxy S23 Ultra, and Galaxy S23, as well as other smart devices, at the much-anticipated unpacking ceremony.

The President and CEO of Samsung Africa BS Hong said the successful launch of their latest product in East Africa will play a pivotal role in driving success across the continent in 2023


"Our 2022 MX business performance was strengthened by strong sales of our premium smartphones, including sustained performance from the Galaxy S22 series and best-ever recorded foldable sales. I am confident that with the successful launch of our new flagship model, East Africa will play a leading role in driving the success for Africa this year," Hong said.

President and Head of Mobile Experience Business at Samsung Electronics TM Roh said the most impactful technology is measured by its contribution to a better future.

Samsung East Africa Mobile Experience Director Charles Kimari. PHOTO/SAMSUNG

“The most impactful technology is measured, not just by what it enables for people today, but also how it contributes to a better future,” Roh said.

He added that the Galaxy S23 was the new standard bearer of a trustworthy product and with it Samsung is redefining peak technology in an environmentally friendly manner.

The latest Series feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC for Galaxy and Samsung says the new devices mark a new era of Samsung Galaxy’s ultimate premium phone experience.

The Galaxy S23 series also introduces the latest flagship features such as Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, 120Hz dynamic AMOLED display, 200MP main camera on Ultra and support for up to 45W fast charging.
Samsung Kenya Marketing and Communication Manager Nakhulo Khaimia. PHOTO/COURTESY

"Galaxy S23 Ultra and the entire Galaxy S series lineup are the new standard-bearers of a trustworthy premium smartphone experience. We’re redefining peak performance by merging power and lasting innovation in devices that have less environmental impact," Roh said.

Also present during the local event at the Sarit Center was Samsung Electronics East Africa Managing Director TS Lee as well as local distributors, dealers, partners, tech enthusiasts and media representatives.

Galaxy S23 Ultra

The device that stole the show is the Galaxy S23 Ultra which has numerous new features and specs and comes with a 6.8-inch QHD+ display and 3088 x 1440 pixels resolution, Dynamic AMOLED panel and 120hz screen refresh rate.

It is powered by a customized Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor version backed by up to 12GB RAM and 1TB of internal storage. It comes in three variants – 8GB RAM + 256GB storage, 12GB RAM + 256GB storage, 12GB RAM + 512GB storage and 12GB RAM + 1TB storage.

According to Samsung, the processor offers 40 per cent faster GPU and NPU exclusively optimized for the Galaxy mobile device. The device runs on Android 13 with custom One UI 5.1 skip on top.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is powered by a 5000mAh battery that allows wired and wireless fast charging.

It features an in-house developed 200MP camera coupled with two 10MP telephoto lenses, and 12MP ultrawide angle lens.

On the front, Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 50MP selfie camera sitting inside the hole punch display in the middle and Samsung says it offers much better low-light camera performance and video shooting experience compared to its predecessor S22 Ultra.
It supports the S-Pen and comes in four new colours; phantom black, green, cream and lavender.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. PHOTO/MAC OTANI

Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus

Both the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus come with similar designs but the S23 Plus comes with a bigger screen.

The Galaxy S23 Plus come packed with a 6.6-inch FHD+ display with 2340x 1080 pixels resolution while the Galaxy S23 features a 6.1-inch display.

Performance-wise, both S23 and S23 Plus come powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and up to 8GB RAM + 512GB internal storage. 

The Galaxy S23 comes in three variants; 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, 8GB RAM + 256GB storage and 8GB RAM + 512GB storage. 

At the same time, the S23 Plus is only available in two variants; 8GB RAM + 256GB storage and 8GB RAM+ 512GB storage with both running on Android 13 and custom One UI 5.1 skip on top.

Both devices come with a triple rear camera setup with a 50MP primary camera backed by a 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP telephoto lens.

The Galaxy S23 is backed by a 3900mAh battery, as the S23 Plus features a 4700mAh battery with both supporting fast charging and fast wireless charging out of the box.

Both phones come in four colour variants; phantom black, green, cream, and lavender.


Below are the prices for all the Samsung Galaxy S23 series devices: 

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 512 GB - Sh209,999

• Galaxy S23 Ultra 256GB - Sh195,999

• Galaxy S23+ 256 GB - Sh154,999

• Galaxy S23 256 GB - Sh135,999

All the devices will be available at Samsung authorized dealer stores, including Safaricom, from March 1, 2023.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 will be available for pre-order in Kenya from February 2-28, 2023.

Those who pre-order the Galaxy S23 Ultra will automatically receive a Sh20,000 upgrade from 256GB to 526GB of device storage, as well as 10 GB of data per month for a year (Safaricom Network only).


Those who pre-order the Galaxy S23+ and the Galaxy S23 will receive a free silicone case as well as 10GB data each month for one year.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 will also be eligible for Samsung Care+, which offers among other things 1-year free screen protection .


The pre-order will be available at all authorized Samsung Dealer stores.