Samsung Galaxy S23 leaks have been busy these days, but we’re not done yet: The latest addition to the rumor mill is that three models in the series will come with internal storage options starting at 256GB, up from 128GB last year.
This is from the general prompt Ahmed Kwald (opens in a new tab) (pass Sam Mobile (opens in a new tab)), who also predicts the Ultra model will come with 512GB and 1TB of onboard storage. At least from this source, there’s no mention of higher options for the Standard and Plus models.
We also mentioned 8GB of RAM for the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus, and 12GB of RAM for the Galaxy S23 Ultra — although previous leaks suggested that an Ultra phone version with 8GB of RAM is also in the works.
configuration options
Like the Galaxy S22 Plus, the Galaxy S22 offers 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. For the Galaxy S22 Ultra, it’s available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage, giving you the most configuration options.
From recent leaks, it appears that the 128GB starting option has been removed from all three phones — no other options have been added. 8GB of RAM (there’s a 12GB option on the Ultra) will also match the 2022 phone.
So while it’s technically an upgrade — and likely free, if the Galaxy S23 phones start at the same price as their predecessors — Samsung is reducing the number of models available in the lineup this year.
Analysis: Internal storage still matters
With so many apps streaming these days, internal storage options may not be as important as they used to be — Netflix, Spotify, and others pull all their content from the cloud, not your actual smartphone.
However, more storage is better, especially when you don’t have Wi-Fi, and apps like Netflix and Spotify can cache video and audio offline. Then there are the podcasts, photos and videos you shoot yourself, and apps and games that keep getting bigger and more complex.
In short, 128GB starts to feel a bit low for a starting configuration for a modern phone, though many of them still start there. This could be the year 256GB and above become the norm — although considering Apple recently also offered 64GB on the iPhone 12, it may take a while to catch up.
We still miss the days when phones had memory card slots, enabling users to add more storage when needed. That option is largely gone now, but as long as the pricing is right, the Galaxy S23’s bump to 256GB will be welcome.