Samsung Galaxy S23 5G Speed Test Compares Snapdragon Performance To Its Predecessor
Ookla’s test methodology is interesting because the 5G modem in both the S23 series and Snapdragon versions of the S22 technically have the same maximum bandwidth potential of 10Gbps. However, the S23’s newer X70 modem has new features aimed at improving efficiency and at getting to that 10gbps limit more often. These features include support for every commercial 5G band - from 600MHz to 41GHz, PowerSave technology to reduce power consumption, and a 4x downlink carrier aggregation. Plus, there are additional AI capabilities built into the X70 modem that help the S23 choose more optimal channels.
Twelve countries were tested for S22 and S23 5G connectivity speeds, including Brazil, China, France, Italy, Germany, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Tests were conducted with Snapdragon versions of the S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra.
Brazil, China, Italy, South Africa, and Thailand rank among the least beneficial countries when it comes to S23 5G speeds. These countries saw effectively equal download speeds across all S22 and S23 variants, or that the S22 variants were actually faster for some reason. This was especially prevalent in China, where all three S22 variants averaged faster download speeds compared to the S23 and S23 Ultra (S23+ is not listed).
Be sure to check out Ookla’s article here for the full report, but the gist is that the more advanced Snapdragon X70 modem in the S23 series has all the potential to be faster than the X65 in the S22 counterparts. The only problem is that most countries don’t have the 5G infrastructure yet to fully saturate the S23’s capabilities. This issue should become less and less common over the next couple of years as 5G continues to roll out worldwide.
This is an aggregate 5G comparison of the S22 and S23 and is not necessarily indicative of real-world head-to-head performance of these devices. At the end of the day, the S22 series and S23 series both have extremely fast 5G capabilities, though the S23 is better equipped to realize that potential. If you’re curious about upgrading to the S23 because you live in one of the optimal countries or if you just want to upgrade for the sake of the phone’s other features, be sure to check out our review of the S23 Ultra.