Exciting mobile things to look forward to in 2023

Happy holidays! 2022 has been a big year for mobile, with the exciting release of new smartphones, providers, and plans pushing the industry to new heights.

But the speed of light has nothing on the pace of new technology. So with a new year right around the corner, let’s unbox some exciting things we may expect in mobile in 2023.

Wait, didn’t we just get the Apple iPhone 14 series? Yep – but no sooner did the new handset drop than rumors began to swirl about the iPhone 15.

Apple is consistent about release dates, and will likely put the new iPhone 15 out around August – September 2023. New features haven’t been announced yet, but the iPhone 14’s camera can record videos in 4K – maybe 8K is around the corner!

Samsung usually unveils a new Galaxy smartphone every February, so everyone’s got early 2023 circled as the potential release date for the hotly anticipated Galaxy S23 series.

Details remain scarce for now, but online chatter has flagged a few exciting (albeit rumoured) upgrades, including:

• A bigger battery.
• Satellite connection like the iPhone 14.
• Fingerprint scanning capability.
• The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset (which features a faster core and graphical performance, which levels up stuff like gaming).

Leaked renders of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra have already made waves across social media, so it’s only a matter of time before we hear an official announcement.

Generally, Google’s ‘A series’ products are the cheaper versions of their flagship products, from smartphones to headphones. So with the release of the Google Pixel 7 behind us, it’s only a matter of time before we see the launch of the Pixel 7a.

Allegedly, Amazon accidentally leaked a pre-order queue for the Google Pixel 7a ‘family’ of handsets early, adding fuel to the rumor-mill fire. From this, we can guess the drop will come sometime soon in early 2023.

Vodafone’s 3G network will switch off by the end of 2023. This means Vodafone and MVNO networks will no longer offer 3G as a backup service to Australian users. Users will need to upgrade or trade-in to stay connected.

But while we can farewell this important stepping stone in mobile connectivity, we can also welcome the new room made for 5G. Smartphones with 5G essentially get a powerful network signal, giving users:

• Quicker latency periods.
• Lightning-fast mobile speeds.
• New generations of 5G mobile apps.

So far, one of the main drawbacks has been the lack of 5G network coverage. But with more towers going up in 2023, that’ll soon change.

(If you’re curious, Telstra and Optus are expected to shut down their 3G networks by mid-2024).

Black Friday has finally taken off in Australia. The 2022 cyber sale week swept all major and minor mobile providers alike, offering a suite of discounted handsets, mobile plans, and extra perks to new customers.

Expect Black Friday 2023 to come back in full force – with sweet deals just in time for the holiday season.

Whether going carbon neutral, greening their supply chains, or encouraging e-waste recycling, sustainability will be a top priority for mobile providers in 2023.

This year already saw some exciting innovations in eco-friendly mobile, from the rising popularity of refurbished phones to even the possibility of renting a phone (instead of outright buying one).

Plus, newer smartphones tend to be vegan (to our astonishment, older models might not be?!), and dumbphones are making a comeback for users sick of steep prices and relentless social media apps. Bring it on, 2023! Green is in style.

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