( Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review ) Samsung’s Ultra label is typically reserved for smartphones that bundle as many high-end capabilities as possible into a single device. The Galaxy S23 Ultra starts at $1,200 and features a large, stunning OLED screen, a new chip with greater performance, improved cameras, and updated software. And, of course, there’s a built-in S Pen for all your drawing and notetaking requirements. While that opinion still holds true for the new S23 Ultra, the company’s latest flagship phone doesn’t appear or function all that differently than last year’s.
Table of Contents
Pros
Cons
- A powerful 200MP camera
- S Pen improves value
- iPhone graphics are beaten by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU.
- Screen that is large, bright, and detailed
- Waterproof and durable
- No increase in the rate of charging
- more expensive
- large and weighty
Release Date & Price of The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra came on sale in February for $1,199 / £1,249 / AU$1,949 for 256GB of storage. That’s double the capacity of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is great news, but the price in the UK and Australia is £100 / AU$100 higher than the S22 Ultra.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is also available with 512GB of storage for $1,379 / £1,399 / AU$2,249 or 1TB of storage for $1,619 / £1,599 AU$2,649.
Design of The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s design immediately draws your attention to a few points. Comparing this model to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the rear cameras are much larger, and the screen is flatter. Though the 6.8-inch panel still has a soft curve, it has a smaller curve and a flatter surface area, which contributes to a little more comfortable S Pen grip.
Some may prefer a completely flat design, but when I hold the S23 Ultra in my hand, the curve gives it a little more premium feel. The only drawback is that it can be tough to target items with your finger on the display’s extreme edges at times.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is also designed to be more durable, since it is the first phone to include Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which promises to protect the front and back from scratches and drops. the Galaxy S23 Ultra does admirably when it comes to scratching and bending. However, you should still buy one of the best Galaxy S23 Ultra cases to protect your investment.
Colors Of The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is available in eight different colors. The normal Phantom Black, Lavender, Cream, and Green models are readily accessible, but you may choose one of four special colors if you order straight from Samsung. Lime, Graphite, Red, and Sky Blue are among them. If you choose one of the Samsung-exclusive colors, you might have to wait a bit longer for delivery.
We started with the green Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is rather appealing. Green is a popular color for smartphones, with models ranging from the iPhone 13 Pro to the OnePlus 11. Samsung didn’t go for a brilliant or forest green color, instead toning it down for a more subtle effect when not in the proper light. It stood out a little more as the light struck it, but it’s hardly eye-catching.
Take a bold step ahead with Samsung’s distinctive colors. These will definitely draw notice because they are more brighter and more eye-catching. I went with the Sky Blue model, which took a week longer to arrive than a basic colored one, and I’m extremely happy with my decision.
I considered the red model, but I preferred the chrome finish on the chassis of the Sky Blue model over the black finish of the red model. The blue remains subdued, taking on a lighter, almost silver hue at some angles. If you can stand the long wait, one of Samsung’s exclusive hues will not disappoint.
Display of The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
The display of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is undoubtedly one of the greatest on any phone. It’s bright and colorful and it performed admirably in our lab testing. This is also an excellent canvas for displaying your images and movies.
The S23 Ultra, like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, has a 6.8-inch QHD OLED screen with a resolution of 3088 x 1400 pixels and a rated peak brightness of 1,750 nits. You also have the same 120Hz refresh rate that can be scaled down to 1Hz as before.
I was really satisfied with the overall image quality of the S23 Ultra’s panel during my testing. The sparkling helmets leaped off the screen in the teaser for The Mandalorian season 3, and I appreciated the wide viewing angles. I could see the display fairly well even in direct sunshine.
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ulra | iPhone 14 Pro Max | |
| Average HDR brightness | 1225 nits | 1275 nits |
| Color DCI-P3 | 112.2% (Natural) / 193% (Vivid) | 83.2% |
| Delta-E (lower is more effective) | 0.3 (Natural) / 0 (Vivid) | 0.26 |
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s display achieved an average brightness reading of 1,225 nits with HDR content, trailing only the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 1,275 nits. The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s screen has richer colors, covering 112% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum in Natural mode, compared to 83% for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Both panels are also extremely color correct, with the S23 Ultra registering 0.3 on the Delta-E Test in Natural mode and 0 in Vivid mode. The iPhone 14 Pro Max had a score of 0.26.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra also contains the advanced Vision Booster feature, which allows you to modify the image’s color and contrast to match the lighting circumstances. There’s also an eye comfort option to help you see the screen better.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review Spicification
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Spics |
|---|---|
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2 (4nm) |
| RAM | 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 |
| Display | 1440 x 3088 pixels |
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35in) |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0) |
| Front camera | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Main Camera | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3″ sensor size (with OIS) |
| Wide-Angle Camera | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55″ sensor size, Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Ports | 1x USB-C, S Pen slot |
| Charge speed | 45W Wired, 15W Wireless |
| Battery | 5000mAh |
| Display type | 6.8 inches Dynamic AMOLED |
| Weight | 234g (8.25oz) |
| IP Rating | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review camera
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s back is covered in several cameras. There are four in all: a 12MP ultra wide angle, a 10MP periscope telephoto, a 10MP telephoto, and the recently released 200MP HP2 wide angle. The HP2 sensor, with its enormous 200MP sensor, is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown.
The goal is to develop a camera that can improve low light photography while simultaneously capturing amazing detail in ideal lighting conditions. I’ve tested it myself, and I can vouch for the fact that Samsung’s camera system on the S23 Ultra is the greatest and most flexible system out there right now. Additionally, I would contend that it is the greatest smartphone available, but it’s difficult to say that as I haven’t examined every phone ever released. Still, it’s extremely, really good.
| Main camera | 200MP, f/1.7, 1/1.3 inches, 0.6µm pixels |
| Ultrawide camera | 12MP, f/2.2, 1/2.55 inches, 1.4µm pixels |
| Telephoto camera | 10MP, 3x optical zoom, f/2.4, 1/3.52 inches, 1.12µm pixels |
| Selfie camera | 12MP, f/2.2 |
| Video recording | 8K at 30fps, 4K at 60fps, 1080p at 240fps, and 720p at 960fps are all achievable. |
galaxy s23 ultra highlights nightgraphy video rear
For me, it is important to be able to take any picture, under any situation. Furthermore, let’s assume that there is a significant gap in distance between you and the subject. As long as you have a tripod or hands with surgical steadiness levels, this phone’s 100X zoom takes care of that. Having said that, images up to 10x zoom are still acquired without requiring much further image processing; thus, the watercoloring effect that we occasionally observe at 30x and 100x zoom levels is absent.
Although it took them a few years to catch up, I believe that Samsung has now eclipsed Google in the field of astrophotography. Google debuted its new Macro setting for Pixel phones last year, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra also has it, and it’s excellent. I’m having a hard time thinking of anything that this phone’s camera array can’t do a good job of capturing.
Performance of The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review Perfomance
The Galaxy S23 Ultra includes an exclusive version of Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen for Galaxy processor. Samsung claims that this processor will have a faster clock speed than the normal version, reaching 3.36 GHz.
Samsung also claims to have the quickest mobile graphics in a phone. We ran numerous Galaxy S23 Ultra benchmarks and the results were impressive. In fact, the S23 Ultra outperforms the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max in terms of graphics.
Geekbench (CPU)
| CPU | Single-core | Multicore | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | 1396 | 4882 |
| iPhone 14 Pro Max | A16 Bionic | 1882 | 5333 |
| iPhone 14 Pro | A16 Bionic | 1891 | 5469 |
| iPhone 14 | A15 Bionic | 1727 | 4553 |
| Galaxy S22 Ultra | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | 1240 | 3392 |
Geekbench measures CPU performance in single- and multi-core applications. The Galaxy S23 easily outperformed the Galaxy S22 Ultra in both tests, as well as the iPhone 14 in mult-core but not single-core. However, the A16 Bionic processor in the iPhone 14 Pro remains the quickest.
Battery and charging for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
The Galaxy S23 Ultra does not have a charger, but it does include a USB Type-C to Type-C cable. The phone supports Samsung’s fastest 45-watt charging technology, which requires a Samsung Super Fast Charging 2.0 charger or another brand’s compatible charger that supports both it and the USB Power Delivery PPS standard. If you’re new to charging the Galaxy S23 Ultra at its quickest speeds, it can be a little perplexing, so make sure you choose the proper charger when you go to buy one.
I’d like it to be a little easier to figure out which chargers and cables are compatible. It charges more slower if you use a charger that isn’t compatible with Samsung’s technology. A standard charger takes roughly 100 minutes to fully charge the battery, which is insufficient. I appreciate how it shows the estimated charge time on the lock screen, which helps you plan ahead, and it also tells you what type of charging method is in use. For example, it indicates whether Super Fast Charging 2.0 is enabled.
Once completely charged, it can last for more than two days with moderate use, thanks in part to the greater efficiency of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. A 30-minute YouTube video only drains the battery by 2%. Using GPS at the same time consumes roughly the same amount of energy.
Even on the busy of days, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s battery will keep you going. After more than an hour of playing Marvel Snap and reading Twitter, then 45 minutes of watching YouTube videos, plus constant use of Google Chrome, Reddit, Duolingo, and other apps, the S23 Ultra finished a nearly 16-hour day with 5 hours and 20 minutes of screen-on time and 24% battery remaining.
| Battery size | Battery life (hrs:mins) | |
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | 5,000 mAh | 13:09 (60Hz) / 12:22 (adaptive) |
| Galaxy S22 Ultra | 5,000 mAh | 10:18 (60Hz) / 9:50 (adaptive) |
| iPhone 14 Pro Max | 4,323 mAh | 13:39 |
Does the Galaxy S23 Ultra have a S Pen?
What size is the screen on the Galaxy S23 Ultra?
The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a large 6.8-inch display that is ideal for anything from immersive gaming to photo editing and taking notes.
What makes the Galaxy S23 Ultra an excellent gaming device?
Aside from the exceptionally smooth 120Hz display, the Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a long-lasting 5,000mAh (typical) battery and a Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, which reduces load times and power consumption.8,9,20
What are the benefits of the Galaxy S23 Ultra cameras?
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has five cameras: a 12MP selfie camera, a 12MP Ultra Wide Camera, a 200MP Wide-angle Camera, a 10MP telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom, and a secondary 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. AI enhances low-light selfies for fine detail and true color. Depth mapping allows for faster selfie focussing. And, owing to AI-detected depth analysis, portraits at night are sharply defined.
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