The rectangular body is ideally suited to carry a big four-camera island, a potent chipset with its accompanying cooling, a large 5,000mAh battery, and a stylus. The S Pen is not news anymore, the rest of the cameras, the display, and the battery are practically the same, as is the design and build, for the most part. So now that the Galaxy S23 Ultra has been dutifully serving as the best smartphone money can buy for about 8 months, it’s time to see how it’s held up and what, if anything, has changed.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
We’ll attempt to answer that question and see if the new Ultra can spark excitement in ways the specsheet couldn’t. At the Ultra’s heart is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and it’s one specifically made for the Galaxies – with higher clock rates than competitors get. The couple of telephotos remain a staple of the lineup and a standout feature in the market where 10x optical zoom is nowhere to be found outside of the Samsung offerings. The 2023 Ultra is still the only model in the lineup with an autofocusing ultrawide – more of an ongoing rant we just had to include here about the lack of it on the lesser S23s than an actual noteworthy feature of the ultimate Galaxy.
Battery capacity remains the same as does the charging rating; the ultrasonic fingerprint reader hasn’t gotten optical all of a sudden, proprietary features like DeX and Samsung Pay are still here, and you can count on the display being the best in the business. A small victory is the 256GB base storage – last year’s model started at an unreasonably low 128GB – so yay?
6.80″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak), 1440x3088px resolution, 19.3:9 aspect ratio, 501ppi; Always-on display. The Ultra shows up in what has become the norm for Samsung high-end phone packages – a thin as possible black cardboard box with a likeness of the handset printed on the lid in a corresponding color to the actual unit inside.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus Review: It’s All About the Battery Life
Editors’ note, Nov. 1: With its sleek design, vibrant screen, improved battery life and versatile camera system, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 is a top choice for Android fans in search of a premium smartphone. It even wrangled endorsements from acclaimed directors Ridley Scott and Na Hong-jin during its Galaxy S23 announcement. However, in a surprising move for Samsung, the camera plays second fiddle to battery and performance upgrades in the new Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus. Performance is faster, and battery life is thankfully a bit longer, which addresses the biggest complaint I had about the Galaxy S22.
Instead, Samsung focused on making practical refinements to one of the areas that matters most in a phone: how long it lasts on a single charge. The $899 Pixel 7 Pro falls in between the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus pricewise and offers a stellar camera that bests Samsung’s in some scenarios. Overall, the Galaxy S23 is ideal for Android fans that prioritize fast performance, solid cameras and having a spacious and bright screen in a compact package. The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor inside the Galaxy S23 series, which has been optimized for Samsung’s new phones, should also bring some improvements to power efficiency. When I used the 6.1-inch Galaxy S22 as my daily smartphone for roughly a month, I noticed that the battery dipped down to between 30 and 40% by 9 p.m., especially after a long day in the office. With the Galaxy S23, the battery was down to 46% by 9:45 p.m. after a day of heavy usage (running benchmark performance tests, taking lots of photos and videos, etc.). While charging speed isn’t a deal-breaker when buying a new phone, it would have been nice to see Samsung push forward in this area. That’s especially true considering rivals like Xiaomi and OnePlus continue to shorten the time it takes to replenish their respective phones’ batteries.
Playing games with the graphics and frame rate at the highest settings felt smooth, and apps launched instantly. All three new phones have an adaptive refresh rate that reaches up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and animations, which also contributes to the devices’ peppiness. Benchmarks meant to test general computing (Geekbench 5) and how a processor handles high performance in short bursts (3DMark) told a similar story.
But the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus did outpace the OnePlus 11 in the test meant to evaluate a processor’s single-core performance, which makes sense considering Samsung overclocked one of the CPU cores. Other than the faster video export speeds, I didn’t experience anything on the Galaxy S23 lineup that felt unusually fast compared to most other phones in the same price range. Thanks to a technique called pixel binning, you can choose to shoot photos at the full 50-megapixel resolution or 12 megapixels depending on the scenario.
Samsung also integrates the controls from its Expert Raw app right into the main camera, making it more convenient for those who want easy access to the full, uncompressed version of an image. The Galaxy S23 performs well in dim conditions overall, which isn’t surprising considering low-light photography has been a big area of focus for Samsung in recent years.
Even though the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7 Pro performed better in the examples above, the S23 easily challenges Apple and Google in other low-light photography scenarios, like taking photos of pets and still objects. In the photos of a book stack below, for example, the Galaxy S23 did a great job at retaining detail and color. The iPhone 14’s photo isn’t as colorful and has some noise compared to Samsung’s, although the Pixel 7 Pro’s image was a close competitor. While the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus can both capture crisp and clear images, there were instances in which colors either looked exaggerated or blown out compared to the same photos taken on the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7.
The Galaxy S23’s camera isn’t a leap forward, but it’ll feel significant to those upgrading from a phone that’s several years old. The main difference is that Samsung did away with the camera island on the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus, instead opting for standalone lenses that sit arranged in a vertical column on the back of the device.
The Galaxy S23 Plus, for example, only feels slightly larger than the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 despite the amount of extra screen space it provides. The Galaxy S23 is also one of the few Android phones with a 6.1-inch screen other than the Pixel 6A, making it a compelling choice for those who prefer compact devices.
That means your Galaxy S23 will last for at least four years from a software perspective, so it shouldn’t feel outdated anytime soon. Consistent with Samsung’s theme of making practical changes this year, the Galaxy S23 Plus and S23 Ultra now start at 256GB of storage rather than 128GB.
Those who have an older phone will get the benefits that came with last year’s camera upgrade and redesign, along with the S23’s better battery life. The camera generally captures more accurate colors and crisper zoom shots than Samsung’s and you get a slightly larger screen for a cheaper price than the Galaxy S23 Plus.
However, just remember that Google only offers three generations of Android OS updates for the Pixel 7 line, so you might want to upgrade sooner. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using both standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: is it worth an upgrade?
It’s big, powerful and beautifully designed, and after going hands-on with the handset for a few weeks we’re flitting between delight and déjà vu. We continue to love the crisp display, built-in stylus, versatile camera system, smooth software and polished glass frame, but we’re not convinced that this iteration warrants an upgrade — at least until runs dry.
The glass back feels premium, although you’ll want to invest in a to protect it from marks or scratches and to add extra grippiness.
That’s right: This effectively turns the smartphone into a mini tablet — letting you scribble notes, sketches, drawings and annotations.
You’re getting an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling on apps, loads of brightness and great haptic feedback when you press down with your fingertips. Unsurprisingly, given the OLED tech, colours and detail were stunning, with deep blacks of space contrasting against the bright green clashes of the lightsaber.
The S23 Ultra takes the same approach as the Pixel 7 Pro by placing a pinhole gap for the front-facing camera in the middle of the screen. It looks neat and was never a distraction on test, although it’s a bit of a shame that there’s no Android alternative to Apple’s innovative “Dynamic Island” to be found on this new flagship. And unlike Apple, Samsung phones continue to lack full-blown 3D face recognition from the front camera.
The rest of the system on the new flagship remains the same as last year, however, with a 12MP ultra-wide, two 10MP telephoto lenses and a 12MP selfie camera up front. We found the S23 Ultra’s images retain lots of small details in bright and low light. Our outdoor shots show accurate colours in buildings and the sky in both sunny and overcast weather, and close-ups have loads of detail.
Testing the Samsung S23 Ultra’s zoom on this Citi Bank logo at Canary Wharf, London. There aren’t many surprises for anyone who has used Android before, but the settings do contain some nice advanced features — including a one-handed mode that creates a small mirror of the display so you can flick around without stretching your fingers. There’s a capable 5,000mAh battery in the S23 Ultra, and while that’s the same size as last year’s model, it’s now more efficient due to the new processor that’s powering the phone.
Aside from the camera upgrade, Samsung has thrown into the S23 Ultra a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor instead of the Exynos chip from the previous model.
That probably won’t mean anything to most users, but what it translates to is more speed when loading apps, smoother performance when scrolling through menus and better efficiency in how power is distributed. On test, the earbuds appeared and connected in seconds, and we added a widget to the home screen that shows the battery of the buds and the case in real-time.
There’s no way around it: The S23 Ultra is a big, heavy phone, so it may not be suitable if you prefer more lightweight and portable handsets like the iPhone 13 mini or the Pixel 6a, or if you have smaller hands. And while we appreciate that Samsung makes some smaller improvements under the hood, we aren’t convinced it justifies all the renewed fuss and marketing. The upgraded cameras and the highly efficient processor are welcome updates to this hulking handset, making it the most powerful that it’s ever been.
But we can’t shake the fact that, as with 2022’s minor iPhone 14 ‘upgrades’, there have been so few changes from last year’s model offering despite the asking price going up.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs S23+: Which one to Choose?
The all-new Galaxy S23 series sees Samsung once again raise the bar, delivering technology that truly performs and keeps you ahead of the game.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE review: A good phone overall but not without its quirks
It is pretty surprising because the Galaxy S21 FE garnered considerable popularity for offering some high-end features at an affordable price point. The Galaxy S23 FE follows in its predecessor’s footsteps, adhering to the same success formula while aiming to capture even more attention. However, the new Galaxy S23 FE version has been announced at a considerably higher price point, leaving people confused about whether this 5G phone would be a worthy purchase.
While the glass back with a glossy finish offers a solid in-hand feel, I feared using it without a case because the camera bump is a little prominent and could attain scratches when the phone is kept on a flat surface. But, do keep in mind that the device already feels a bit bulky, and slapping a case at the back panel adds extra weight to it. People who are used to this won’t have much of an issue with one-hand usage, but curved edges and a slightly slimmer profile would have offered a better grip on the phone.
Samsung is offering the phone in muted colours with silver metal frames that make it look stunning. The build quality is pretty solid and I like the fact that Samsung incorporates its logo at the back in a very subtle manner, unlike some phones in the market. The bonus point here is that the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE has an IP68 water-resistant rating, which means one does not have to worry about it getting damaged during the rainy season. This time around, there is adaptive refresh rate support, meaning the device automatically switches between 60Hz to 120Hz based on the content.
This doesn’t seem to save battery life, but the high refresh rate did offer a smooth scrolling experience on social media apps and User Interface (UI). One notable feature of Samsung phones, including the S23 FE, that I appreciate is the ability to reduce screen brightness to nearly zero levels.
This allows users to adjust the display’s brightness, making it comfortable for nighttime use and preventing eye strain. The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is powered by the company’s in-house Exynos 2200 chipset, which is a potent hardware but not the fastest in the market. The camera app also delivers the output quickly without taking time and the shutter speed is also fast. This is the case with general usage involving, calling, texting/scrolling on social media apps, and watching a few short videos on YouTube. This is fine and should not be much of an issue for people because demanding games like Genshin Impact have very heavy graphics and require more power, putting a lot of pressure on the phone to deliver the output. As you can see, the 50-megapixel camera delivered shots with vibrant colours, high contrast and seemingly accurate white balance.
The shots have plenty of details and a lot of small things in different parts of the frame are very clearly visible after fully zooming in on the pictures on the laptop. While the low light shots are not as good as the flagship S23 Plus, the night mode is able to render brighter images and vibrant colours.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, S23+, and S23 hands-on review
We’ve had some quality time with all three devices and would like to share some initial thoughts – how they feel, what’s new, and what isn’t. The Ultra is the no holds barred flagship phone, the Galaxy S23/S23+ are more affordable with a few “sensible” omissions.
Size is also a factor – just like last year’s models, the Ultra is the biggest in more ways than one – physically, screen-wise, and battery-wise. The biggest one is the underlying chipset – all three models use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, this one a custom-tuned version for these three devices specifically.
Samsung and Qualcomm call it the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, and it’s basically a higher-clocked version of the familiar new chip. The Ultra still has the upper hand in performance, thanks to the option of 12GB of RAM, while the S23/S23+ max out at 8GB.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 brings moderate to big improvements to performance. Samsung steered clear from naming percentages, but games like PUBG Mobile cap at around 60fps on the Exynos 2200-powered Galaxy S22 Ultra, while Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 devices supports gameplay at up to 120fps.
Synthetic scores aside, the new chip is much more efficient and less prone to thermal issues.
Finally, the new 200MP main camera could prove a generational upgrade over the old 108MP. And you can get those 50MP through the Expert RAW app, bringing prosumers a richer and sharper baseline. 6.80″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak), 1440x3088px resolution, 19.3:9 aspect ratio, 501ppi; Always-on display.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); NFC; stereo speakers; Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support), Bixby natural language commands and dictation, Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified), Ultra Wideband (UWB) support. The biggest upgrade is the move to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which will carry with it better general performance and battery endurance.
6.60″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 390ppi; Always-on display.
6.10″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 422ppi; Always-on display. You get a mostly unchanged triple camera setup – wide, 3x, and ultrawide on the rear, and a 12MP selfie on the front, that’s shared between all three models. Samsung made the decision to remove the contoured camera island on the Galaxy S23 and S23+.
All three models come in four colors – Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender. There’s no addition as big as last year’s inclusion of an S Pen, but sometimes refinement is just as important as innovation.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
So does the S23 Ultra – we got 1274nits with adaptive brightness enabled for our standard 75% lit up area, but also 1747nits with a small patch of white that takes up only 10% of the screen. A new development this year can be found in the Vision booster feature introduced with the S22 generation, which analyzes the images being displayed and, based on the amount of light hitting the display, it applies different tone mapping to boost shadows and color. In practice, Vision booster does improve legibility in bright conditions, but it tends to skew colors dramatically, so any color-critical applications will suffer.
The default Vivid mode supports a wide color gamut and delivers a pleasingly lively output. Bumping the five-position temperature slider a notch to warm improves things and gets rid of the cold shift in the whites. Somewhat of a blemish on the S23 Ultra’s otherwise stellar display specsheet is that the panel is an 8-bit one, meaning just 16 million colors.
While the non-Ultra S23s come with battery capacity upgrades over the previous generation, the S23 Ultra maintains the same 5,000mAh number of last year’s model. With the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside it, however, and few obvious changes elsewhere, we were expecting better longevity than what the 2022 model could muster.
While the non-Ultra S23s come with battery capacity upgrades over the previous generation, the S23 Ultra maintains the same 5,000mAh number of last year’s model.
With the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside it, however, and few obvious changes elsewhere, we were expecting better longevity than what the 2022 model could muster. More impressive still were the results in the onscreen tests where we clocked over 21h of Wi-Fi web browsing and over 23h of offline video playback. The endurance rating denotes how long the battery charge will last you if you use the device for an hour of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily.
With all that said, the iPhone 14 Pro Max still has an advantage in onscreen tests, but it traditionally suffers in the voice call and standby sections of our routine. To adjust the endurance rating formula to match your own usage – check out our all-time battery test results chart. There was also some miscommunication in previous years about the 45W charging capability on some of Samsung’s models – the 45W adapter made next to no difference against the 25W in our testing.
We tested with the Samsung 45W adapter and that got us to 100% in just under an hour, but more importantly, the battery indicator was showing a healthy 68% at the half-hour mark. We’d also like to point out that we did observe an advantage when charging with the more powerful third-party adapter, compared to the Samsung first-party 25W – and by a bigger margin than we measured last year. Both the Samsung and the third-party adapter maintained 43W until the phone got to a 23% state of charge at which point both dropped to 35W of power output.
With all that said, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is still not the phone you can charge in the amount of time it takes to have a quick shower and get dressed, should you realize in the morning that you’ve forgotten to put it on the charger overnight and you’ve woken up to a dead battery. As is normally the case with Samsungs, that’s not really-really the maximum power it can take – the Ultra’s specs insist it can do up to 15W with compatible pads. There’s no outsourcing of frequencies from one to the other, so each only plays its respective channel, and in fact the earpiece does not sound underpowered in comparison to the bottom unit.
Alongside the increase in decibels, there’s a marked generational improvement in sound quality – where the S22 Ultra was merely okay and had a distinct ‘small speaker’ output, the S23 Ultra has ‘bigger’ presence and delivers rich, full sound with low-end rumble, clear vocals and nice treble response.
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