A tougher build, faster memory and storage, a more efficient battery, a custom-tuned chipset and a new 200MP main camera hidden behind a familiar design; the S23 Ultra is a more substantial upgrade than you might first realize. A familiar squared design plays host to a tweaked display that offers a greater flat surface area, giving the S Pen stylus more room to work with. The front and back now sport the latest and most resilient Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and all the mod-cons from its predecessor – including IP68 dust and water resistance, and 45W wired charging – remain.
Some elements – like the 6.8-inch 1Hz to 120Hz adaptive Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and the 5,000mAh battery – have received seemingly minor tweaks (greater color accuracy and 20% improved efficiency, in the case of the above examples, respectively).
A familiar-looking rear four-camera rear array hides a new 200MP lead sensor that offers 16-to-1 pixel-binning, with the aim of advancing the S23 Ultra’s ‘Nightography’ abilities for everything from general snaps, to portrait photography, to videos of the night sky using the new Astro Hyperlapse mode and in practice, although imperfect, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an alternative phone with the same level of consistency, quality and confidence across its various sensors. All three arrive with One UI 5.1 atop Android 13, which folds in better collaborative working in Samsung Notes and an enhanced Privacy Dashboard, among other things.
For a deeper dive, head on to the full in-depth review below, but know that, provided you’re comfortable with the Ultra’s high asking price, there’s little to be disappointed by here. Whichever storage configuration you pick, being asked to pay a premium for Samsung’s best shouldn’t come as too much of a shock in a market that also plays host to the similarly-priced iPhone 14 Pro Max and a growing contingent of foldable phones that almost all comfortably push past the $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,600 mark.
Swipe to scroll horizontally Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs Header Cell – Column 1 Dimensions: 78.1 x 163.4 x 8.9mm Weight: 234g Screen: 6.8 inch 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X Resolution: 3088 x 1440 pixels CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy RAM: 8GB / 12GB Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB OS: Android 13 w/ One UI 5.1 Rear Cameras: 200MP Wide, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto (3x), 10MP telephoto (10x) Front Camera: 12MP Battery: 5,000mAh Charging: 45W (wired) + wireless & reverse wireless Colors: Phantom Black, cream, green, lavender Samsung.com exclusive colors: Sky Blue, graphite, lime, red Instead, it favored a cleaner and more squared form; partly as a means of further differentiating itself from the standard S22 and S22 Plus, but also in order to physically accommodate an integrated S Pen stylus.
There’s a similar pill-shaped top-down profile, with curved front and back glass feeding into a metal frame, although one change S22 Ultra users might notice when they pick up the S23 Ultra, is the reduced the radius of the curved edges of the display, giving you a greater flat surface area on which to use the integrated S Pen; a subtle but welcome tweak, functionally speaking. With launch S23 colors consistent across the whole range this year, you can pick the Ultra up in one of four finishes – Phantom Black, cream, green and lavender – in most places.
As in previous years though, there are also a handful of colors exclusive to Samsung.com, including Sky Blue, Graphite, Lime and red (my personal favorite, offset against a black frame). To some, this will come across as subtle and tasteful, to others it’ll just look bland; so if you get the chance, try and get hands-on with your chosen finish before laying down any cash (assuming you don’t plan on sticking it in one of the best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra cases from the get-go). The company’s excellent efforts in durability persist too, with IP68-certified dust and water ingress protection, a resilient Armor Aluminum alloy frame and – for the first time on any phone, the latest Gorilla Glass Victus 2 – from Corning. For all the advanced technology that Samsung has managed to pack into the S23 series, it’s also tried to up the ante in terms of environmentally-friendly materials, with the Ultra being the real champion of this initiative.
80% of the deco film used in the construction of the phone’s back is recycled, as is 22% of the glass used across its body, along with 20% of the S Pen’s inner cover – reportedly hewn, in part, from ocean-bound polyamide. Samsung claims that other recycled materials that have been hammered into the shape of the S23 Ultra include discarded fishing nets, water barrels, PET bottles and pre-consumer recycled aluminum, which have contributed to the construction of components (12 in all – double that of the S22 Ultra) like the volume keys and SIM tray, speaker arrangement, 5G antenna arrangement and more.
Aside from that reduced curvature along its edges and greater protection thanks to that new Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the S23 Ultra’s display offers a familiar viewing experience to its predecessor. While the 12MP ultrawide and dual 3x and 10x 10MP telephoto sensors on the back of the S23 Ultra feel decidedly familiar, the phone shrugs off the primary 108MP resolution sensor seen on previous entries in the series and replaces it – for the first time on a Samsung phone – with a whopping 200MP primary camera; thought to be the ISOCELL HP2 that TechRadar’s cameras editor, Tim Coleman, dived into a few days prior to the S23 series’ launch. Such a change in hardware can sometimes result in a drop in quality for some manufacturers; with their camera teams needing time to retune their algorithms and color science to get the best from the new components (something that’s happened with the likes of OnePlus in the past). (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) The versatility of the S23 Ultra’s camera is bolstered by its outstanding stabilization and impressive post-processing, retaining exceptional detail and color consistency across its entire zoom range in well-lit scenarios. (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) The S23 Ultra seems to default to matrix metering when using the standard photo mode, which usually yields great results but in higher contrast scenarios can lead to under or over-exposure of your subject (as seen in the 10x and 100x samples above). In very dark environments, the S23 Ultra handles night mode shooting very differently to its lead rivals, bring exposure up, revealing more in the darker areas of a scene, but sometimes at the expense of color accuracy and fine detail.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) Samsung’s efforts in ‘nightography’ aren’t just hyperbole, it’s a phenomenal phone for low-light shooting, even if results are a little stylized. (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) The (presumed) matrix metering mentioned earlier not only affects exposure, but color reproduction across the phone’s various rear sensors. Both the Ultra and the Pixel serve up a pleasing portrait photography at multiple focal lengths, with a nice level of bokeh and robust edge detection around the subject in both instances. Speaking of which, low light photography is a big area of focus for the camera experience on this Ultra; with the promise of enhanced night shots across the board – including portraits – as well as a new astrophotography hyperlapse video mode.
For users who want to get more granular with the Ultra’s photography experience, the Expert RAW mode – integrated into the camera UI – now supports an output of up to 50MP, rather than 12MP previously. Anecdotally, the 12MP front-facer feels like a faster sensor than the one found on its predecessor, offering up a nice overall image with impressive dynamic range, as selfie snappers go.
In side-by side selfie tests with the Google Pixel 7 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the S23 Ultra most closely matches Apple’s flagship and offers a surprisingly (for Samsung) natural-looking final image, with impressive detail and what often came across as pleasing, more natural skin tones than the Pixel, which was uncharacteristically out of step against both Samsung’s and Apple’s phones in testing. Samsung also continues to work closely with big social brands like Snap, TikTok and Instagram to ensure phones like the S23 Ultra benefit from higher fidelity image and video quality, as well as tighter integration with creative features within each social app, something rival Android phone makers miss out on.
It’s not really a secret that Samsung has connections in high places, building Wear OS 3 with Google and having co-developed the last few generations of its own flagship chips in conjunction with Qualcomm, but that partnership has matured into something exceptional for 2023. This eliminates performance discrepancies that previously left users of Exynos-powered Galaxy S phones feeling behind the curve and also helps with aspects like camera processing (thanks to the use of the same ISP across regions) and battery life consistency.
In real-world use, the pairing of the new chipset, RAM and storage collectively deliver performance that – as you’d hope for a device with the S23 Ultra’s standing and price tag – feels rock-solid. Everything ran smoothly for the 20 minutes of play time, but the phone did get noticeably hot, to the point where I’d suggest sticking with the title’s default settings (at which it still looks and runs fantastically).
The battery specs read the same as the S22 Ultra, with a 5,000mAh cell inside the S23 Ultra supporting 45W wired charging (along with wireless and reverse wireless charging), however, Samsung claims that the collective effect of the new hardware efficiencies and tighter integration between hardware and software result in a 20% improvement that Porter claims delivers “the longest ever battery life on a Galaxy S smartphone;” and I’d be inclined to agree. It should feel like a familiar experience for existing Samsung Galaxy owners, with squircle icons and a generally flat graphical style as standard, dressed with a few new additions that appear to focus on collaboration, convenience and security. While One UI won’t be to everyone’s tastes, it’s unique, fairly customizable and displays a level of polish that’s evident from initial setup to everyday use, and which you’ll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Swipe to scroll horizontally Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra score card Attributes Notes Rating Value Despite double the base storage, it’s more expensive that its predecessor in most markets and the S22 Ultra was already a pricey phone 3.5 / 5 Design Almost identical to the S22 Ultra’s square form, with ergonomic changes that, while appreciated, don’t make it any more pocketable 4 / 5 Display A stunning display with even greater color accuracy than previously 4.5 / 5 Camera Iconic Ultra versatility with a new sensor that improves low light shooting 4.5 / 5 Performance The best-performing Android phone on the market, if not the best-performing phone outright 4.5 / 5 Battery Efficiency improvements deliver far greater battery life and the same charging experience as before 4.5 / 5 Software Customisable, polished and plenty of updates in the long-term 4.5 / 5
While there’s a degree of customization on offer and you can use third-party launchers to mask parts of the user experience, you won’t be able to hide the Samsung-specific touches outright. Google Pixel 7 Pro If Samsung’s take on Android simply isn’t for you, or you want a similar experience in a different design, Google’s Pixel 7 Pro offers an equally stunning screen, a compelling camera with a 5x optical zoom and a custom-built flagship chipset, tailor-made for sorts of AI-based workloads that we’re seeing more and more of.
I lived with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra as my primary device for over a week and a half, using it for everything from making and taking calls, to photo and video capture, scrolling through social media, playing music, gaming and even to jot down the occasional note. Battery life was assessed based on real-world usage, with Android natively including screen-on time as one additional useful metrics.
Is It Worth Upgrading to the Galaxy S23 Ultra? It Depends
That’s especially true if you’re eyeballing a phone as expensive as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which starts at $1,200 without a discount. There’s no single approach that applies to everyone, but taking these factors into account can help you with the decision. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a faster new processor and better cameras with improved low light and dynamic range.
However, in my testing, Samsung’s behind-the-scenes improvements to the way the camera captures color and dynamic range felt more impactful than the higher resolution.
Both phones have a large 6.8-inch screen, an included S Pen stylus, better low light photography compared with previous generations, a multi-lens camera system that can zoom up to 100x digitally and a 5,000 mAh battery. You’ll get the same overall experience on both phones, but with refinements to camera quality and processing power on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Because of this, the same advice holds true: If your Galaxy S21 Ultra is in good shape, don’t upgrade yet. But these changes aren’t significant enough to justify springing for a new device just yet, unless you can basically get it for free through a trade-in deal.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 200-megapixel camera is only truly noticeable when you zoom in at the pixel level, or if you intend to print large copies of your photos.
You’ll still get a main camera sensor with a higher resolution than most phones, as well as the ability to zoom up to 100x digitally. You’ll miss some of Samsung’s newer improvements to low light photography and dynamic range, but the Galaxy S21 Ultra still has a very capable camera. The Galaxy S20 Ultra falls into that gray area where it could be worth upgrading, but it depends on the condition of your device.
Samsung has also improved optical image stabilization over the years, meaning the S23 Ultra should be better at taking steady shots while zooming. Back in 2020, some users also reported issues with the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s autofocusing, though Samsung later released a software fix. Otherwise, you’ll be getting many routine upgrades with the S23 Ultra, such as a faster processor, a refreshed design that more closely resembles the Galaxy Note and the included S Pen stylus.
But it’s worth remembering that you’ll be giving up the S20 Ultra’s micro SD card slot if you upgrade, meaning you can’t add more storage.
In addition to the major gains in resolution, low light performance, stabilization and dynamic range, you’ll also get a much closer zoom on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Camera aside, you’ll get a significantly newer processor that should result in faster performance and better power efficiency, a bigger battery, the S Pen and a slightly larger screen.
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 Plus vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which premium Android phone should you buy?
On one hand, the Galaxy S23 Plus is what you’d expect in a premium high-end phone, and its competitors include other high-end phones like the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or Google Pixel 8 Pro with similar specs and features. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is its own thing in a different league with no competitors in the US market.
We lean towards the Galaxy S23 Plus for its comprehensive performance and features for a more traditional price point.
Specs Galaxy S23 Plus Galaxy S23 Ultra Display 6.6 inches OLED, 1080p, 120Hz 6.8 inches OLED, up to 1440p, 120Hz Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Optimized for Galaxy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Optimized for Galaxy Storage 256GB, 512GB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Battery and charging 4,700mAh, 45W charging speed 5,000mAh, 45W charging speed Rear cameras 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x zoom 200MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x zoom, 10MP 10x zoom Selfie camera 12MP 12MP Dimensions and weight 6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 inches, 6.91 ounces 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches, 8.25 ounces Starting price $999.99 $1,199.99
With that said, we never felt the need to set the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s display to 1440p, as the default 1080p resolution is easily sharp enough for everything we did during testing and regular use, and it doesn’t use up extra battery. With that said, it’s not necessary to charge at 45W — it’s more of a convenience factor that gives you a boost in battery life quickly when you need it. One of the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s main differentiating factors is its camera system, which includes four lenses while most premium phones “only” come with three. Compare that to the Galaxy S23 Plus’ 50-megapixel (MP) main, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP 3x optical zoom cameras. It’s incredibly versatile and offers sharp and clear photos of subjects far away.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s S Pen stylus can be a major selling point if you ever thought your fingers were too clunky for what you do on a phone.
It’s not a must-have feature for most people, and Galaxy S23 Ultra owners who aren’t interested in using the S Pen can ignore it and forget it’s even there. Still, it’s a useful tool for note takers and those who use a stylus for more accurate tapping, whether for generally navigating around Android and apps, or making finer photo edits where a clunky finger just isn’t precise enough.
The combination of the S Pen, large screen size, and quad-lens camera makes the Galaxy S23 Ultra and its $1,200 starting price one of the most expensive phones you can buy — only the $1,200 iPhone 15 Pro Max matches the S23 Ultra in price. It’s still a phone with a large display, it beat the Galaxy S23 Ultra in our battery stress test, and it has a camera system that most people would be happy with, all for a lower price. If you take lots of photos with your phone and you find yourself using the zoom lens more than the main camera, you have a solid case to go for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. And if you’ve ever wished for finer and more accurate screen tapping than your fingers can provide, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s S Pen could be indispensable.
One of the Most Expensive Smartphones in the World! The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Costs Just $469 to Make
Before we get started, it’s important to understand that there’s a big difference between the cost of making a smartphone and the price that consumers pay for it. However, other factors such as R-D logistics, marketing, personnel costs, and pre and post-sales services are not included. The high-performance SoC, large and bright display, and powerful camera system all contribute to the high price tag. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Specs Display 6.8 inches, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 1440 x 3088 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 RAM 12GB Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Rear cameras 200MP wide-angle, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto, 10MP periscope telephoto Front camera 12MP Battery 5000mAh Operating system Android 13 Price Starting at $1199
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 review: ultra camera, ultra power, ultra price
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung’s latest and greatest power-house smartphone with a more impressive chip, battery and camera than its predecessors. The S23 Ultra is the spitting image of its predecessor, an extremely solid and premium-feeling device and looks really good in cream, as pictured. The cameras simply emerge from the back glass without the traditional smartphone lump, reminding me of portholes on a ship.
One of the S23 Ultra’s unrivalled features is the fan-favourite S Pen stylus, which was added to the S series last year and receives only minor changes.
The phone fully charges in just under 60 minutes, hitting 70% in half an hour using a 45W or greater USB-C fast charger (not included). The new chip is therefore a bigger deal to consumers in Europe, not only boosting general and gaming performance by up to 35% but running much more efficiently, staying cooler under heavy workloads and extending battery life considerably. The S23 Ultra lasts more than 52 hours between charges, making it one of the longest-lasting smartphones I’ve tested alongside Apple’s iPhone 14 Plus. Heavy gaming sessions reduced the battery life, but the phone survived even the heaviest days of general usage with about 30% left in the tank.
Samsung does not provide an expected lifespan for the battery but it should last in excess of 500 full-charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity. The phone can also shoot at 50MP or the full 200MP, the latter producing huge image files with an amazing amount of detail in bright light. Low-light mode is slightly better overall and produces generally well exposed images, though is needed less as the camera gathers more light to start with. The camera app is packed with advanced and fun features, including a full RAW shooting experience for those looking to do their own editing and the most capable video on Android.
But that has kept it the most capable camera on any smartphone available, and is about the only one I would consider to be able to replace the utility of a dSLR or equivalent with its full range of optical zoom. Its very high price makes it poor value next to the Google Pixel 7 Pro, which cannot match the Samsung on every element but comes close enough for £400-£500 less.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Review
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a smartphone that does it all; it has one of the best displays, a top-notch stylus experience, blisteringly fast performance and a camera setup that beats just about anything in the flagship arena right now. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra remains the benchmark in the Android smartphone market a number of months after launch, offering the most complete flagship experience.
Combine that with a trio of other rear-facing lenses, a gorgeous 6.8-inch dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate, Qualcomm’s exclusive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset and a 5000mAh battery, and you’ve got a serious competitor for the smartphone of the year. Samsung’s place at the top of the Android game is also aided by a lack of similar competition available in global markets. It’s still pretty hefty, meaning it will remain unwieldy when using it one-handed, though it does sit a little nicer in hand with the reduced curvature on the edges. It doesn’t actually measure much larger than competing phones like the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but due to the boxy design, it just feels bigger in the hand – for better or worse. The Galaxy S Pen stylus is present and accounted for, again found embedded within the body of the S23 Ultra for convenience, which will pop out with a simple press, and it remains a key feature exclusive to the top-end model. You can also use the stylus as a remote capture button when taking group shots, and if you simply hate typing, you can use Samsung’s handwriting-to-text tech to turn your scribbles into legible text. It’s undoubtedly one of the main reasons to opt for the Galaxy S23 Ultra compared to other big-screen flagships – that and the impressive cameras, but I’ll get to that in a bit.
In fact, the S23 Ultra’s design is now the default across the range with the S23 and S23 Plus ditching the contour camera housing for a similarly minimalistic look. Simply put, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s new 200MP snapper truly surpassed my expectations when it came to photography performance, both in well-lit and low-light conditions, with the latter delivering some of the best results I’ve seen from a smartphone to date. Shots were well-lit with impressive HDR performance that brought notable gains to detail to the darkest and lightest areas of photos taken, with enough colour to look vibrant without looking too contrast-heavy and fake.
And, with the combination of laser and multi-directional PDAF autofocus, shots were always in-focus – something that can’t be said for all smartphone snappers, especially in low light. The trio of other lenses gives unparalleled versatility when it comes to mobile photography, allowing you to get as close or as far from your subject as you like with the option of up to 100x digital zoom to capture the moon on clear nights. Of course, that’s also a storage hog, so most people will likely drop down to 4K or even 1080p where the camera benefits from better image stabilisation and better performance in low-light environments. It does this in an attempt to provide the best possible image, but it causes a stuttering effect with slightly different lens crops that makes videos jarring to watch.
Flip the phone over and you’ll find a 12MP camera that, on paper, sounds like a downgrade compared to the 40MP selfie snapper of the S22 Ultra – but it’s far from it. As the name suggests, it’s exclusive to Samsung devices, with the chipmaker claiming it boasts a slightly higher CPU clock speed as well as gains in graphics performance and power efficiency.
There is a slight gain when it comes to graphics performance with a score of 3766 in the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme GPU test, compared to 3532 of the OnePlus 11, and it’s a similar story in GFXBench too. It really is a top-tier experience and something that I expect to continue with later versions of Android due to the sheer power on offer from the chipset.
The audio experience is surprisingly decent with stereo speaker support that helps make videos more immersive when watching without headphones, and it can get pretty loud too, though it’s more tailored to voices and movies than the latest chart-topping bangers. The phone also boasts the company’s special high-res Samsung Seamless Codec – though only if you’ve got the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro handy.
There are tweaks compared to stock Android, most notable in areas like the Settings app and the notification shade with visually different layouts, but these are mainly for the good of the experience on offer. It even offers exclusive features like the ability to reply to incoming calls via text using nothing but your voice, but these are handy additions rather than must-haves.
That beats Google’s Pixel promise of 3 OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates, and that company literally develops the Android operating system. With all that going on, I’ve only had the S23 Ultra hit the 20% mark once, with the phone usually ending the day with something closer to 40% charge on average.
That’s a comfortable all-day smartphone that definitely alleviated my battery anxiety, though I don’t think it’d squeeze to a full two days without compromising on battery-hungry features like the high resolution and always-on display.
The upgraded camera offering is undoubtedly the star of the show, with a new main 200MP snapper with advanced features like 16-in-1 pixel binning and the ability to individually enhance separate sections of photos delivering consistently impressive results with very little effort from the user.
That’s backed up by capable ultra-wide and telephoto lenses that give the S23 Ultra a level of versatility hard for the competition to match. There are certain complaints, like relatively slow 45W charging, a rather bulky design compared to other big-screen phones and one of the most expensive price tags for a non-foldable, but the overall experience is unmatched right now.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra benchmark results ‹ Geekbench 5 single core Geekbench 5 multi core 1 hour video playback (Netflix, HDR) 30 minute gaming (light) Time from 0-100% charge Time from 0-50% charge 30-min recharge (no charger included) 15-min recharge (no charger included) 3D Mark – Wild Life 3D Mark – Wild Life Stress Test GFXBench – Aztec Ruins GFXBench – Car Chase Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 1489 4527 7 % 5 % 91 min 28 Min 51 % 28 % 3766 3726 55 fps 68 fps ›
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: More of the same, in a good way
Strangely, this particular CPU comes with a “for Galaxy” designation which, according to Qualcomm, means that the maximum clock speed has been boosted to 3.6GHz, compared with 3.3GHz on the standard chipset. Performance figures are night and day different in the Geekbench 5 test, with a huge 35% jump in multicore processing, closing the gap on Apple’s A16 Bionic chip.
Predictably, Samsung is making a big song and dance about the S23 Ultra’s cameras in its marketing this year.
The headline feature is the inclusion of a 200MP main sensor, which is the largest Samsung has ever incorporated in a phone to date, replacing the S22 Ultra’s 108MP unit.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Table of Contents Beautiful, But Big A Stunning Screen S Pen Prowess Snapdragon for Galaxy = Ludicrous Speed Making the Connection Same Battery, Longer Life Pixel Challenger Android at Its Second Best A Clear Winner The company takes the kitchen-sink approach with the S23 Ultra; it has pretty much every feature a flagship phone shopper could want, including high-quality hardware, an outstanding display, blistering performance, and top-notch cameras. Its oversized footprint and price give us some pause, but many buyers are likely to look past these compromises for such a capable phone. If you don’t need the stylus or the extra cameras, the slightly smaller and more affordable Galaxy S23+ (starting at $999.99) might better serve you.
Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 adds front and back protection against drops and scratches. Samsung offers the phone in four main colors: Cream, Green, Lavender, and Phantom Black. If those don’t appeal, Samsung’s website offers exclusive colors such as Graphite, Lime, Red, and Sky Blue. From left to right, it houses the S Pen slot, a downward-firing speaker, a USB-C port, and a SIM card tray.
If you prefer facial recognition methods, a simple photo-based face ID tool sits above the screen. In all, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra might be too large for some buyers, but we can’t fault the otherwise top-notch hardware. Though Samsung made only minimal improvements to the display compared with last year, it delivers an excellent experience just the same. Samsung opts for a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O screen with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, which helps balance power and performance.
The screen can dynamically alter its refresh rate from 1Hz up to 120Hz depending on the activity to conserve battery or enable smooth scrolling. I held the S23 Ultra and the 14 Pro Max next to one another outside under direct sunlight and the iPhone does look slightly brighter, but not enough so to give it a serious competitive edge. You can also take advantage of adaptive brightness, blue light settings, color profiles, text and icon sizing, Samsung’s Edge panels (app shortcuts), the navigation bar (for gestures), touch sensitivity, and screen savers. The selfie camera interrupts the screen at the top, but the bezels between the display and the metal frame are so thin that they are practically nonexistent. Display competition is tight at the top of the market, but the S23 Ultra impresses and performs well against its chief rivals. A utility button on one side enables a range of actions, such as advancing PowerPoint slides or triggering the camera shutter (this is really helpful).
Specifically, more text fields in Google apps such as Gmail, Chrome, and Maps support S Pen input. In practice, many of the text fields you might want to write in are small and require an extra tap to enable the feature.
However, if you’re deep in stylus mode and don’t want to put the S Pen down to enter text in certain fields, this could be helpful. Perhaps more interestingly, Samsung worked with Qualcomm to tweak the CPU and GPU output of the chip and give it a competitive edge. It’s worth noting that the S23 and S23+ top out at 8GB of RAM, so it’s possible their benchmark scores are slightly slower even though they have the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy SoC. We tested the S23 Ultra against a wide array of apps, including some hard-hitting games like Genshin Impact.
Running the game at the highest settings resulted in excellent gameplay without any lag or frame drops. Given the huge storage options and flexible screen settings, the phone is an excellent companion for mobile gaming. The modem works hand-in-hand with the 8 Gen 2 SoC to manage 5G, Wi-Fi, and other connections to ensure the best possible performance.
When we tested in areas with weak T-Mobile coverage, download and upload speeds dropped to maximums of 19Mbps and 8Mbps, respectively. Whether the signal was strong or weak, however, we were always able to connect calls on the first attempt and didn’t experience any drops during testing. In terms of real-world performance, the phone downloaded apps and games larger than 1GB in less than a minute in most instances. It supports advanced audio codecs including AAC and AptX; music sounded outstanding through the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones. I was able to hear callers even in moderately loud environments such as subway platforms, and those with whom I spoke had no trouble understanding me. If you’re interested in playing music directly through the phone rather than wireless headphones, the downward-firing speaker and earpiece work together to create stereo sound. The phone won’t replace a Bluetooth speaker, but it does just fine for listening in an average room by yourself. In our battery life test, which entails playing a YouTube video on loop over Wi-Fi with the phone’s brightness set to the max, the S23 Ultra lasted 13 hours and 11 minutes. In more anecdotal terms, the S23 Ultra easily plowed through a full day of intense use with plenty of charge left in the tank.
Samsung generally reserves its best camera technology for the Galaxy S series, and the S23 Ultra takes things to a new level. The main lens has an aperture of f/1.7 and benefits from both optical image stabilization (OIS) and laser autofocus. Samsung says it enlarged the area in which the sensor can travel during phone movement to account for a greater range of stabilization. The new sensor, together with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, powers several shooting modes such as Adaptive Pixel, Auto Framing, Director’s View, High-Resolution Photo, Multi-Exposure, Nightography, Selfie Night Portrait, and Super HDR. If you really want to get fancy, you can use the Pro mode to take full control of aspects like shutter speed, exposure, and ISO, as well as Expert Raw to shoot photos with more detail for advanced editing in post. The expanded OIS features of the phone are helpful, though not quite as good as the iPhone 14’s Action Mode when it comes to stabilization.
You might prefer the simpler functionality of Google’s or Motorola’s versions of Android, but you cannot deny the vast array of features available from the S23 Ultra and One UI 5. The phone has an outstanding display, some of the fastest performance we’ve seen, a long-lasting battery, powerful software with S Pen stylus integration, and a top-notch set of cameras.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
You also get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip for Galaxy for the fastest speed on Android, stellar battery life and smart One UI 5.1 upgrades. Why you can trust Tom’s Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what’s best for you. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra wants to take smartphone photography to the next level with its massive 200MP camera and other improvements. The sensor can combine 16 pixels into one for brighter, more detailed shots, or you can shoot in full 200MP mode, which gives you a lot more freedom when it comes to cropping in and reframing your pics. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra arrived in February with a starting price of $1,199 / £1,249 / AU$1,949 for 256GB of storage. Swipe to scroll horizontally Galaxy S23 Ultra Price $1,199 / £1,249 Display 6.8-inch QHD AMOLED Refresh rate 1 – 120Hz adaptive Rear cameras 200MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto, 10MP 10x telephoto Front camera 12MP selfie Chipset Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy RAM 8GB/12GB Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Battery 5,000 mAh Charging 45W wired/10W wireless Water/dust resistance IP68 Size 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm (6.4 x 3.0 x 0.35 inches) Weight 233g (8.2 ounces) Colors Phantom Black, Cotton Flower, Botanic Green and Mystic Lilac The cameras on the back are even bigger this time around compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the display is flatter. I know some would prefer a totally flat design, but I hold the S23 Ultra in my hand the curve does give it a slightly more premium feel.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is built to be tougher, too, as it’s the first phone with Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which promises to protect the front and back better from scratches and drops. The YouTuber JerryRigEverything has conducted some durability tests, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra fares quite well when it comes to scratching and bending.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes in four colors, including Phantom Black, Green, Cream and Lavender. It’s worth noting that the S23 Ultra still features a SIM card slot, unlike the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is located on the bottom of the device.
Samsung is touting the eco-friendliness of the S23 Ultra’s design, as the company is using more recycled materials for the phone. When watching the trailer for The Mandalorian season 3, the shiny helmets popped off the screen, and I enjoyed wide viewing angles.
Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 – Cell 0 Galaxy S23 Ulra iPhone 14 Pro Max HDR brightness (average) 1225 nits 1275 nits DCI-P3 color 112.2% (Natural) / 193% (Vivid) 83.2% Delta-E (lower is better) 0.3 (Natural) / 0 (Vivid) 0.26 The Galaxy S23 Ultra also includes an advanced Vision Booster feature, which is designed to let you adjust color and contrast of the image to ambient lighting conditions. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the first flagship phone in the U.S. to pack a 200MP camera, and Samsung says this sensor can deliver poster size prints. For this photo I wanted to see how the Galaxy S23 Ultra could capture a skating rink while dealing with the sun directly off to the right.
I snapped this photo of bumper cars on the ice rink to see how well the S23 Ultra handles lots of colors. In this case I think the punchy yellow, red and blue plays to Samsung’s advantage, although I prefer the higher contrast and slightly better definition from the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
It’s the brightest image of the bunch and does the best job exposing the area right underneath the top part of the fountain, which kind of gets lost in the shadows on the iPhone and Pixel.
In this photo of a fish market at night, the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s image is brighter overall, from the walkway and parking lot to the car to the right. The S23 Ultra is brighter than Pixel but Google’s phone produces more natural looking colors in the bottles. The Galaxy S23 Ultra fell a bit flat in low light with this photo of a sleeping dog.
Photographing fire or candles is tricky for most camera phones, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra renders the frames well here as well as the soot below. The Galaxy S23 Ultra snapped a brighter shot but the iPhone 14 Pro Max delivers more detail in the wicker chairs and has the edge here. I was really impressed when I turned the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera on the moon, especially since all I could get out of the iPhone 14 Pro Max was a blurry bright blob.
The 100x space zoom photo shows darker and lighter spots on the surface; it’s almost like having a telescope in your pocket.
Since our review was initially published, a Galaxy S23 software update brought more refinements to the camera system, including the option to take photos faster. Since everyone is making a big deal about image stabilization these days, I started with a test running up a small incline at a park trail.
And with the 10x optical zoom feature on the S23 Ultra (something the iPhone lacks), I could get closer to Mike without losing detail. The zoom mic also kicked in, which was a bit jarring as the music got instantly louder, but it definitely works.
Samsung promises that this processor can deliver even higher clock speed than the standard version of the chip, going as high as 3.36 GHz. Whether I was sliding down a mountain to ambush an opponent or blasting away enemies or punching them, the S23 Ultra never slowed down. The previous Galaxy S22 Ultra lasted only 10 hours and 18 minutes in the Tom’s Guide battery test, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max endured for an even longer 13:39. Running on top of Android 13, the new One UI 5.1 software for Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a number of handy improvements.
It’s actually pretty cool to see the Bixby feature in action, though callers might be freaked out the first time they encounter this. There’s also a new Modes option that lets you create customized settings for different aspects of your life, whether it’s sleep, exercise, driving or work. There’s also more personalization features in One UI 5.1, such as an improved stacked widget system and recommended apps and actions for different times of the day.
The 200MP camera is simply stunning, and Samsung has really upped its game when it comes to low-light performance.
In some cases the S23 Ultra delivered better looking photos than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, though Apple won other rounds. For $200 less, you get a slightly smaller 6.6-inch display, but the same powerful Snapdragon chip, an equally bright screen and the same 256GB of storage.
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