Don’t get caught up in the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s admittedly high price tag; instead, think about the value it represents. I (Andy Boxall) revisited the Galaxy S23 Ultra at the end of November 2023 and updated our review accordingly, plus added a new section right below covering how it operates today. The prompt update to Android 14 and One UI 6 definitely helps, as does the fact the S Pen and the brilliant, fun 10x optical zoom continue to be unique in the market.
Over the past months, we’ve shown how the camera can take incredible photos in the right hands and how much difference there is between it and a $450 phone like the Samsung Galaxy A54. Returning to it only emphasized that it has lost none of its camera magic, not even when compared to the latest Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. The camera isn’t perfect, but it’s so versatile and capable in most environments you’ll quickly forgive it should it get something wrong.
If you’re coming from a phone that isn’t nearly 9mm thick, 78mm wide, and 233 grams in weight, you’re really going to notice how much of a handful the S23 Ultra is. You will get used to the S23 Ultra’s size and weight, but if you’ve got small hands, the width and thickness make singlehanded use very difficult, which is far harder to overcome. It’s still that familiar all-business look, with curved sides to the chassis and the screen, tiny bezels, and five circular camera modules on the back. The S23 Ultra has an IP68 water-resistance rating, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and Samsung’s latest Armor Aluminum chassis material. The weight means putting it in a case will protect it in the event of a fall onto something hard, but there’s a degree of reassurance that comes from Samsung’s commitment to durability that’s missing from many of its competitors. This also applies to Samsung’s use of recycled materials, and its lengthy software update commitment, which, when combined with the durability and performance of the phone, adds up to it being a device you’ll be happy to keep for years.
The standard Phantom Black, Lavender, Cream, and Green models are widely available, but if you order directly from Samsung you can choose one of four exclusive colors. Green is an on-trend color for smartphones, with everything from the iPhone 13 Pro to the OnePlus 11 tackling the tricky shade.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s telephoto cameras take photos that are impossible to replicate on any other smartphone, at least with the same quality.
Most of the time, the colors are amped up by just the right amount, but it can slip into oversaturation when faced with reds and blues in some situations.
It takes considerably brighter photos than the iPhone 14 Pro and exposes more detail in the shadows too, but this comes at the expense of a natural color palette. It also tied with the much newer Apple iPhone 15 Pro’s camera in this test, showing it hasn’t lost any of its ability since launch.
Pay through the app, and Lightroom Premium costs $5 per month, and it comes with an extended two-month free trial. The Lightroom for Samsung app adds a great deal to the overall camera experience, and retains that all-important hands-on approach to editing images that’s disappearing due to the use of AI.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s versatility makes it really desirable, and I feel confident I will be able to take any photo I want with it — and that’s something other phones can’t quite provide.
I continue to adore the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera for stills; it’s so incredibly versatile that I rarely feel it can’t capture the shot I want. To find out, I took the phone with me on a short trip away and made a point to shoot as much video as possible, instead of mostly taking still photos as usual. I play games, use apps, make calls, use Bluetooth and Samsung DeX, take 200-megapixel photos, and shoot some 8K video.
Playing Asphalt 9: Legends for 30 minutes doesn’t cause any noticeable temperature increase apart from a tiny bit around the top edge, but nothing that you’d call hot, or even that warm. Recording a 15-minute Hyperlapse video caused the phone to heat up more around the camera module –not so it was burning, but definitely hot to the touch. Apps start and refresh in seconds, and even Google Maps grabs a signal and loads the local area faster than other phones I’ve used. This time, Samsung hasn’t made an Exynos version of the Galaxy S23 Ultra for global markets.
Buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and be safe in the knowledge you’ll have to work pretty hard to reach its limits. Peak brightness is 1,750 nits, and even walking around Manhattan on a (surprisingly) sunny February morning, Section Editor Joe Maring could still see the screen perfectly.
I love the wide viewing angle too, so even when the phone is flat on a desk, video still looks excellent and just like you’re watching it straight-on. When playing games, though, your palm does tend to cover the lower speaker unless you hold the phone “upside down” when the buttons get in the way and are less natural to press.
For example, did you know you can change the lock screen clock, notification layout, and add filters to the wallpaper? Samsung’s DeX system is a good example, as the phone can be connected to a monitor or PC to provide a big-screen PC-like experience. It’s another crucial aspect of the device’s longevity, and a reason to buy and keep using your phone for years to come. I’d put it up against Android on the Pixel 7 in terms of speed, and although it’s not quite as simple to use as Google’s version, it’s more intuitive and fun than OxygenOS 13 on the OnePlus 11.
It’s securely held in place, and the tiny internal battery powering the Bluetooth is charged while it’s docked, ensuring it’s always ready to go. There’s no question it’s well-engineered and is more versatile than a passive stylus, but whether you use it regularly or not depends on your eagerness to take handwritten notes or sketch on your phone. Once it is fully charged, it’s capable of lasting for more than two days with moderate use, and a lot of its ability comes from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s increased efficiency. On a day with over an hour of playing Marvel Snap and browsing Twitter, then watching YouTube videos for 45 minutes, plus regular use of Google Chrome, Reddit, Duolingo, and more, the S23 Ultra ended a nearly 16-hour day with 5 hours and 20 minutes of screen-on time and 24% battery still remaining.
The price puts it in competition with the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung’s own Galaxy Z Fold 5. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is so powerful and has such a versatile camera, mega battery life, impressive durability, and long-term software support that it will likely outlast many other devices, purely because of its outright ability. There’s a real pleasure in using a phone that puts ability ahead of gimmicks and keeps a sensible, yet stylish and recognizable design over needlessly changing it up to try and attract buyers. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung at its most confident, and it’s the sensible, mature buying decision for anyone wanting the pinnacle of Android performance and ability.
It’s the current big thing, and because it’s not advancing the fundamentals over what we’re used to seeing already, it’ll stay relevant and usable for more people over many years. You’re going to pay a lot of money for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but it’s worth every penny, and in three or even four years’ time, when it’s still a great phone, you’ll look back and see what good value it actually was.
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.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
This article is part of a new series where we’ll try to give you a quick overview of how some of the most popular smartphones compare head-to-head based on our review findings. Long-time readers won’t find new tests here, but nevertheless, it’s an original piece of content that would hopefully bring value to those looking for their next smartphone.
If you are looking for a big, high-end smartphone in 2023, arguably the most popular dilemma would be between the iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The difference is within a few millimeters, though, while giving you a little bit of extra screen real estate due to the higher screen-to-body ratio and bigger display in absolute terms.
The blocky iPhone design and the sharp steel edges make up for a more secure grip, albeit not the most comfortable one. When it comes to the display hardware, Samsung’s phone offers higher resolution, a larger diagonal and is curved to the sides, allowing for a more comfortable grip and gesture execution. The Pro Max boasts considerably higher brightness in both modes – manual and auto. It also tops the S23 Ultra’s HDR video standard with Dolby Vision, whereas the Galaxy “settles” for HDR10+. What’s important is that in both cases, you get a sufficiently bright display providing an excellent outdoor viewing experience. Even though the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a considerably smaller battery pack, the phone demonstrates exceptional endurance. Apple achieves this through numerous hardware and software optimizations, squeezing impressive screen-on runtimes out of the rather small 4,323 mAh battery. Alternatively, the Galaxy S23 Ultra posts a slightly better overall score due to its longer standby and phone call runtimes.
Both devices sport a pair of stereo loudspeakers each, and they are pretty close when it comes to overall quality and loudness. You will hardly find any significant difference as the two handsets offer a great listening experience – and honestly, these are among the best speakers you can get on a phone. The iPhone 14 Pro Max, on the other hand, provides a bit extra bass but muffles the vocals and makes everything sound deeper. The two smartphones run on entirely different chipsets, even if they are both built using a similarly power-efficient 4nm manufacturing node. The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 shows superior GPU performance and also takes the lead in combined scenarios like AnTuTu 9. At the end of the day, though, the two devices are good enough to run smoothly pretty much everything you find on their respective app stores. Some users may find iOS more optimized and fluent than Samsung’s Android-based One UI, and we tend to agree – especially a year or two down the line when the storage starts to fill. Sharpness, detail, dynamic range, contrast, noise – all that seems to be in check, which is what you’d expect from a modern flagship phone.
Let’s say that Samsung’s processing style will likely appeal to the majority due to its vibrant aesthetics. The same goes for the low-light photos, which, in Samsung’s case, look like they have been rendered on a computer due to the artificially added sharpness during processing.
In this case, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the more “natural” choice, literally and figuratively speaking. The Expert RAW app is tailored towards people who like to do post-processing on their own and take full advantage of the S23 Ultra’s camera hardware.
The two phones are neck and neck in most aspects, with the S23 Ultra standing out with an S Pen, one extra zoom camera, and faster charging, while the iPhone relies on an advanced Face ID for unlocking (preferred by some), a mature software ecosystem that’s compatible with dozens of other devices and arguably the best video recording capabilities on a smartphone right now. If you are either a user wanting to switch to Android, the S23 Ultra should definitely be on top of your list and vice versa – if you’d like to try out iOS, there’s no better way to experience it on the 14 Pro Max’s big screen.
Both companies have come a long way, and personal preference will be the deciding factor, especially seeing how price tags are pretty close to each other.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Review
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.
The S23 Ultra features an Armor Aluminum frame that partially integrates recycled materials.
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. We captured shots in various environs and lighting conditions and, suffice it to say, the pictures look quite good. 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. A range of features allows Samsung’s phones and laptops to talk to one another for things such as copying and pasting text, syncing web browser history and passwords, seamlessly connecting via mobile hotspot, and sending text messages from your laptop.
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 4.5 Editors’ Choice See It $1,199.99 at Amazon MSRP $1,199.99 Pros Large, bright display Big, heavy build The Bottom Line The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is large and pricey, but an exceptional mix of features, performance, and quality makes it the best high-end Android phone you can buy.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: the best Android phone yet
Don’t get caught up in the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s admittedly high price tag; instead, think about the value it represents. I (Andy Boxall) revisited the Galaxy S23 Ultra at the end of November 2023 and updated our review accordingly, plus added a new section right below covering how it operates today.
The prompt update to Android 14 and One UI 6 definitely helps, as does the fact the S Pen and the brilliant, fun 10x optical zoom continue to be unique in the market. Over the past months, we’ve shown how the camera can take incredible photos in the right hands and how much difference there is between it and a $450 phone like the Samsung Galaxy A54.
Returning to it only emphasized that it has lost none of its camera magic, not even when compared to the latest Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. The camera isn’t perfect, but it’s so versatile and capable in most environments you’ll quickly forgive it should it get something wrong.
If you’re coming from a phone that isn’t nearly 9mm thick, 78mm wide, and 233 grams in weight, you’re really going to notice how much of a handful the S23 Ultra is. You will get used to the S23 Ultra’s size and weight, but if you’ve got small hands, the width and thickness make singlehanded use very difficult, which is far harder to overcome. It’s still that familiar all-business look, with curved sides to the chassis and the screen, tiny bezels, and five circular camera modules on the back. The S23 Ultra has an IP68 water-resistance rating, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and Samsung’s latest Armor Aluminum chassis material. The weight means putting it in a case will protect it in the event of a fall onto something hard, but there’s a degree of reassurance that comes from Samsung’s commitment to durability that’s missing from many of its competitors. This also applies to Samsung’s use of recycled materials, and its lengthy software update commitment, which, when combined with the durability and performance of the phone, adds up to it being a device you’ll be happy to keep for years.
The standard Phantom Black, Lavender, Cream, and Green models are widely available, but if you order directly from Samsung you can choose one of four exclusive colors. Green is an on-trend color for smartphones, with everything from the iPhone 13 Pro to the OnePlus 11 tackling the tricky shade.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s telephoto cameras take photos that are impossible to replicate on any other smartphone, at least with the same quality. Most of the time, the colors are amped up by just the right amount, but it can slip into oversaturation when faced with reds and blues in some situations.
It takes considerably brighter photos than the iPhone 14 Pro and exposes more detail in the shadows too, but this comes at the expense of a natural color palette. It also tied with the much newer Apple iPhone 15 Pro’s camera in this test, showing it hasn’t lost any of its ability since launch.
Pay through the app, and Lightroom Premium costs $5 per month, and it comes with an extended two-month free trial. The Lightroom for Samsung app adds a great deal to the overall camera experience, and retains that all-important hands-on approach to editing images that’s disappearing due to the use of AI.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s versatility makes it really desirable, and I feel confident I will be able to take any photo I want with it — and that’s something other phones can’t quite provide. I continue to adore the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera for stills; it’s so incredibly versatile that I rarely feel it can’t capture the shot I want. To find out, I took the phone with me on a short trip away and made a point to shoot as much video as possible, instead of mostly taking still photos as usual. I play games, use apps, make calls, use Bluetooth and Samsung DeX, take 200-megapixel photos, and shoot some 8K video.
Playing Asphalt 9: Legends for 30 minutes doesn’t cause any noticeable temperature increase apart from a tiny bit around the top edge, but nothing that you’d call hot, or even that warm. Recording a 15-minute Hyperlapse video caused the phone to heat up more around the camera module –not so it was burning, but definitely hot to the touch. Apps start and refresh in seconds, and even Google Maps grabs a signal and loads the local area faster than other phones I’ve used. This time, Samsung hasn’t made an Exynos version of the Galaxy S23 Ultra for global markets.
Buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and be safe in the knowledge you’ll have to work pretty hard to reach its limits. Peak brightness is 1,750 nits, and even walking around Manhattan on a (surprisingly) sunny February morning, Section Editor Joe Maring could still see the screen perfectly.
I love the wide viewing angle too, so even when the phone is flat on a desk, video still looks excellent and just like you’re watching it straight-on. When playing games, though, your palm does tend to cover the lower speaker unless you hold the phone “upside down” when the buttons get in the way and are less natural to press.
For example, did you know you can change the lock screen clock, notification layout, and add filters to the wallpaper? Samsung’s DeX system is a good example, as the phone can be connected to a monitor or PC to provide a big-screen PC-like experience. It’s another crucial aspect of the device’s longevity, and a reason to buy and keep using your phone for years to come. I’d put it up against Android on the Pixel 7 in terms of speed, and although it’s not quite as simple to use as Google’s version, it’s more intuitive and fun than OxygenOS 13 on the OnePlus 11.
It’s securely held in place, and the tiny internal battery powering the Bluetooth is charged while it’s docked, ensuring it’s always ready to go. There’s no question it’s well-engineered and is more versatile than a passive stylus, but whether you use it regularly or not depends on your eagerness to take handwritten notes or sketch on your phone.
Once it is fully charged, it’s capable of lasting for more than two days with moderate use, and a lot of its ability comes from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s increased efficiency.
On a day with over an hour of playing Marvel Snap and browsing Twitter, then watching YouTube videos for 45 minutes, plus regular use of Google Chrome, Reddit, Duolingo, and more, the S23 Ultra ended a nearly 16-hour day with 5 hours and 20 minutes of screen-on time and 24% battery still remaining. The price puts it in competition with the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung’s own Galaxy Z Fold 5. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is so powerful and has such a versatile camera, mega battery life, impressive durability, and long-term software support that it will likely outlast many other devices, purely because of its outright ability.
There’s a real pleasure in using a phone that puts ability ahead of gimmicks and keeps a sensible, yet stylish and recognizable design over needlessly changing it up to try and attract buyers. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung at its most confident, and it’s the sensible, mature buying decision for anyone wanting the pinnacle of Android performance and ability. It’s the current big thing, and because it’s not advancing the fundamentals over what we’re used to seeing already, it’ll stay relevant and usable for more people over many years. You’re going to pay a lot of money for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but it’s worth every penny, and in three or even four years’ time, when it’s still a great phone, you’ll look back and see what good value it actually was.
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.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: practically peerless
Until someone invents radically improved battery technology or holographic displays, that’s just going to be the case for the Ultra for the foreseeable future. And a couple of small tweaks — the phone’s slightly reshaped side rails and screen — have a big impact on the device’s likability. There are some familiar sore spots with Samsung software, like its insistence on including its own app store in addition to Google’s. And although the camera system can produce stunningly good images, it occasionally makes weird choices and comes up with a photo that’s just downright bad.
But if you can stomach the price and the occasional weird photo, then I think you’ll find the S23 Ultra’s maximalism highly rewarding. It’s a slightly different version of the company’s top-shelf processor that’s a tiny bit faster than the garden-variety 8 Gen 2.
The new chipset also runs much cooler than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 — after downloading Genshin Impact install files for 10 minutes with the loading animation playing (and the phone resting on a heat-insulating couch cushion), it was only slightly warm to the touch. My typical day includes about four hours of screen-on time, and the S23 Ultra usually got me to the evening with somewhere around 30 percent left.
If you plan on doing a lot of processor-heavy stuff like gaming or, I don’t know, measuring every room in your house in VR, then you’ll probably still need to recharge before the day is done.
The S23 Ultra is armed with no shortage of connectivity features, including the much-improved DeX for Windows PC integration, Samsung’s SmartThings app for smart home, and a feature called Smart View to quickly mirror your device to a Samsung TV. From the SmartThings app on the phone, I have control of all the basic functions of the TV, like volume, channel, and source. There are no major updates to the S Pen or its features this time around, though the slightly flatter screen edges are designed to provide more surface area for writing.
With the S22 Ultra’s curvier edges, you’re more likely to accidentally run the stylus off the side of the screen as you’re writing. At the risk of giving Samsung’s very slight redesign too much credit, I think this is partially because this phone is more comfortable to hold than the last one. I’m also on a mission to reorganize my life, and I found it genuinely useful to replicate some of my running IRL to-do lists with digital ones pinned to my home screen. But it feels like a happy medium between the convenience of an app-based to-do list and the tactile experience of jotting down a note. It’s a pretty light update to the One UI 4 that the S22 series launched with, and it includes new emphasis on setting up modes and routines, as well as more lockscreen customization options. It remains a maximalist experience, with two pages of quick settings in the notification shade by default and Samsung’s own app store, virtual assistant, and web browser alongside Google versions of these things.
That’s a little short of Apple, which tends to offer OS upgrades for upwards of five years and the stray security update for much longer, but it’s definitely one of the best policies you’ll find among Android makers. I took a picture of the top of the Space Needle from street level standing over half a mile away, and I can make out details like the elevators and people on the observation deck.
It can get into trouble turning the saturation or HDR up to 11 once in a while, and unless you’re taking a photo of the actual moon, you should just stay away from the digital 100x “Space Zoom” setting because it looks like pixelated garbage.
Tap a couple of menu options, press the shutter, and bam — 200 million pixels at your disposal.
As long as the lighting is good, you’ll find a ridiculous amount of detail when you zoom into those photos. In bright light, the sensor uses something called a re-mosaic algorithm to mimic a traditional color filter pattern and use pixels individually and capture more detail.
Even when you’re in the default shooting mode, which downsizes images to 12 megapixels, you should see the benefits of all that extra detail capture. If I’m hard-pressed, I think I see a little more detail in the S23 Ultra’s images compared to the iPhone 14 Pro’s, which uses a pixel-binning sensor with a lower 48-megapixel resolution.
The iPhone goes for a little harder contrast, while Samsung embraces more saturated colors and brighter shadows, occasionally straying into HDR-gone-wrong territory. The S23 Ultra (left) tries to bring some blue to the sky while the iPhone 14 Pro (right) lets the highlights blow out.
In between these two focal lengths and beyond 10x, the phone uses AI-powered Space Zoom to fill in the gaps (read as: to make an educated guess about what’s there). Low-light photos are generally fine, though I saw a couple of weird things happen in particularly challenging situations.
In back-to-back portrait photos of my toddler taken at a Mexican restaurant, he looks distinctly orange in one and incredibly pale in the very next shot. Maybe the colored walls and light sources threw the camera for a loop, but whatever the reason, it took the photo seriously off the rails.
It’s hands down the winner when it comes to subject isolation and manages to hang on to incredibly fine details like individual hairs.
But it’s more than good enough to grab clips of a very active toddler, and I didn’t hear any complaints about video quality from his grandparents. The Google Pixel 7 Pro is probably the closest competition, but it feels like an entirely different experience in comparison. But it lacks all of the optical zoom power of the Ultra, the stylus, and — surprisingly — comes with one less year of Android OS upgrades.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Ultra Review: Cruise Control
Just a few weeks ago, I reviewed Samsung’s Galaxy A14 5G, calling it a phenomenal phone that costs a mere $200, proving that you really don’t need to pay heaving wads of dough to get a great smartphone. Samsung’s Galaxy S23 lineup (which also includes the S23+, a model I haven’t tested yet) are not game-changing devices in the least—and most people don’t need all these high-end cameras and tremendous horsepower.
It’s nice not having to squint at a dim screen on a sunny day, and to have the ability to play a demanding game at its highest fidelity. If you’re coming from a Galaxy S22 or S21 or any other flagship device released within the last two years, these new Samsung handsets don’t really give you a reason to upgrade.
What you can’t quite find out by reading specs are how these phones feel—the 6.1-inch S23 is my personal favorite because it fits my hands and most of the screen remains fairly accessible when I want to use it one-handed.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Review: The King of Extra
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. But after using the Galaxy S23 Ultra for several days, it’s clear the new camera upholds the areas in which Samsung already excels — like low-light photography — and pushes those strengths a little further.
Samsung largely achieves its goal of providing a deluxe phone with an excellent camera and giant display. Samsung added a 200-megapixel sensor for the first time, marking a technical upgrade from the S22 Ultra’s 108-megapixel main shooter.
With the S23 Ultra, you have the option to shoot photos at a 12-megapixel, 50-megapixel or 200-megapixel resolution, which you can adjust in the settings menu alongside the camera’s viewfinder. Shooting in raw allows photographers to edit the full, uncompressed version of an image, giving them more flexibility and data to work with in terms of colors and exposure.
Under-the-hood improvements to color, dynamic range, autofocus and low-light performance seem more meaningful than the resolution bump. Samsung said when announcing the S23 Ultra that its new image sensor is better at minimizing noise, and that its algorithms have gotten better at enhancing color tones and details.
You can still see changes in how the camera processes color, skin tone and dynamic range even at this lower resolution. In the photos of sweets arranged in a baker’s display case below, the S23 Ultra captured more detail on the strawberries in the top row.
In the pictures below, my husband preferred the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s photo over the more natural-looking image from the Pixel 7 Pro because it made his beard and eyes look more vibrant. The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s photo is too soft, while the Pixel 7 Pro’s looked like it had a bluish filter over it when I viewed it on a large screen.
Video recording on the Galaxy S23 Ultra was upgraded to 8K at 30 frames per second, whereas it previously topped out at 24fps when shooting at that resolution. Samsung also increased the field of view when recording 8K video, which is very noticeable compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Even though Google provides more natural color in still photography, I experienced the opposite when it comes to recording video. The Galaxy S23 Ultra generally captured more realistic color and sharpness compared to the Pixel 7 Pro during my testing. When testing the video capabilities of each phone, I recorded clips at the highest supported resolution and frame rate. Samsung also highlighted the S23 Ultra’s new 12-megapixel selfie camera when announcing the phone, which it said separates the subject from the background better for more clarity.
The improvements to color and dynamic range are noticeable as well, and Samsung fans upgrading from a phone that’s at least two years old will likely see a major difference. The Galaxy S23 Ultra runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which isn’t surprising considering Samsung typically uses the latest Qualcomm chip for its new phones. Samsung calls it the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, and it’s essentially a special version of the processor that’s been optimized for better performance and power efficiency.
The S23 Ultra feels fast and snappy, whether I’m just swiping around the operating system, playing games while on a video call or running Samsung’s Dex program to use my phone as a PC. I plugged my S23 Ultra into an external monitor, attached a keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth and had five apps running, including Google Docs, to take notes for this review. You’ll also get double the storage that’s in the base model of the Galaxy S23 Ultra (256GB versus 128GB), which gives you more space to store those video projects.
Samsung’s new phone also scored higher than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Pixel 7 Pro and OnePlus 11 5G on benchmarks meant to test computing power in everyday tasks and in apps that require short bursts of high performance, like mobile games. The iPhone 14 Pro, however, scored higher than the S23 Ultra on the general computing benchmark (Geekbench 5) but lower on the one that measures brief periods of high intensity (3DMark Wild Life Extreme). In this scenario, I used the phone to take photos, record a few videos, check email, browse social media and stream music for about 15 minutes. (During this test, I kept the brightness at 50%, left the high refresh rate setting turned on and switched off the always-on display.) That’s not bad, but it would be great to see Samsung push things further now that companies like OnePlus and Xiaomi are offering upwards of 100-watt fast charging. But if you do a lot of reading, gaming, photo editing and TV watching on your phone and don’t mind stretching your fingers for one-handed use, you’ll likely appreciate the extra screen space.
Samsung’s Ultra lineup has effectively replaced the Galaxy Note series, which was previously known for its large screens and embedded stylus. I don’t usually use the S Pen frequently, but I found myself jotting down notes during the course of this review more than I had expected.
Samsung also once again commits to four generations of Android OS upgrades, which is on par with the OnePlus 11 and surpasses Google’s three-year promise for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. One extra feature you get by going for the Ultra or Plus instead of the regular model is ultrawideband support, which makes it easier to connect to nearby devices more precisely than Bluetooth. UWB isn’t a necessity, but it can make sharing files or using your phone as a digital car key faster and easier. This is a phone for people actively seeking features like large screens and versatile cameras that are willing to pay top dollar for them.
But you also get certain extras like the S Pen, more storage at the base level, a slightly larger screen and a better zoom lens. But in my experience, the behind-the-scenes upgrades Samsung made to the way the camera captures color, skin tones and dynamic range are a more welcome improvement than increased sharpness alone. If you want a giant screen, a great camera and are upgrading from a phone that’s more than two years old, you won’t be disappointed with the S23 Ultra. 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: indomitable showman
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.
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