Whether I’m at a concert or enjoying a romantic night out, the Galaxy S23+ never fails to deliver epic content. Whether I’m posting on social media or printing my favorite memories, the Galaxy S23+ always does the moment justice. The Galaxy S23+ boasts the fastest mobile processor available, allowing me to switch between apps smoothly and effortlessly. With the fastest processor ever combined with massive internal storage, I can game at full throttle without any lag or interruptions.
With its impressive 4,700mAh battery, I can confidently binge-watch my favorite shows, game for hours on end, or surf the web without worrying about my phone dying on me.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE review: A good phone overall but not without its quirks
It is pretty surprising because the Galaxy S21 FE garnered considerable popularity for offering some high-end features at an affordable price point. The Galaxy S23 FE follows in its predecessor’s footsteps, adhering to the same success formula while aiming to capture even more attention. However, the new Galaxy S23 FE version has been announced at a considerably higher price point, leaving people confused about whether this 5G phone would be a worthy purchase.
While the glass back with a glossy finish offers a solid in-hand feel, I feared using it without a case because the camera bump is a little prominent and could attain scratches when the phone is kept on a flat surface. But, do keep in mind that the device already feels a bit bulky, and slapping a case at the back panel adds extra weight to it. People who are used to this won’t have much of an issue with one-hand usage, but curved edges and a slightly slimmer profile would have offered a better grip on the phone. Samsung is offering the phone in muted colours with silver metal frames that make it look stunning. The build quality is pretty solid and I like the fact that Samsung incorporates its logo at the back in a very subtle manner, unlike some phones in the market.
The bonus point here is that the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE has an IP68 water-resistant rating, which means one does not have to worry about it getting damaged during the rainy season.
This time around, there is adaptive refresh rate support, meaning the device automatically switches between 60Hz to 120Hz based on the content.
This doesn’t seem to save battery life, but the high refresh rate did offer a smooth scrolling experience on social media apps and User Interface (UI). One notable feature of Samsung phones, including the S23 FE, that I appreciate is the ability to reduce screen brightness to nearly zero levels.
This allows users to adjust the display’s brightness, making it comfortable for nighttime use and preventing eye strain. The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is powered by the company’s in-house Exynos 2200 chipset, which is a potent hardware but not the fastest in the market. The camera app also delivers the output quickly without taking time and the shutter speed is also fast.
This is the case with general usage involving, calling, texting/scrolling on social media apps, and watching a few short videos on YouTube.
This is fine and should not be much of an issue for people because demanding games like Genshin Impact have very heavy graphics and require more power, putting a lot of pressure on the phone to deliver the output. As you can see, the 50-megapixel camera delivered shots with vibrant colours, high contrast and seemingly accurate white balance.
The shots have plenty of details and a lot of small things in different parts of the frame are very clearly visible after fully zooming in on the pictures on the laptop. While the low light shots are not as good as the flagship S23 Plus, the night mode is able to render brighter images and vibrant colours.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 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 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.
Amazon.com: SAMSUNG Galaxy S23 Ultra Cell Phone, Unlocked Android Smartphone, 512GB, 200MP Camera, S Pen, Night Mode, Record 8K Video, Long Battery Life, Fastest Mobile Processor, US Version, 2023, Ph
Whether I’m at a concert or enjoying a romantic night out, the Galaxy S23+ never fails to deliver epic content. Whether I’m posting on social media or printing my favorite memories, the Galaxy S23+ always does the moment justice. The Galaxy S23+ boasts the fastest mobile processor available, allowing me to switch between apps smoothly and effortlessly.
With the fastest processor ever combined with massive internal storage, I can game at full throttle without any lag or interruptions.
With its impressive 4,700mAh battery, I can confidently binge-watch my favorite shows, game for hours on end, or surf the web without worrying about my phone dying on me.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: The boss of Android
If you took rock and roll legend Bruce Springsteen and squished him into a pocket-sized glass rectangle, you’d probably get the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. It carries a vibrant 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel made of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 with waterfall edges that are just a little less dramatic than before.
Further, the Galaxy S23 Ultra features an Armor Aluminum frame with flat edges on the top and bottom, as well as the power button and volume rocker on the right side. The main feature punctuating the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s glass slab design is Samsung’s premium camera array. It offers a solid update commitment, a powerful trio of rear cameras, and next-level image processing from the Tensor G2 chipset at a sub-$1,000 price. Sure, they’ll require you to tread the iOS waters, but the notch is gone, and the 12MP primary camera has made way for a powerful 48MP version.
It’s available from Samsung directly, all the major US carriers, and other third-party retailers in four colors: Phantom Black, Lavender, Cream, and Green (pictured in this review). If you buy from Samsung, you can also choose from four additional exclusive colors: Red, Graphite, Lime Green, and Sky Blue.
For what appears to be a limited time, those who buy from Samsung directly also get a free storage upgrade as well as instant credit towards accessories like chargers or earbuds.
As soon as you open the box, you’re greeted by a vast slab of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 in your color of choice with a shiny Armor Aluminum frame in a matching hue. There aren’t many design choices to note on the clean, simple back, which is punctuated only by a Samsung logo and five cutouts for the elements of the camera array. The Armor Aluminum rails have a little more substance, while the waterfall edges are a little less precarious, making them easier to hold without accidental touches.
Despite its sideways squish, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra isn’t thicker than its predecessor either, so it won’t take up extra room in your pocket. One note on the beloved stylus; the most significant change this year is that all four base colors come with a black S Pen, accented only by its color-matched tip. Maybe it’s the soft texture of the finish or the slight camera bumps, but I never worried about the Galaxy S23 Ultra getting into any danger when placed on a surface. My usage was pretty mixed during testing, with some gaming, video streaming, hours of Spotify listening via Bluetooth and the built-in speakers, and a dose of social media scrolling in my downtime.
Considering my already good results, I’m hopeful that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will continue to improve as the battery learns my routine. The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s passive drain is noticeable with the always-on display active, around 7% overnight, but you can cut that in half if you turn the feature off.
Our extensive testing has shown that the Galaxy S23 Ultra can sustain its top 45W speeds for longer — around 10 minutes instead of closer to two. Gone are many of the thermal concerns (thank you, TSMC manufacturing) associated with the toasty Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, and what remains is a delicate balance between power and efficiency — one that can be enjoyed the world over, as there’s no Galaxy S23 Ultra Exynos model in sight. We go much deeper into the changes on Qualcomm’s latest chipset in our Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 deep dive, so I’d recommend giving that a read if you want the full nerdy details.
This strategy resembles Qualcomm’s mid-cycle “Plus” flagship chips, though it remains to be seen if we’ll get a non-Samsung-exclusive Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 2 processor later in 2023. For reference, the Galaxy S22 Ultra posted a top score of 9,926 on a single run — a 39% jump in peak GPU performance. The reduced performance under load might lead to better battery life, even if it doesn’t add up to Samsung’s powerhouse billing.
Given the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy marketing push, you’d be forgiven for expecting premium, sustained power, instead of the steep drops seen in the GPU stress tests. Yes, it’s more stable in the long run than the erratic OnePlus 11 and has a higher peak than the REDMAGIC 8 Pro, but it’s a far cry from the latter’s spot-on consistency. Like its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra kicks off with 8GB of RAM in the base model — not our favorite decision. I haven’t come close to filling the 512GB of storage on our review unit, despite taking the Galaxy S23 Ultra on several trips as my go-to camera phone.
Samsung often sets the bar for the best camera phones, combining premium hardware, in-depth controls, and just enough processing for pleasing images in all conditions. All three match the camera specs of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, enabling up to 100x Space Zoom for long-distance shots or a 120-degree field of view for your ultrawide snaps.
It rolled out a nearly 1GB update in March and April, which improved the autofocus and shutter speed options, allowing you to capture images before the camera has had time to focus. Unlike the Google Pixel line, which mostly asks you to press the shutter and let the phone do the rest, the Galaxy S23 Ultra gives you the freedom to tweak ISO, aperture, and much more right out of the box.
It taps into the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s full 200MP sensor with many of the pro-level controls mentioned above while letting you export in the RAW format (also available via the regular “Pro” mode for use with advanced photo editing apps. As the new kid in an otherwise familiar crowd, I spent most of my time putting the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 200MP primary camera through its paces. There aren’t too many sunny days in Pennsylvania this time of year, but that didn’t stop the Galaxy S23 Ultra from delivering excellent results over and over again. The pixel-binned images preserved detail exceptionally well, and Samsung’s color profile is mostly accurate, even if it still likes to boost reds and greens.
The brick wall next to the mural is also a bit punchier than reality, though that image is a good example of the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s finer details. Despite the wider field of view, small details like tree branches remain distinct at the bottom right, and the graffiti on the band shell is easy to make out. None of this should come as a surprise, given that the telephoto lenses are unchanged from the Galaxy S22 Ultra, though there’s a slight shift in the color profile as you zoom beyond the default lengths. You can make out tiny flecks in the stone around the letter L, and the words Franklin & Marshall have visible brush strokes from being repainted. It’s not easy to control a camera zoomed in at 100x, but the stabilization makes up for shaky hands in cold February weather. It easily identified shapes like the clock tower and the tree topper, nailing every edge and applying just enough bokeh for a pleasing result.
Sure, identifying Benjamin Franklin and his human form is a little easier, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra didn’t stutter toward the bottom of the frame where his shoulders end, either. We were particularly curious to see how the Galaxy S23 Ultra would handle low light and night shots with its monstrous megapixel count.
For example, the man walking his dog wasn’t exactly willing to stand still through the Night Mode timer, and neither were the trees above the church in the bottom row. I also noticed that while the Galaxy S23 Ultra balances the highlights and exposure with the lightbulbs in the image to the right, it didn’t cut down on the purple glow around them.
Night Mode also only applies to the ultrawide camera and the primary sensor, so you might have to do some zooming with your feet if you want a closer shot in the twilight hours. Just be aware that if you plan to record at higher resolutions, you may want to factor a storage upgrade into your purchase as 8K video will quickly eat up all your space.
Display: Capping off the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s massive footprint is Samsung’s 6.8-inch Quad HD+ (3,088 x 1,440) AMOLED panel, which hasn’t lost an ounce of quality. Capping off the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s massive footprint is Samsung’s 6.8-inch Quad HD+ (3,088 x 1,440) AMOLED panel, which hasn’t lost an ounce of quality. Software: The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra arrived with Android 13 right out of the box, running the One UI 5.1 skin on top. Smartphones are increasingly becoming an important central piece to a larger tech puzzle for most buyers, and Samsung’s flagship slots in very nicely indeed.
Smartphones are increasingly becoming an important central piece to a larger tech puzzle for most buyers, and Samsung’s flagship slots in very nicely indeed. It’s not as secure as Apple’s Face ID as Samsung’s solution doesn’t rely on any extra biometric hardware, but it works well enough for unlocking your phone if you have dirty hands.
It’s not as secure as Apple’s Face ID as Samsung’s solution doesn’t rely on any extra biometric hardware, but it works well enough for unlocking your phone if you have dirty hands. It supports a set of air actions for media, which include single and double presses to play or skip songs.
It supports a set of air actions for media, which include single and double presses to play or skip songs.
This is easily one of the loudest phones I’ve ever used, achieving excellent volume from the earpiece and down-firing unit with no distortion, even at the highest setting.
This is easily one of the loudest phones I’ve ever used, achieving excellent volume from the earpiece and down-firing unit with no distortion, even at the highest setting. Other brands have begun to improve their commitments to match Samsung, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra continues to set the standard with its strong reputation for timeliness of updates.
So far, we’ve seen a few patches hit the Galaxy S23 Ultra, with our unit currently sitting on the November 1, 2023 security update and having picked up Android 14. Aside from the questionable 8GB of RAM on the base model, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a glaring omission or even a slight blemish on the spec sheet, so you’re certainly getting what you pay for. However, the rest of the pack — both Android and iOS — is catching up with enough powerful competitors that you might find somewhere else to spend your money. Like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the design hasn’t changed a ton, though the Contour Cut camera bump is a thing of the past. It doesn’t offer the same elite-tier camera suite, but it matches its high-end partner with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 45W wired charging, and plenty of storage without a measly 128GB base model. It makes some sacrifices — 25W wired charging and 128GB of storage on the base model — but the 6.1-inch AMOLED display is perfectly pocketable and comfortable to hold.
Many of the software tweaks and wrinkles are the same, too, so it’s an easy phone to recommend if you want the premium Samsung experience in a much, much more portable package. Samsung calls its updated experience the Flex Window, and it now offers enough space for full-sized apps and a much better camera preview interface.
It brings a uniquely tailored version of Android with a toolbar and other tweaks and offers S Pen support for stylus-inclined users. Perhaps the best example is Google’s Pixel 8 Pro ($999 at Amazon), with its light, fast Android skin, incredible image processing, and lower price tag. Where the Pixel 7 Pro leans on Google to do much of the thinking for you, the Galaxy S23 Ultra prefers to put you in complete control. The Tensor G2 does have its flaws, but the Pixel 7 Pro massively undercuts the Galaxy S23 Ultra in price without sacrificing much from the overall experience.
We also fell in love with Motorola’s 67W TurboPower charging, which is the fastest you’ll find in the US on a phone not labeled OnePlus. Motorola is slowly catching up in terms of software updates, too, with the Edge Plus finally scheduled for three full Android versions. We have to give Motorola some credit, as its My UX remains light and smooth rather than adding extra features and bloating the experience. Buyers now get a programmable Action Button, a USB-C charging port, the updated A17 chipset, and a new pink colorway option.
Factor in a premium — if familiar — design, excellent performance, and battery life for days, and it’s easy to see why the Galaxy S23 Ultra deserves its place at the top. Samsung’s excellent update commitment and connectivity standards will keep its flagship feeling fresh for years to come, and the high-end materials will put up with more than their share of wear and tear.
Its combination of size, power, and flexibility continues to set the Android gold standard for a do-it-all flagship, no matter the price. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is made of fairly durable materials, but as with any expensive flagship we’d always recommend buying a case to protect your investment.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 256GB (Unlocked) Phantom Black SM-S918UZKAXAA
I like that the phone knows when a spam call is coming in and tells me so i dont pick it up. Only issue ive had with the ear buds is sometimes people say it sounds like im talking in a tunnel far away & then i must switch to speaker to be heard properly.
Thephone is a good size much larger than my old S10+ though i found very limited protective covers for it at Best Buy. You cant use non- Samsung products for the back covers due to the camera lenses.
All the ones i tried would block a lens partially and i sure didnt want to damage the phone at the pric÷i paide $ 1100. Their just isnt much out there yet at Best Buy for this model phone to put it in a wallet type cover w strap so you cant drop it.
I was hoping to figure out how to use the pento take photos so yo didnt have to hold the phone.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Smartphone
This flagship smartphone is an absolute powerhouse, combining top-notch performance, stunning design, and an array of innovative features that truly set it apart from the competition. The large, vibrant Super AMOLED panel with an incredibly high resolution brings content to life with stunning clarity and rich colors.
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: 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. Indoors, I saw a tendency to flatten dynamic range in a way that turns bright whites slightly gray. 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. 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.
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