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.
Daftar HP Kamera 200 MP, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Foto Bulan Detail
Sempat viral konten tentang hasil foto kamera Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra yang menampilkan gambar bulan dengan sangat detail. Ponsel pintar (smartphone) ini memiliki kamera 200 megapiksel (MP). I don’t know who needs to take a 100x photo of the moon, but clearly the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the phone for you pic.twitter.com/IIe33Vr6rI — Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) February 7, 2023
Setidaknya ada enam jenis gawai yang memiliki kamera 200 MP. Infinix Zero Ultra diluncurkan di Indonesia pada 6 Oktober 2022. Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus diluncurkan secara global pada Oktober tahun lalu.
Customer Reviews: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 512GB (Unlocked) Green SM-S918UZGFXAA
It has a much less intrusive punch-hole camera, a super fluid 120Hz OLED, an in-screen fingerprint reader, can record 8K30 video, has a 10X zoom camera, a pressure sensitive stylus pen, a physical SIM card slot, full USB-C support that lets you connect a monitor, an external drive, transfer files of all types, use DEX, and fast charge the phone. The Android OS is fast, smooth and lets you place icons anywhere you want (ios idiotically pulls them to the top making it annoying to arrange) and you can customize a LOT of things to your liking such as having a 4K60 HDR video as your lock screen.
If you don’t want that overprocessed phone look on your photos, use the Expert RAW app with Adobe Lightroom to take full advantage of the excellent camera system.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Review
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a smartphone that does it all; it has one of the best displays, a top-notch stylus experience, blisteringly fast performance and a camera setup that beats just about anything in the flagship arena right now. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra remains the benchmark in the Android smartphone market a number of months after launch, offering the most complete flagship experience. Combine that with a trio of other rear-facing lenses, a gorgeous 6.8-inch dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate, Qualcomm’s exclusive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset and a 5000mAh battery, and you’ve got a serious competitor for the smartphone of the year. Samsung’s place at the top of the Android game is also aided by a lack of similar competition available in global markets.
It’s still pretty hefty, meaning it will remain unwieldy when using it one-handed, though it does sit a little nicer in hand with the reduced curvature on the edges. It doesn’t actually measure much larger than competing phones like the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but due to the boxy design, it just feels bigger in the hand – for better or worse.
The Galaxy S Pen stylus is present and accounted for, again found embedded within the body of the S23 Ultra for convenience, which will pop out with a simple press, and it remains a key feature exclusive to the top-end model. You can also use the stylus as a remote capture button when taking group shots, and if you simply hate typing, you can use Samsung’s handwriting-to-text tech to turn your scribbles into legible text. It’s undoubtedly one of the main reasons to opt for the Galaxy S23 Ultra compared to other big-screen flagships – that and the impressive cameras, but I’ll get to that in a bit. In fact, the S23 Ultra’s design is now the default across the range with the S23 and S23 Plus ditching the contour camera housing for a similarly minimalistic look. Simply put, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s new 200MP snapper truly surpassed my expectations when it came to photography performance, both in well-lit and low-light conditions, with the latter delivering some of the best results I’ve seen from a smartphone to date. Shots were well-lit with impressive HDR performance that brought notable gains to detail to the darkest and lightest areas of photos taken, with enough colour to look vibrant without looking too contrast-heavy and fake.
And, with the combination of laser and multi-directional PDAF autofocus, shots were always in-focus – something that can’t be said for all smartphone snappers, especially in low light. The trio of other lenses gives unparalleled versatility when it comes to mobile photography, allowing you to get as close or as far from your subject as you like with the option of up to 100x digital zoom to capture the moon on clear nights.
Of course, that’s also a storage hog, so most people will likely drop down to 4K or even 1080p where the camera benefits from better image stabilisation and better performance in low-light environments.
It does this in an attempt to provide the best possible image, but it causes a stuttering effect with slightly different lens crops that makes videos jarring to watch. Flip the phone over and you’ll find a 12MP camera that, on paper, sounds like a downgrade compared to the 40MP selfie snapper of the S22 Ultra – but it’s far from it. As the name suggests, it’s exclusive to Samsung devices, with the chipmaker claiming it boasts a slightly higher CPU clock speed as well as gains in graphics performance and power efficiency.
There is a slight gain when it comes to graphics performance with a score of 3766 in the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme GPU test, compared to 3532 of the OnePlus 11, and it’s a similar story in GFXBench too. It really is a top-tier experience and something that I expect to continue with later versions of Android due to the sheer power on offer from the chipset. The audio experience is surprisingly decent with stereo speaker support that helps make videos more immersive when watching without headphones, and it can get pretty loud too, though it’s more tailored to voices and movies than the latest chart-topping bangers.
The phone also boasts the company’s special high-res Samsung Seamless Codec – though only if you’ve got the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro handy. There are tweaks compared to stock Android, most notable in areas like the Settings app and the notification shade with visually different layouts, but these are mainly for the good of the experience on offer. It even offers exclusive features like the ability to reply to incoming calls via text using nothing but your voice, but these are handy additions rather than must-haves.
That beats Google’s Pixel promise of 3 OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates, and that company literally develops the Android operating system. With all that going on, I’ve only had the S23 Ultra hit the 20% mark once, with the phone usually ending the day with something closer to 40% charge on average. That’s a comfortable all-day smartphone that definitely alleviated my battery anxiety, though I don’t think it’d squeeze to a full two days without compromising on battery-hungry features like the high resolution and always-on display.
The upgraded camera offering is undoubtedly the star of the show, with a new main 200MP snapper with advanced features like 16-in-1 pixel binning and the ability to individually enhance separate sections of photos delivering consistently impressive results with very little effort from the user. That’s backed up by capable ultra-wide and telephoto lenses that give the S23 Ultra a level of versatility hard for the competition to match. There are certain complaints, like relatively slow 45W charging, a rather bulky design compared to other big-screen phones and one of the most expensive price tags for a non-foldable, but the overall experience is unmatched right now.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra benchmark results ‹ Geekbench 5 single core Geekbench 5 multi core 1 hour video playback (Netflix, HDR) 30 minute gaming (light) Time from 0-100% charge Time from 0-50% charge 30-min recharge (no charger included) 15-min recharge (no charger included) 3D Mark – Wild Life 3D Mark – Wild Life Stress Test GFXBench – Aztec Ruins GFXBench – Car Chase Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 1489 4527 7 % 5 % 91 min 28 Min 51 % 28 % 3766 3726 55 fps 68 fps ›
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: 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
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. It stands apart from its less-expensive stablemates because of its squared-off design, built-in S Pen, and extra cameras. 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 $1,164.99 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 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 still includes four lenses, three of which haven’t changed, but the primary sensor now has enough megapixels to fill an army of budget phones. 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.
You can also set different wallpapers for your home and lock screen depending on your current activity (work, sport, etc.). 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. 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. 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 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.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: Understated grandeur
It’s got a better-than-usual processor upgrade, up to 2-day battery life, years of software updates in tow, and the power of the Galaxy ecosystem behind it. Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. I say this is ironic because Samsung spent the entirety of the unveiling presentation in January talking about how good the camera is. Additionally, Samsung offers the Galaxy S23 Plus, a phone that’s cheaper than the S23 Ultra but larger than the smaller S23, delivering a sort of Goldilocks balance between the two. Buying a Galaxy S23 from Samsung.com will give you additional color options including Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, and Red. The display is the same that you’ll find on the Galaxy S22 Ultra which means it’s super bright, ultra-crisp, and includes great features like Vision Booster to ensure you’re getting the best clarity any mobile phone will deliver. The edges of the screen are much less curved than last year, making it easier to write close to the side with the S Pen. That also means that curved screen protectors aren’t as susceptible to lifted edges over time.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra introduces subtle changes including a reduced screen curve and flatter edges for better grip. Instead of a perfect half circle — as it was on the S22 Ultra — the S23 UItra’s sides are totally flat but still feature a nice curve into the top and bottom of the phone. Swipe to scroll horizontally Spec Galaxy S23 Ultra Chipset Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Devices Display 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 3088×1440, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz) with 240Hz touch sampling, 1,750 nits peak brightness Memory 8 or 12GB Storage 256GB/512GB/1TB Main rear camera 200MP, ƒ/1.7 Telephoto camera 10MP, ƒ/2.4, 3x optical zoom Telephoto camera 2 10MP, ƒ/4.9, 10x optical zoom Ultra-wide angle camera 12MP, ƒ/2.2 Front Camera 12MP, ƒ/2.2 Battery 5,000mAh, 45W Fast Charging, 15W Wireless Charging, 5W reverse wireless charging Updates Up to Android 17, Security through 2028 Security Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor Connectivity Wi-Fi 6E, sub-6 and mmWave 5G, UWB, NFC, AptX HD S Pen 
microSD card slot 
3.5mm headphone jack Dimensions 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm Weight 234 g Colors Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender Protection IP68, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 By the time it comes out, many Samsung phones will have already begun to receive the update, but that doesn’t make it any less important for folks picking up the S23 Ultra.
The headliner feature, for me, is the new Bixby Text Call which was previously only available in South Korea for the past few months. It’s as easy as long-pressing on a subject in the Samsung Gallery app and using the context buttons that pop up to take an action.
Speaking of Apple, now that Apple is including proper lock screen customization in iOS 16, Samsung is bringing back more lock screen customization options including filters, fonts, clock styles, and more. McAfee is even included if you’re worried about malware, adding to the repertoire of ways to prevent your phone from getting infected if you love to download questionable apps. Google and Samsung continue to cozy up more as the Galaxy S23 Ultra launches with a few new ways to enjoy using Google Meet including enhanced video resolution, better background noise canceling, live sharing, and even editing Samsung Notes in real-time. It’s still small and less comfortable to use than the S Pen Pro but, of course, it’s included for free with the phone and sits nicely in the holster, making it ultra-convenient to use. I never once found that the pen would slip off the edge while writing near the margins, which isn’t something I’ve been able to say with Note-style phones for a long time. It works similarly to last year’s photo remaster function but this time with support for animated pictures, of course. All you do is edit a GIF in the gallery and start drawing on it, then you can adjust where your artwork fits in the timeline and hit save.
It may sound ridiculous to say that in 2023 when smartphone performance seems almost meaningless and most phones offer good enough battery life, but it’s true. It also doesn’t turn into molten lava when trying to play a game for more than 20 minutes, a vast improvement alone over last year’s phones. Over a period of roughly half an hour, that framerate will drop to a solid 30 FPS and never again rise until the phone has adequate time to cool off.
When playing the same game with the same settings on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Fortnite runs at a solid 60 FPS and never dips below that speed even after an hour and a half of playtime. Similarly, gorgeous games like Genshin Impact run at a locked 60 FPS without notable dips in most areas. If you’re nearer the end of the game and are in some of the more detailed areas you might see it drop a few frames but, overall, the performance here is incredibly impressive. While both the S23 Ultra and phones like the OnePlus 10T remove all worries of battery anxiety, they both accomplish that task for different reasons.
The S23 Ultra might have a battery that lasts a long time but, if you end up forgetting to charge it and have to leave the house in 10 minutes, you might still be in trouble. That’s because Samsung’s charging speeds are still incredibly slow when compared to a lot of other modern smartphones — the iPhone excluded, of course. Samsung spent an extraordinary amount of time talking up the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s video recording capabilities at the unveiling in early February. Unlike the full-resolution shot on most phones, Samsung still uses proper multi-frame capture so you don’t end up with photos that have poor shadow detail or overblown skies.
Typically, when the Galaxy S23 Ultra messed up a shot, it would overexpose the scene and cause a loss of detail because something was blown out. Sadly, the new options in the Camera Assistant app that help reduce shutter speed and the time it takes to actually capture a photo don’t help with these issues. On the software front, Samsung continues to upgrade its manual camera modes and “Nightography” options. It’s impressive, to say the least, and lets you get the power of RAW post-editing without sacrificing the positives that multi-frame capture brings, namely the extra dynamic range.
Google’s astrophotography mode might be a little more user-friendly — Google’s is totally automated but you’ll have to download the additional Expert RAW app on the Galaxy and manually enable astrophotography mode — but Samsung offers more capture options and the ability to better tweak the final output via the RAW format. Both Andrew Myrick and I agree that the criticism here is overly silly and that it doesn’t matter if these photos are 100% “real” or not.
Rather, the face has been reconstructed using pictures from multiple cameras on the back paired with an AI algorithm that sharpens it and makes features clearer. Last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra might be a better pick if you’re still interested in Samsung’s particular camera expertise — portrait mode, video capture, and manual camera control, specifically — but don’t need the latest and greatest mobile processor and 2-day battery life.
If you’re just looking for a new Samsung phone with the latest and greatest mobile processor, excellent battery life, and new features, the Galaxy S23 or S23 Plus will save you some money by getting rid of the S Pen and the extra telephoto camera. So long as the camera inconsistencies and issues with capturing motion don’t bother you, this is the new king of Android phones.
Even still, the potential of a camera fix coming at the end of March highlights what mere software updates can do for a phone. It also doesn’t get hot or drop performance over time like last year’s processor did, all while running games twice as fast in most cases.
Be First to Comment