Samsung broke its own sales record in the United States with the launch of Galaxy S23 Ultra in February 2023. While the design remains unchanged, the phone comes packed with upgraded internal hardware, including a new 200MP camera, longer battery life, and astrophotography mode. Here’s a closer look at the improvements.
Design
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s rectangular design pays homage to the discontinued Galaxy Note line while offering a larger screen, perfect for browsing, apps, movies, and gaming. With an elegant and beautiful look, the Ultra line’s style has been updated for a more comfortable grip. However, it’s important to note that this phone is still a sizable device. As a fan of larger screens, I find the Ultra line to be a great fit for my needs.
The S23 Ultra’s larger size isn’t a problem for those accustomed to screens over 6 inches, but it may take some getting used to for others. The device features scratch-resistant aluminum edges and a base that houses the USB-C port, GSM chip tray, S Pen input, and one speaker.
Available in red, green, cream, black, and violet, the phone’s beauty is undeniable, regardless of the color chosen. Registering both thumbs with the fingerprint sensor under the screen provides easy system access. Once you’ve made the switch to a larger model, it’s hard to go back.
The Korean company reports the weight of the Galaxy S23 Ultra at 234 grams, but in everyday use, it feels lighter. This makes it comfortable to play games like Fortnite, Asphalt 9, Mortal Kombat, and others without causing hand pain over time.
Screen
The Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a 6.8-inch 2x Super AMOLED display with a maximum QHD+/WQHD resolution of 1440 x 3088 pixels, providing an unparalleled visual experience on a smartphone.
The screen features a 120Hz refresh rate that enhances activities like gaming, social media browsing, and video watching, with a peak brightness that adjusts to different environments.
Eye comfort, a feature found in gaming monitors, has also been included. The screen can be set to various resolutions, including HD+, FHD+, and QWHD+.
The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for added drop protection.
Battery
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s battery life is impressive, thanks to software optimizations and a new energy-efficient Qualcomm processor, despite having the same 5,000 mAh battery as the previous model. It can last a whole day without any concern. However, battery life may vary depending on individual usage.
The S23 Ultra can support up to 45W chargers, but it is bundled with a 25W charger, so you will need to purchase a faster charger separately. It takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to fully charge.
Performance
Samsung’s partnership with Qualcomm led to the development of the first processor exclusively for the Galaxy S23 line, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. With 30% more CPU power, 40% more GPU power, and over 40% processing power in AI tasks, this phone can handle multiple applications without any system overload or crashes.
The S23 Ultra comes with 12GB of RAM and also has the “RAM Plus” feature, which allows up to 8GB of virtual RAM for better performance, making it a reliable device for any user.
While playing Fortnite and using the camera for a while, the front camera area of the screen heats up, but it doesn’t cause significant discomfort.
The Snapdragon Game Post Processing Accelerator provides a special filter for better gaming experience, adding brightness, depth of field, and motion blur without any loss of performance.
System and interface
Samsung’s One UI 5.1 comes with Android 13, offering features like Modes to customize settings for different activities, SmartThings to control connected devices, and AI-powered personalization. Plus, Samsung guarantees system updates for the S23 line until 2028.
Front Camera
Let’s begin by discussing one of the key features of Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra premium smartphone, its front camera. The device comes with a 12 MP f/2.2, 25mm wide lens, which is a significant downgrade from the 40 MP camera in the Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, this reduction in megapixels is compensated for by additional camera hardware and software optimizations that enhance the quality of selfies taken with the device.
The portrait mode on the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s front camera is very intelligent and captures even the tiniest details, which can be smoothed out using camera settings if needed. Once the image is captured, it takes approximately five seconds for image processing before the final images are available. You can choose from nine different background options including:
- Blur
- Studio
- High Monochrome
- Low Monochrome
- Background
- Color Point
- Big Circle
- Rotate
- Zoom
The camera’s ability to capture details is truly amazing, making it ideal for those who frequently take portraits and post on Instagram Stories. The smartphone’s low-light performance is impressive, and it automatically adjusts to provide the best selfie capture in dimly lit environments. This feature was also present in previous Galaxy S models.
Moreover, the device’s front camera offers portrait mode video recording, with four different background options to choose from. The 12 MP front camera captures high-quality videos that can be shared instantly.
In summary, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s front camera, despite having fewer megapixels than its predecessor, offers impressive performance, thanks to additional hardware and software optimizations. Its low-light performance, intelligent portrait mode, and background options make it ideal for taking high-quality selfies and videos.
Rear cameras
The Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a set of rear cameras, including a 200 MP sensor, a periscope telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom, a traditional telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and an ultra-wide lens, accompanied by an infrared sensor for depth sensing.
With these cameras and lenses, users have a wide range of options to capture photos and videos, including features like Director’s mode, Pro mode, and astrophotography mode. The 200 MP sensor combines pixels to improve lighting in photos and Nightography mode offers improved night photography. Additionally, the smartphone can record in 8K.
While the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Galaxy S23 Ultra are similar, the S23 Ultra has exclusive features such as the second 10x optical zoom telephoto lens. With advanced software and AI technology, Samsung’s latest smartphone is the perfect device for content creation.
Other functionalities that were present in previous generations of the Galaxy S line are also here:
- Director’s mode: which allows for the use of front and rear cameras at the same time
- Pro mode
- Panoramic photo
- Slow motion
- Timelapse
- Single Take
Furthermore, Samsung is getting better and better at developing software and artificial intelligence technologies that improve photos and videos taken with the smartphone. And it is also possible to save photos in RAW format for editing later.
Audio
The Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts two high-quality stereo audio outputs and supports the Dolby Atmos standard for spatial audio. Even when playing bass-heavy tracks on Spotify without a Bluetooth headset, the sound is crisp and distortion-free. The device can fill a room with sound effortlessly, even at lower volumes.
Conclusion
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is an improved version of its predecessor, the S22 Ultra, with noteworthy changes that enhance its processing speed and camera quality. The front and rear cameras deliver exceptional performance in various conditions.
Furthermore, the smartphone boasts a custom processor that provides a seamless experience for gaming and work. The device has an extended battery life, making it an excellent option for Samsung loyalists.
Comparisons
Upgrade from Galaxy S22 or 22+ to S23 Ultra: Yes, it’s worth it
Upgrade from Galaxy S21, S21+ or S21 Ultra to S23 Ultra: Yes, it’s worth it
Upgrade from Galaxy S22 Ultra to S23 Ultra: Not worth it, not much changes
Between iPhone 14 Pro Max (or lower) and Galaxy S23 Ultra: Yes, I prefer the S23 Ultra
Technical Specifications
- Model: Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Networks: GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
- GSM Chip: Nano-SIM or e-SIM
- Dimensions: 78.1 x 163.4 x 8.9mm
- Weight: 234g
- Front: Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- Back: Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- Sides: Aluminum
- Resistance: IP68 (water and dust), submersion up to 1.5m in freshwater for up to 30 minutes
- Display: 6.8-inch AMOLED Dynamic 2X with Vision Booster and Comfort Enhancer
- Resolution: QHD+/WQHD (1440 x 3088 pixels), Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (1~120Hz), 1750 nits (~501ppi density), 89.5% screen-to-body ratio.
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 gen 2 for Galaxy
- GPU: Adreno 740
- Front Camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 25mm