Discover the Future of Mobile Technology with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Review! Get ready for a mind-blowing experience with the latest and greatest features
We could take the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in hand to share our first impressions of this new, very high-end smartphone equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (even in Europe) and a 200-megapixel sensor.
Yes, the most important things on this smartphone are hidden from view, so we must look more closely to detect them.
DESIGN: LET’S NOT ROUND THE CORNERS
It is a fact assumed by the brand the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is not intended to seduce people who have fallen for an S22 Ultra or even an S21 Ultra. The first targets of this device are those who have been using the same smartphone for a few years and want to change it to enjoy the best of the best.
The new phone does not try to be radically different from its predecessor. It even takes up almost all of its aesthetics.
All? No! A very small detail adds its grain of salt to give a touch of originality to this Galaxy S23 Ultra. The screen is indeed less curved on the sides. However, it is not a flat slab; the top-of-the-range beauty canons have a problematic tooth. It probably won’t change your viewing experience.
On the other hand, there is a direct consequence on the device’s grip. The edges of the smartphone are much flatter. Not as much as on an iPhone 14, but still, it feels.
At the moment, I admit to still being quite unable to say whether or not I prefer this new sensation in contact with my palm. However, I can already say that I did not find it unpleasant, and the evolution remains subtle enough not to be prohibitive.
Note also that this reinforces the deliberately raw and industrial aspect of the S23 Ultra, which contrasts with the cuter side of the S23 and S23+. We also have angles still as square as ever, which seem almost even more abrupt with the slight modification made this year.
The cameras on the back keep the same layout as the 2022 predecessor, with all the cameras appearing to have been integrated independently. Samsung explains that it had a lot of positive feedback last year regarding this design and therefore wanted to reiterate this good formula. We will note that the rings around the lenses reflect the light a little more on the S23 Ultra because they are a tad wider, but that’s a detail.
For the rest, no surprise: it’s a great smartphone determined to be the heir to the late Note range. Count on dimensions of 78.1 x 163.4 x 8.9 mm and a weight of 234 grams. It does not play in the featherweight category; keep that in mind before any purchase.
The screen remains magnificent; could it be otherwise with the AMOLED with Samsung sauce? It boasts a large 6.8-inch diagonal, an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1-120Hz, and a promised peak brightness of 1750 nits, so you never have to squint under the most darting of suns. Also note that, by default, the definition is set to Full HD + to preserve the battery. Still, the QHD + remains available if you wish to activate it.
The lower edge on the right always stores the S Pen. Please note that the S23 Ultra’s stylus changes shape slightly, so do not try to insert the S22 Ultra’s. It wouldn’t pass. Finally, we are dealing with a solid smartphone with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back while the frame is made of reinforced aluminium. As for the repairability index, it displays a fine score of 8.2/10.
SNAPDRAGON 8 GEN 2, THE REAL HERO OF ALL TIME
Frustration grew yearly in the European ranks of Galaxy S users: why did Samsung persist in integrating Exynos chips into its models sold on the Old Continent when the rest of the world was entitled to more power? To put out the embers, the brand paradoxically called on a dragon.
It’s Qualcomm’s latest all-powerful SoC, and it’s here to rock. It will result in more raw power, which had hurt the S22 Ultra and it’s Exynos 2200. That’s not all. We have good reason to hope for improvements in terms of heat management and autonomy, two things in which the choice of chip plays an important role.
Another reason to be optimistic: Samsung claims that Qualcomm has worked hand in hand with it to design a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 optimized for the S23. The brand suggests that this should impact photo processing, but we bet it will also result in fluidity in the daily experience.
In short, we are looking forward to it, but here we are facing an improvement that is currently invisible to the eyes as long as we have not yet been able to launch the tests to see with the heart.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S23 ULTRA200 MEGAPIXELS: AWAITING FINAL VERSION
UItra practical wide-angle. Clean x3 optical zoom. Delicious 10x optical zoom. We will be entitled to all this with this Galaxy S23 Ultra. This generation, however, comes to sprinkle this known – but highly appreciated – formula with a home-designed 200-megapixel main photo sensor.
I immediately activated the option to see what this 200 Mpx mode was worth on the camera. Do we have a real improvement there compared to a 108 Mpx mode? Difficult to perceive with the naked eye, and it will therefore be necessary, again more in-depth tests. Thus, dear Little Prince, it will also be necessary to be satisfied, at first, with some non-exhaustive feedback.
So be aware that the 200 Mpx mode succeeds in its small effect: when you take a photo with it and then zoom in on the shot, you perceive small details with great precision. It should be handy when you crop the image to keep only part of it. It should be more practical than the x100 digital magnification that the S23 Ultra can reach, which should remain quite a gadget.
Be careful, though; I noticed a significant latency time (several seconds) each time a photo was taken at 200 megapixels. Samsung spokespersons wanted to be reassuring by explaining that we did not yet have the firmware version intended for sale in our hands. Users should be entitled to a shorter processing time, but it seems unlikely that this will disappear completely.
To avoid this inconvenience – and the very heavy weight of 200 Mpx shots – you can also opt for the intermediate mode at 50 megapixels. The main camera also benefits from optical stabilization that is twice as effective – 3 degrees of stabilization compared to 1.5 on the previous generation.
Beyond that, we can’t wait to test the improved autofocus on each photo sensor, even at the front. Moreover, for selfies, we go from 40 to 12 megapixels. Samsung explains that this was necessary to manage the focus better. A blessing in disguise and a good opportunity to remember that high definition does not rhyme with better photo quality.
THE “FALSE PROBLEM” OF THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S23 ULTRA
We can switch fairly quickly to the 5000 mAh battery and the supported charge up to 45 W. Nothing surprising about the One UI 5.1 interface under Android 13 either. However, this one pleases with its promise of four updates. Major updates and five years of security patches. Serene.
5G is there, as is Wi-Fi 6E. And with all this information, we went around the owner a bit.
The biggest upheaval, namely the switch to Snapdragon, takes place under the hood of the beast. Moreover, the changes made compared to the previous model are very subtle; some would say insufficient. However, this is a “false problem,” replies a contact at Samsung.
He argues that comparisons between models from one generation to another are an exercise technology enthusiasts are happy to do, but not the general public, who change smartphones on average every three years. In this context, the gain in quality is more palpable. If we are aware of its marketing rhetoric, we take advantage of this speech to underline the obvious: changing smartphones every year is not a behaviour to be encouraged.
We will therefore recommend this Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which looks excellent, to people who have a phone that coughs a little after the weight over the years. You can then tame it like the fox in the Little Prince. If you have a recent device, it is much less relevant, especially since the price is far from accessible to all budgets.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S23 ULTRA PRICE AND RELEASE DATE
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will be released on February 17, 2023.
From February 1 to 16, the pre-order offer allows you to take advantage of getting it early. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra price in Pakistan will be around 427500.