If the Samsung S22 Ultra was the final evolution of a slab-style phone then The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a triumphant return to form – everything the S22 was, and a bit more.
The S23 Ultra comes with a variety of new features and an updated principal camera sensor. There aren’t any revolutionary new features. does not fold into half. In the event that someone comes up with revolutionary battery technology or holographic displays this will be the case with the Ultra in the near future.
The flip side of the thing is the S22 Ultra was already really great, and this S23 Ultra is a little better. Performance – provided through the custom Snapdragon 8 Generation 2 chip – is extremely speedy. The upgraded camera system can perform amazing feats. A couple of minor adjustments — like the phone’s slightly reshaped sides rails as well as the screen are hugely impactful on the phone’s popularity.
This is all great news. However, it’s still an expensive device, costing $1,200. That is higher than the 11,000 iPhone 14 Pro Max and an enormous leap in comparison to the Pixel 7 Pro’s $800 price point. There are a few familiar areas that are present in Samsung software, such as its determination to include the app stores of their own alongside Google’s. While the camera system can create incredible photos, it sometimes makes bizarre choices and can end with a picture that’s utterly awful.
If you’re willing to accept the cost and sometimes bizarre image, then you’ll find S23 Ultra’s high-quality features highly satisfying.
When you compare an S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra one-to-one You’ll notice the slightly different design of the model this year -it has an a bit less curvature at the edges, and the side rails are a little more rounded. It’s not a lot but it’s a huge difference. It feels better secured in my hands each time I lift it off the table than the more curvier S22 Ultra felt. I realized that I was anticipating it would fall from my grasp each when I took it out of my hand and it did happen a lot in the previous model. S23 Ultra is more stable. S23 Ultra feels more secure when I take it out of my pocket and also in my hands while I’m using it and this is particularly crucial when writing with S Pen. S Pen.
The slight flattening gives this S23 Ultra look a little more boxy as compared to S22 Ultra, and you know what? I love it. In the color cream, especially it’s sort of retro-chic. I’m not sure how to describe it other than extravagant. It’s a feeling worthy of a price label.
It is still a massive and heavy phone. Its screen is an 6.8-inch 1440 pixel LTPO OLED display with an impressive 120Hz refresh rate. It’s beautiful to look at and is basically same as the previous year’s. One thing I’m not happy about is the fingerprint sensor that is embedded that isn’t consistent and faster than that I tested in the OnePlus 11 5G. Thankfully the face unlock feature is quite fast. When both biometric security methods are installed, I was able to see that either was able to work quickly enough.
There are of course the other features of a top-of-the-line phone, including a robust IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, all varieties of 5G wireless charging, speedy wireless charging of 45W (charger not included) and the built-in storage capacity of at minimum 256GB. Samsung has doubled its base model storage this year.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra performance and battery
The Galaxy S23 Ultra uses Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. Excuse me, it’s the Snapdragon 8 Gen2 for the Galaxy. It’s an somewhat different model of the top-of-the-line processor that’s just a bit more efficient than the standard 8 Gen 2.
Comparing it against the OnePlus11 5G that comes with the Galaxy 8 Gen 2 that is not a non-Galaxy I was unable to describe the difference it brings to the table in terms of practical. This S23 Ultra simply feels fast. The speed of browsing through apps that have recently been opened is almost dizzying. There’s nothing I do to it during normal use that causes it to flinch. It’s got eight or twelve gigs of memory. The one I tested came with 12GB of memory, however both will be able to handle the most difficult tasks.
The new chip also operates significantly more efficiently than Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 -and after download of Genshin Impact install files for 10 mins with the loading animation running (and the phone sitting on a heat-insulating sofa cushion) the phone was barely warm to the feel. It was a bit warm to the touch. S22 Ultra was borderline uncomfortable to use after doing something like this. The gameplay is extremely fluid, with barely noticeable hiccups at times when it loads up more area information.
The S23 Ultra features the same capacity of 5,000mAh like the previous model, however Samsung claims that the battery’s performance is better due of the upgrade in processorthe S23 Ultra is theoretically more efficient in battery use than its predecessor as well as some adjustments for the LCD. Battery endurance actually appear to have improved over the previous generation. The S22 Ultra was often a bit as if it was cruising on gas at the end the day. However, it’s been used for moderate usage It’s a relief to know that I’m able to squeeze a bit more juice from this model. It’s not a huge improvement however it does give you a bit more space to go about your day.
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This is all to say that you’ll endure a day of moderate use using the S23 Ultra slightly more comfortably, and also stand up to more intense usage. If you’re planning to do lots of CPU-intensive activities such as gaming, or am not sure, measuring every square inch of your home using VR and then require power before the day’s over. For the majority of us it’s an all-day battery with the ability to recharge a bit more over last year’s.
A feature that’s becoming ever more crucial is how smartphones integrate with the other components of your digital world. Samsung’s S23 Ultra is armed with numerous connectivity options such as the improved DeX to allow Windows integrated into PCs. Samsung’s SmartThings application to help you create a smart home and a feature known as Smart View to quickly mirror your smartphone to the Samsung TV.
The latter functioned flawlessly with my old 2016 Samsung TV. Even though it’s older, it can be connected with the S23 Ultra by using SmartThings as well. Through the SmartThings app on my phone, I am in access to all the essential aspects of the television such as volume, channel and the source. In the end I believed I had conquered my desire to leave the couch and locate the remote. My TV, however, is old enough to not have support for an essential feature: turning on using a mobile. This means I’ll have to use this remote, after all.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra S Pen and software
The Galaxy Note lives on in the S23 Ultra thanks to its built-in S Pen stylus. There aren’t any major upgrades for S Pen or its features. S Pen or its features this time, however the slightly rounded edges are designed to offer an extra writing surface. With the curvier edges of the S22 Ultra there’s a greater chance that you’ll accidentally scratch the stylus across the edge of the screen while writing.
This isn’t as often when using the S23 Ultra however, I did find some instances in which the slight curve was throwing me off the rails. The template within Notes app comes with an aligned column of boxes for writing in, however when I started writing letters to indicate weeks, I only had a tiny amount of space as the stylus would keep getting caught in the curve. I’m hoping to have a flat display by 2024.
I’ve never been a big stylus enthusiast in the past, and I believe that the majority of people would seldom use one even if they have the choice. However, I was much more likely to grab my S Pen and jot down notes on Samsung’s S23 Ultra than when I tried on the S22 Ultra. Although I am not sure if I should give Samsung’s very subtle change too much praise, I think it could be due to the fact that this phone has a more comfortable grip than the previous one.
I’m also trying to organize my life and I’ve found it helpful to copy certain of my IRL to-do lists using digital versions that I pinned to my screen at home. Have I become more efficient? It’s not clear on that question. It’s it’s a good compromise between the ease of a to-do list that’s based on apps as well as the tactile experience of writing a note.
The S23 Ultra ships with One UI 5 Samsung’s Android 13 skin. It’s an incredibly simple update to One UI 4 that the S22 series came out with, and has a new focus on setting up routines and modes along with additional options for customizing the lockscreen. It’s still a minimal experience, offering 2 pages for quick setting within the notification shade and Samsung’s own virtual assistant, app store as well as a web browser, alongside Google version of all these apps. It’s a lot and isn’t for everyone’s preference. Personally, I’m okay with it if I take some time arranging it according to my preferences when I set up my phone. (Bye, Bixby.)
One thing that everyone can appreciate with Samsung’s software it does come with a fantastic support policy that includes 4 years of OS updates, and five years of security upgrades. It’s not quite as long as Apple that tends to provide OS upgrades that last for more than five years, and the occasional security updates for a longer period however it’s one of the most comprehensive policies that you’ll see in the world of Android manufacturers.
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Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra camera
The S23 Ultra offers one of the most robust mobile camera systems you can purchase. It has the 10x and 3x telephoto lens and an ultra wide and, of course, the gorgeous brand new 200-megapixel main camera. It’s capable to take pictures which I’m not sure I was able to capture with my phone particularly in the 10x-30x zoom range. I took a photograph at the very top of the Space Needle from street level at a distance of more than a mile away. I can see things like elevators as well as people in the deck of observation. That’s ridiculous.
- 200-megapixel f/1.7 standard wide OIS
- 10 megapixel f/2.4 3X telephoto camera with OIS
- 10 megapixel f/4.9 10X telephoto that has OIS
- 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide
- 12 megapixel f/2.2 Selfie with Autofocus
As good as it is it’s camera sometimes produces a poor image. It’s prone to by turning its saturation level as well as HDR upwards to eleven every once in awhile however, unless you’re making a picture of the moon itself it is best to avoid using the 100x digital “Space Zoom” setting because it’s like pixelated trash.
The most important thing to be aware of about the 200-megapixel sensor is that taking photos with 200-megapixel resolution isn’t the most intriguing things you can accomplish using it. The possibility exists. Choose a couple of menu options, then press on the shutter button, and boom -200 million pixels available to you. If the lighting is in good condition and the camera is in good condition, you’ll get a huge quantity of details when zooming into the photographs. Photos don’t have the greater dynamic range that you can get with the normal shooting mode however if it’s the sheer clarity you desire, this is what you’ll get.
