Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is an impressive smartphone that builds upon last year's model with improved features and capabilities. The device boasts a powerful chipset, which provides a seamless user experience and enhances overall performance. The battery life has also seen an improvement, making it suitable for heavy users. One of the standout features of the S23 Ultra is its new, cutting-edge main camera. With advanced technology and a high-resolution sensor, this camera delivers some of the best image quality in the market. Whether you're taking photos or videos, the results are consistently impressive, with excellent detail, minimal noise, and well-preserved colors. The camera system as a whole offers a wide range of capabilities, including 8K video capture at 30fps, which is a notable upgrade over last year's model. The device also features electronic image stabilization across all cameras, ensuring smooth footage even in low-light conditions. While the S23 Ultra doesn't necessarily bring any groundbreaking new features to the table, it does refine and improve upon existing ones, making it an excellent choice for those who want the best smartphone experience available today. Overall, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a top-notch device that offers exceptional performance, camera capabilities, and battery life, making it a solid recommendation for anyone in the market for a new smartphone.
Build Quality and Design
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a testament to the company's unwavering commitment to excellence in design and build quality. From the moment you lay eyes on this device, it's clear that Samsung has pushed the boundaries of what's possible with smartphone craftsmanship. The first thing that strikes you about the S23 Ultra is its sleek, minimalist aesthetic. The device's flat edges and smooth curves create a seamless fusion of form and function, making it a joy to hold in your hand. The Gorilla Glass Victus+ front panel provides an added layer of protection against scratches and drops, giving you peace of mind when using your phone. The device's overall build quality is nothing short of impressive. The premium feel of the aluminum frame and the subtle weight distribution create a sense of solidity that's hard to find in many other smartphones. Every detail, from the precision-cut buttons to the carefully calibrated hinge mechanism, speaks to Samsung's dedication to creating a product that will withstand the rigors of daily use. In terms of design, the S23 Ultra is a masterclass in subtlety. The device's unobtrusive camera module and minimalist branding create a clean, distraction-free look that's both elegant and understated. Whether you're using your phone to capture stunning photos or simply to stay connected with loved ones, the S23 Ultra's design ensures that you're always looking stylish. In short, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a triumph of design and build quality, setting a new standard for smartphones in its class. If you're in the market for a premium device that combines style, substance, and exceptional craftsmanship, look no further than this remarkable smartphone.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts impressive specs, but one aspect that often gets overlooked is its battery life. In our usage, the phone delivered respectable results, especially considering its powerful 4nm Exynos chip and large 5000mAh battery. We observed a consistent performance throughout the day, with moderate to heavy use consisting of social media browsing, streaming music, and gaming. However, during periods of intense activity, such as watching videos or playing demanding games, the phone's battery life did take a hit. On average, we managed to squeeze around 7-8 hours of screen time before needing to recharge, which is more than satisfactory for most users. However, this may vary depending on individual usage patterns and settings. One notable improvement over its predecessor is the S23 Ultra's efficient power management. The phone seems to intelligently scale back performance when battery levels are low, minimizing power consumption during critical moments. This translates to a longer overall lifespan between charges, making it an ideal choice for those who frequently find themselves away from a power source. While not revolutionary, Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a reliable and long-lasting battery life that should keep pace with the demands of modern users.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts an impressive display that elevates the overall viewing experience. This phone features a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen with a Quad HD+ resolution, resulting in crisp and vibrant visuals. One of the standout features of this display is its brightness. The screen can reach up to 1500 nits of peak brightness, making it easily readable even in direct sunlight. Additionally, the Dynamic AMOLED technology allows for true blacks and deep colors, adding to the overall visual appeal. The display's color accuracy is also noteworthy. With a wide color gamut, this phone can reproduce over 99% of the DCI-P3 color space, ensuring that colors appear as intended by content creators. This makes it an excellent choice for watching movies, TV shows, or playing games with detailed graphics. In terms of overall display quality, I would rate the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's screen as one of the best in its class. While some may find it slightly smaller than previous models, the 6.8-inch size still provides a comfortable viewing experience for most users. Overall, the display on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is an excellent feature that enhances the phone's overall performance and makes it a pleasure to use.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts an impressive camera setup that takes mobile photography to new heights. The main cam is a game-changer, offering unparalleled image quality with its cutting-edge technology. In bright conditions, the camera delivers stunning results, with vivid colors and excellent dynamic range. The detail level is superb, making it easy to capture intricate textures and subtle nuances in the scene. The autofocus system works seamlessly, ensuring that subjects are always sharp and well-defined. Low-light performance is also noteworthy, with the auto night shot processing feature producing impressive results. Images taken with the main cam in low-light conditions exhibit abundant detail, minimal noise, and well-preserved colors. The exposure is balanced, with highlights well-contained and developed shadows adding depth to the image. The dedicated night mode offers further benefits, especially in contrasty scenes or when shooting at dimmer exposures. While some extra sharpening can make images appear slightly artificial, this is a minor trade-off for the improved results. Compared to its predecessor, the S22 Ultra, the S23 Ultra's camera excels in many areas. Low-light performance has seen significant improvement, with reduced noise and better definition in both stills and video footage. Video recording capabilities are also noteworthy, with the main cam capable of capturing 8K video at 30fps, using the full width of its sensor for sharper and more detailed results compared to last year's model. 4K videos from the main cam look equally impressive, with great detail and no noise, while the dynamic range is respectable and colors have a likable amount of saturation. The telephoto cameras also perform admirably, with the three times camera producing solid results in both stills and video, despite some minor tweaks compared to last year. The ten times zoom camera, however, struggles in low-light conditions and nighttime 4K videos from this camera are somewhat disappointing due to noise and reduced sharpness. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's camera is a significant improvement over its predecessor, offering exceptional image quality, impressive video capabilities, and innovative features like auto night shot processing. While it may not revolutionize mobile photography, it's certainly one of the best cameras on any smartphone currently available.
Price and Value
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a well-rounded smartphone that builds upon the success of its predecessor. With improved battery life, a more powerful chipset, and a new cutting-edge main camera, it's easy to see why this device is considered one of the best in the market. However, when considering the price tag of around $1,200, it's hard not to feel that the upgrades aren't substantial enough to justify such an expensive purchase. The incremental improvements over last year's model make it a tough sell for those who already own a high-end smartphone like the S22 Ultra. In terms of value, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is solid but not outstanding. It offers all the features that made last year's device so good, plus some additional tweaks, but nothing revolutionary. The new main camera is one of the best on the market, but it's not a game-changer in its own right. For those who can afford it, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is still a great choice, especially if you're due for an upgrade or want the latest and greatest technology. However, for those on a tighter budget or looking to save some money, last year's model might be a more reasonable option. Overall, the price and value of the Galaxy S23 Ultra are solid but not spectacular, making it a device that's worth considering if you're in the market for a high-end smartphone, but not necessarily a must-have purchase.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a powerhouse of a smartphone, boasting impressive performance that justifies its premium price tag. Under the hood lies a more powerful chipset, which translates to lightning-fast speeds and seamless multitasking. In my tests, I found the S23 Ultra's processor to be incredibly efficient, handling demanding tasks with ease. Whether it was gaming, video editing, or simply switching between multiple apps, the phone performed flawlessly without any lag or slowdown. The improved performance is also evident in the phone's battery life, which has seen a noticeable boost compared to its predecessor. With heavy use, I managed to squeeze out over a day and a half of battery life, making it perfect for users who rely on their phone throughout the day. Another area where the S23 Ultra excels is in its ability to handle resource-intensive tasks such as video recording and photography. The phone's processor and optimized software work together to ensure that even 8K video capture and high-quality camera shots are handled with ease, resulting in stunning visuals and minimal latency. Furthermore, the S23 Ultra's performance also extends to its gaming capabilities. With its powerful chipset and optimized cooling system, users can enjoy an immersive gaming experience without any frame rate drops or lag. Whether it's playing graphically-intensive games like Fortnite or more casual titles, the phone delivers smooth and uninterrupted gameplay. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a performance powerhouse that sets the bar high for other flagship smartphones. With its lightning-fast speeds, improved battery life, and exceptional gaming capabilities, this device is sure to satisfy even the most demanding users.
Pros
1. The Galaxy S23 Ultra features a new Cutting-Edge main camera that's one of the best out there.
2. With its improved battery life, you can enjoy your device for longer periods without worrying about running out of juice.
3. The phone is powered by a more powerful chipset, ensuring seamless performance and smooth multitasking.
4. You get all the features that made last year's Ultra so good, including 8K video capture at 30fps and electronic stabilization on all cameras.
5. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a new 12 megapixel selfie cam with autofocus, which is great for self-portraits.
6. The device supports 4K videos from the main camera, which look sharp and detailed with good dynamic range and colors.
7. The phone also features auto night shot processing, which preserves details in low-light conditions.
Cons
1. None of these upgrades are exactly game-changing, making it hard to see people upgrading from last year's model.
2. The dedicated night mode on the telephoto camera can sometimes produce artificial-looking results.
3. Low-light performance with the 10 times telephoto camera is a bit less reliable and produces noisy images.
4. Nighttime videos from the ultrawide cam are decent but lack sharpness and detail compared to other cameras.
5. Some users might find it expensive compared to last year's model, despite its improved features.