The Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, boasting impressive features that distinguish it from other high-end phones. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at what the Galaxy S23 Ultra has to offer.

Design and Display

One of the first things you will notice about the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is its gorgeous display. It has a 6.8-inch screen with a QHD+ resolution and an adaptive refresh rate that can go from 1Hz to 120Hz depending on the content. This means you can enjoy smooth scrolling, gaming, and video playback on the phone. The display also supports HDR10+ and has a peak brightness of 1500 nits, making it ideal for viewing in any lighting condition.

The display is also optimized for the S Pen stylus, which offers a natural writing and drawing experience on the large screen, and can also perform various actions with Air Gestures. Like the previous Note series, the S Pen can be stored inside the device when not in use.

Still on the display, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a premium design that features Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the front and back, which is more durable than the previous generation. It also has a metal frame and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The phone comes in three colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Bronze.

The phone is quite large and heavy, weighing 227 grams and measuring 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm. It may not suit everyone’s preference or comfort, especially if you have small hands or pockets. The curved edges of the display can also interfere with some gestures or accidental touches.

Samsung‘s devices have always impressed when it comes to colour display. The display of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is no let down. The colours are stunning and vibrant, bringing out sharp details that every pixel can provide. It’s excellent for watching videos, playing games, and browsing the web. The screen can adjust its refresh rate automatically depending on the content, which helps save battery life and improve performance.

Performance and Battery

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, one of the most powerful processors available for smartphones. It features an octa-core CPU with a maximum clock speed of 3.36 GHz, and an Adreno 740 GPU. The phone also has 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of internal storage (without a microSD card slot).

The phone delivers excellent performance, with fast app loading, smooth multitasking, and no lag or stuttering. It can handle any task you throw at it, whether it’s gaming, streaming, or editing. The phone also supports Samsung DeX, which allows you to connect it to a monitor or TV and use it as a desktop computer.

In the battery department, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a capacity of 5,000 mAh, which can last for up to 26 hours of video playback or up to two days of moderate use. The phone also supports fast charging (up to 45W), wireless charging (up to 15W), and reverse wireless charging (up to 4.5W). Also, there’s no charging brick as part of the package. So, take note of that.

Camera and Features

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a quad-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 200MP wide-angle camera, a 10MP periscope telephoto camera (with 10x optical zoom), a 10MP telephoto camera (with 3x optical zoom), and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. The phone also has a single 12MP selfie camera on the front.

They can all capture stunning photos and videos in various scenarios. The main camera can capture detailed images with accurate colors and dynamic range, thanks to its large sensor size and multi-directional PDAF. The telephoto cameras can zoom in on distant subjects without losing much quality, thanks to their optical zoom and OIS. The ultra-wide camera can fit more in the frame with minimal distortion, thanks to its wide-angle lens and Dual Pixel PDAF. The selfie camera can take flattering portraits with bokeh effects, thanks to its Dual Pixel PDAF.

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The camera of the Galaxy S23 Ultra can also record videos in up to 8K resolution at 30fps or in up to 4K resolution at 60fps. The videos have high clarity, stability, and sound quality, thanks to the HDR10+, gyro-EIS, and stereo sound recording features. The phone also has a dual video call feature that lets you use both the front and rear cameras simultaneously during a video call.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has other features that make it more convenient and enjoyable to use. It has NFC for contactless payments, Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E for fast internet access, GPS for location tracking, and a USB Type-C port for data transfer and charging. The phone also has a fingerprint sensor, an accelerometer, a gyro, a proximity sensor, a compass, and a barometer for security and functionality. The phone runs on Android 13 with One UI 5.1 on top, which offers a smooth and customizable user interface with various features and modes.

Verdict

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is a premium smartphone that offers a stunning display, powerful performance, long-lasting battery, and versatile camera. It’s an excellent choice for anyone who wants the best of the best in terms of features and quality. However, it’s also an expensive phone, and it may not be worth upgrading for some users who already have a recent flagship model. The phone is also quite large and heavy, which may not suit everyone’s preferences and comfort.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is available on Samsung’s website and other retailers, starting from S$1,828 for the 256GB model.