Flagship smartphones are in a strange place right now. They’re still trying to push the envelope with the best camera, displays, performance and overall experience. However, with foldable phones become ever more mainstream as they become cheaper, it isn’t clear how long the traditional slab smartphone will be go-to for most (we suspect once Apple introduces a foldable, things might shift rapidly). But that doesn’t mean traditional flagships aren’t still the best overall experience you can find. In our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review, we see if it is still the best overall smartphone in a quickly changing industry.
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It takes a device like the Galaxy S23 Ultra to remind you what is so damn fun about premium smartphones. Yes, this is a safe upgrade from last year, with a design virtually identical to its predecessor. And yes, that price tag is bound to be hard for shoppers to stomach, especially in a world wracked by inflation. But if you are not yet convinced by the foldable smartphone and are looking for the best money can buy, you might want to start saving your leftover change.
Design & Build
The Galaxy S23 Ultra immediately catches your attention with a couple of noticeable design changes. Firstly, the camera module on the back is even larger than its predecessor, the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Additionally, the display has a flatter design. While the 6.8-inch panel still has a gentle curve, it offers a slimmer curve and a flatter surface area, providing a more comfortable experience when using the S Pen.
The sides of the display maintain a curved design, although less pronounced than before. This design choice has its pros and cons. On one hand, it enhances the premium feel and comfort in the hand. On the other hand, it can sometimes lead to accidental interactions with the software, affecting usability.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is built to be tougher and more resilient. It is the first phone to feature Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which offers improved protection against scratches and drops for both the front and back of the device.
Available in four colours, including Phantom Black, Green, Cream, and Lavender, our review unit is the black version. While sleek and understated, we can’t help but appreciate the desire for a more eye-catching option like the green or lavender variants.
Unlike the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the Galaxy S23 Ultra still includes a SIM card slot, conveniently located at the bottom of the device.
Samsung emphasizes the eco-friendliness of the S23 Ultra’s design by incorporating more recycled materials. Recycled discarded fishing nets are used for the S Pen inner cover and bottom speaker module, while recycled water barrels are employed for the side key and volume key. The SIM tray is made from recycled aluminium, further contributing to the phone’s sustainability efforts.
Otherwise, there are only buttons on the right side of the device as usual – the power button and the volume rocker. As you would expect, they feel and sound very premium with a satisfying clunk and tactile-ness.
While it might not be the most inspired or revolutionary design Samsung has every come up with, the iterative changes are there to remind that it works so well, it doesn’t need to be changed. The matte exterior and improved glass fill us with more confidence of protection against damage. And more importantly, when using for extended periods of time almost no device feels as solid and premium in the hand.
Display
The display on the Galaxy S23 Ultra stands out as one of the finest among all smartphones. It is vibrant, incredibly colourful, and performed exceptionally well in our laboratory tests.
Similar to its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, the S23 Ultra boasts a 6.8-inch QHD OLED screen with a resolution of 3088 x 1400 pixels. It offers a rated peak brightness of 1,750 nits, ensuring a brilliantly bright viewing experience. The display retains the impressive 120Hz refresh rate from before, with the ability to scale down to as low as 1Hz.
During our testing, we were thoroughly impressed with the overall image quality produced by the S23 Ultra’s panel. Whether it was high-fidelity video content or any other visual material, the screen truly brought it to life. The colours were vibrant, and the level of detail was stunning, thanks to the OLED technology. The deep blacks provided excellent contrast against the bright and vivid colours.
If you are someone who enjoys watching shows on your phone, be it during your commute or while relaxing on the sofa, this display is perfect for you. Additionally, the absence of a notch on the physical panel is a welcome feature, as it offers a more immersive viewing experience compared to the larger module found on the front of the iPhone.
In summary, the Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts one of the best displays available, with its exceptional brightness, vibrant colors, and impressive image quality. It is an ideal choice for those seeking a smartphone that delivers a captivating visual experience.
Camera
Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts the headline feature of its own ISOCELL HP2 200-megapixel camera. Alongside it, you’ll find a more conventional 12MP wide-angle camera with a 120-degree field of view, as well as a pair of 10MP telephoto cameras offering 3x and 10x optical zoom capabilities. The camera is equipped with optical image stabilization (OIS), laser autofocus, and a Super Resolution Zoom with recommended levels of 30x and 100x digital zoom.
While you can shoot photos at the full 200MP resolution, be aware that they take up significantly more space—around 40MB each—compared to the usual 4MB to 7MB size of the default 12MP shots.
However, the most crucial aspect to note about the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera is that the reason to invest in it lies not solely in the 200MP sensor but rather in its incredible zoom capabilities. The zoom functionality is truly transformative, offering unmatched versatility compared to any other smartphone on the market.
The quality of the 3x and 10x zoom is excellent, and even the 30x zoom has significantly improved. Although the 100x zoom still has its limitations, it is noticeably better than previous iterations. With the Galaxy S23 Ultra, you can capture zoomed photos that are simply impossible to replicate on other smartphones, at least not with the same level of quality. It’s a device that allows for incredible zoom photography experiences.
The main camera of the Galaxy S23 Ultra takes brilliant photos, but you may not necessarily perceive it as a 200MP camera. The shots exhibit vibrant colours, an exciting tone, and an abundance of detail. The overall atmosphere created by the camera strikes a fine balance between realism and hyperrealism. Colours are typically enhanced just enough to be visually appealing, although there can be instances of oversaturation when confronted with certain shades of red and blue.
Although I’ve only scratched the surface of what the camera is capable of, it has already made a great impression. Its versatility is what sets it apart and makes it highly desirable. We have confidence that we can capture any photo we desire with this camera, and that’s a level of capability that other phones cannot quite match.
Software & Performance
The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes preloaded with Android 13 and One UI 5.1. Neither Google nor Samsung made any drastic UI redesigns last year, and that trend continues with these latest updates and features. While most of the changes in this mid-cycle update are relatively minor, there are a few noteworthy additions worth mentioning.
The new battery widgets, although reminiscent of those on iOS, are genuinely useful. Being able to quickly check the charge levels of connected devices with a glance is always convenient, and it’s a welcome addition to the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
There are also several quality-of-life improvements, such as direct Expert RAW access from the camera app once installed and the ability to customize the storage location for your screenshots. The former feature has been highly anticipated, but it does come with some limitations. For example, if you access the camera via the lock screen shortcut, you still need to unlock the phone to use Expert RAW. It’s a minor inconvenience but worth noting.
Other additions include new actions in Modes and Routines, EXIF data available in the Gallery by scrolling down, and object recognition for separating specific elements in your photos. It’s interesting to see features like drag-and-drop-the-dog making their way to Android.
Admittedly, there are still a few aspects of One UI that we find problematic. Samsung often duplicates software already offered by Google to address issues or add functionality to its smartphones. Apps like Expert RAW or Good Lock, which are essential for power users, should either come preinstalled on the device or be directly available on the Play Store.
Depending on your location, the Galaxy S23 Ultra represents either a solid year-over-year improvement in performance and efficiency or a revolutionary leap forward. Samsung’s decision to switch to the global Snapdragon variant and abandon its in-house Exynos chips has been widely praised by buyers outside of North America. This particular Qualcomm chip is exclusive to the S23 series and offers similar performance to the standard version, with a slightly higher clock speed on the main Cortex X3 core.
Overall, the Galaxy S23 Ultra effortlessly handled all tasks without any issues. Even when playing high-end games with maximum settings, we never experienced frame rate drops below 60 FPS. Switching between apps felt seamless and fast, with no random reloads.
Battery
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is equipped with a capable 5,000mAh battery, which is the same size as its predecessor. However, thanks to the new processor powering the phone, it now operates more efficiently. In our testing, we found that with moderate use—such as checking emails, watching YouTube, listening to music, and browsing social media—the battery lasted well beyond a full day and often reached two days without requiring a recharge.
When using a 45W wall charger (unfortunately not included in the box, as only a USB-C cable is provided), the battery goes from depleted to 85% in under 45 minutes and reaches a full charge in under one hour and 30 minutes. The charging time is comparable to that of the S22 Ultra, but the overall battery life is better on the new model. Additionally, the S23 Ultra supports 15W wireless charging.
In summary, we have no complaints about the battery life. It provided more than enough power for our daily usage patterns. However, it’s worth noting that activities such as recording videos or gaming can cause the battery to drain more quickly.
Conclusion
Based on my testing I’d say the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best Android phone you can buy period, and it makes a very strong case for being the best phone overall.
The 200MP camera is simply stunning, and Samsung has really upped its game when it comes to low-light performance. The S23 Ultra is also a seriously fast phone, thanks to the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip, and this is the best phone for gaming I’ve tested yet. Plus, the over 13 hours of battery life is a serious improvement over the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
If you want a phone that can do it all and want to see what a 200MP camera can do, the Ultra is definitely worth the splurge.
