We were fortunate to get our hands on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to give our initial thoughts on this latest high-end smartphone featuring a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (even in Europe) and a 200 megapixel camera.
For all intents and purposes, let us clarify that what awaiting you is not an emotion sequence — for that, read the Little Prince. Put the violins and handkerchiefs away. Before you can view the Galaxy S23 Ultra with the heart, you must first see the heart of the first suitor as the best smartphone of 2023. You will shortly comprehend. Here are our initial thoughts on Samsung’s new flagship.
Design: Let’s Not Round Off The Angles
The brand assumes that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is not designed to entice those who have cracked for an S22 Ultra or even an S21 Ultra. The first audience for this gadget is people who have been using the same smartphone for a few years and want to upgrade to the best of the best. In this regard, the new phone does not attempt to be much different from its predecessor. He even takes up virtually all of the aesthetics.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, it is thought by the brand, is not designed to entice individuals who have shelled for an S22 Ultra or even an S21 Ultra. The initial target audience for this gadget is people who have been using the same smartphone for a few years and want to upgrade to the best of the best. In this regard, the new phone makes no attempt to distinguish itself from its predecessor. He even absorbs nearly all of the aesthetics.
I admit that I am still unable to decide if I appreciate this new sensation of touch with my palm. I can already state that I did not find this unpleasant, and the progression is subtle enough that it is not objectionable. It’s also worth noting that this emphasizes the intentionally harsh and industrial side of S23 Ultra, which contrasts with the prettiest side of S23 and S23 +. With the modest change made this year, we have angles that are still square and appear virtually as steep.
The cameras at the back retain the same arrangement as its 2022 predecessor, with all cameras seeming to be integrated independently of one another. Samsung claims that he had a lot of great comments on this design last year and wants to recreate the idea. It should be noticed that the circles surrounding the goals on the S23 Ultra reflect a bit more light because they have a larger one, although this is minor.
The rest is unsurprising: it’s a huge smartphone vying to be the heir of the late Note series. As a result, expect dimensions of 78.1 x 163.4 x 8.9 mm and a weight of 234 grams. Keep in mind that he does not play in the feather category before making any purchases. The screen is still stunning; how could it be otherwise with Amoled in Samsung sauce? It boasts a big diagonal of 6.8 inches, an adjustable refresh rate ranging from 1 to 120 Hz, and a maximum claimed brightness of 1750 nits, which means you’ll never have to squint even in the brightest sunlight. Also, the resolution is adjusted to Full HD + by default to conserve battery life, but QHD + is still available.
The S Pen is present and always ranks at the bottom of the right edge. Please keep in mind that the stylus of the S23 Ultra changes form somewhat, so do not try to insert one from the S22 Ultra. It couldn’t happen. Finally, we have a sturdy smartphone with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back, as well as a strengthened aluminum frame. The repairability index shows a lovely score of 8.2 out of 10.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, The Real Hero of All Time
Frustration developed among European Galaxy S customers year after year: why the heck did Samsung continue to integrate Exynos CPUs into models sold on the Old Continent when the rest of the globe was entitled to more power? The mark summoned a dragon to extinguish the embers. To one Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.
It’s Qualcomm’s final colossal SoC, and he’s certainly there to vote. This will translate into greater raw power — we have previously tested a smartphone equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 — and will benefit 3D gaming performance in particular, which had been severely hampered by the S22 Ultra and its Exynos 2200. That isn’t everything. There are compelling reasons to expect advances in heating management and autonomy, two areas where the chip selection is critical.
Another reason to be optimistic: according to Samsung, Qualcomm collaborated with him to build a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 tailored for S23s. The company says that this will have an effect on photo processing, but we think that it will also transfer into the fluidity observed in everyday life.
In summary, we are certainly looking forward to it, but for the time being, the progress will be imperceptible to the eyes until we are ready to begin the tests to see with the heart. Little prince, you still have some patience.
200 Megapixels: Pending The Final Version
Extremely useful wide angle. Optical zoom of x3. Delicious optical zoom x10. All of this is unquestionably ours with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. This generation, on the other hand, sprinkles this well-known — but highly regarded — formula with a primary camera sensor of 200 megapixels built in-house.
Obviously, I engaged the setting right away to check what this 200 MP mode on the camera was worth. Is there a significant improvement over the 108 MP mode? It will be difficult to notice with the naked eye, necessitating further testing. So, my Little Prince, you will have to be content with some non-exhaustive results at first.
Know that the 200 MP option has a minor effect: when you snap a photo with it and then zoom in, we can notice minute details with great precision. It should come in helpful when attempting to chop the image to save only a portion of it. It should be more practical than the S23 Ultra’s digital magnification of x100, which should remain a novelty.
Please keep in mind that each time I snapped a photo at 200 megapixels, I experienced severe delay (several seconds). Samsung’s spokespersons sought to reassure us, emphasizing that we did not yet have the version of the firmware meant for marketing in our hands. Users should be entitled to a lower processing time, but it is doubtful that it will be completely eliminated.
To prevent this — as well as the annoyance and weight of photos in 200 Mpx — you may choose the intermediate option at 50 Mpx. The primary camera also has twice as effective optical stabilization – 3 degrees of stabilization against 1.5 degrees in the previous iteration. Convenient for watching videos.
Aside from that, we can’t wait to put the enhanced autofocus on each camera sensor, even the front-facing ones, to the test. Furthermore, for selfies, we reduce the megapixel count from 40 to 12. According to Samsung, this was essential in order to effectively oversee the development. Evil for good, and an excellent reminder that a larger definition does not imply greater photo quality.
The « False Problem » Of Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
You may rapidly convert to the 5000 mAh battery, which can sustain loads of up to 45 W. There’s nothing surprising about the One IU 5.1 UI on Android 13. It is, nevertheless, a joy with its guarantee of four major upgrades and five years of security fixes. Serene.
5G, like Wi-Fi 6E, is already available. And with all of this information, we went around the owner a little. The most significant change, notably the transition to Snapdragon, occurs beneath the beast’s hood. Furthermore, the changes made in comparison to the prior model are extremely slight… some could argue inadequate. However, that is a “wrong problem,” says a Samsung interlocutor.
He claims that comparing devices from one generation to the next is an activity in which technology enthusiasts are prepared to engage, but not the ordinary population, who changes cellphones every three years on average. In this environment, the improvement in quality is more noticeable. We use this speech to underline the obvious, even if we are obviously aware of its marketing rhetoric: replacing cellphones every year is certainly not a practice to encourage.
As a result, we recommend this Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which promises to be perfect for individuals who have a phone that coughs a bit after years of use. The fox from Little Prince can then be tamed. It is significantly less important if you have a current smartphone. Especially when the price is not available on all stock exchanges.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Price & Release Date
On February 17, 2023, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was released. There are three pricing configurations:
- 1419 euros for the model with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage ;
- 1599 euros for the 12/512 GB version ;
- 1839 euros for that of 12 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
