This year’s S23 Ultra has caused a 512GB popularization storm, meaning if you bought an 8+256 model, you would be directly upgraded for free to a 12 model with 512GB. This promotion is available in many countries and regions worldwide, with some even offering a free upgrade from 512GB to 1TB. In this article, we will evaluate the phone’s appearance, performance, and camera in detail, helping you understand its pros and cons.
In terms of appearance, the S23 Ultra has a screen that extends to the side with a perfect symmetrical curve that goes straight down to the mid-frame. It may look thicker, like a brick, but it has not actually changed thickness. The mid-frame and the screen’s back panel have a smooth transition, unlike Apple’s sharp corners, which create a larger surface area for hand contact. The S23 Ultra is more stable to hold, and not as slippery. To distinguish this new model, Samsung has made the lens larger and more conspicuous and added an extra circle around the lens, which reduces simplicity but adds refinement and a sense of power. The S23 Ultra is slightly heavier than the S22 Ultra, weighing only 10g more, but for most consumers, the difference in the feel due to the straight edge is more noticeable, making it difficult to operate with one hand. The front remains beautifully square and comfortable, with the Samsung style.
Samsung has once again launched Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass, putting more emphasis on environmental protection, such as changing the body color through recycled sawdust film and using recycled ocean plastic to make the inner shell. I think this environmentally friendly approach is more practical than not including a charging adapter. The ultrasonic fingerprint has remained unchanged, and the S23 Ultra’s screen is one of the best screens available in Android smartphones, making it difficult to determine whether it is an M11 or M12. The only drawback is the frequency flicker, which is still a global ultra-low-frequency 240Hz PM dimming that is even less than the iPhone 14 Pro.
The S23 Ultra is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2, based on TSMC’s industry, which is sold globally this year. Samsung has also customized an 8 Gen2 for Galaxy, which is exclusively available to Samsung and then expanded to the entire series with VC heat dissipation technology. The CPU part has been upgraded from the ordinary version’s 3.19GHz to 3.36GHz with the Samsung G and ultra-large cores, making it smoother than last year’s model. S22 Ultra had heating issues when playing games, but S23 Ultra’s battery life is impressive, with 56% remaining after a day of use, which is pretty good for a flagship model with 8 Gen2 this year. Charging at 25W or 45W, 4500mAh or 5000mAh, all Samsung’s flagship models can be fully charged in about an hour.
The S23 Ultra features both a main camera and an ultra-wide-angle lens, with a powerful telephoto combination that was already impressive two years ago with its 3x and 10x zoom capabilities. However, the S23 Ultra’s unique strength lies in its telephoto capabilities, which are the strongest of any phone currently available, thanks to special algorithms. Zoom capabilities of up to 20x, 30x, and even 50x are remarkably similar to the original focal length, a feat no other phone can currently match. Additionally, the S23 Ultra boasts a whopping 200 million pixels, allowing you to choose between shooting in 50-megapixel mode or using the full 200 million pixels for the most natural-looking images. The high pixel count minimizes the need for sharpness adjustment, resulting in natural-looking images with excellent detail.
The S23 Ultra’s high-speed autofocus system is equally impressive, with a speed of 3x that of the telephoto lens, which is on par with the 3x zoom of the telephoto lens itself. The 2x zoom is also impressively natural, improving upon the S22 Ultra’s performance.
In terms of photo display, high saturation is the dominant feature, particularly in food photography, where it is highly appetizing. HDR has also improved slightly from the previous generation. Although the front camera has been downgraded from 40 megapixels to 12 megapixels and the lens size has been reduced, there is little difference in daytime detail and indoor performance. Selfies taken with Samsung’s flagship phones have always been outstanding, with automatic focus and without over-bleaching, while retaining the necessary processing for optimal results.
Overall, the Samsung S23 Ultra is a formidable performer with an excellent screen and a stunning camera, making it one of the top Android phones on the market. So, in conclusion, do you think the Samsung S23 Ultra is worth buying?