Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review

When the Galaxy S23 Extremely was introduced, I mentioned it confirmed Samsung doesn’t must attempt anymore as a result of the cellphone is so just like the Galaxy S22 Extremely from 2022.

I stand by that. This cellphone appears to be like and feels just like the one which got here earlier than it within the vary. However that doesn’t cease the newer S23 Extremely being the most effective telephones ever made and the most effective telephones you should purchase.

If you’d like a tool with each conceivable smartphone characteristic crammed right into a glass block you may (nearly) slot in your pocket, then you definitely most likely don’t must look any additional.

The perfect display screen on a cellphone, a stylus, a 200Mp digicam, and the newest in cell processing energy don’t come low-cost although. The S23 Extremely begins at $1,199/£1,249/€1,419 and solely will get costlier if you need extra storage.

However with 5 years of software program assist it’s a cellphone constructed to final.

Design & construct

• Giant however premium glass sandwich
• Nearly flat display screen
• S Pen stylus

So sure, the S23 Extremely appears to be like lots just like the S22 Extremely, which suggests it’s a really massive heavy (234g) block with glass on each side, aluminium rails across the edges, and squared off corners to make the display screen rectangular. Many telephones have rounded display screen corners today, so it lends the Extremely a severe, computer-ish look.

The again is roofed in Gorilla Glass Victus 2, identical because the display screen. That is the strongest cellphone glass going, however I nonetheless suggest placing this very smashable cellphone in a case even when it makes the cellphone even bigger. There’s no pre-installed display screen protector both.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Although the cellphone is hard to make use of with one hand, it feels extremely premium. The facet rails are virtually flat however curve off in the direction of the back and front of the very barely curved edge display screen, with the highest and backside of the machine the one elements which are fully flat. It’s a greater really feel than the iPhone’s fully flat sides and display screen.

The one buttons are the amount rocker and energy buttons on the suitable edge – fortunately there’s no devoted voice assistant swap (good riddance). The underside edge has a USB-C port, twin SIM tray, mic, speaker grille, and S Pen that slots into the far left facet.

My inexperienced evaluation unit was a stunning hue although you would possibly choose the opposite colors of cream, lavender, or black.

Price mentioning are also this cellphone’s high tier haptics. That’s, the standard of the vibration motor for notifications, calls and alarms, but in addition for inside the system for going again or for keyboard suggestions when typing. They’re actually wonderful and make the cellphone really feel as premium as its price ticket.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Display & audio system

• Unbelievable 6.8in AMOLED
• 1-120Hz refresh fee
• Twin stereo audio system

The show is perhaps the very best factor in regards to the S23 Extremely. It’s beautiful. I say this typically in regards to the newest high of the road Samsung cellphone, nevertheless it’s true: it’s the very best display screen I’ve seen on a cellphone thus far.

It’s a 6.8in AMOLED with unbelievable readability due to a 3088 x 1440 WQHD+ decision, although you may tune that all the way down to 1080p in settings to avoid wasting battery life (there’s additionally a 720p setting, don’t go there).

Color is uniform even at peak brightness, which Samsung says is 1750 nits. You possibly can see the display screen in complete direct daylight, which isn’t true for many telephones.

With LTPO tech, the display screen also can refresh between 1 and 120Hz relying on what you’re doing, and the decrease Hz utilization additionally saves on battery.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The cellphone additionally ups the contact sampling fee to 240Hz when in sport mode, which helps for reaction-important video games.

The twin stereo audio system are additionally among the finest on a cellphone. Music performed out of cellphone audio system is normally heresy however right here it doesn’t distort, even on the highest stage.

The audio high quality is nowhere close to nearly as good as a small Bluetooth speaker such because the UE Wonderboom 3, however it’s satisfactory, and the audio system usually are wonderful for YouTube and podcast classes.

Specs & efficiency

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Cellular Platform for Galaxy, apparently
• 8/12GB RAM
• As much as 1TB storage

Samsung typically will get dinged for the marginally laggy really feel of the efficiency and software program on its telephones even when new, however that’s not the case right here. I’m unsure what the corporate has executed otherwise, however this cellphone completely flies. It feels as quick because the Google Pixel 7 Professional and OnePlus 11.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It might be all the way down to the chipset, which is a customized model of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 particularly tuned for the Galaxy S23 Extremely (and for the common S23 and S23 Plus). The chip has been set to succeed in the next clock velocity than different telephones with the 8 Gen 2 (such because the OnePlus 11) and paired with the 12GB RAM of my evaluation pattern it made for flawless operation.

The CPU can allegedly attain a single core clock velocity of three.36GHz as an alternative of three.2GHz on different telephones and 719MHz for the GPU vs 680MHz. That’s nice, however in actuality gained’t equate to a lot of a efficiency acquire.

The additional little bit of oomph is no less than mirrored in a multi-core Geekbench 5 rating of 4996, the very best Android rating we’ve seen, crushed solely by the iPhone 14 Professional’s A16 chipset.

My evaluation pattern got here with 256GB non-expandable storage, although within the UK Samsung seems to solely be promoting a 256GB mannequin with 8GB RAM. There’s additionally a 12GB RAM/512GB storage possibility or an enormous 12GB/1TB.

Digicam & video

• Superb 200Mp major sensor
• Excellent 3x and 10x optical lenses
• Unhealthy selfie digicam

Samsung is making an enormous deal of the 200Mp f/1.7 major lens on the S23 Extremely nevertheless it’s not the primary cellphone to succeed in the 200 megapixel mark – we’ve reviewed the Motorola Edge 30 Extremely with one already.

Having extra megapixels doesn’t all the time equal higher photographs on a cellphone. The Google Pixel 6a takes phenomenal photographs with a 12Mp lens due to Google’s superlative software program processing.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

No matter Samsung’s doing with its lens is superb – however there’s not a lot of a bounce in high quality in comparison with the S22 Extremely’s 108Mp digicam except you shoot in full 200Mp mode and actually look laborious.

By default, the S23 Extremely doesn’t shoot at 200Mp decision. As an alternative, it makes use of pixel binning, a know-how that right here combines a 4×4 space of pixel squares into one bigger pixel space that improves detailing, significantly in low gentle. It means pictures out the field are 12.5Mp, however the digicam app lets you choose 50Mp and 200Mp if you wish to shoot in increased resolutions.

Right here’s a number of pictures exhibiting what the cellphone can do:

Alongside that lens are a 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide, 10Mp f/2.4 2x optical telephoto, and a 10Mp f/4.9 10x optical zoom lens. These 4 sensors make for probably the most versatile digicam arrange on any cellphone in the marketplace, bar the equally outfitted S22 Extremely.

Having a 3x optical and 10x optical zoom is pure cell images luxurious. I took pictures at 10x with the S23 Extremely that gained’t win a Pulitzer however are sharper than something I might obtain on the iPhone 14 Professional, whose optical zoom is restricted to 3x.

Try the gallery right here of the zoom ranges in motion:

The 10x lens also can do Samsung’s ‘house zoom’ which might go to 100x and is just about known as that as a result of you may get a grainy photograph of the moon’s craters. Don’t get me incorrect, the very fact it could possibly do it’s superb, the outcomes themselves aren’t that. Area zoom is that this cellphone’s gimmick.

Higher to focus (ha!) on the superb software program portrait mode, which provides an excellent bokeh impact, even when telephones just like the Vivo X90 Professional with bigger sensors are beginning to do it with simply {hardware} now.

The 12Mp f/2.2 selfie digicam is an on-paper downgrade from the S22 Extremely’s 40Mp lens however the S23 is doing one thing cleverer with the processing. Photographs appears to be like sharper and extra detailed, with higher color.

That’s solely in daylight although – the selfie shooter could be very poor in low gentle, with unhealthy element and blurry pictures unavoidable. The lighting within the pub was unhealthy, however different telephones at this worth can take higher pictures than this:

Henry Burrell / Foundry

Even with its PDAF autofocus the primary lens can’t address fast-paced topics both (although many different telephones can’t). The S23 Extremely struggled to {photograph} my buddy holding a wriggly canine with out it blurring significantly. I took a number of pictures, they usually all appear like this:

Henry Burrell / Foundry

Samsung nonetheless enjoys saturating colors to make photographs pop. Skies are bluer than in actual life and grass and vegetation hum a vibrant inexperienced not fairly of this world. However when out with family and friends, with out fail I’d present a photograph to somebody after taking it and they’d complain how significantly better it seemed than their cellphone’s model.

Should you like your colors true to life and muted the iPhone is for you. However in case you like pictures pulsing with color and able to submit to social media, the Galaxy is a greater wager.

It’s price it in case you additionally obtain Samsung’s Knowledgeable RAW app to shoot within the RAW format and tinker with handbook modes. It’s odd it have to be an entire separate app, however no less than it exists. It factors you to Adobe Lightroom to edit, and you possibly can fall down a digicam settings rabbit gap, however that’s what you’d anticipate on a cellphone that prices this a lot – and the cameras are adequate to justify your effort.

Video can be excellent with as much as 8K at 30fps on the rear digicam and UHD at 60fps on the entrance. A professional video mode with stable stabilisation means the S23 Extremely is an efficient shout in case you are into cell videography, however the iPhone 14 sequence nonetheless bests it for pure high quality and higher (miraculous) stabilisation.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Battery & charging

• 45W charging is kind of gradual
• All-day battery after which some
• Wi-fi and reverse wi-fi charging

Samsung, together with Apple, is a curious maintain out on actually quick charging in its telephones. What do these two know that we don’t?

All I do know is the S23 Extremely costs slower than some telephones that value 1 / 4 of its worth. The cellphone comes with a USB-C to C cable within the field however no brick to make the most of as much as 45W charging speeds. With package of my very own, I charged the cellphone to 43% in half-hour, and it was solely at 21% after 15 of these.

The OnePlus 11, which prices $699/£729 and comes with a 100W charger within the field, charged to 71% in quarter-hour and was full earlier than half an hour. If charging speeds matter to you, it’s price noting.

The S23 Extremely will be charged wirelessly (slower) although, a characteristic the OnePlus doesn’t have. It additionally means you may cost different Qi wi-fi gadgets (telephones, watches, earbuds) on the again of the S23 utilizing the cellphone’s energy.

It kind of didn’t matter to me that the cellphone costs slower than others although as a result of the battery life is so good. A cellphone this large simply suits a 5,000mAh cell, and it lasted me all day with no points in any respect. I received a stable day and a half of use out of a single cost even when utilizing the cellphone extensively for this evaluation and will hit about 8 hours of display screen on time earlier than issues began to get dicey.

That is additionally with the display screen set to the utmost WQHD+ decision and on the adaptive 120Hz fee.

As a UK reviewer who has needed to put up with Exynos model of Galaxy S telephones for years with worse battery life than their Qualcomm counterparts abroad, I’m glad to see the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 transport in each unit.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Software program & updates

• One UI 5.1 over Android 13
• 4 platform updates
• 5 years safety updates

Samsung continues to steer the Android pack with a promise of 4 years of Android platform updates and 5 of safety patches for the S23 Extremely (and plenty of different gadgets). OnePlus has simply caught up however just for one cellphone, whereas Google presents the identical 5 years of safety however solely three Android model updates.

Apple outdoes Samsung right here, as does Fairphone. However 5 years of software program cowl on a cellphone continues to be wonderful.

The cellphone ships with One UI 5.1 over Android 13 and I fairly prefer it. One UI stays fairly busy and Samsung actually adjustments numerous the aesthetic in comparison with a ‘inventory’ look or Google’s Pixel Launcher, however there may be numerous customisation you may get into – although different skins like Oppo’s ColorOS allow you to fiddle extra with the appear and feel of Android.

It took me three days or so to tweak One UI to my liking however I might fortunately dwell with it full time.

It was maddening to see an advert within the notifications for a Samsung laptop computer and there’s actually numerous Google and Samsung apps you possibly can do with out, however you may uninstall them. I say this as a few of my colleagues suppose it’s bloated, however it is vitally performant on the S23 Extremely’s {hardware}.

I actually loved having the S Pen stylus on the cellphone for about two days earlier than I put it away and forgot it was there. It’s a genuinely helpful device however in my case, solely once I must do one thing like signal a doc or edit a photograph. I’m certain some folks write notes on the factor or use it as an artist’s device, however with a show too tall and slim for that kind of factor, most ought to be an iPad or Floor.

Extra helpful is Samsung DeX – plug the cellphone right into a appropriate USB-C monitor and it turns the Android OS right into a desktop mode for enter with a keyboard and mouse through Bluetooth. It additionally works with wi-fi shows and is a reliable manner to make use of a desktop arrange all powered out of your cellphone. This ought to be the long run.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Worth & availability

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely is a monster cellphone so it has a monster price ticket. It prices from $1,199/£1,249/€1,419 for the usual mannequin with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.

With 16GB/512GB it prices $1,379/£1,399/€1,599 and with 16GB/1TB you’re $1,619/£1,599/€1,839.

You will get it instantly from Samsung worldwide, or within the US from Finest Purchase, Goal, Verizon, AT&T and T-Cellular, and nearly wherever. It’s a Samsung.

Within the UK you can even purchase it from Amazon, O2, Vodafone, EE, Three, and John Lewis.

It’s an costly cellphone, costing greater than the 128GB $1,099/£1,199/€1,479 iPhone 14 Professional Max, which is comparably massive and absolutely featured.

If you’d like an excellent Android cellphone with each potential characteristic, the S23 Extremely is that cellphone, and the one one on the market with a in-built stylus. However in case you don’t want a type of, you possibly can get the Google Pixel 7 Professional for $899/£849/€899 and save various money. The common Pixel 7 prices even much less.

Try our full rating of the very best telephones proper now for extra choices.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely is probably the most cellphone you may get on your cash, however that doesn’t essentially imply it’s the finest cellphone you should purchase.

It’s a kitchen sink cellphone with each potential characteristic stuffed into it. In a manner, having this a lot in a cellphone kind of excuses it being such a squared off brick of a factor. An incredible digicam arrange, nice battery life, finest at school display screen, stylus, full desktop mode, and the zippiest software program efficiency I’ve seen on a Samsung – I’ve used Samsung Galaxy telephones since 2015 – and this cellphone is a winner.

Nevertheless it prices lots, which makes it tougher to suggest to everybody, simply because it does with the most costly iPhones on the market.

You would possibly nicely discover all the posh you need within the common S23 or S23 Plus, or one other high Android cellphone. But if you need the dictionary definition of the ‘most cellphone’, the S23 Extremely is it – for now.

Specs

• 6.8in, 120Hz, WQHD+, AMOLED show
• Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
• 8/12GB RAM
• 256/512GB/1TB storage
• 5000mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 15W wi-fi charging
• Cameras:
  • 200Mp f/1.7 major digicam
  • 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide digicam
  • 10Mp f/2.4 3x optical telephoto digicam
  • 10Mp f/4.9 10x optical telephoto digicam
  • 12Mp f/2.2 entrance dealing with digicam
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 6E
• Bluetooth 5.3
• IP68
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2
• 78.1 X 163.4 X 8.9mm
• 234g
• Android 13 with One UI 5.1