As a highly anticipated flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra packs a punch with its impressive features and advanced technology. This review will cover its design, display, camera, performance, battery life, and overall value.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Design: The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a sleek and elegant design that looks and feels premium. It features a glass front and back with a metal frame, giving it a solid and durable build. The phone is available in multiple colors, including Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Titanium. The device also comes with an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, making it suitable for everyday use.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Display: The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a large 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 3200 pixels. The screen has a 120Hz refresh rate and supports HDR10+ content, providing an immersive viewing experience with vibrant colors and excellent contrast. The device also features an under-display fingerprint scanner for added security.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Camera: The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera system is one of its main highlights. It features a quad-camera setup that includes a 108-megapixel primary sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 10-megapixel periscope telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom, and a 3D ToF sensor. The device also has a 40-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calls. The camera system delivers exceptional image quality with excellent detail, color accuracy, and dynamic range.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Performance: The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 895 processor, paired with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. The device runs on Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 4.0 skin on top, providing a smooth and responsive user experience. The device also supports 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Battery life: The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that supports 45W fast charging, 25W wireless charging, and 15W reverse wireless charging. The battery life is impressive, lasting up to a full day with moderate usage. The device also has power-saving features, such as Adaptive Battery and Ultra Power Saving Mode, to extend the battery life even further.
Overall value: The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is undoubtedly one of the best smartphones on the market, offering top-of-the-line features and technology. However, its high price tag may not be suitable for everyone. The device is perfect for tech enthusiasts, professionals, and power users who need the best performance, camera, and display. If you’re looking for a premium smartphone that can handle anything you throw at it, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is an excellent choice.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Specifications
Network
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 (Dual SIM model only) |
| CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA | |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 – International |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 – USA | |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 – International |
| 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave – USA | |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A (up to 7CA), 5G |
Launch
| Announced | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
Body
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| Weight | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro |
Display
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels (~500 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Always-on display |
Platform
| OS | Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (1×3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3×2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 |
Memory
| Card slot | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 4.0 |
Main Camera
| Quad | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3″, 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52″, 1.12µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52″, 1.12µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | [email protected]/30fps, [email protected]/60fps, [email protected]/60/240fps, [email protected], HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
Selfie camera
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Features | Dual video call, Auto-HDR, HDR10+ |
| Video | [email protected]/60fps, [email protected] |
Sound
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | No |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG |
Connectivity
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Yes |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
Features
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support |
Battery
| Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless |
Miscellaneous
| Colors | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| SAR | 1.12 W/kg (head) 0.92 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.40 W/kg (body) |
Tests Result
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Camera | Photo / Video |
| Loudspeaker | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 126h |
