“The best device released so far” is a phrase that in the world of technology journalists we have heard a lot, regarding Samsung’s flagship: the S23 Ultra.
And while the improvements from one generation to the next are not usually that surprising, this team brought with it several aspects that could put it in that position.
The box: And my charger?
We’ve been quite critical of this trend: both Samsung and Apple stopped shipping chargers with smartphones. The explanation, according to them, is ecological. We do not understand how this is possible, if one ends up buying it separately. Because if you want to have fast charging features, you CANNOT recycle any charger you have at home, and you need a specific one, which, at least in Chile, has a value of 40,000 CLP (about 40 USD).
Why not include it in the box, if we are talking about a smartphone of more than one million pesos? It is something we will never understand. What is good and really “ecological” is the reduction of plastics in the box and the use of soy inks or similar in the impressions of these, that is a contribution to the environment without hitting the consumer.
What does come in the box: the phone, the tool to remove the SIM card tray, a USB-C cable on both sides, and the quick start manual.
Team analysis at first glance
At first glance, the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra looks practically the same as its predecessor (S22 Ultra). In fact we wanted to do a curious exercise: test if the S-Pen are the same. Changed only the thickness of the protruding button at the end of the pencil. Fact: the S-Pen of the S22 Ultra fits into that of the S23 Ultra, but not the other way around.
The unit we had access to is a stylish cream colour. An extremely elegant finish. The premium construction is noteworthy, with both fronts of the equipment covered in glass (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), and aluminum edges.
Like the previous generation, we are facing a team of great proportions: 163.3 mm high, 77.9 wide, and 8.9 mm thick. The screen is 6.8 inches. With its weight of 234 grams, you have a great team to enjoy multimedia content.
Regarding the cameras, the protrusions of the cameras are slightly larger than in the previous model. But it is not noticeable thicker, it remains aesthetically balanced.
Screen: the center of everything
The screen is the protagonist of smartphones. Here we have: 6.8 inches, Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, QHD+ resolution (1440 x 3088 pixels), 120 Hz refresh rate, 240 Hz sampling in game mode, 1750 nits of maximum brightness, HDR10+.
A fact of day-to-day use: you can easily consume your content under the sun. The 120 Hz S will be appreciated by gamers and makes the phone feel fluid.
Performance of the “titan” of 2023
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with Android 13 pre-installed, equipping the latest version of One UI (5.1). Let’s remember that this team, from the S22, is the fusion of two worlds: S series and Note. So the S-Pen has a lot of prominence. With it you can write on the screen, sign documents, take screenshots, use it as a trigger for the camera, among others. You can even, with certain gestures, use it as a control in the purest Harry Potter style.
The equipment comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, in its “for Galaxy” version (For this series of equipment). This chip comes with 8 or 12 GB of RAM, and with 256, 512 GB or 1 TB of internal storage. The unit that we are testing mounts 12 GB of RAM and 256 of storage.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a titan without a doubt, which works amazingly on this computer. You will realize that there is no impossible task for this team. No lag, no crashes, no nothing. If you want performance: there it is.
All-day battery and more
S23 Ultra features a 5000 mAh battery, and taking full advantage of the capabilities of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, this is further optimized. Beyond the number, it is an efficient phone for the sum of its parts.
In the tests it gave us a day and a half, without problems. And that was without saving: Always On Display on, screen in Full HD + resolution, refresh rate at 120 Hz, 5G and Wifi at times, etc. Common use and taking advantage of its full potential.
S23 Ultra supports fast charging up to 45W. We insist that it would be nice to have the charger AGAIN in the box. In our case, we use the Samsung Galaxy Note 360.
Cameras: something that many like to analyze
To be very honest, the common user likes to have a good camera on the smartphone. But it doesn’t dwell too much on the technical, so we’ll keep it short and simple.
We start with no less detail: Regarding S22 Ultra, the wide angle received a sensor change going from 108 to 200 megapixels of maximum resolution. Necessary? We insist: the changes from generation to generation in recent years are not surprising, and are more focused on increasing numbers, but it is appreciated.
The other cameras are a 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle and two telephoto lenses, 3x and 10x, both with a 10-megapixel resolution: balanced and very good results in difficult light conditions. And it is that to this configuration we must add the AI.
The front camera is now 12 megapixels, and with good results. Now supports nightography: Samsung’s special technology for taking pictures at night. It’s still working amazingly.
Video?
We insist: responding to the common user: 8K recording, with a less pronounced crop, record at 30 frames per second, and the result is of the highest quality.
The stabilization is noticeably improved compared to the previous generation, the audio is recorded with incredible quality and the color capture is quite accurate.
Is it the best smartphone of 2023?
We can say that it is the best we have tried so far. The highlights are undoubtedly: performance, luxury screen and very professional cameras.
More than enough battery, although it loses points by not bringing the fast-charging charger in the box. Being a person with small hands, the size of the kit can sometimes be an issue and it would be great to consider an S23 Ultra with all these features but also with those of us who don’t have big hands in mind.
Is for you?
Let’s remember that the smartphone is the smart device that spends the most hours a day with us. Is this phone for you? If you want performance, cameras and all-day battery: yes. If you like mobile video games: yes. Do you have an S22? Think about it a bit.
In recent years, unless there is a fundamental change such as the addition of the S-Pen to this line, it is not necessary to change the smartphone every year. Every 2 or 3 is fine. Does it fit in your jeans? If you’re a woman, probably not. But don’t forget that there are a number of very entertaining accessories that allow you to walk around with your smartphone hanging.
Without a doubt, this is a team that is aimed at that public that likes to have the top of the range in technology.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is now available for purchase. Its price starts at CLP $1,449,990.