Samsung has raised the bar yet again this year with the launch of the Galaxy S23 series. This year’s lineup comprises the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the S23 Plus and the S23, which promises to deliver the ultimate in mobile technology as well as performance.
In this review, we will try to look into every aspect of these new flagships, providing a comprehensive overview of what makes them stand out from the rest.
Design and Display
All three models of the Samsung Galaxy S23 series feature a modern design, which you’d expect from any smartphone nowadays, with a premium build quality, although you might think that it’s a minimal upgrade of last year’s lineup.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 3200 x 1440. The display features a 120Hz refresh rate with a high touch sampling rate, which makes it ideal for gaming and multimedia content, as you will surely appreciate the vividness of the graphics as well as the responsiveness of the screen.
On the other hand, the S23 Plus features a slightly smaller 6.6-inch display, while the S23 has a 6.1-inch display. All three displays are HDR10+ certified, providing rich and vivid colors.
Performance and Hardware
The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is powered by the latest Qualcomm SM8550 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and comes packed with Adreno 740 GPU, offering top-of-the-line performance for demanding users.
They also run on the latest Android 13 operating system and Samsung’s One UI 5.1 interface.
The devices also come equipped with ample amounts of RAM and storage, with the S23 Ultra offering 8GB up to 16GB of RAM and 256GB to 1TB of internal storage. Aside from that, it uses the latest UFS 4.0 technology, which adds up to the overall performance of the device as reading and writing on it will be much faster than the previous technology.
Camera and Photography
The camera system on the Samsung Galaxy S23 series is the highlight as it offers advanced features and capabilities for both photos and videos.
The S23 Ultra features a quad-camera setup, with a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 10MP periscope telephoto camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera.
Aside from that, Expert RAW is now integrated into the default camera app, which allows tou to capture enhanced RAW photos with multi-frame processing of up to 50MP resolution.
The S23 Plus and S23 both feature a triple-camera setup, with a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera.
These cameras offer a wide range of advanced features and are capable of 8K video recording, with optical image stabilization, and a powerful zoom system.
The cameras are also capable of capturing stunning images in low-light conditions, thanks to the advanced Night mode technology.
Battery and Charging
The battery life on the Samsung Galaxy S23 series is exceptional, with the S23 Ultra featuring a 5000mAh battery, the S23 Plus with 4700mAh and S23 featuring a 3900mAh battery.
Both the Ultra and the Plus variants are capable of fast charging up to 45 watts using a wired charger, with the base model capable of only 25 watts, which can still give you up to 50% of battery in just 30 minutes.
All three devices are capable of reverse wireless charging of up to 4.5 watts, which is fast enough to charge other phones that have lower battery capacity.
Technical Specifications Overview
| Feature | Galaxy S23 Ultra | Galaxy S23 Plus | Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz refresh rate | 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz refresh rate | 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz refresh rate |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels | 1440 x 3088 pixels | 1080 x 2340 pixels |
| Processor | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| RAM | 12GB | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 512GB | 256GB | 128GB |
| Rear Cameras | 200 MP main, 12 MP ultra-wide, 10 MP periscope telephoto, 10 MP telephoto | 50 MP main, 12 MP ultra-wide, 10 MP telephoto | 50 MP main, 12 MP ultra-wide, 10 MP telephoto |
| Front Camera | 12 MP | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Battery | 5000mAh | 4700mAh | 3900mAh |
| Charging | Fast charging, wireless charging | Fast charging, wireless charging | Fast charging, wireless charging |
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is a top-of-the-line smartphone that offers a range of advanced features and capabilities.
From its stunning display, to its powerful performance and camera system, to its exceptional battery life, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series is the perfect smartphone for demanding users.
If you’re in the market for a new flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series is definitely worth considering.
Why the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a Step Up From the S22: 10 Key Features
Samsung’s new Galaxy S23 Ultra was met with initial disappointment due to its similarities to the previous model in terms of design and features.
However, after further investigation and use, the author has discovered several reasons why this phone is still worth considering. Here are ten reasons why the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a great choice:
Improved Selfie Camera
The Galaxy S23 Ultra front camera is a marked improvement over the front camera of last year’s model, the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The S23 Ultra boasts only of a 12 MP resolution sensor, compared to the 40 MP resolution of the S22 Ultra.
The lower resolution may seem like a drawback, but it actually results in improved skin tones, reliable focusing, and more details in images.
The 26mm (wide) lens and f/2.2 aperture remain the same, but the S23 Ultra’s front camera uses Dual Pixel PDAF technology, which is more advanced and provides faster, more accurate focusing.
Moreover, the dual video call feature and support for Auto-HDR and HDR10+ technologies provide a better overall experience during video calls and image capturing, and the camera’s 4K and 1080p video recording capabilities remain unchanged.
Faster Storage
The new flash storage technology in the Galaxy S23 Ultra, UFS 4.0, is the latest and fastest type of flash storage available in the market today. This technology provides high-speed data transfer, allowing the phone to quickly load apps, save pictures and videos, transfer files, and perform other tasks with ease.
With UFS 4.0, users can expect almost two times faster read and write speeds compared to devices using UFS 3.1, which was the previous generation of flash storage technology, although only a handful of users might be able to notice the difference between this year and last year’s model.
Aside from that, the S23 Ultra also comes with a storage capacity of 256 GB to 1 TB, providing ample space for all your media files, apps, and other data.
UFS 4.0 is a significant improvement over the previous storage technology, and offers a more seamless and efficient experience for users. It translates to quicker load times, smoother multitasking, and improved overall device performance.
Additionally, the ability to store larger amounts of data with higher speeds also enables you to store more content and access it faster.
This makes the Galaxy S23 Ultra ideal for demanding tasks, such as gaming, video editing, and more.
Better Speakers
Samsung has enhanced the audio and sound recording capabilities of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. According to reports, the premium flagship boasts improved speakers with superior audio quality, particularly in the lower frequency range (bass).
This results in a more immersive and satisfying multimedia experience, even when not using earbuds or external Bluetooth speakers.
But for sure, it’s not just the speakers that are improved but the overall quality of the audio that the devices produce. So whether you use a wired connection to your speakers or stream the audio through your headphones, you will still be able to enjoy the immersive audio quality the phone can offer.
One UI 5.1 Skin
The One UI 5.1 is the latest user interface from Samsung that runs on Android 13. It provides a refreshed and more intuitive interface, making it easier to use the phone’s features and functions.
It is exclusive to Samsung devices and offers a range of new features and improvements, such as enhanced privacy controls, improved battery life, and better support for foldable displays.
It has already been a tradition for Samsung to give its flagship devices the latest features of its user interface. Pretty soon, all other models that are still supported will receive an update packed with new features as well.
Additionally, One UI 5.1 offers a more streamlined and efficient experience, helping users to get more done with less effort.
Bixby Assistant
Bixby is Samsung’s intelligent personal assistant and has been improved in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Well, it has been improved year after year and it’s only this year’s line up of flagship devices that you’ll truly appreciate its usefulness, at least for some.
One of its new features is the ability to respond to incoming calls by automatically sending a text message.
This allows you to quickly decline a call and communicate with the caller without having to physically interact with the phone. This feature adds a new level of convenience and allows you to stay connected and productive, even when you are unable to take a call.
Quicker Updates
Samsung is committed to ensuring the security of its devices, and has established a reputation for providing timely and quick security patches to its users, especially during the times when exploits have been discovered.
This helps protect users’ personal and sensitive information, as well as keep their devices free from vulnerabilities and malware and other exploits that hackers might use to gain control over your phone.
Furthermore, Samsung has promised to provide four full years of major Android version upgrades for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. This will allow users to enjoy the latest features and security enhancements for a longer period of time, or until they decide to upgrade or buy another device.
This long-term support can also help maintain the phone’s performance and extend its lifespan.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a sleek and modern design, with refined edges and curves that give it a premium look and feel, although one could say it’s basically the same as last year’s model. We can’t blame you if you think that.
The device is made of high-quality materials and has a durable build, ensuring that it will withstand everyday wear and tear. It has an Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance.
The phone has a large and vibrant 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, with a high refresh rate and an adaptive display mode, which adjusts the display’s colors, brightness, and tone to suit the environment. The device also features an in-display fingerprint scanner for added security and convenience, although this doesn’t come as a surprise since such technology has already been used in the previous models.
The overall design of the S23 Ultra makes it a visually appealing and user-friendly device that is sure to impress, especially for users who just decided to go for premium devices.
Software
The phone’s SmartThings app can automatically set the phone to silent mode when you are in a meeting, or turn on the Bluetooth when you get into your car. That’s just one of the things you can enjoy if you own a premium device from Samsung.
Additionally, the Routines feature helps streamline your daily activities and make your life more convenient.
But when talking about the software, it is expected that Samsung’s flagship will run on the latest version of Android, which in this case is Android 13, and comes packed with the latest user interface, in this case One UI 5.1.
Support
Samsung has made a commitment to provide support for the Galaxy S23 Ultra all the way until Android 17.
This means that users can expect four years of major Android version upgrades and security patches, ensuring that their phone remains up to date and secure.
With this level of support, users can have peace of mind knowing that they are getting the best possible user experience.
Responsiveness
With the improved storage and flash memory, you can store more photos, videos, and apps on your phone without worrying about running out of space.
Using the latest UFS 4.0 technology also translates to faster app launches, smoother multitasking, and faster file transfers compared to phones with slower storage solutions.
Additionally, the faster memory also helps in reducing lag, stuttering, and app crashes, making for a more seamless user experience.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a great choice for those looking for a media-centric phone that can shoot proper 8K video, runs on the latest version of Android, impresses with modern design and packed with features that can’t be found in other devices.