It’s lastly right here! The iPhone killer or the Android king, as many name it. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has been launched with a variety of similarities with its predecessor like the identical battery, the identical show, a really related design, and naturally, the S-Pen. The most important adjustments this 12 months are within the digital camera and efficiency area. We get a spanking-new 200-megapixel ISOCELL HP2 shooter and a customized Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset paired with as much as 12GB of RAM. Samsung has additionally talked lots in regards to the design, however that’s extra of a push in direction of sustainability quite than an enormous change.
On this article, we take an in depth take a look at what the brand new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra presents. Does the minor tweak in design make any distinction, is the brand new ‘customized’ Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip for Galaxy any higher than the usual Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, how does the upgraded digital camera carry out, and if the battery backup is any completely different regardless of being the identical on paper.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra evaluate: Design
Beginning with the design, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra appears to be like just about the identical as its predecessor. The minor tweaks within the design, nonetheless, have made a really important enhancement to the smartphone’s total in-hand really feel and grip. The flatter sides now make it a lot simpler to carry the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the design now appears to be like boxier. Very Galaxy Notice-like (RIP).
The again panel can be just about the identical, simply the cameras are barely greater in dimension, in case you look very intently. Up entrance, the show curves barely lower than final 12 months because of the flat sides, however it’s nonetheless curved. The chin and high bezel stay related sized, and naturally, there’s the hole-punch show implementation with the centrally-located entrance digital camera cutout.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has been launched in three colors – Inexperienced, Phantom Black, and Cream. With the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung has taken an Apple-like method. Saved the flowery design that has labored effectively with minor tweaks. The flat edges make the grip a lot better than the predecessor, and the body now feels extra bolstered. Good and vital tweaks to a design that didn’t require any radical adjustments.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra evaluate: Show
The show on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can be much like the earlier technology. We get the identical 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED show with a 120Hz refresh charge and as much as 1,750 nits of claimed peak brightness. This, nonetheless, comes with the newest LTPO 3.0 know-how for an adaptive refresh charge. This show, as anticipated from a Samsung flagship, is gorgeous. The colors are tremendous correct, it’s tremendous responsive, and naturally, vivid sufficient for use in all types of environments.
We examined the show brightness utilizing a Lux Meter, and the very best peak brightness we might obtain was 1192 nits, as towards the claimed peak brightness of 1,750. Additional, in our Calman check, the smartphone’s color accuracy got here out to be superb in sRGB. It confirmed a median DeltaE of two.4, which is superb. The utmost DeltaE was 4.3 on orange or saffron colors, which means that orange or saffron are the least correct colors on this show.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra evaluate: Efficiency
Coming to efficiency, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip for Galaxy telephones. This chip is paired with 12GB of RAM and comes with the next clock velocity in each the CPU and GPU as in comparison with the usual Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. Whereas the very best clock velocity on the usual Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is 3.2GHz, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy telephones is clocked at 3.36GHz max. The GPU on the customized chip, alternatively, is clocked at 719MHz, as towards the 680MHz clock velocity of the usual Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip GPU.
This tradition chip is paired with 12GB of RAM, and the efficiency expertise on this smartphone is subsequent stage. All through my utilization, the smartphone felt extremely quick and extremely slick. Be it navigating via apps or enjoying video games, or at occasions even multitasking, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra simply flies via any job you throw its method. The gaming expertise on this telephone can be gaming phone-level.
I not too long ago used the iQoo 11 which was the primary Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 smartphone to be launched in India, and the expertise on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra felt barely higher than the iQoo 11, regardless of the latter’s gaming-centric DNA. The principle cause right here is the upper clock velocity on the customized chip and the mixture of Samsung’s stunning Dynamic AMOLED show. All video games that help a excessive body charge run on full settings with minimal load occasions, and there aren’t any body drops or lags even in demanding video games like Genshin Affect and Name of Obligation: Cellular.
Coming to benchmarks and checks we ran on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, the smartphone carried out higher than different Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered smartphones in most eventualities. On AnTuTu, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra scored 1,204,573 factors, which is greater than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered OnePlus 11, however falls wanting the iQoo 11, which has the usual Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. On Geekbench, the Galaxy S23 Ultra left the competitors behind with a single-core rating of 1,551 and a multi-core rating of 4,798, which is considerably greater than the OnePlus 11 or iQoo 11’s single-core scores of 1,163 and 1,442 respectively. Right here, the upper clock velocity of the largest core comes into play. In multi-core scores on Geekbench, nonetheless, the OnePlus 11 scored greater than the Galaxy S23 Ultra with a 4,872 rating.
We additionally ran different benchmarks like PC Mark and 3D Mark Wildlife on the Galaxy S23 Ultra and right here additionally, the smartphone got here out on high as in comparison with the opposite two Android flagships launched not too long ago (OnePlus 11 and iQoo 11). In 3D Mark, the Galaxy S23 Ultra scored 3781 factors, greater than the OnePlus 11’s 3606 rating and the iQoo 11’s 3566 factors. In PC Mark, which is a CPU-based check, the S23 Ultra blew the competitors out of the water with a rating of 15,530 factors as towards the 10493 factors on the OnePlus 11 and 12150 factors on the iQoo 11. Right here additionally, the upper clock velocity of the largest core has helped the Galaxy S23 Ultra obtain considerably greater scores.
We additionally examined the gaming efficiency utilizing Gamebench. Whereas the gaming expertise is nothing wanting a gaming smartphone, on Gamebench the soundness got here out to be barely decrease than the very best scores now we have seen this 12 months. In Name of Obligation: Cellular, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra gave a 60FPS body charge with 97% stability. In Asphalt 9 additionally, the smartphone confirmed the identical numbers (60FPS with 97% stability).
Sufficient with the benchmarks, let’s now deal with the problems that Samsung flagships have come to be identified for – heating and throttling. Final 12 months’s flagships have been discovered to be throttling lots and there was an enormous controversy round Samsung’s flagships and their throttling points. This 12 months, Samsung appears to have mounted that. We ran a CPU Throttling check on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and it confirmed that the smartphone’s CPU throttles to 86 p.c, which isn’t too dangerous.
By way of heating, Samsung has put 2.7 occasions bigger vapour cooling chamber on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which signifies that the heating ought to be in test this time round. I’ve been utilizing the S23 Ultra for the previous few days, and I didn’t really feel the smartphone heating up an excessive amount of throughout utilization. Whereas enjoying video games additionally, the thermals stay in test and are nowhere close to final 12 months’s flagships. Nevertheless, there have been sure eventualities the place the smartphone heated up. Principally, it was when the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was plugged right into a charger or in my automobile for Android Auto. Now, whereas it does warmth up generally, it’s nowhere as dangerous as final 12 months. We additionally examined the heating with a Flir warmth digital camera, and it confirmed that the Galaxy S23 Ultra heated as much as a most temperature of 42.5-degree celsius, which isn’t too dangerous for the most popular temperature.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Assessment: Battery
Coming to the battery, on paper, there isn’t any distinction between the Galaxy S23 Ultra and its predecessor’s battery. We get a 5,000mAh battery on the smartphone, together with 45W quick charging. Now, whereas on paper there isn’t any distinction, the battery life has improved vastly. Throughout my utilization, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra gave us about 9 hours of on-screen time on one battery cycle. That is after we ran a bunch of checks, performed video games and even used the digital camera for a while, with the show on full brightness and locked on the highest 120Hz refresh charge.
In our battery checks, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra noticed a 2 p.c drop within the battery after a 15-minute gaming session of Name of Obligation: Cellular. Additional, after half-hour of enjoying a YouTube video in 2160p decision, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra misplaced solely 3 p.c battery. Taking a look at these numbers, the battery on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is good and an enormous jump-up from the successor Galaxy S22 Ultra’s battery life. By way of charging, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra took a complete of 84 minutes to cost from 0 to 100%. The smartphone helps as much as 45W quick charging and we additionally get 15W wi-fi charging with Samsung’s newest flagship.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Digicam
Coming to the digital camera, this is without doubt one of the two greatest adjustments on the brand new Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung has used a model new 200-megapixel ISOCELL HP2 shooter on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Aside from this, there’s a 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle lens, a 10-megapixel periscope telephoto lens, and one other 10-megapixel telephoto shooter. On paper, this appears like an excessive amount of digital camera tech. In actuality, issues aren’t too completely different. This digital camera is superb in nearly each sense of the phrase. The photographs out of the first 200-megapixel shooter are nothing wanting tremendous sharp and detailed. The HP2 sensor comes with a quad-pixel autofocus characteristic that focuses on all pixels on the identical time, leading to sooner autofocus speeds.
Pictures out of the digital camera are crisp and the colors are very correct. That is pretty much as good as a digital camera will get for Android smartphones. It properly manages colors and pores and skin tones, with out dropping any particulars or sharpness. The photographs look sharp and have ample element, even with out utilizing the complete 200-megapixel mode. Pictures out of the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s digital camera are properly saturated and supply a great distinction that principally appears to be like fairly aesthetic. Unleashing the complete 200-megapixel, alternatively, enhances all of that and provides much more element. Whereas the distinction received’t be as noticeable on the smartphone’s display, the second you place it on a much bigger display, you’ll discover that the distinction is substantial. The images are way more detailed, and the dynamic vary is barely higher in low-light situations.
One other factor to say right here is that Samsung has enhanced the stabilisation of this digital camera. As I mentioned above, taking a great picture from this digital camera is tremendous simple. In fact, that is Samsung’s flagship so we get marvellous telephoto capabilities with as much as 10X optical zoom and 100X digital zoom. Cool options to mess around with, however the pictures in 10X are excellent. The main points are clear and the photographs are sharp. Most occasions I confirmed folks pictures clicked in 10X zoom, and they didn’t consider it. That’s one thing. The 100X zoom, after all, received’t be utilized in common life, however it’s a cool characteristic to have in case you wish to see one thing that’s too far on your eye to catch.
In low lights additionally, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s digital camera works brilliantly. The colors are properly matched and the photographs are completely saturated for extra aesthetic outcomes. In evening mode, nonetheless, the digital camera takes in a bit an excessive amount of gentle for my liking. It appeared to click on higher pictures at evening with the evening mode off. Additional, in just a few circumstances, the digital camera additionally messes up the picture in low gentle. Like this picture of a pot, the place you may see smudges on the correct aspect. Now, it is a very uncommon prevalence, however after all, vital to say.
Coming to portraits, right here additionally the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra does brilliantly. The sting detection and background blur are excellent, and the images don’t lose out on particulars or colors. Portraits, nonetheless, give a barely heat pores and skin tone to topics in vivid lighting situations. The sting detection can be on-point in most situations, however we noticed the Galaxy S23 Ultra digital camera glitching out right here additionally on a few events, like this picture of my colleague Sushant. Discover how the glare from the glass utterly confuses the digital camera and it detects this additionally as a part of the topic. The evening portraits, nonetheless, look straight out of a DSLR digital camera.
General, that is nonetheless most likely probably the greatest cameras on the market when it comes to nonetheless pictures. The colors are barely in direction of the saturated aspect, which is to carry out the colors and make the picture extra aesthetic. The digital camera does mess up in some uncommon situations however give it a few tries, and you’ll get superb pictures out of this digital camera. Samsung’s sooner autofocus and stabilisation are to be counseled right here, however once more, the picture processing after clicking the picture stays gradual as now we have seen in Samsung flagships within the current previous.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Assessment: Verdict
General, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is simply an incremental replace over its predecessor. And an excellent one at that. Samsung has centered on retaining the identical recipe, however refining it for an total higher expertise. The corporate has mounted all the problems final 12 months’s Galaxy S22 collection had – be it heating, throttling, or the disappointing battery backup. The S23 Ultra, in our preliminary days with the telephone, didn’t throttle a lot, the smartphone heats up a lot much less (because of the bigger vapour cooling chamber), and the battery is now most likely probably the greatest on any Android smartphone on the market. On high of that, you get a brilliant highly effective chip, and once more, probably the greatest smartphone cameras on the market at present.
By way of design, the Galaxy S23 Ultra appears to be like the identical as its predecessor. Nevertheless, Samsung has made the body flat from the edges, which boosts the in-hand really feel substantial and makes holding the quite massive smartphone a lot simpler. The dimensions, nonetheless, might nonetheless be too massive for a lot of customers. Samsung has additionally used new supplies, consistent with the corporate’s messaging round sustainability.
