Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Starts from RM5,699.00
Pros
- Waterproof
- S-Pen
- Powerful all-rounder device
- Good battery life
- Awesome camera
Cons
- A little expensive
- Heats up when using camera too long
I received the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra recently for review and I had a great time testing out the camera and mostly gaming. And what did I find out? I love it 100%! So here’s my full review on the superb Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
First Look
First of all, let’s talk about the design. The S23 Ultra looks very similar to the S22 Ultra from last year, but there are some subtle changes that make it more refined and durable. The phone has a 6.8-inch AMOLED display that curves slightly at the edges, but not as much as before, which gives more room for the S Pen stylus to work with.
All I can say is that it is a stunning display. The Dynamic AMOLED screen with a resolution of 3088 x 1440 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz is simply gorgeous. The display is bright, sharp, and smooth, and it supports HDR10+ for enhanced colours and contrast. The display also has an adaptive feature that adjusts the refresh rate according to the content you’re watching or playing, which saves battery life and improves performance.
The design of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is also impressive. The back of the phone is made of frosted glass that feels nice and grippy, and it also has Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, which is supposed to be more resistant to scratches and drops than ever before. The phone has a curved edge screen that gives it a premium look and feel. At the back, the camera houses some impressive sensors.
One thing that sets the S23 Ultra apart from other flagships is the S Pen support. The stylus hides pretty well on the bottom side of the phone. The S Pen has a nice weight and feel to it, and it works seamlessly with the phone’s screen and software. You can use it to write on any app, launch shortcuts, control media playback, and more. It also has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can use it as a remote shutter for the camera or a pointer for presentations.
The buttons are located at a familiar position. The volume rocker and the power button is located on the right side while the left side is kept simple without any buttons. At the top, there’s one of the two microphones while at the bottom, there’s the S-Pen slot, USB Type-C port, the bottom firing speaker, the other microphone and the SIM tray. The rounded edges at the sides made it easier and more comfortable to hold.
The phone has a quad-camera setup on the back that consists of a 108MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 10MP telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom, and a 10MP periscope camera with 100x digital zoom. The camera quality is amazing, and it can capture stunning photos and videos in any lighting condition. The phone also has IP68 water and dust resistance, stereo speakers, an in-screen fingerprint scanner, and a USB-C port that supports 45W fast charging.
The camera app has a lot of features and modes to play with, such as portrait mode, night mode, pro mode, single take mode and more. You can also record videos up to 8K resolution at 24fps or 4K resolution at 60fps with HDR10+ support and stereo sound. The video quality is excellent, with smooth stabilisation, fast autofocus, and good audio. More on the camera much later along with some sample photos.
Performance and Daily Use
The performance of the S23 Ultra is also top-notch, thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip made exclusively for Samsung by Qualcomm. This processor is faster and more efficient than any other Android chip on the market right now, and it can handle anything you throw at it with ease. Whether you’re browsing the web, playing games, multitasking, or editing videos, the S23 Ultra will not disappoint.
The phone also comes with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage that can be expanded via a microSD card slot. The software is One UI 5.1 based on Android 13, which is smooth and intuitive. Samsung has added some new features and improvements to its custom skin, such as better privacy controls, more customization options, enhanced multitasking capabilities, and more.
The battery life of the S23 Ultra is also very good, considering how powerful and feature-packed this phone is. The phone has a 5,000mAh battery that can last for a full day of heavy use or even longer if you’re more conservative.
When it comes to performance, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a beast. If you are looking for a smartphone that can handle graphic demanding games such as Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile, you might want to consider the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. I had a great time playing games on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Although it is made more for working executives, it is also a great entertainment device. That means binge watching movies on Netflix or Disney+ is an immersive experience, thanks to the stereo speaker that comes with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Sound came out loud and the bass was punchy. As an added bonus, it comes with Dolby Atmos as well.
You can also multitask with ease, thanks to the One UI 5.1 software that lets you use multiple windows and split-screen modes. The Galaxy S23 Ultra also boasts an impressive benchmark score on Antutu with 1212941 points, surpassing many of its competitors in terms of CPU, GPU, memory and overall performance. I was impressed by how well the Galaxy S23 Ultra handled gaming, even at high settings and with multiple apps running in the background.
The battery life was also decent, lasting for about 4 hours of continuous gaming on a single charge. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is definitely one of the best gaming smartphones on the market right now (although it is not made for gaming in mind), and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves playing games on their phone.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is truly a powerhouse when it comes to photography and videography. It has a camera system that can rival some professional cameras and deliver stunning results in any situation. If you’re looking for a smartphone that can capture your memories in the best possible way, you should definitely check out the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
- A 200MP main camera that can capture stunning details and colours in any lighting condition. It also has multi-directional PDAF, laser autofocus, and optical image stabilisation for fast and smooth performance.
- A 10MP periscope telephoto camera that can zoom up to 10x optically and up to 100x digitally, without losing quality. It also has dual pixel PDAF and OIS for clear and steady shots.
- A 10MP telephoto camera that can zoom up to 3x optically and up to 30x digitally, with dual pixel PDAF and OIS as well.
- A 12MP ultra wide camera that can capture a 120-degree field of view, perfect for landscapes, group photos, and more. It also has dual pixel PDAF and super steady video mode for smooth and stable videos.
- A 12MP selfie camera that can take sharp and natural selfies, with dual pixel PDAF and HDR10+ support. It also has a dual video call feature that lets you use both the front and rear cameras simultaneously.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can also record videos in up to 8K resolution at 30fps, or 4K resolution at 60fps, with HDR10+, stereo sound, and gyro-EIS. It also has a 360-degree audio recording feature that captures sound from all directions in videos.
Here are some sample photos that I’ve taken with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
While taking some indoor shots, the image turns out great even when the lights are low. Details are superb without the inclusion of noise or blurry spots.
Same goes while using the ultrawide angle camera. Photos turns out great without any distortions around the corners. Colours are spot on.
Outdoors are often problem free. From the pictures above, details are clear and colour accuracy is true to life. I seldom came across any problems while shooting outdoors even with some mid-range devices. But using a flagship such as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, I was extremely pleased with the results.
Playing with zoom with objects such as the blue, while and yellow balls above, doesn’t seem to have any problems as well. Colours are the same across all zoom levels and details are excellent.
These are some of my favourite shots taken with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. I was on a high floor in a building and taking the breathtaking view of the cityscape close to 7pm. Sun is down and I managed to capture awesome details of the clouds. No edit was done. These photos are direct from the phone itself. And then I zoom in to capture the Merdeka 118 tower. What do you think of that?
And then it’s night time taken from another angle using the night mode.
And another photo in almost complete darkness. No details were lost and colours are gorgeous.
Playing with zoom is fun, like I did with the photo series above. This was taken indoors (obviously) at McD.
Some random shots taken to see whether I can get good details when I go up close and a subject while in motion. I’m happy with the details and colour accuracy here.
Selfies and wefie are good too. The front camera performed well by capturing good details of my face and hair. All I can say is that, you can’t go wrong with the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Now this is a bonus picture. There happened to be an almost full moon at night and I managed to capture this. Of course, I had to put the phone on a tripod to get a steady shot. And here is the result. Nice eh?
With that, all I can say is that I’m amazed at the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera performance. Camera score: 10/10.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a new smartphone that can handle anything you throw at it, you might want to consider the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. This device is packed with amazing features that make it one of the best phones on the market right now. Here are some of the reasons why you should buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
First of all, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a powerful processor that can handle any task or game you want to play. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset is one of the most advanced processors available, and it delivers fast performance, smooth graphics and low power consumption. You can multitask with ease, switch between apps quickly and enjoy immersive gaming experiences on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Secondly, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a huge storage capacity that lets you store all your photos, videos, music and files without worrying about running out of space. You can choose from 256GB, 512GB or even 1TB of internal storage, depending on your needs. Plus, you can expand your storage with a microSD card up to 1TB if you need more room. You will never have to delete anything from your phone again.
Thirdly, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has an amazing camera system that lets you capture stunning photos and videos in any situation. The main camera has a whopping 200MP resolution, which means you can zoom in and crop your shots without losing any detail. The ultra-wide camera lets you fit more in your frame, while the telephoto cameras let you zoom in up to 10x optically and up to 100x digitally. The selfie camera has a 12MP resolution and dual pixel autofocus for clear and sharp selfies. You can also record videos in up to 8K resolution, which is four times higher than 4K.
Finally, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a long-lasting battery life that keeps you going all day long. The 5000mAh battery can last up to 24 hours on a single charge, depending on your usage. You can also charge your phone quickly with the 45W fast charger, or wirelessly with any Qi-compatible charger. You can even share your battery power with other devices using Wireless PowerShare.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a smartphone that has it all: power, performance, storage, camera and battery. It is a device that will not disappoint you, no matter what you use it for. If you want to get your hands on this amazing phone, you can order it online from Samsung’s official website starting from RM5,699.00. Don’t miss this opportunity to own one of the best phones ever made.
