Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: Is it worth it?

Polish

Credit: Her World/Cheryl Lai-Lim

1/9

I won’t bore you with the nitty-gritty technical specs, and besides, the touchfeel of a phone is something that simply reading specs can’t quite offer an insight on. The Ultra’s 6.8-inch display hits the sweet spot for me. It’s large enough for both work and leisure, and it doesn’t feel hefty in my grip. In fact, the S23 Ultra’s flat edges feel much more secure in my fingers compared to the curvier S22 Ultra.

The new S23 series is also the first to feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, offering durability for long-term use (and peace of mind for me, so that I don’t have to fear dropping the phone).

The other major visible difference in design is the colours that the S23s are available in this year. While my testing unit was in cream, Samsung also has a new green model, as well as its signature black, lavender, and online-only exclusive shades as well.

Performance

Credit: Her World/Cheryl Lai-Lim

2/9

The S23 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 “for Galaxy” chipset. Translation: in terms of performance, the S23 Ultra is pretty flawless for typical day-to-day use.

The processor feels more responsive and snappier than ever before. I was able to run several apps from Google Drive and Sheets to Instagram flawlessly, and switch between them without much of an issue. After around four hours of streaming shows on Netflix, the handset is only slightly warm, but not uncomfortably so.

Interestingly, the S23 Ultra now hits 1,750 nits of peak brightness; higher brightness makes it so much easier to read the screen when you’re out and about on a sunny day. This is a really useful feature that’s often overlooked.

Credit: Her World/Cheryl Lai-Lim

3/9

Efficiency is also improved with the chip. The S23 Ultra has the same 5,000-mAh cell as its predecessor, but Samsung claims that the newer model is able to last 20 percent longer.

This is rather true with my experience – the S23 Ultra is usually able to last me one-and-half days with average use, which, for me, includes productivity apps like emails, using the camera for snapping photos, and streaming music on Spotify for a few hours or so.

Of course, if you plan on processor-heavy usage such as gaming or long VR sessions, you’ll likely still need to recharge the phone by the end of the day. For most, however, this is likely an all-day battery.

Photos

Credit: Her World/Cheryl Lai-Lim

4/9

Photo: Shooting with the SS23 Ultra's main camera (left) and the wide-angle camera (right)

Photo enthusiasts will probably delight in the S23 Ultra’s cameras. The powerful mobile camera system features a shiny new 200-megapixel main camera, a 3x and 10x telephoto lens, and an ultrawide camera. For those who often take selfies, the front camera is also upgraded with a 12-megapixel selfie camera that captures impressively high levels of detail.

Perfect for expansive landscape photos, extremely close-up macro images, or everything in between, the new cameras on the phone capture extremely crisp shots with sharp details. For avid photographers, the S23 also integrates the controls from its Expert Raw app right into the main camera, allowing you easy access to the uncompressed version of an image.

Credit: Her World/Cheryl Lai-Lim

5/9

Photo: Shooting with the SS23 Ultra with night mode (left) and the 10x optical zoom (right)

Even when you’re shooting in low-lighting conditions or at night, each shot is still clear and of high-resolution. I had a lot of fun playing with the 10x optical zoom as well; if you’re an avid concert goer, the zoom cameras will definitely be useful if you’re planning to capture shots but you’re far from the stage.

Video is also improved on the S23 Ultra, with the optical image stabilisation correcting shakes and producing smooth and steady footage. Of course, nothing beats having an actual grip, but it’s great to know that the videos I shoot will at least be somewhat stable without having a tripod on-hand.

Productivity

Credit: Samsung

6/9

Of late, one of the more important features of a smartphone is how well it’s able to integrate into the rest of your digital ecosystem, especially if you’re a loyal consumer of the brand.

If you have a Samsung TV, there’s a feature called Smart View (similar to Apple’s Airplay) that will allow you to quickly mirror your device onto the larger screen. There’s also the SmartThings app, which allows you to connect your phone to your smart home appliances.

Always on the go? You can now connect mouse and keyboard functionality between your phones and a Samsung Galaxy PC or tablet. You can even copy and paste text, like URLs, seamlessly from one device to another. I found this feature extremely nifty, as I’m easily able to continue browsing on my larger desktop screen by seamlessly picking up where I left off on my phone.

Credit: Her World/Cheryl Lai-Lim

7/9

The embedded S Pen stylus, which was available on the S22 Ultra as well, is an extremely useful tool. While there are no major updates to the S Pen or its features this time around, the S23 Ultra’s new screen display means that it’s much easier to write on your phone.

While I technically type faster than I write, I do enjoy the tactile experience of jotting down notes as well as being able to save and store them in the device (rather than scribbling a note hastily down on a post-it and losing the paper at the very next second). The S Pen is also able to highlight text even on images and videos, which is an extremely useful feature as well.

Credit: Her World/Cheryl Lai-Lim

8/9

Samsung’s unique split-screen feature is also really nifty. If I’m browsing a site and would like to watch a video on the side, I like that I don’t have to switch between apps. I can play my video on one half of the screen while using the rest of the screen for other tasks.

The bottom line

Credit: Samsung

9/9

With outstanding hardware, fluid and powerful performance, and an impressive camera system (once again), the S23 Ultra certainly lives up to its ‘Ultra’ title.

Despite the convenience the device offers, I’d say that the S23 Ultra is most suitable for one who is already integrated into the Samsung ecosystem (i.e. you own more than one Samsung device) and is able to take full advantage of the seamless connectivity between devices. It’s also very much suitable for those seeking a smartphone with an unrivalled camera system, or for stylus wielders who enjoy the convenience of the pen with their phones.

Understandably, it’s not the most approachable device with its steep price tag and the fact that it has no major changes over its predecessor. Having said that, the S23 Ultra is definitely one of the best Android-based smartphones currently on the market. As one of the first few new smartphones of 2023, the S23 Ultra sets a high bar for competitors and absolutely earns its name with its capabilities.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is available starting from $1,828 (256GB) or $2,098 (512GB), or $2,458 (1TB). Learn more about the specs here.

If you’re looking to experience the new Galaxy S23 Series for yourself, head down to the experience space at Gardens by the Bay (West Lawn) from 3 to 25 February to get a first-hand peek at the phones and test them out.