Galaxy S23 Ultra First Impression 2023: A Different Flagship?

2023 started off hot with one of the most anticipated smartphones: the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Fresh off its launch just last week, we managed to get our hands on one, and here’s our first impression of it.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Specifications

Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Display: 6.8” QHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, 120Hz with Vision Booster
Memory: 8GB/12GB RAM
Storage: Up to 1TB
Rear Camera: 200MP Wide Camera + 12MP Ultrawide + 10MP telephoto (3x zoom) + 10 MP telephoto (10x zoom)
Front Camera: 12MP Selfie Camera with AI Object-aware engine
Battery: 5000 mAh
Operating System: Android 13, OneUI 5
Weight: 234g
Dimensions: 78.1 X 163.4 X 8.9mm

Display & Design

If I showed you the Galaxy S22 and the Galaxy S23, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference between the two at first glance. That’s because — unsurprisingly — Samsung has decided not to fix what wasn’t broken, so the Galaxy S23 Ultra retains the module-less protruding camera lenses now dubbed “floating cameras”.

This design is uniform across the new lineup. The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ have both forgone the camera module.

That said, there are some slight changes in the design. The Galaxy S23 is a little more “blocky” compared to the Galaxy S22. Where the Galaxy S22 had more curved edges, the Galaxy S23 sports straighter edges, allowing for a better in-hand feel and a much better experience writing with the S Pen.

The 6.8” AMOLED display is still bright, vivid, and smooth, with all the same paper specs as the Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, thanks to the Adaptive Vision Booster, the screen is much more pleasant on the eyes under all lighting conditions.

Camera

One of (and maybe the only) the most outstanding upgrades on the new Samsung flagship is its camera setup. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra sports a 200MP camera and Samsung’s first Super HDR selfie camera.

That sounds impressive and all, especially if you consider the fact that Samsung has not budged from its 108MP cameras since the Galaxy S20 in 2020. But megapixels, while important, are not what makes a camera great.

More megapixels will give more details, but the bulk of smartphone photography remains in the image processing capabilities and the AI algorithms. With the new AI-powered image signal processing (ISP) algorithm, the Galaxy S23 Ultra takes Samsung’s famed Nightography up another level. Instead of just good night photos, the Galaxy S23 Ultra can take sharper images in just about any lighting condition with more natural and balanced colours.

To be honest, 200MP is not really necessary for the average mobile photographer, and Samsung knows that too, as the Galaxy S23 Ultra shoots in 12MP by default. You’ll get the choice to shoot in 50MP as well.

On the front, the Galaxy S23 Ultra sports a 12MP selfie camera, just like its brothers in the same lineup. This, while an upgrade in the Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S23+, is a major step down from the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which had a 40MP selfie camera. Maybe Samsung had no more MPs to spare after giving the rear cameras such a boost.

It’s not the end-all, though. Again, megapixels don’t tell the whole story, and Samsung compensated with better autofocusing technology and Super HDR to provide better selfies. Apparently, the AI improves object identification so that the camera can better distinguish the background and subject.

Performance & Features

As expected of a flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is powered by the newest processor, which is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. The suffix indicates that the octa-core processor was specially designed for the current Galaxy S23 lineup.

The new processor is said to be the fastest and most powerful chipset yet, and so far, we agree. It’s certainly capable enough to handle all your daily tasks, and then more. Everything ran smoothly, even when working with multiple apps at the same time. We’ve yet to experience any lags or app crashes.

One thing I’ve noted, though, is that the Galaxy S23 does pretty well in keeping itself cool, something the Galaxy S22 Ultra had trouble with. The phone barely got warm after an hour of PUBG, which is a pleasant surprise.

Conclusion

Given its resemblance to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, I would say that the Galaxy S23 Ultra is more of an iteration of Samsung’s best smartphone rather than an upgrade. Then again, we’ve only had the phone for a couple of days; hopefully, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will pack more surprises in the long term. Until then, stay tuned for our full review.

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