Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
With the introduction of its exceptionally good Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung effectively killed off the Galaxy Note line and packaged what made it great into a sexier design. Was Samsung able to keep that same energy with the Galaxy S23 Ultra? We are happy to report yes.
With a new year comes new flagship smartphones from Samsung. We got our hands on the premium offering of the S23 family of Galaxy smartphones, the S23 Ultra, and it’s once again a very impressive device.
If you’re currently an S22 Ultra user and look at the S23 Ultra, you will probably say there is nothing different on the outside; for the most part, you would be mostly correct in that assessment.
Samsung elected to make all the significant changes under the hood turning the S23 Galaxy Ultra into a formidable mobile gaming device, and that’s what this review will focus on.
Now let’s quickly just get the other updates out of the way. As far as design is concerned, the S23 Ultra features a newly shaped curvature on the device’s edge that allows more space allowing for more surface and more space for the returning S-Pen.
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Let’s Talk About The Cameras
The camera, which is honestly the main reason people buy these smartphones, gets a significant bump. The front face camera on the 23 Ultra is now 12 megapixels and has a faster autofocus. When describing it, Samsung said it is the””first Super HDR selfie camera”” which is true.
Selfies look significantly better, especially in portrait mode, with optimal light settings delivering exceptionally shaper selfie images.
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Night mode or””Nightograph”” selfies, as Samsung likes to call them, also look fantastic and show Samsung’s advancements in the S23 Ultra snapping selfies at night.
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung S23 Ultra
On the back of the device is a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and two 10-megapixel telephoto lenses with 3x and 10x optical zoom, capable of 8K video capture at 30 FPS with wider-angle shots. Space Zoom which was first introduced with the S21, is back and MUCH IMPROVED.
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
If you want, you can literally take photos of the moon or other objects, and the quality looks pretty damn good. Just peep these photos below.
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra S”per Zoom
The 200MP Adaotive”Pixel Sensor Is Superb
A massive “200MP Adaptive Pixel sensor” also allows you to take great photos, edit more, and even print them without worrying about losing quality. To take full advantage of the massive sensor, optimal lighting is needed to”see just how”good the quality is.
As with the selfie camera, “Nightography” photos look lively and bright, showcasing just how good the sensor is at makinSamsung’sessary adjustments to deliver great images at night. Samsung’s new Advanced Vision Booster tech makes all the necessary adjustments, like adjusting the color, and contrast and removing grain from your night photos to keep your shot from looking noisy and while keeping the detail in high in the shots.
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsungdon’txy S23 UlSamsung’sography
The S23 Ultra Is Built For Gaming
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
We usually don’t say this for Samsung’s smartphones, but the S23 Ultra is BUILT for gaming. Under the hood is a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor for Galaxy that provides a higher clock speed. That will allow the device to handle very demanding games.
During my review period I played games like Hi-Fi Rush, Call of Duty Mobile and Star Wars: Squadrons and the S23 Ultra handled it easily. It held a constant framerate with some frame drops coming during intense actions moments but it was nothing crippling or extremely noticeable. Also, the devices WiFi6 functionality provided a strongconnection during my cloud gaming experience while using Xbox Game Pass on the device.
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Also, the massive 6.8-inch QHD+ display with 120Hz and 240hz refresh rates puts the S23 Ultra ahead of the Nintendo Switch Lite. Graphics looks crisp, and everything is smooth and responsive and can handle any lighting conditions thanks to its 1750 nits of peak brightness. Intelligent Display, another great feature will adjusts the display’s color tone and contrasts at three different settings to ensure gaming session is never impacted.
The sound experience during gaming or streaming is superb. Gunfire while playing Call of Duty Mobile, or the iconic screech of Tie FIghter wizzing by my X-Wing sounds like I’m watching them on my television set up. Wanna immerse yourself into your gaming experience grab yourself a pair of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds2 Pro.
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Battery Life Continues To Be A Strong Point
Oh, and don’t worry about your gaming affecting your battery life. The SS23 Ultra’s BIG 5,000 mAh battery keeps you in the game and delivers on its promise of all day battery life EASILY. Depending on what you’re using the phone for the S23 Ultra can last two days without a charge and if you need to juice back up super fast charging will get you back on your feet ASAP.
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Final Verdict
Source: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
When Samsung announced the S22 Ultra the company did its best push its capacity for mobile gaming. With the S23 Ultra, Samsung has officially delivered its first true mobile gaming phone, even though that’s not its primary feature.
The S23 Ultra is billed to be a phone that can make a smooth transition from work mode to play, but this phone is definitely a dream device for the gamer who doesn’t like to be tethered to a gaming console.
Now whether you’re willing to dish out $1,199.99 for the S23 Ultra is another story, especially when there are cheaper mobile gaming alternatives out there, BUT, if you do, its an pretty damn good investment.
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Photo: Bernard Smalls / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
*Samsung Galaxy S23 Review Unit Provided For Use By Samsung*
