There is a Malay proverb that says at a glance a fish in the water, already knows the male and the female. We are sure that many people look at the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and in their hearts say "there is no difference!". We ourselves initially had the same opinion about this device because it was difficult to find the difference.
But we can say at the beginning of this review that S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra may have the same design but actually there are many differences. The difference is significant enough to make upgrading to the latest model worthwhile. Even so there are still a number of consequential issues preventing it from being a true Ultra device.
SPECIFICATIONS
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
6.8″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen
WQHD+, 120Hz, HDR10+
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Processor For Galaxy (4nm)
1 X 3.36 GHz Cortex X3 chip
4 X 2.8 GHz Cortex A715
3 X 1.8 GHz Cortex A510
Adreno 740 Graphics Chip
RAM 12GB LPDDR5X
Internal Storage 256GB /512GB/1TB UFS 4.0
Main Camera 200MP f/1.7, OIS (Wide Angle)
12MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide Angle)
10MP f/2.4, OIS (3X Telephoto)
10MP f/4.9, OIS (10X Telephoto)
Selfie Camera 12 Megapixel f/2.2
5000 mAh battery
45W wired charging
15W wireless charging
4.5W reverse charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano / eSIM / 5G
NFC Yes
No Audio Jack
Waterproof IP68
Scan System Under-screen fingerprint scanner
Sale Price RM 5699 (12/256GB)
RM 6199 (12/512GB)
RM 7199 (12/1000GB)
SCREEN
Similar but not the same is the most suitable theme for the Galaxy S23 series. If the S23 and S23+ receive the new Floating Camera design, the S23 Ultra maintains the same design as the S22 Ultra. The design between the three S23 models is more consistent with all of them no longer having the large hump at the back. Good news for the anti-bump crowd.
The screen is still 6.8″ QHD+ with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz from the LTPO type. There is absolutely no change in specifications compared to last year, only the Vision Booster feature exists which according to Samsung ensures that the image remains sharp and can be seen in various lighting situations. Three levels of Vision Booster are provided on the S23 Ultra screen. Over the nearly two weeks the device was under review, there was no denying that the S23 Ultra's screen performed brilliantly under the blazing sun and even in the dark of night.
The screen curve still exists on the left and right sides, just not as extreme as in the Vivo X90 series. No issues with content overflowing or the screen detecting accidental touches. The Samsung panel is always brilliant and the displayed colors look vivid, the viewing angles are excellent and it detects every touch on the screen accurately. For durability, the screen uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 which is more durable.
An optical fingerprint scanner is also retained below the screen. The position is still the same and is still easy to access with the finger you want to scan. Samsung did not say the sensor was changed so it can be assumed that the sensor used before is retained. The performance of the fingerprint scanner is very fast.
HDR content is still supported up to HDR10+ only with a description above 1750 nits. In the test that was done, HDR content can be played smoothly and without any issues such as color banding. For those looking for a good screen for watching videos, the S23 Ultra's screen is one of the best right now.
S PEN
S-Pen support also returns this year after the Note and Galaxy S series were combined. No improvement in nib precision, big new features, battery life or difference in stylus size. This is the same stylus used since the Note 10 series.
It still supports Air Getsure, can control camera zoom and be a remote control for taking photos via Bluetooth tethering. One new feature added is that the S Pen can be used in Google apps. Write a URL in Chrome's address box and it understands the user's writing.
Lack of innovation may be seen as a negative. But no other stylus out there is as versatile as the S Pen so far.
DESIGN
The body of the S23 Ultra is more boxy with flat sides compared to the S22 Ultra which has rounded sides. The device becomes more comfortable in the hand due to the larger flat surface area. Aesthetically, it also looks more stylish. The last time a design like this was used by Samsung was on the Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4.
For sure it reminds us of the classic ominidesign design of Sony Xperia Z which is crossed with the iPhone 14 Pro Max design. As fans of both devices, we have no complaints with the S23 Ultra's new design.
Audio and power adjustment buttons are placed on the right side. Its position is easy to access even if used one-handed. The nano dual-SIM slot, USB-C charging port, audio grille and S Pen storage are placed at the bottom of the device. At the top there is a hole for the microphone.
The three main camera lenses are not placed in the hump with a design called Floating Camera. The size of the three main lenses is even and slightly larger this year. Because of this, many may not realize that the sensor for the wide-angle lens is now 200MP. This is the new ISOCELL HP2 sensor that has the ability to combine 16 pixels into one to produce sharper images. In this mode the image produced is only 12.5MP.
This is paired with a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 10MP optical 3x telephoto and a 10MP optical 10x telephoto. All three sensors from the S22 Ultra are recycled on the S23 Ultra without any changes to the lens.
The Floating Camera is not placed in a large bump but the device still cannot be placed flat on the table. Only using a framework can solve this issue. Samsung doesn't offer a free frame with purchase but they do offer an official frame that can provide protection to the rear camera lens and flatten the back panel.
More significant changes are made inside where a larger cooling system is used on all S23 series. We understand that on certain models of the S23 series the cooling system is now up to 2.7X larger than the S22 series. On the S23 Ultra it increases 2.1X times solving the issue of reduced processing power when the device heats up. This is Samsung's solution to the resulting issue on flagship devices with Snapdragon chips.
Like the screen of the device, the rear panel of the S23 Ultra also uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 which is durable. On all models, the glass panel is non-glossy and does not trap dirt easily. Finally the S23 Ultra passes the IP68 standard for dust resistance and can even be submerged in water.
For those who may be upgrading from the S22 Ultra to the S23 Ultra, the old frame cannot be reused due to the change in the size of the camera lens on the back. We reused the Spigen and official Samsung bezels on the S23 Ultra and noticed part of the 10X telephoto camera lens was blocked by the old bezel.
USAGE AND SOFTWARE – One UI 5.1
The One UI 5.1 operating system is used on the S23 Ultra and it is based on Android 13. The interface of One UI 5.1 is not much different from One UI 5.0. This is because the focus is on adding some new features that have already been introduced through One UI 5.0 at the end of last year.
The interface elements are still minimalist, easy to understand and neat. There is theme customization with the color of the interface elements changing according to the background color used. On One UI 5.1, widgets are improved in that they can be arranged in layers. Up to nine widgets of the same size can be stacked. Users can change which widgets they want to see by scrolling left and right.
The key screen is also given more in-depth customization. Widget type, color tone, and font design can be changed more easily. Improvements to security through Samsung Knox have also been introduced which will detect if the user's personal data has been leaked. A password change notification will be provided if this happens.
All of these features are similar to the features that can be found on iOS 16. After several years of iOS taking inspiration from Android, it is now One UI's turn to take inspiration from iOS as well. In addition to customizing the lock screen, selecting text directly from a picture, restoring old phone settings to the S23 using a QR code and the keyboard becoming a touch pad are also borrowed by One UI 5.1 from iOS 16.
Within two weeks of using the device, it felt fast, smooth, no issues installing apps and there were interesting feature additions. The only issue is that the addition of these given features may not be very noticeable and large. This is not an issue with One UI but rather because with Android already including many interesting features, no really amazing new features can be introduced.
The strength of Samsung devices with One UI is still support for updates of four Android versions and security patches for five years which is the best among Android manufacturers at this time.
BENCHMARK – Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy
In terms of specifications, the S23 Ultra is offered with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy chip as previously announced. It's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip comes with a slightly faster Cortex-X3 main core and an overclocked GPU as well. With this upgrade, Samsung hopes it will provide an advantage over the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 version.
This chip is paired with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. For those who feel the RAM offering may not be enough, there is a RAM Plus feature that adds up to 8GB more RAM virtually when needed by taking up the device's storage space.
Here are the scores recorded after the device was tested using a popular benchmarking application. Compare the scores recorded with OnePlus 11 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2), Vivo X90 (Dimensity 9200), Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (A16 Bionic), and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 (Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1)
Geekbench 6
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – 1922/5017
OnePlus 11 – 1495/4805
Vivo X90 – 1668/4000
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 2524/6317
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 – 1298/3963
Antutu 3D
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – 1,171,384
OnePlus 11 – 1,104,135
Vivo X90 – 1,147,029
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 974,941
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 – 980,346
Wild Life Extreme
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – 3247
OnePlus 11 – 3712
Vivo X90 – 3176
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 3373
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 – 2798
On paper the performance of Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy is very good compared to Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Dimensity 9200 and Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. The advantage can only be seen in Geekbench 6 multi-core test scores compared to other Android devices. But the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy has not been able to overtake the Apple A16 Bionic in terms of CPU capabilities.
But throughout the review there is no significant difference in terms of smoothness and speed between an S23 Ultra and an iPhone 14 Pro Max. This is because in normal application use the maximum power of the processor chip is not required.
The majority of downloads can be run at the highest graphics settings and resolutions without any issues. We are more familiar with COD Mobile and Asphalt 9. Throughout the review, we did not notice any issues with the application not running smoothly. What is noticed is that the COD Mobile application launches faster due to the use of LDPPDDR5x memory and UFS 4.0 storage. App installation is also almost lightning fast because of this fast storage.
With a larger cooling chamber, the heating issue during the first session was successfully resolved. After 5-6 sessions of MP COD Mobile the device is only lukewarm. On devices with last year's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, it will usually feel warmer to the point of being less comfortable to hold. The performance is quite impressive as it is as good as our experience using the Vivo X90 with the Dimensity 9200 which also did not heat up after a long initial session.
TELEPHONY And GPS
During the review period we were unable to enjoy the 5G network in Malaysia as it is not yet officially supported. It can only use 4G LTE+ through the Digi network. There is VoLTE and VoWiFi support which are both excellent.
The phone call was clear. As a mobile phone the S23 Ultra is brilliant. WiFi performance is also very fast as it can support WiFi 7. We only have a WiFi 6 modem at home and it has no issues reaching high speeds.
GPS performance is also excellent because the location can be tracked in the Waze and Google Maps applications quickly. While driving the signal is not interrupted even in the middle of Kuala Lumpur which is full of tall buildings.
CAMERA
With a new 200MP sensor for the wide-angle lens, Samsung says camera performance is even better. We are not yet able to do a complete test. Here are some samples that were taken using automatic mode.
In good lighting situations the pictures taken are bright, clear and sharp. Photos from the 200MP wide angle lens in particular have a very sharp image due to the technique of combining 16 pixels into one that is used. Last year there was an issue of color difference between wide angle and ultra wide angle lenses. The issue is still ongoing as you can see below. The 12MP ultra wide-angle photo appears darker even though it was taken at the same time and location. Also still there is a significant shutter lag.
This is also a macro mode sample with bokeh. The separation of the object from the background is good but the colors are at too high a saturation level so that the detail in the flower petals is lost. The red color on the flower petals is brighter than the actual subject.
Here are the picture quality at 1x, 10x, 30x and 100x zoom settings. It's amazing because even at the 30x setting the grille on the side of the building is clearly visible. Pictures taken at the 30x zoom setting in daylight are still usable.
What caught our attention is that even at the 100x zoom setting the viewfinder can remain stable. No other device we've reviewed provides viewfinder stability at the 100x setting. The zoom system does not require a tripod to use.
No issues zooming in during the day. How about at night? Here are pictures at 0.6x, 1x, 3x and 10x settings at night. It's still amazing despite being a little softer. The hard-to-see Capital Land sign can be read even at the 10x setting.
Last but not least is the difference in camera performance of the S23 Ultra and S22 Ultra in dark situations with neon light sources. Usually in this situation the light source will produce a significant blooming effect. In the picture of the S23 Ultra (right), the image appears clearer, especially in the light source of neon lights.
BATTERY
The battery remains with a capacity of 5000 mAh which can be charged wired with a power of 45W, wirelessly with a power of 15W and reverse wireless charging. If there is one disappointing specification on the S23 Ultra is that the "fast charging" system used is slow for a 2023 device. Previously we reviewed the Poco X5 Pro which is a device priced at RM1499. Despite being affordable it comes with a 67W charger that comes with every purchase.
The charging system is disappointing but luckily the S23 Ultra's battery life is impressive. On average the device achieved 9 hours of SOT and battery life of over 19 hours over the 2 week review period with moderate usage. With heavier usage (take a lot of pictures and run first), 10 hours SOT is achievable but battery life drops to around 13 hours only. Excellent battery performance.
But because the charger is only 45W, the recharging period takes 75 minutes. If a 25W charger is used, it increases to 80 minutes. If you plan to buy a 45W charger, we think it's good to forget it because it only saves 5 minutes.
One feature worth touching on is that there is a battery bypass feature when the charger is connected (PD Power Bypass). This feature is hidden from the Game Booster menu and found by Nasi Lemak Tech's media friend. If activated the battery will not be damaged even if the charger is connected for many hours. This is a feature advertised on Sony, ASUS and Black Shark devices. Don't know why it's kept secret because it's quite useful.
CONCLUSION
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best device in candybar design they have produced so far. A combination of premium design, powerful enough processor, smooth software, no heating issues, improved camera and long-lasting battery performance. For Samsung users this is the pinnacle of Samsung's design and is the most Ultra device they have ever offered to the Malaysian market.
But is it still worth it? At a price of RM7199, many want perfection from all aspects. Charging is only 45W which is slow for 2023. The camera although excellent retains last year's 3 sensors and lens. Therefore shutter lag and oversaturated colors still remain.
In Malaysia, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra sales are RM6199 for 12/256GB, RM6699 for 12/512GB and RM7199 for 12/1000GB. Indeed, the price has increased compared to the S22 Ultra. For those who are looking for the best Samsung device, this is the best choice, just have to accept the fact that to get the most premium, the price that needs to be paid is also premium.
Pro
The body design is more boxy and more comfortable in the hand.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy is more powerful than the regular edition.
The main camera is now 200MP.
Supports S Pen.
Four Android version updates and five years of security.
Very good battery life.
Cons
Other camera sensors are still the same as last year.
There is still a time lapse on the camera.
45W charging no longer deserves to be called fast.
A sudden price increase.