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As soon as a new model comes out the old phone will magically start to crack. We are sure that this is an experience that readers have had. Lifeless smartphones will start to “sulk” when new models go on sale. Opening the application feels slow and the owner begins to see the shortcomings that have been covered with a hijab from being seen.
With the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra being launched in Malaysia over a month ago, the first question we received was whether or not it was worth upgrading from the old model. In a previously published review, we said S22 Ultra users may not need to jump to the latest mod for now. What about the owners of old models like the S20 Ultra that were sold more than three years ago.
To make the evaluation easier we give reasons why updating to the latest model is worth it based on some 6 main categories – Screen, S Pen, Processor, Camera, Battery and Software.
SCREEN
The S23 Ultra's 6.8" screen is actually smaller than the S20 Ultra's 6.9" screen. But the screen of the S23 Ultra is wider because it is boxy and not of the rounded corner type that can be seen on this year's S23+ model. More importantly, the S23 Ultra screen is of the LTPO type allowing the refresh rate to change dynamically from 1-120Hz. Compare with the S20 Ultra which only supports 60Hz or 120Hz.
This advantage brings significant savings in battery power consumption as the device intelligently selects the most appropriate refresh rate. It jumps up to 120Hz for the first time to offer the smoothest gaming experience before going down to 1Hz only for the favorite e-book application reading mode. There is an English saying that size is not everything and in the case of the S20 Ultra screen it turns out to be true.
S PEN
Big changes were made by Samsung in 2021 with the Galaxy Note series being discontinued. This makes the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra the only device that does not yet support the on-screen S Pen stylus feature. On the S23 Ultra, S Pen support is not only fully provided but also comes with a dedicated storage space built into the body. This solves the issue that existed on the S21 Ultra which supports the S Pen but without storage so it requires a special frame that needs to be purchased separately.
The S Pen on the S23 Ultra can be used to draw directly on the screen, comes with a built-in feature on the Google search box, can be used as a control tool for the camera application and can operate without charging. For professional users who want stylus precision in a modern smartphone, the S23 Ultra is the best in its class.
PROCESSOR and PERFORMANCE
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy flagship chip is the engine that ensures the S23 Ultra has truly ultra performance. All types of primers and heavy applications can be run smoothly. For the first time fans the issue of overheating does not occur ensuring that the video game session is not only smooth but does not feel like burning hands. In our labs, the S23 Ultra was among the top devices in several key benchmark tests.
On the S20 Ultra, the once flagship Exynos 990 chip is quite old. Heating issues will appear when playing games that require high graphics. Frame rates start to suffer as older chips have to run more modern processors.
Performance on the S23 Ultra is also much better thanks to faster memory and storage. The UFS 4.0 storage on the S23 Ultra for example allows applications to launch almost overnight. We also noticed app installation was fast too. For those who don't like waiting, the S23 Ultra is lightning fast.
CAMERA
The camera is the biggest improvement made by Samsung this year on the Galaxy S series. The main sensor reaches 200MP allowing sharper, brighter and less noisy pictures to be taken especially at night. Through the latest imaging technology, zoom performance is also getting better with images still looking sharp and clear even at the 30X zoom setting. So far we still feel that the S23 Ultra is the device with the best zoom capabilities on the market.
The S20 Ultra is actually equipped with a camera that is no less awesome at launch because it can zoom up to 100X. The main 108MP sensor on the wide-angle lens is still good but not a challenger to the latest 200MP sensor. The camera capabilities of the S23 Ultra are three generations ahead, so the improvement in the quality of the photos taken can be expected.
For those who are less fond of the giant camera hump design of the S20 Ultra, the S23 Ultra solves this issue with the new Floating Camera design. Through it the issue of "head weight" on the S20 Ultra was successfully resolved.
BATTERY
Both devices are equipped with a 5000 mAh battery with 45W wired charging. But the battery life of the S23 Ultra is much better thanks to the use of a more power-efficient 4nm processor and the LTPO screen we mentioned above. The screen can stay on for over 9-10 hours a day on regular usage consistently even with 5G enabled. On the S20 Ultra, the installed screen life is only around 7 hours in the same usage without 5G. For those who have battery anxiety issues. S23 Ultra is a better choice.
SOFTWARE – ONE UI
In terms of software, finally open to meet the segment. Both the S20 Ultra and the S23 Ultra each run One UI 5.1 based on Android 13. Samsung's commitment to providing good update support to their devices can be seen here. The S23 Ultra will receive four more Android versions and five years of security patches. There is no need to worry about the issue of vulnerability that will appear for another half a decade because so far Samsung has been consistent in providing their software updates.
CONCLUSION
In five of the six categories above, the S23 Ultra has significant and significant advantages over the S20 Ultra. Both devices tie in the last category because each uses the same operating system. But obviously if you want the best Samsung has to offer today, the S23 Ultra is the only option that makes it worth upgrading from the old device you're using now.
Galaxy S23 Ultra + Free Galaxy S23 Trade-in Program
Special until the end of April 2023, you will receive a free Galaxy S23 when you trade in your device to buy a Galaxy S23 Ultra. This promotion should give more returns for those of you who are interested in upgrading this device.
Among the supported iPhone devices include the iPhone 11 series with an additional payment of RM699 required. Next, owners of the iPhone 12 series will have to make an additional payment of RM399, followed by iPhone 13 owners of RM199. However, for owners of the iPhone 14 series, no additional payment is required under this Samsung trade-in scheme.