After months of rumours and leaks, Samsung has finally launched the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. The new lineup consists of three phones- the basic Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra. While Samsung calls the entire S23 series a generational leap, it is only when you hold the Galaxy S23 Ultra in your hands you get to see this leap up and close. Some serious thought and effort have been invested into this device, and the results are nothing less than impressive.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is a good-looking device. The phone sets a new benchmark for the flagship devices of 2023, offering the right blend of technology, design and performance. The phone looks flatter, slimmer and fits right in hand. With some serious innovation at its core, the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra sets the standard for what consumers can expect from high-end smartphones this year.
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We managed to get our hands on the phone and this is what we feel about the smartphone after using it for a few hours.
Design: From camera to performance, Samsung throughout the event maintains that everything has changed in the Galaxy S23 Series. While the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus substantiate this claim at the very first look of it, you have to hold the Galaxy S23 Ultra really close to understand the nuances.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a new edge design that entails a more secure and comfortable position in hand and allows you to maintain a good grip on it despite its large size which isn’t conventional with smartphones of today. The 2023 Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra looks flatter and sleeker this time. To put some perspective here, the S22 Ultra came with a body dimension of 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm while the S23 Ultra features 78.1×163.4×8.9mm dimensions. There’s a slight and unnoticeable increase in weight. The latest S23 Ultra weighs 234g while the S22 Ultra weighs 228g. But you may not feel this change in your hand.
The new Galaxy phones are touted as the “most sustainable Galaxy phones ever.” This is because all the three phones are built out of 2X recycled material. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass Victus 2 both on the front and back which company says makes the phone more durable. From the armour Aluminium casing to the volume rockers and power button, everything in this phone is said to be carved out of recycled material.
Apart from the flatter rear body and edges, the rest of the phone looks pretty much the same as the Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, despite this, I’d say that Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a work of art, crafted with precision and attention to detail. From the moment it’s held in the hand, the device exudes sophistication and style.
Samsung has launched four shades of the phone- phantom black, cream, green and lavender. The Green colour model is actually good and stands out from the usual colours that we see on phones these days.
Display: The Galaxy S23 Ultra sports a 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with the same 3088×1440 pixels resolution and 120Hz refresh rate as you see in last year’s Galaxy Ultra. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. There is a punch hole cut-out at the centre of the display. This houses a 12MP selfie camera. Biometrics are taken care by an ultrasonic fingerprint reader.
Camera: The biggest update you get is in the camera. The 200MP camera is a standout feature, promising incredible detail and clarity in every shot. We clicked some pictures and despite the low light inside the room, the results were pretty impressive with good dynamic range and real-life clarity like what the company claims. However, this is only a first hands-on impression and we need to spend more time to determine its camera capabilities.
Samsung, with the new Galaxy S23 series has first time introduced the Astrophoto and Astro hyperlapse mode aimed at Astrophotography enthusiasts. The Astrophoto mode helps click astronomical images without having to manually tweak the settings. The adaptive pixel automatically determines the subject and accordingly switches pixels to capture images for stargazers. The Astro hyperlapse is a video mode for creating star trail time lapse video.
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For the first time Samsung is bringing the HDR support with the selfie camera to help click better pictures in low light conditions. The 12MP selfie camera comes with 2x wider OIS to offer improved handshake compensation.
Performance: In India, the S23 Ultra is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. This is coupled with up to 12GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The phone is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports Super Fast charging 2.0 and Fast charging 2.0 and wireless power sharing. The connectivity options include support for 5G and Wi-Fi 6E.
While this is just a first impression and a more detailed review is coming soon from us, I can say that Galaxy S23 Ultra, in conclusion, seems capable of delivering a truly unmatched user experience. It is a device that will surely appeal to tech-savvy consumers and early adopters looking for the latest and greatest in mobile technology.