Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: The ultimate Android phone?

As you can read in our Galaxy S22 Ultra review, last year’s premium flagship from Samsung was already one of the best phones money could buy. Now, the Ultra is back with some refinements that aim to make it even better. Changes to the 6.8-inch screen, rear camera system and with a more powerful processor from Qualcomm tucked under its shell this should be the Android phone to beat in 2023 but has Samsung really done enough to make the Ultra worth its £1,249 asking price?

We’ve been putting this premium call maker through its paces and here is our full Galaxy S23 Ultra review.

If you want a diddy device to tuck inside those skinny jeans don’t even consider the S23 Ultra. This is a big phone that’s aimed at users who want the ultimate experience and if you want to go supersized you’re in for a serious treat.

The refreshed design looks simple but elegant with the rear case covered in a matt finish that stops it from showing up those annoying fingerprints.

The sides feature a glossy mental finish and each lens of the quad camera pops out neatly without being tucked inside a bulky panel.

Get it in your hands and the Ultra feels incredibly premium if not a tad heavy. That said, it is slightly lighter than Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max and that phone doesn’t include an in-built S Pen.

The massive size clearly won’t be for everyone and it’s definitely not a device to use one-handed but other than its jumbo proportions we can’t find fault with the way the Ultra looks.

Hit the power button and the same great experience comes to the screen with the 6.8-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED panel looking bright, vibrant and packed full of colour. It also features the usual adaptive 120Hz refresh rate which means you get speedy scrolling and stutter-free gaming without it hurting battery life.

You’ll still find the S23 Ultra still has a curved edge to the glass but Samsung has refined things this year by introducing a slightly larger flat surface for improved viewing. It makes the world of difference and as reading experience isn’t spoiled by text getting too close to the edge of the display. The curvature was one of our biggest gripes when testing the S22 Ultra and it’s nice to see the design team has ironed out this annoyance on its latest model.

Samsung is renowned for making some of the best screens in the business and the S23 Ultra really doesn’t disappoint. If you want a phone for gaming, binge watching box sets and answering endless emails you’ll struggle to find anything that’s much better.

Samsung’s cameras rarely take a bad photo but the Ultra is definitely pushing things to a whole new level. On the rear of this device is a quad set-up that includes a 12MP Ultra Wide camera, impressive 200MP main sensor and dual 10MP Telephoto lenses that offer a staggering 100X zoom.

This camera array provides a truly fabulous experience for both amateur and professional photographers with the phone not only producing great snaps when you simply point and shoot but also offers plenty of manual settings. There’s even the ability to access RAW files for those that want improved editing and content that hasn’t been compressed.

The camera system is a total joy to use and everything we’ve shot on this device looks crystal clear and packed with detail.

Even the 100X Zoom now feels like much less of a gimmick and thanks to some clever software – which lets you easily focus an object via an in-screen targeting system  – and impressive image stabilisation we’ve managed to capture some perfectly usable images. As you can see from our test images, below, even during a dark winter’s Six Nations match at Twickenham the phone can easily zoom in on players with great results.

If you like shooting at night, then this phone can also snap some incredible images when the sun goes down. There’s also a new Astro Hyperlapse option should you find yourself away from the city lights and want to capture some Instagram-worthy shots of the stars.

If you want a phone with an excellent and versatile camera the Ultra doesn’t disappoint.

If we had one criticism it would be a slight shutter lag and there are definitely times when you hit the button and there’s an annoying delay.

We wonder if Samsung might rectify this with a software update but it’s something sharpshooters need to be aware of as it can slow things down.

As well as snapping pretty epic photos, there’s also good news for budding Steven Spielbergs. Not only can the Ultra film in 8K but there’s now some magical stabilisation which means you can run with this device and still get relatively smooth footage.

Samsung has made a big change in 2023 with all of its devices featuring the very latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.

In previous years, the Korean firm has split its devices with some getting its own Exynos brains whilst others have been powered by Qualcomm. It always seemed like an odd decision and thankfully things have changed this year with all S23 variants getting the latest Snapdragon brain which is not only faster but also much more efficient.

To make things even better, this chip is a “special edition” that’s been made just for Galaxy phones and it really does offer a very slick experience. We’ve been playing games, sending emails, whizzing around the web and watching endless shows on Netflix and nothing has fazed this phone. The Ultra is an absolute powerhouse and we honestly don’t think you’ll find a single thing it can’t cope with.

Battery life is also pretty decent thanks to the Gen 2’s efficiency and a massive 5,000mAh power pack tucked under the shell.

You’ll easily get a full day of usage out of it and, if you’re careful, you might even squeeze a whole weekend without it needing a refill. When things do run flat, it can be boosted wirelessly via any standard Qi charging pad.

Sadly, unlike some of its rivals, it can’t be topped up at blisteringly fast speeds with Samsung limiting things to 45W. That’s nowhere near as quick as rivals such as OnePlus and Realme with these firms now offering 100W charging – one upcoming phone is even boasting 240W speeds which is over four times faster than Samsung offers.

It’s also worth remembering that there’s still no power brick in the box so you’ll need to buy a plug from Samsung’s store (£44) if you don’t own one already.

Just like last year, the new S23 Ultra includes the S Pen which tucks neatly inside its case so you never have to worry about losing it.

Samsung usually refines its stylus but this time around things are staying the same which is no bad thing as this accessory is just as good as before. Thanks to 70 percent lower latency you get an experience that is like writing with a real pen on physical paper.

Samsung’s Note app continues to be better at reading your scribbles, which means it can decipher most handwriting and turn it into editable text. This means you can copy and paste your handwritten notes into emails, text messages, or Google Docs within seconds – very handy!

The Galaxy S23 Ultra even plays the subtle sound of ink being laid on paper as you doddle on the display. It’s a nice little touch although it’s a gimmick that you’ll probably end up switching off.

Along with that S Pen, you also get access to speedy 5G data plus there’s improved Wi-Fi 6E and better Bluetooth for faster connections.

Samsung has also made it easier to link its new smartphones to other devices such as its latest laptops. In fact, owners can now even copy text and photos from one device and paste them directly onto another.

Sadly, there was no mention of iPhone-style satellite text messages which lets users call for help even when there’s no network signal.

As you’d probably expect, the S23 Ultra isn’t cheap. Prices start from £1,249 for the 256GB model and rise to over £1,500 if you need the full 1TB of storage.

Ahead of its official release there is a big incentive to pre-order with Samsung currently offering double the storage for free.

That means you can but the 512GB for the same price as 256GB variant. There are also trade-in deals that will cut down the price and Samsung is also throwing in six months access to Disney+.

Yes, the S23 Ultra is ludicrously expensive but there are some decent deals which certainly help soften the financial blow.

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra is going to be a very tough phone to beat in 2023.

It looks great, has blistering performance thanks to that Qualcomm processor, a stunning screen and mind-blowing cameras.

You still get that unique S Pen tucked inside and there are all the usual extras you’d expect on a flagship such as speedy 5G, fast fingerprint scanner and very good battery life.

Yes, it is ludicrously expensive and does lack really rapid charging found on some Android rivals. Its gargantuan size also won’t suit small pockets and this is not a phone for those wanting something dainty in their hands.

If you are looking for the ultimate big-screen Android phone and don’t mind splashing out some serious cash then the Galaxy S23 Ultra should be top of your wishlist.

Samsung has a winner on its hands with a new Galaxy flagship that really is out of this world.