Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra REDUX: Still the KING after 6 months?”.
Welcome to Redux, where we’re going to find out is the Samsung Galaxy s23 still King in the hill after six months, let’s find out together since it launched earlier in the year. The Galaxy s23 Ultra now faces actual different class of competitor than it did back in February when it launched what’s good about the s23 ultra well to simplify the cameras. The build quality and the overall performance are standout areas, but it was a fair assumption to wonder how the Galaxy S5 Ultra would stand up over the course of time when competitors did eventually launch. Given it was launched pretty early on in the year. It might have only been six months since the s23 ultra was actually made available, but it’s aged, like a fine wine.
In fact, it’s only improved over this time, thanks to frequent software updates and Hardware choices, foregoing all of the other stuff. I want to talk about the camera first, as I think the s23 ultra is the most flexible camera smartphone that you can currently buy, and that’s with three of four of these cameras actually copy pasted from the Galaxy s22 Ultra. The upgrading ball sensor is the real star of the show here: Samsung swapped out its Trident true, 108 megapixel primary camera for a new 200 megapixel sensor, and it’s all for the better. You sentiment is shifted to smaller pixels but picked up much better binning potential to boost your low light, snaps outside of that WAP Revenue sensor, the Galaxy S2 Ultra packs in two 10 megapixel telephoto lenses and a 12 megapixel ultrawide Snapper, all of which help you to Hang on to the king of the crown of the best zoom packages on any smartphone period, we have plenty of in-depth comparisons over on Android authority.com between the Galaxy s20 Ultra and its closest Rivals, and you can find these out via the links down in the description. So I’m just going to highlight a few of our favorite shots here and also from these you can see the colors do certainly pop, but it’s a quality in all kinds of environments.
That is why the s20p ultra is the most comprehensive, smartphone camera out there. I will say that moving subjects can cause problems here and there, but even that has improved since launch some might call it shutter lag, but I think there is more to it than just that either way. Software updates have improved things to a point where the s23 ultra is actually one of the most Dependable smartphone cameras, probably probably ever, and that extends to the exceptional video modes, which do actually run circles around many other Android phones out there. Naturally, this is an Ultra Premium smartphone, so it obviously benefits from fit and finish like no other, it’s a big beast of a device when you’ve slapped in a case and added a screen protector here too, just something else that I think you probably should be aware Of especially, if you don’t like looking at that design, all too often I will say Samsung’s color options for the Samsung Galaxy s23 Ultra have felt a little bit more grown up this time around. Unless you do go for one of their exclusive colorful options.
All the devices do look classy with eye-catching colors. If you do want to choose those, and most of those will be found on Samsung’s website directly. The sweeping 6.8 inch panel is the cherry on top of this device, and especially given it is an Ultra Premium setup. It offers that adaptive 120 hertz refresh rate 1750 nits of peak brightness and a sharp QHD plus resolution, which I do implore you to at least try once or twice for yourself. It doesn’t actually affect battery as much as you might think. I think this panel is actually identical or almost identical to the s22 ultra, but with the increased flatness, especially towards the sides, it is gorgeous and, more importantly, it’s actually easier to use.
Adding to that. The speaker setup is excellent, which means better viewing for videos and even listening to music when you’re caught short and don’t have a speaker. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has been a complete Revelation this year, but it’s not just for its performance, we’ll actually come back to that in just a moment. The actual important bit of this chip is the increased efficiency, and that means battery life is going to be.
No longer a cause for concern with the Galaxy s23 Ultra, even heat management has been vastly improved here, and it means your phone should stay cool, even in warmer climates, which helps that longevity even further still as it doesn’t cause any degradation with the battery itself. That’S by the buyers anything from gaming to even intend to keep yes usage means that the s23 ultra is a true out and out battery base heck. I can often get away with charging to 100 once every couple of days, which is not always the case with many other devices. But then again I will say that I don’t tend to do anything too drastic when it comes to my overall phone usage.
When I do actually finally drain the 5000 milliamp hour battery pack inside, I will say, charging is a bit of a mixed bag. Sure Samsung’s 45 watt wired charging is nice, although you don’t get a charger in the box, but you do need to have a compatible USB PD PPS charger. Obviously, with a 5000 million power capacity cell, it does mean that it takes longer than an hour to charge back up to 100 from around that zero or five percent Mark wireless charging is also capped at a slower or lower 15 watt speed, which is a little Annoying but more suited to slower style trickle charging anyway. So it’s not that much of a complaint.
All things considered. The best news here is that for anyone looking to buy the s23 ultra, even in future, when discounts are going to unlikely be more pronounced, the retooled Snapdragon hn2 for Galaxy chipset is actually available in every single region. So there’s no region locking to those chipsets and it means there’s no exynos for those of us here in the rest of the world to complain about six months after this introduction, as you’d expect, the Samsung Galaxy s23 Ultra continues to Breeze through everything you could ever Want to send its way, it covers my own mix usage and then some I only have personally seen a heat warning once, but then, despite being pretty hot, nothing on this phone, it actually slowed down, something that I actually didn’t even realize that not all smartphones can Do so that’s definitely something to know, although I will say it’s part of the performance package, the best news is that the base model of the s22 ultra is the fact that it ships with 256 gigabytes of ufs 4.0 storage – and this might not seem like a Big deal, but with micro, SD cards more or less Gone Forever on these smartphones, even this minor bump to fix storage does make a big difference. Annoyingly, though you will need to pay extra to get 12 gigabytes of RAM, as eight gigabytes is the base in a lot of markets. I can’t say how much real world difference. You will see especially right now, but it’s probably not that necessarily different rounding out. Our positives about this device, amazing, sometimes update commitment, is a little like letting Babe Ruth play t-ball, at least among Android oems, four years of Android version updates and five years of security. Support.
App is genuinely excellent and Samsung is backing up its commitment really well. At least early on in this product’s life cycle, all areas relating to Performance and functionality have been touched with the monthly patches since this phone’s shipped, which is always good to see accompanying acting on feedback from end users. There’S also the Android 14 beta, which has just released, which is another sign that this will get updated in good time. It also when we start to look at that update schedule. It helps bring down the cost per year, as the s23 ultra is going to be supported longer than similarly priced competitors without you having to go out and slap on custom, roms and the like.
So that’s what positives we’ve talked about all of these good things. What are the not so good things about the Samsung Galaxy s23 Ultra six months after launch? Well, the flaws are few and far between. I have to say it, but yes, a few do exist.
In this case, the Galaxy s23 Ultras knocks are things that Samsung can’t necessarily fix with a quick patch or a monthly security update. We won’t touch on the lack of a headphone jack or the included charger, which is definitely something it’s hard to complain about. At this point in time, but we do have a few nitpicks to pick with this device itself. You could criticize the design a little bit, which is almost impossible to tell, apart from the s22 ultra from far away while it is stupid to expect to redesign every 12 months. It’S tough, to get excited about another retread of the same design. But personally I will say I like it. It would be nice to get even more colors, but that’s just my opinion. Fusing fuse out Series in the S Series also poses problems as you need to account for that S, Pen and that bigger screen, there’s only really so much. You can do with the front of the panel, but we’d like to see a little bit more color.
Maybe some really nice options for people in regions where you tend to only get your plain Blacky plain white models and that on top of it, but maybe I do think we should get map side rails as well rather than glossy metal. You do get that as an option on Samsung’s website these glossy side rails. These metal side rails are actually easy to scuff and ding, even if you do have a case on this phone, something I don’t necessarily care too much well, but it is another nitpick nonetheless, and no matter how you feel about the design.
It is easier to agree that the Samsung Galaxy s23 Ultra is slightly hamstrung in its base configuration as I mentioned previously, while that default 256 gigabytes of super fast storage is respectable and actually doubles. Apple’S standard setting eight gigabytes of RAM does seem underwhelming for a phone that starts over one thousand dollars. It feels really weird to say this, but in 2023 it doesn’t feel like too much of a spread stretch to actually expect that Android flagships could come with 12 gigabytes of RAM as a default when you’re spending more than a grand on a slap of tech. Heck. A lot of Android phones come with 12 gigabytes of RAM and cost almost half that of the s23 ultra, even if you consider yourself a power user or who needs that extra storage. Nearly 1 400 is a lot of money to spend on a phone.
You’Ll potentially only have for a few years here too, on a payment plan. It sounds like not very much, but it does start to add up pretty quickly in no time. In summary, you’re, probably asking is the Samsung Galaxy s23 Ultra still worth the money, and, yes, I think in simple terms, it’s pretty safe to say that it is.
It delivers on so many fronts that it dare. I say it could be the best phone you can buy period, at least for most people six months after launch. The price has dropped, but it hasn’t dropped everywhere and you’ve got to ask yourself: can you stomach the asking price be that outright or on a contract or sell plan? There are are lots of other cheaper phones getting up close and personal with the s23 ultra, including Google’s on Pixel 7 Pro, although nowhere near as powerful but devices at the OnePlus, 11 and plenty of other phones like the honor magic 5 Pro and the xiaomi 13 Series do get very close with similar internal.
Even so, though I will say ultimately the Samsung Galaxy s23 Ultra remains one of the best Android smartphones more than half a year after its launch, which is a bit of a no-brainer. The main question, as I said you’ll, have to ask yourself, is whether or not it’s more power than you need in your pocket, and if you want to spend that much money, .