In the Android world there is no other smartphone like the Galaxy S. Over the years, starting from 2010, when the first model was released, it has become the alter ego of the iPhone: in different ways, both have written the history of mobile telephony as we know it today. The Galaxy S series now boasts thirteen generations, over 30 models and more than 400 million units sold. And this new version, presented three weeks ago and available in three models, is once again the state of the art of what is happening in the Android world, even more than Google’s Pixel. It is because behind it there is a company that produces its own devices and controls every detail, even more than Apple does with the iPhone, since the screens are made by Samsung, like the memory, the sensor camera and other key components of the phone. But – and this is the real surprise of the Galaxy S23 series – the chip is not, for which this time Samsung relies on Qualcomm. The American company has created a special version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 especially for Samsung, which this time has renounced its Exynos processors: perhaps they will return in a few years, with significant changes.
With previous models it never seemed to us that there might be a lack of power, graphics processing capacity or speed, but this time the experience is much better, without the slightest sign of uncertainty in scrolling, zooming, switching from one app to another. other.
Here even less, and above all the games are gaining, where there is a clear improvement in graphics performance on the new Samsung S23 Ultra compared to the previous model. Call Of Duty, for example, is decidedly more fluid even setting the settings to the maximum, due to the frame rate which remains constant, without lag or uncertainties. Thanks to the Adreno 740 GPU and the very fast LPDDR5 ram memory (on our 12 GB model).
Beyond the benchmarks and technical issues, the new processor involves a paradigm shift for Samsung in terms of autonomy, which increases significantly compared to the S22 Ultra, even if the battery capacity remains the same (5000 mAh). A tip: by setting the Light mode, which reduces the frequency of the processor cores, the phone’s performance remains excellent and it’s quite easy to get to two full days of use.
Photo and video
The photographic sector of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra introduces an important novelty: the 200 megapixel ISOCELL HP2 main sensor. You can take photos at 12 megapixel, 50 megapixel or 200 megapixel resolution, selectable from the menu settings next to the camera viewfinder. These shooting modes only make sense in very few cases, when you want to capture the maximum detail for cutting or printing or viewing on a large screen, otherwise the generated file is too large. Samsung’s Expert Raw app is integrated into the native camera app after you download it. Shooting in Raw allows you to edit the full, uncompressed image, providing more flexibility and data to use with regards to color and exposure.
The most notable advances, in reality, are not noticed in the higher resolution, but in the dynamic range, the autofocus and the performance in low light conditions. The new sensor of the S23 Ultra reduces noise better, and the updated algorithms make colors and details sharper. The results are evident, especially in color management: flowers have more vibrant hues, trees appear more luxuriant.
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Photos with Samsung devices sometimes have slightly exaggerated colors. Samsung has improved this in recent years, but the Pixel 7 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro still take photos that look more natural overall. However, that is not always synonymous with “best”; there are cases where Samsung’s emphasis on color works well, for example, with people and pets. In landscape photos, colors can seem brighter and more vibrant than in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro, sometimes even too much. On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is able to focus more clearly in low light and with a good dynamic range, but without brightening the images excessively.
Google often returns more natural colors with photos, while with videos (up to 8K at 30 fps) the Galaxy S23 Ultra in our test generally offered more realistic colors and sharper images than the Pixel 7 Pro. The iPhone 14 Pro Max allows for very similar results, but the Samsung shots have slightly more detail. Image stabilization is also excellent.
Samsung has also improved the camera for selfies (from 10 to 12 MP), and yet the algorithm used for portraits seems to make the difference once again, which allows for a more natural and more precise bokeh effect, above all as for hair and glasses.
On closer inspection, however, the real revolution of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra consists in having almost completely eliminated the shutter lag that afflicts all phones, with the exception of the iPhone. Just like a professional camera, in fact, the Apple smartphone snaps as soon as your finger rests on the sensor. Finally now the Galaxy S 23 Ultra also does the same: the photo that is recorded is exactly the image we have in mind, and this is clearly noticeable if you are using the phone to shoot sporting events or fast moving subjects.
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The S Pen
There’s not much new to the S Pen: as always, it’s very accurate and character recognition works well; using it to write is a pleasure, and the sound of pencil on paper is also reproduced. The stylus can be useful for photo editing or taking a screenshot and highlighting important information; you can draw a shape and cut out part of an image. The Air Actions, then, make the S Pen a sort of remote control in some apps without touching the screen (and also for taking photos).
Once again, the stylus housing is on the left side of the smartphone. Which in design has minimal differences with the previous model; only the curvature of the edges is less accentuated, and this allows for a more secure grip, especially if they are taking photos or shooting videos. In some way, Samsung disavows a trend that launched first: the curved edge in smartphones, in fact, arrived in 2015, with a Galaxy, the S6 Edge.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra features the same display as the Galaxy S22 Ultra, a 6.8” diagonal AMOLED and 1440 x 3088 pixels. The brightness is very high, reaching almost 1800 nits: the images are always lively, the contrast excellent, the visibility perfect even outdoors. However, Dolby Vision compatibility is missing.
There are two settings for the refresh rate, adaptive and standard: the first reaches 120 Hz, the second stops at 60 Hz; both start at 24Hz, but in reality the screen drops to 1Hz, for example if you are using the Always on Display: this flexibility should allow you to reduce the energy consumption of the screen and therefore increase the autonomy of the device.
The software
The Galaxy S23 Ultra adopts One UI 5.1, Samsung’s version of Android 13: it remains, in our opinion, one of the best versions of Google’s operating system. For the graphics, for the possibility of personalizing it without losing its identity, and above all for Knox, the security software developed by the Korean company. Thanks to Knox, Galaxy is among the few Android phones capable of meeting the requirements necessary to obtain the stringent government certifications, which is why companies and governments with stringent security requirements continue to prefer Samsung products to other Android devices .
One UI 5.1 features various typical iPhone functions, such as the use of the mouse and trackpad on tablets and smartphones and the ability to crop images with a touch, directly from the operating system. Samsung has introduced the ability to share photos and other files, but also to automatically synchronize the sites you visit between multiple devices in its ecosystem. With the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro headphones, then, it is possible to record 360 ° audio.
Four OS updates and five years of security updates are guaranteed for the Galaxy S23 series. Who knows, maybe with one of the next updates the possibility of sending satellite messages in case of emergency will not arrive, as on the iPhone: the function is already present in the Qualcomm processor, and for it to work, all that is needed is a technical and commercial agreement with a provider .
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Sustainability
Speaking of green technology, the Galaxy S23 series is made using an even greater number of recycled materials than the Galaxy S22, in particular aluminum and glass, plastic obtained from abandoned fishing nets, water tanks and PET bottles.
The new S-series adopts Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 which contains an average of 22% more pre-consumer recycled materials. The packaging is also new, made with 100% recycled paper.
We like it
- Excellent photos and videos, especially in low light
- Good autonomy
- S-Pen
We do not like it
- Big and heavy
- Improved haptic feedback
- High price
In fine
The family of the new top of the range of the Korean company consists of three models: Galaxy S23 (from 979 euros for the 8GB + 128GB version), Galaxy S23+ (from 1,229 euros for the 8GB + 256GB version) e Galaxy S23 Ultra (from €1,479 for the 8GB + 256GB version). The Ultra, which is also the best of current Samsung technology, has nothing revolutionary compared to the S22 Ultra, but if anything it is configured as an evolution. In addition, various functions will also be available on the previous model, thanks to the operating system update, but the new one represents a step forward in several significant areas, primarily as regards processor power, autonomy and the photographic sector. Recommended for anyone who wants the best the Android world has to offer and doesn’t already have a Galaxy S22 Ultra.
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