Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra Starts at $1,200

Samsung has officially announced its flagship lineup for the year. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, S23 and S23+ will go on sale on February 17th. Each phone starts at a different price point, with the Ultra being that ultimate Model. The Galaxy S23 and 23+ will also take their own hits and they look more refined compared to the last generation. Let’s get to the innovations in Samsung’s smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The “Ultimate” from Samsung

If you’re looking to splurge on Samsung’s best-equipped smartphone, look no further than the gargantuan Galaxy S23 Ultra. The S23 Ultra is the largest smartphone in the range with the highest specs in the Android world (at least in the US). The Ultra is modeled after the Galaxy Note series with a sunset, right down to the stowable stylus on the chin of the device. It starts at $1,200.

This year’s Galaxy 23 Ultra has the same screen size as last generation: a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a QHD+ resolution. I’ve always been a fan of Samsung’s displays for binge-watching on a small screen – compared to a living room TV – and the Ultra is certainly no different. Even with my short time with the Ultra personally, I could see that this is a “second screen” for my desk. But will it be enough to lure me away from the Z Fold 4’s current role in my life? More on this in the Ultra test report.

The display has a maximum brightness of 1,750 nits directly outdoors – think pokeMo go in the afternoon sun – as well as an adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz during standard use and up to 240 Hz in gaming mode.

Inside, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is powered by the latest generation of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. It’s paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in the base model, but is available with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage.

A 5,000 mAh battery pack is also housed there. Last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra had the same size battery but only lasted 16 hours compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s full 24-hour offering. It will be interesting to see what Samsung has done on the software side to extend that battery . The company boasts that the new model will last 20% longer than last year’s Ultra. At the very least, it offers super-fast wired and wireless charging, with Samsung claiming up to a 65% charge in half an hour using a 45W adapter and a 5A USB-C cable.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s main camera is a beefy 200MP camera with an 85-degree field of view (FOV). Samsung promises that all those megapixels will help you capture “truly cinematic nightography videos.” We will test that ourselves. The camera sensor is bundled with three other lenses, including a 12MP ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view and a pair of 10MP lenses: one with 3x optical zoom and the other with 10x optical Zoom.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 100x digital space zoom was particularly impressive, although I struggled to stabilize the shot when a plane flew by. Samsung hasn’t increased the space zoom capacity on the Galaxy S23 Ultra – it’s still only 100x. However, I’ve seen a new astrophoto option in the Samsung camera app that I’ll be happy to test when we receive our review unit.

The front camera of the S23 Ultra is a 12 MP camera with a field of view of 80 degrees. As an avid TikTok viewer, I realize that the current generation of front-facing cameras doesn’t cut it for the Android world, so we’ll see if the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s selfie camera is as suited to confessionals as it is to moonlighting in space. Last year’s S22 had a 40MP camera, so it’s interesting to see Samsung dial down the numbers with this version.

Video recording has been improved on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung boasts of its ability to stabilize videos even in low light with the “dual” optical image stabilizer. The phone can also record enhanced 8K video at 30 frames per second (fps) at a wide angle. And there are object-based AI improvements that can help identify facial features and ensure they’re not blurred out of the shot. Again, we plan to put all of these claims through their paces during our full review.

Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+: Looks so much better

I feel the new backs of the Galaxy S23 and S23+. Samsung has taken away the so-called “contour case,” and the triple camera array now sits more flush on the back of these devices. If you look closely you’ll notice that around the camera lens they have the same body-matching color sheen as the Ultra. It’s a premium touch.

The Galaxy S23/S23+ feels more flagship-worthy than last year’s models. Something about the Galaxy S22/S22+ felt physically hollow, but the Galaxy S23/S23+ felt more solid in hand this time. It’s a good thing, too, because the Pixel 7 needs more competition, and a simplistic Samsung body style appeals more to the traditionalists who might not be drawn to Google’s signature styles (I wasn’t).

The smaller Galaxy S23 has a 6.1-inch AMOLED display with an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz, while the larger Galaxy s23+ has a 6.6-inch display. Both screens get as bright as the Ultra in direct sunlight. Like the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the S23/23+ has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip beating inside and 8GB of RAM. The S23 offers up to 256GB of storage, while the S23+ offers up to 512GB.

Hopefully the Galaxy S23’s camera system is more impressive than last year’s Galaxy S22/22+. The devices feature a 50MP primary lens coupled with a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP telephoto lens with up to 3x optical zoom and 30x space zoom. The front camera is a 12 MP wide-angle sensor.

The battery sizes in the Galaxy S22/S22+ are so much smaller than the Pixel 7 offerings. The small Galaxy S23 has a 3,900mAh battery, compared to the Pixel 7’s 4,355mAh battery, while the larger Galaxy S23+ has a 4,700- mAh battery compared to the Pixel 7 Pro’s 5,000 mAh battery. What will the battery life be like this year in Android land?

Samsung Galaxy S23 llineup PRice and pre-orders

Do you think you will go for a Samsung flagship this year? The Galaxy S23 Ultra starts at $1,200 for 256GB of storage. The Galaxy S23 starts at $800 for 128GB and the Galaxy S23+ starts at $1,000 for 256GB. All three phone models will be available in the same four colors: Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender, which personally looks more pink. There are also colors for people who buy their devices unlocked from Samsung, including Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Red.

All phones will be available online and at major retailers from February 17th. If you pre-order before February 16, Samsung is offering a storage upgrade – if you’re looking at the smaller Galaxy S23, I’d suggest you reach out to the company to keep the cost under $900 and yourself increase to 256GB.