Last month, I reviewed the Galaxy S23 & S23+ which I used for 2 weeks respectively. I liked both those phones for their size & relatively fast charging. I’ve been using the star of the S23 series, the S23 Ultra for the past 3 weeks and this was by choice as I wanted to save the best for last. There are 4 colours available instore and my model is Cream. There are an additional 4 colours on Samsung Malaysia’s official website.
My first impression of the S23 Ultra when I took it out from the box was that this is one hefty and solid phone and of course (as expected) it has the biggest screen in the S23 Series. It weighs 234g and the screen size is 6.8 inches (full rectangle) – definitely need deep pockets if you prefer storing your phone in pockets like me. I do that a lot as it’s so much faster than rummaging through my bag but I didn’t dare to store the Ultra in my pocket for long fearing it would fall out due to the size. It has all the appearance of a premium phone. Due to the size, I found it rather heavy to keep it in my pocket for too long. Also, the S23 and S23 + sizes made them more comfortable to hold.
Galaxy S23 Ultra’s striking symmetrical design returns with one major difference: recycled and eco-conscious materials. From the metal frame to the glass finish, it’s polished with fresh new colors inspired by nature. Other than Cream, Phantom Black, Green and Lavender are available instore. The additional colours only available on Samsung Malaysia’s online store are Graphite, Red, Lime and Sky Blue.
Dynamic AMOLED 2X delivers clear, colourful details onscreen, whether dimmed down low or full-blast brightness. The colours stand out so well. Watching videos or listening to music on the Ultra gives optimum enjoyment due to the colour of the visuals and superb sound system.
One of the features that sets the Ultra apart from the S23 & S23 + is of course the very useful S Pen, making sketches and memos effortless. Also, it is so stylish to be posing with the S Pen, no? The S Pen has to be used gently though, do not apply too much pressure on the screen to avoid screen damage. A very handy tool indeed for people who love to sketch/doodle & do a lot of work on their phone. Once you own a phone with this pen, you may never want to go back to a phone without the pen!
With a 5000mAh (typical) battery, you can expect it to be long-lasting even when you’re using the phone to play games/watch videos. When I was using the S23 and S23 +, I found that they charged slightly faster than the Ultra especially the S23 + which charge time was super fast. That’s not to say the Ultra charge time is slow, not at all. This is just my observation but it is hardly an issue.
Who needs a separate camera when you have a 5 phone cameras with awesome features like the one in the Ultra? Samsung has packed Galaxy’s biggest sensor, light-absorbing pixels and video stabilization technology into one Pro-grade Camera and here are the camera specs:
- 12MP Selfie Camera
- 12MP Ultra Wide Camera
- 200MP Wide-angle Camera
- 10MP 10x Optical Zoom Telephoto Camera 1
- 10MP 3x Optical Zoom Telephoto Camera 2
Low light selfies are AI enhanced for crisp detail and accurate colour. Depth mapping enables faster focusing for selfies. And portraits at night are clearly defined thanks to AI-detected depth analysis. Thanks to the upgraded resolution on the Wide-angle Camera, it delivers a clarity never before seen on Galaxy. The Ultra has 200MP resolution compared to the S22’s 108MP resolution so you can expect improved sharper images with the S23 Ultra.
Overall, a high-performing phone which I believe is worth the price. Pro-grade cameras cost more than this phone. I haven’t carried a separate camera around in years as I don’t believe I need one -takes up too much space in the bag and it’s one more device to worry about. As I said, with the top-grade cameras available in the Ultra, who needs anything more? For me, the top reason for getting the Ultra would be for the professional quality photos every time, all the time.
