Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra hits all the right keys and makes exciting promises

Samsung is back to charging. The South Korean company has unveiled the new Galaxy Book 3 and Galaxy S23 family of three mobile phones with which it will compete in the top segment over the next 12 months. Among them, of course, is the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Crown Jewel. The product, which hypertextwe were able to briefly test it before its official presentation.

As usual – not only in the case of Samsung, but in the industry as a whole – this S23 Ultra is not a revolution compared to its predecessor. Mobile phones have reached a point of maturity that makes it difficult to implement truly breakthrough innovations, except in special cases.

However, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is not a revolution. This does not mean that Samsung has not implemented some changes or new interesting features in it. In some cases, I would define them as welcome clarifications. Otherwise, like a camera, it promises just as interesting.

First of all, all Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. A loss for Samsung’s chip division, but also a win for the consumer. The previous generation Exynos wasn’t a disaster, but in some respects it lagged behind the Qualcomm-based model in the US. This differentiation is coming to an end. And the first advantage was announced by Samsung during the presentation: S23 Ultra promises better autonomy than its predecessor, despite the fact that it has the same battery capacity. How? By brand, due to the greater efficiency of the processor.

Another seemingly minor change, but with some impact on the experience, is on the left and right. On the S22 Ultra, they were completely curved. However, the S23 Ultra combines a slight curvature with a completely flat part. and it shows a lot. As much as discovering it the first time you pick up the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The grip is better and also makes the product feel better in the hand.

The screen is now flatter than before. A positive step considering that these types of panels are no longer in use. It’s not a 100% kink-free panel, but the radius is much smaller than the previous model.

Also worth noting color palette. Like the rest of the family, S23 Ultra can be purchased in four shades: green, cream, purple and black. The one that Samsung will promote the most is the green one. My favorite, however, is the cream color, if that’s what you’re interested in for some reason. Either way, it’s a pretty good lineup, and combined with the chrome trim on the sides and frosted glass on the back, it makes for a pretty eye-catching look.

perspective camera

Samsung decided to implement for the first time in the Galaxy S 200 megapixel sensor. A very high number with a dual purpose: on the one hand, an undeniable marketing claim for 200 megapixels – because yes, people keep thinking that more pixels equals better photography; on the other hand, to combine even more neighboring pixels to achieve better results in adverse lighting conditions.

Given Samsung’s track record, this camera is likely to be in its range. But will it be the benchmark in the industry? How noticeable will be the improvement over the previous generation? These are questions to which we still do not have answers. The environment in which we were able to test the phone did not allow us to find out at all. However, the changes Samsung has made to this new generation, as well as the promises the brand makes towards them, inevitably raise some excitement about what this camera could be.

That the camera is now at 200 megapixels, however, does not mean that I always shoot in this resolution. The phone offers different shooting modes: one at 200, another at 50 and a third at 12 megapixels. In the case of the latter two, the S23 Ultra combines neighboring pixels in different proportions to create a larger super pixel that captures more light and information.

Most recommended, in the absence of validation, Usually this is probably shooting at 12 megapixels. – thus achieving the best results in adverse situations – and, in those specific scenarios in which we are looking for additional sharpness and the environment allows it, manually activate one of the other two modes.

What’s new in the field of cameras they are not limited to the main sensor only. Samsung has also made changes to other components that have the same or greater impact on the final photos. For example: An ISP that offers Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 enhanced with new AI algorithms promises to more accurately reduce noise with better color processing or sharpness.

S23 Ultra also introduces new RAW expert modewhich allows you to take raw images (RAW) at up to 50 megapixels – which few mobile phones currently allow – and control various parameters manually.

The brand has also introduced new multiple exposure optionSuper HDR technology, an artificial intelligence that analyzes scenes and objects to apply the best processing and a new kind of astrography which allows you to capture the night sky in more detail – although, yes, it requires the use of a tripod or support, since the exposure time exceeds 4 minutes.

S23 Ultra also improved optical stabilizer in the main camera debuts and allows you to record 8K video at a maximum frame rate of 30 FPS. Functions added to the ultra-wide angle, 3x optical zoom and 10x optical zoom, three cameras that were also in the previous model and offer more creative flexibility.

Finally, Samsung has also improved the front camera, which now promises better results in adverse situations like low light.

There is no news on other fronts, but at the level of the best

In other sections, Samsung has not implemented many new features. The screen remains at 6.8 inches, QHD+, AMOLED technology, 120Hz dynamic frequency… It’s a fantastic screen. It also saves stylusbattery (5000 mAh), connectivity, IP68 certification, etc. In terms of charging, we are talking about 15W wireless charging, reverse charging for other devices, and fast wired charging up to 45W.

What Samsung really wanted to highlight is that Galaxy S23 is now greener. More recycled materials have been used to make it, the box is 100% recycled paper… A small step up from previous models.

When will the Galaxy S23 Ultra go on sale?

This phone It will go on sale on February 17 both through official channels and authorized distributors.. The brand, yes, has not yet named the sale price at which it will get into stores. Therefore, we will have to wait for future messages. However, it is likely that this will be in the range of 1200-1300 euros, taking into account the recommended retail price of the previous model.

All in all, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a fairly successful evolution that combines small fixes like the introduction of a Qualcomm chip or changes to the sides with promising evolutions in areas like photography that, yes, should be implemented. checked if it matches what is predicted. In any case, and you will not surprise anyone, this phone is clearly aiming to be one of the best smartphones of 2023.