Here’s why the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra sets the bar as one of the best flagship smartphones of 2023

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra turned heads when it made its global debut alongside its siblings Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus at the gala Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event that was streamed live across the planet earlier this year. As the most powerful of the Galaxy S23 series phones, the Galaxy S23 Ultra represents the pinnacle of Samsung’s technological prowess wrought into an 8.9mm sleek chassis.

Not only does it have a custom made high-performance Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, it also has a revolutionary rear 200MP quad camera system that takes videos and photos to new heights with superb low light photography and 8K resolution videography too. 

 

That’s just the tip of the iceberg of what it is capable of as it has a wealth of features and upgrades that elevate it above other flagship phones from its cameras to its performance. Here’s a quick round-up why the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best flagship smartphones of 2023.

Awesome Nightography with 200MP ISOCELL HP2 cameras

When it comes to camera performance, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra knocks it out of the ballpark. The revolutionary rear quad camera array is built around the new 200MP ISOCELL HP2 sensor that leverages pixel binning, combining 16 adjacent pixels into one large pixel for more detail in a shot. 

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy’s Cognitive ISP further enhances this with its potent Semantic Segmentation in real-time to better identify objects and people in shots to retain more detail, allowing the Galaxy S23 Ultra to capture fantastic shots in daylight brimming with detail and even in dim light too; an ability that Samsung refers to as Nightography.

Complementing the huge 200MP primary camera is a 12MP ultra wide angle camera as well as two 10MP cameras with one featuring 3x and the other packing 10x optical zoom with almost all the cameras save the 12MP ultra wide angle and front-facing 12MP selfie camera featuring optical image stabilisation (OIS) for super steady images and videos. Combined, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is able to capture shots at a whopping 100x zoom, film crisp 8K@30fps video and stabilised 4K@60fps video too. Check out these shots taken straight off the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s rear cameras – click on each shot to get a closer look.

Better yet, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has the ability to capture images in RAW format too by downloading the optional Expert RAW app that retains more image data for easier post processing. Whether you’re taking casual photos and videos for TikTok or making your own feature film, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is up to the task..

Ergonomically improved and tougher design

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra significantly improves on its ergonomics and durability over the older Galaxy S22 Ultra. When compared side by side, the new Galaxy S23 Ultra has steeper sides for its display in order to offer more screen surface area while making it easier to wield. The flatter sides also make it easier to use the integrated S Pen too, especially around the edges of the display.

Following Murphy’s Law, mishaps can and do happen which is why Samsung has ensured that the phone is tougher than ever. Samsung has used the new Gorilla Glass Victus 2 which offers enhanced drop resistance to protect both the display and the backplate. 

This is paired with a robust Armor Aluminum chassis that has increased resistance to nicks and drop damage compared to the standard aluminium material used in competing smartphones. Seeing how unpredictable Malaysia’s weather is, the phone also has a robust IP68 dust and water resistance too, allowing it to survive in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes at a time which means that it will continue working even in the middle of a deluge or a dip in the pool. This level of toughness also means that you’ll save more over the long term as there’s less of a tendency for potentially costly repairs.

Powerful performance for work and play 

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra sets new standards for performance even among flagship smartphones. Powering the phone is a custom made Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor unique to the Galaxy S23 series that runs with a faster 3.36GHz prime core than the stock versions seen in competing phones that run at 3.2GHz. At present, it currently is the fastest mobile processor for Android phones in the market. 

This is paired with 12GB of fast LPDDR5X RAM as well as up to 1TB of fast UFS 4.0 storage, both of which are respectively the fastest standards of random access memory and storage currently in the market. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra also has RAM Plus virtual RAM that allows it to allocate up to 8GB of onboard storage for random access memory. 

The phone also features a larger vapour chamber than its predecessor for better sustained performance. Whether you’re going through an intensive Genshin Impact gaming marathon or tackling a massive spreadsheet, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is up to the task.

Best of all, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s huge 5,000mAh battery in tandem with the optimised Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor offers excellent battery life. In our tests, it managed to easily last over 15 gruelling hours in PCMark’s work benchmark test  

In DxOMark, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s battery with moderate use lasted a whopping 67 hours, ranking it among the top 10 smartphones in the world for battery endurance. Charging it is a doddle too with a quick 30 minutes on a compatible fast charger easily netting you about 65% of juice.

4 Years of OS Updates for Peace of Mind

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra runs on the latest Android 13 overlaid with OneUI 5.1 and offers an industry-leading 4 years worth of Android firmware updates and 5 years of security updates. This means that it’ll enjoy firmware updates all the way to Android 17 in 2027 and will be safe and secure all the way to 2028 which is also fantastic for sustainability reasons too.

Better yet, the phone also enjoys Samsung’s defence-grade Knox security which ensures that private and critical data stored on the Galaxy S23 Ultra remains secure and inviolate. To ensure additional protection against malware, the phone also has a Device Protection setting that ensures installed applications are safe to use for added peace of mind.

Integrated S Pen stylus for notes and doodling

While the beloved Galaxy Note series has entered the rolls of history as one of the most game-changing smartphone series ever made, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra takes up the torch as it is the heir to the Galaxy Note’s illustrious legacy by featuring an improved S Pen stylus. 

Featuring 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, the S Pen stylus is a game changer as it not only allows users of the Galaxy S23 Ultra to doodle, take notes, sign documents and whatnot, it also can translate selected text, intelligent select objects out of images, convert writing to digital text and more. 

With this level of precision, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s large and colour accurate 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X display makes for a fantastic digital canvas in tandem with its paired S Pen stylus, making it ideal for digital artists and, of course, power users on the go who need to plough through a ton of paperwork on a daily basis.

The S Pen stylus even has a secret superpower called Air Actions. Via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity, the S Pen is able to act as a remote control, allowing users to use the S Pen as a remote shutter to take pictures from a distance, play music, browse the web on Chrome and more. 

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is now available nationwide in Malaysia with prices starting from RM5,699 along with a free Galaxy Watch5 40mm worth RM1,099 with every purchase while stocks last. For more details, check out Samsung’s official online store at https://www.samsung.com/my/smartphones/galaxy-s23-ultra/buy/