Samsung It does not let a year go by without renewing its main family of high-end mobiles, that of the Galaxy. At ABC, we have spent a year testing the new crown jewel of the South Korean company, the S23 Ultra that sounds like a candidate for one of the best mobiles of the year within the field Android. We are not going to see drastic changes compared to the previous model, only specific improvements, especially in processing and in its new and huge 200-megapixel sensor.
The new terminal hardly has changes in the design. Samsung has gone back to betting on square shapes and an eclectic look, even more than in the case of the S22, thanks to a very discreet set of cameras that protrudes slightly. Obviously, the ‘premium’ materials and finishes can be perceived, the recycled aluminum and the matt colors do the rest.
Conservative and oversized
Although the body is completely square, the screen of 6.8 inches It has a slight curve, although nothing that has to worry us, it is not too noticeable, especially as soon as we put the cover on, since it disappears.
Although it is comfortable in the hand, it is still a large phone, and even more so if we add a cover, an aspect to take into account because it does not fit in all pockets. There have been a few coats during testing that are not ready for this phone. The size also means that it is not a phone that is easy to use with one hand, even though it has an ergonomic design it is impossible to reach all the buttons without using both hands. In the lower area we will find the S-Penthe classic stylus from Samsung that has undergone few changes.
The AMOLED screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 1,750 nits is at the level that could be expected from the Galaxy S23 Ultra, occupying almost 90% of its front. The panel is perfectly visible in full sunlight, although it is not the brightest on the market, it is more than enough, and once QHD + mode is set, the resolution of 3088×1440, using the screen is a real pleasure for the eyes .
Samsung has done a good job with the panel adjustments, both in color balance and auto brightness, but what we liked best is that when the brightness drops in darker environments, the S23 Ultra adapts the images so that they look just as good as with maximum brightness.
The best, the camera
Probably the most powerful claim of the Samsung S23 Ultra is in the camera, in the new ISOCELL HP2 sensor that reaches the 200 megapixels on the main camera, and its f1.7 lens, with optical stabilization and laser focus.
Although we have 200 megapixels, automatically the photos are 12 by default. You would have to change the resolution in the settings, although it is not really practical because the phone is not capable of processing images at maximum capacity, not to mention the size they would occupy .
Image captured with the main camera
Although we use the 12-megapixel resolution, adaptive pixel technology takes advantage of the entire sensor in smaller images, and this shows in its definition, better textures and sharper edges. The HDR does not work magic, but even in complicated environments such as backlit snow, the result is the best we are going to see.
We have a multitude of shooting modes, in auto, 12, 50 and 200 megapixels, in Pro mode, 12 and 50 and in the Expert Raw 12 and 50 application. The Expert Raw application, which can be downloaded from the Samsung application store , it integrates better with the camera, and the images it produces are processed by the same application, so if what we want is a professional result, it is better to continue using only the Pro mode of the native application.
The good of Expert Raw is that it allows interesting modes such as astrophotography, which gives very good results with longer shooting times of the night sky. The 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle is functional, and its quality is consistent with the set, despite being the lens that stands out the least of the three.
Samsung is the king of Zoom, with two telephoto lenses, one with three magnifications, and the other with ten, both 10 megapixels with Dual Pixel and optical stabilization. The first telephoto lens has the function of prioritizing portrait mode, and achieves exceptional results, with good background blur and great detail. But the best is when we get to the 30x zoom.
Image at 20x
Samsung has greatly improved the result of its digital zoom algorithm, and the photos will leave anyone’s mouth open. Even the 100x full moon photography that many have criticized is the best we’ve seen.
Photo from the month of 100x
Night mode is fast and effective, especially in automatic mode, even with the front camera in selfie mode, it works very well. Another aspect of the camera application that we liked is the composition suggestion, which, thanks to AI, allows us to center the image and achieve the best possible photo.
The video and its stabilization has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the 8K video is surely the best we are going to see on Android. Also the 4K and 1080 modes are excellent, thanks to the stabilization that is wonderful, and the AI that corrects both sound and image in real time.
good autonomy
The processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 from Qualcomm has been specially developed together with Samsung, it is a tad faster than the ‘normal’ version and, in addition, the photo and video processing have been adjusted for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The truth is that the change from the Exynos to the fastest Snapdragon to date is a relief, and although we can find it in other phones, the S23 Ultra is the fastest of all.
All this has been accompanied by a steam chamber 2.7 times larger than in the S22 to be able to dissipate all the heat. From games to applications of all kinds, the S23 Ultra will be able to run everything without breaking a sweat. The battery is 5.000 mAhthe same as in the S22 and 45W load, but the change of processor and the improvement of the phone’s management algorithms have meant that the autonomy has improved considerably and the day of autonomy can be overcome without much problem.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the reference in Android, an expensive phone that starts from the 1.409 eurosbut that has the best features that we will be able to find, without skimping on absolutely nothing.