Let’s take a look at some of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s specifications.
| Display | QHD AMOLED 6,8 inch |
| Refresh Rate | Adaptive 1–120Hz |
| Rear Camera | 200MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto (3x), 10MP telephoto (10x) |
| Front Camera | 12MP selfie camera |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
| RAM | 8GB/12GB |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Battery | 5.000mAh |
| Charging | 45W wired / 10W wireless |
| Water/Dust Resistance | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 163,4 x 78,1 x 8,9mm |
| Weight | 233g |
| Colors | Phantom Black, Cotton White, Lilac Purple, and Botanic Green are widely available at all retail chains nationwide. Lychee Red, Lime Green, Sky Blue, and Graphite Gray are available exclusively on Samsung’s official website |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Design:
The article “Hands-on with the Galaxy S23 Ultra: Old wine in new bottles but worth the money” explains that users will need to search carefully for the design enhancements which exist between the Galaxy S23 Ultra and its predecessor. The rear cameras now have larger dimensions compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra while the screen displays a more level surface. The product maintains a 6.8-inch screen which exhibits a slight curve, but the design shows a thinner arc combined with more extensive flat areas. The S Pen will become easier to handle because of this modification.
The S23 Ultra now offers better hand grip than its previous model because of this single adjustment. The phone becomes challenging for one-handed operation because of its extensive display.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra presents a more durable appearance because it introduces Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which serves as the phone’s first protective layer. Biareview predicts that this glass will provide better protection against scratches and damage to the front and back surfaces, despite not undergoing extreme testing.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra presents a color scheme that combines youthful elements with sophisticated design. The Lilac Purple version that Biareview reviewed presents an image of high-class fashion. The matte back design provides you with a surface that resists both dust and fingerprints.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra maintains its SIM card slot which contains space for 2 Nano-SIMs and 1 eSIM. The product in the USA market provides users with the option to use a physical SIM card, which stands in contrast to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which offers only eSIM support.
Samsung has been running its current marketing campaign for the S23 Ultra because of its environmentally friendly design which uses more recycled materials in its premium smartphone. The S Pen’s inner cover and bottom speaker module contain recycled fishing nets while the side buttons and volume keys use recycled water barrels and the SIM tray consists of recycled aluminum.
The product’s hand feel shows no change from the S22 Ultra design yet the weight increased to 233g.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Display
The Galaxy S23 Ultra display system gives Samsung an ongoing competitive edge because it represents one of the best screen technologies available today. The screen produces bright colors which create vibrant visuals although its color saturation level falls between two previous versions.
The S23 Ultra displays a 6.8-inch QHD OLED display which operates at a resolution of 3088 x 1400 pixels and reaches a maximum brightness level of 1750 nits, just like the S22 Ultra. The product offers a 120Hz refresh rate which users can adjust down to 1Hz for battery saving purposes.
The S23 Ultra display panel impressed Biareview during their testing because of its exceptional image quality. The device delivered sharp images even under bright outdoor conditions because of its high contrast and deep black levels and stunning color reproduction. The nearly 7-inch screen provided an excellent experience for both movie watching and gaming.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G, US Version, 256GB, Phantom Black – Unlocked (Renewed):
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G, US Version, 256GB, Green – Unlocked (Renewed):
SAMSUNG Galaxy S23 Ultra Series AI Phone, Unlocked Android Smartphone, 256GB Storage, 8GB RAM, 200MP Camera, Night Mode, Long Battery Life, S Pen, US Version, 2023, Phantom Black | 8GB RAM, 200MP Camera, Night Mode, Long Battery Life, S Pen, US Version:
SAMSUNG Galaxy S23 Ultra Series AI Phone, Factory Unlocked Android Smartphone, 512GB Storage, 12GB RAM, 200MP Camera, Night Mode, Long Battery Life, S Pen, US Version, 2023, Lavender:
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G, US Version, 512GB, Phantom Black – Unlocked (Renewed):
Biareview used the S23 Ultra display to compare its performance against the iPhone 14 Pro Max display to help you understand display quality difference between both devices.
| Galaxy S23 Ulra | iPhone 14 Pro Max | |
| DCI-P3 Color Gamut | 112.2% (Natural) / 193% (Vivid) | 83,2% |
| Delta-E (Lower is better) | 0.3 (Natural) / 0 (Vivid) | 0,26 |
The Galaxy S23 Ultra displays 112% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum through its screen which displays more colors than the iPhone 14 Pro Max which shows 83% of that spectrum in its Natural mode. The S23 Ultra and the other panel both display accurate colors because the S23 Ultra shows 0.3 Delta-E value in its Natural mode and a 0 value in its Vivid mode. The iPhone 14 Pro Max scored 0.26.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra provides users with an enhanced Vision Booster feature which enables users to modify image color and contrast based on their current environmental light conditions. The application includes a feature that protects users’ eyes by enhancing their screen readability.
What is your assessment of the camera system built into the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
| Main Camera | 200MP, f/1.7, 1/1.3 inch, 0.6µm pixel |
| Ultra-wide Camera | 12MP, f/2.2, 1/2.55 inch, 1.4µm pixel |
| Telephoto Camera #1 | 10MP, zoom quang 3x, f/2.4, 1/3.52 inch, 1.12µm pixel |
| Telephoto Camera #2 | 10MP, zoom quang 10x, f/4.9, 1/3.52 inch, 1.12µm pixel |
| Front Camera | 12MP, f/2.2 |
| Video Recording | 8K at 30fps, 4K at 60fps, 1080p at 240fps, 720p at 960fps |
First, Biareview will review the front camera of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. With the new 12MP selfie camera, technically a downgrade from the 40MP selfie camera of the S22 Ultra, Samsung promises better overall portrait photos thanks to improved AI and a more appealing Night Portrait mode.
In practice, the Galaxy S22 Ultra produces brighter facial images, and surprisingly, the detail in selfies is quite high.
The product also features a dual 10MP telephoto lens with 3x and 10x optical zoom, along with a fairly good 30x digital zoom option. The 100x super zoom option is relatively easy to use and provides the necessary stability for capturing subjects at great distances. Let’s look at the actual results: the German House (Deutsches Haus) in the heart of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, along with a tamarind tree laden with fruit, captured at zoom levels from 0.6x, 1x, to 30x. The images are extremely sharp with no complaints, even at 30x zoom. The optical zoom processing algorithm is so good that you can hardly tell it’s optical zoom – especially in well-lit conditions. At 100x zoom, the image seems less sharp, with some loss of focus and color banding.
In low-light conditions (see the series of images below), you’ll be surprised that even at 0.6x zoom (wide angle), the image remains sharp and virtually free of noise (a common issue with all smartphones, even high-end ones). The higher the zoom level, the camera’s metering algorithm and automatic aperture/shutter speed adjustment make the photos incredibly beautiful for a phone. Zoom in and observe each window of the building at 30x zoom – you’ll see impressive contrast, clarity, and no noise often seen in night shots. Compare that to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, which only have 15x zoom; they can’t even achieve this quality!
As for portrait mode with background blur, there’s no need to discuss it; the Galaxy S23 Ultra performs exceptionally well and almost completely overcomes the weaknesses of previous generations, such as no longer “mistakenly blurring out subject details,” even at 1x zoom.
Testing the 200MP super-resolution photo (3:4 aspect ratio), Biareview exclaimed, “Absolutely amazing!” The image takes just over a second to save and has a huge file size, extremely high resolution, and of course, is incredibly sharp. Even zooming up to 400x doesn’t cause pixelation – something only a DSLR camera can achieve.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra displays 112% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum through its screen which displays more colors than the iPhone 14 Pro Max which shows 83% of that spectrum in its Natural mode. The S23 Ultra and the other panel both display accurate colors because the S23 Ultra shows 0.3 Delta-E value in its Natural mode and a 0 value in its Vivid mode. The iPhone 14 Pro Max scored 0.26.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra provides users with an enhanced Vision Booster feature which enables users to modify image color and contrast based on their current environmental light conditions. The application includes a feature that protects users’ eyes by enhancing their screen readability.
What is your assessment of the camera system built into the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Users can record distant subjects using the S23 Ultra 10x optical zoom which iPhones do not provide. The zoom microphone functions properly although its sound quality becomes rough when used in spaces with loud speakers or in music-filled party environments. The Galaxy S23 Ultra uses the exclusive Qualcomm Snapdragon 8th Gen chip which the company developed specifically for its Galaxy smartphone line. The whole Android system operates smoothly because of this performance enhancement. The processor can operate at higher clock speeds which Samsung has promised to deliver, at maximum speeds, that reach 3.36 GHz, according to the standard version of the processor. Biareview’s test achieved high scores in benchmark tests which resulted in exceptional FPS performance, because the 3DMark – Wild Life test benchmark score was exceeded. The S23 Ultra achieved higher graphics performance than both the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
The Galaxy S23 outperformed the Galaxy S22 Ultra in both single-core and multi-core tests according to the Geekbench CPU performance benchmark which tests both types of applications.
The Adobe Premiere Rush test involved transcoding a 4K video file into 1080p resolution. The Galaxy S23 Ultra completed the task in 40 seconds which showed an improvement of 7 seconds over the S22 Ultra. The Galaxy S23 Ultra uses the same 5,000 mAh battery which the S22 Ultra uses as its power source. Samsung enhanced the phone’s efficiency by using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip. The S23 Ultra achieved 12 hours and 30 minutes of battery life through Adaptive Brightness mode which used a 120Hz refresh rate setting to display web content while operating at 150 nits screen brightness on a 5G network. The S Pen functions as a useful instrument which enables users to take notes and create drawings and sketches. The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers no new S Pen functions except for its screen curve reduction feature which improves S Pen usability.
Biareview prefers to use the S Pen for screen unlocking because it lets him operate his phone more easily than using a password or fingerprint method. Of course, you have to set this up beforehand in Settings.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra operates on Android 13 which comes with the One UI 5.1 custom software that brings valuable enhancements. For example with Bixby Text Call Samsung’s assistant can handle incoming calls for you while you convert voice messages into text or through voice input. It’s actually quite interesting to see Bixby in action although callers might be confused the first time they encounter this feature.
The new Mode option enables users to establish their unique settings which they will use during sleep and exercise and driving and work. One UI 5.1 introduces new personalization options which include a better widget stacking system and it provides users with app and action suggestions according to different times of their day.
Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.
