The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the ultra-premium entry in Samsung’s 2023 Galaxy S flagship range, with a variety of features that cater to content creators and smartphone photographers.

But with such similar specs to last year’s S22 Ultra, how does this new model measure up?

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs S22 Ultra features

There is a lot in common between the S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra. The devices look almost identical, with slight differences in colour and dimensions. Like the S22 Ultra, the S23 Ultra also includes a QHD+ 6.8-inch AMOLED 2X display.

There are also some differences when it comes to the cameras on the device.

The high-resolution lens for the S23 Ultra features a 200MP lens as opposed to the S22 Ultra’s 108MP high-res lens.

On the front, Samsung has reduced the selfie camera’s lens resolution from 40MP to 12MP.

Another difference is that the S23 Ultra has one of the latest Snapdragon processors available – the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy.

But other specs are the same, including the 5,000mAh battery.

You can see a summary of the S23 Ultra’s specs below:

• Display: 6.8-inch QHD+ curved AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate
• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy
• Main camera: 12MP ultrawide lens + 200MP wide lens + 10MP telephoto lens (3x optical zoom) + 10MP telephoto lens (10x optical zoom)
• Selfie camera: 12MP
• Battery: 5000mAh
• RAM: 8GB / 12GB
• On-board storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

But that’s its on-paper credentials. How does the device look, feel, and perform in real life?

Design

When encountering the S23 Ultra for the first time, you’ll be struck by how similar it looks to the S22 Ultra.

In fact, the main way I was able to confirm that anything about the dimensions had changed at all was to try and fit an S22 Ultra cover on the S23 Ultra.

But to the naked eye, the devices look almsot identical. When comparing them side by side, you can tell that there’s also a slight difference in the colour between each generation’s green option.

If you don’t enjoy the bulky design of the S22 Ultra, the S23 Ultra doesn’t offer a different experience. But it will be a welcome similarity for those who prefer the minimalist approach to the camera housing on the device. One drawback from this lack of change though is that it leaves the lenses’ glass cover slightly raised above the cover back – which leaves it more vulnerable to cracks. The cracked lens cover on my S22 Ultra attests to this.

In my own opinion, the old green colour on the S22 Ultra adds more character than the more muted green on the S23 Ultra. But all-in-all, you’ll have a very similar aesthetic and first impressions when it comes to the new device.

Galaxy S23 Ultra camera

The S23 Ultra offers a similar camera experience as the S22 Ultra, but with the benefit of a higher-resolution 200MP lens.

Samsung is continually refining the zoom and high-resolution capabilities of its flagship cameras.

The slight tweaks to the camera may not encourage you to upgrade from an S22 to an S23 Ultra. But for those seeking one of the best smartphones for content creation, the S23 Ultra has the edge.

This is thanks to its AI capabilities, the quality of its images and videos at 3x and 10x zoom, and the usefulness of the integrated S Pen when it comes to editing content.

When using the main camera, pictures burst with colour while the macro lens is able to capture tiny details on close-up objects.

When using the high-resolution lens, the camera is able to balance colour and detail well — avoiding the washed-out appearance that often comes with high-res lenses.

Usually I can tell which photo is high-res and which is normal resolution just by looking at the saturation of the images in my gallery, with high-res images appearing less saturated. But this time around I could only tell by looking at the file size, since high-res images keep colour well-balanced.

Performance

So how does the S23 Ultra perform with its upgraded processor? The user experience is snappy and responsive, with very little lag or stuttering.

In terms of raw performance when put up against a benchmarking test, the S23 Ultra scored 16,873 points in the PCMark for Android Work 3.0 performance test.

This puts it in a similar performance range to phones like the Asus ZenFone 8. The S22 Ultra scored 13,411 points in my test of the device last year, which means there is a significant improvement in performance between each generation.

This performance is paired well with its S-Pen capabilities, making it a great device for productivity, but also gaming.

Galaxy S23 Ultra battery life

Another area of improvement is battery life. The phone can last all day with regular usage, and features “super fast charging 2.0” (although you will need to buy or already own a separate charger that provides 45W charging).

Considering it has a large 5,000mAh battery, this fast charging comes in handy and reduces the time it takes to juice up your phone.

But the fact that a supported charger no longer comes in the box continues to be a disappointment. I’ve gone through three Samsung chargers in the past year — one lost, one short-circuited, and one surviving. So you’ll either have to cash out for a Samsung charger that provides 45W charging (as it’s not compatible with most third-party chargers that offer 45W), or settle for a slower charging device.

In terms of battery benchmarking, Samsung’s claim that the S23 Ultra benefits from improved performance appears true. Despite both the S23 and S22 Ultra including a 5,000mAh battery, our tests showed that the S23 Ultra’s battery lasts around 3 hours longer with a total of 16 hours and 38 minutes. This is the time it took for the battery to drain from 100% to 20% with the screen at around 50% brightness.

Both tests were done with PCMark for Android’s Work 3.0 battery life test and both tests were done while the devices were new. So this difference in battery life is due to improved power consumption on the S23 Ultra, rather than normal battery degradation on the S22 Ultra one year later.

Review verdict: Is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra worth it?

The S23 Ultra improves on the recipe of the S22 Ultra. While it doesn’t make a big leap between the two generations of smartphones, the S23 Ultra provides improvements that refine the overall experience.

Its price remains the biggest deterrent, with many potential customers simply unable to afford it. But in terms of providing a great camera experience with superior performance and battery, the S23 Ultra continues to rank highly among 2023’s flagships.

Now if only we could get chargers in the boxes again…