This is popping into a wonderful yr for Android {hardware}; we’re simply moving into Q2, and we already obtained the likes of the iQOO 11, OnePlus 11, OPPO Find N2 Flip, Find X6 Pro, Vivo X90 Pro+, ASUS’s ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 collection, and Xiaomi 13 Pro.I’ve been lucky sufficient to make use of all of those units, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra has emerged as an early frontrunner for my favorite cellphone of 2023. At the outset, Samsung hasn’t modified a lot with the S23 Ultra, so there aren’t many wholesale modifications from final yr’s S22 Ultra; as a substitute, the S23 Ultra provides small tweaks to the design alongside {hardware} and digital camera refinements.So whereas the system itself might not appear all that attractive at a primary look, all these modifications add as much as make an enormous distinction. Let’s begin with the design; I used the S22 Ultra for just a few months final yr, and whereas I appreciated the course Samsung took with the general aesthetic, the curves on the perimeters together with the scale of the cellphone meant it was uncomfortable to carry and use with no case.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Samsung fastened that on the Galaxy S23 Ultra by decreasing the curvature on the perimeters, so although you get a dual-curved display, it’s considerably simpler to carry the cellphone as the perimeters are flatter. While the design language itself hasn’t modified, this small alteration makes the S23 Ultra that rather more usable; no small feat contemplating its dimension and heft.I even have to present credit score to Samsung for not going overboard with the design of the digital camera housing. The Xiaomi 13 Pro, Find X6 Pro, Vivo X90 Pro, and OnePlus 11 all sport huge digital camera islands that dominate the eye on the again, and whereas I just like the look of what OPPO and Xiaomi are doing, the outsized housing makes the telephones look busy. The S23 Ultra, in the meantime, has a minimalist digital camera housing with rings across the three modules, and it provides the system a clear aesthetic that appears fabulous. (Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Samsung is doing all the correct issues on the {hardware} entrance as properly. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 globally, and Samsung is utilizing a customized model of Qualcomm’s newest silicon that is marginally quicker than what everybody else is utilizing.This is not noticeable in each day use, however one space the place Samsung has a lead over its Chinese rivals is gaming; the S23 Ultra is ready to play most titles at their highest framerates, with no limitations. This is not the case on units just like the Find X6 Pro and OnePlus 11, with these units limiting video games to 60fps throughout the board.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Then there’s the display. The finest Android telephones use Samsung’s AMOLED panels, and the producer reserves the most effective for its personal units, and the S23 Ultra options a big 6.8-inch display that is brighter than final yr. Without going into the weeds an excessive amount of, this is without doubt one of the finest screens you may discover on any cellphone in the present day, and it’s unimaginable for gaming and streaming content material. Of course, the remainder of the sphere is not far behind, however the S23 Ultra takes the general lead relating to brightness figures, and options like Vision Booster are distinctive to the model.Battery life is healthier than final yr as properly, with the 5000mAh battery simply lasting over a day with out fail. I used the S23 Ultra as my each day driver for shut to 2 months now, and in that point I did not have to fret in regards to the battery working out earlier than the tip of the day even as soon as. Now, Samsung is not revolutionary relating to charging tech, and that is one space the place I feel the model ought to change issues going ahead.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)I perceive Samsung’s reticence so as to add 100W and even 65W quick charging to its units, however 45W tech feels dated in 2023 when units just like the Find X6 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Pro are in a position to cost the battery in lower than half the time.Obviously, the most important differentiator for a flagship is the digital camera tech, and Samsung did not play it protected with this era. With the remainder of the sphere considerably elevating the bar this yr — the Xiaomi1 3 Pro, Find X6 Pro, and X90 Pro+ all sport excellent cameras — Samsung wanted to do extra to solidify the S23 Ultra’s place as among the finest digital camera telephones of the yr, and it did simply that.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)The 200MP important digital camera takes stellar images in any state of affairs, and the tweaks to the digital camera tuning this yr imply you get extra correct colours that does not look as overly saturated as earlier generations. Samsung nonetheless has just a few issues to repair right here; the digital camera is not nice at taking photographs of transferring objects — that is nonetheless an space the place the Pixel 7 Pro guidelines the roost — and there is nonetheless HDR-related artifacting, however on the entire, the S23 Ultra has among the finest general packages accessible in the present day.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Finally, there’s the software program. I used One UI greater than another Android interface during the last 18 months, and that is all the way down to all of the modifications Samsung launched in that point. The UI feels fashionable, has all of the options I want, and Samsung did job tackling the bloatware. There’s nonetheless quite a lot of preinstalled providers out of the field, however these could be uninstalled with none points, and on stability, One UI 5.1 feels higher to make use of than ColorOS 13 and MIUI 14.I nonetheless like what Google does with the Pixel Launcher, and ASUS is doing all the correct issues with Zen UI. But the sheer variety of options on provide with One UI give it a slender edge. Of course, there’s the indisputable fact that Samsung guidelines the roost relating to productiveness.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Updates are one other space the place Samsung will get it proper. The S23 Ultra will get 4 Android OS updates and 5 years of safety updates, and whereas OPPO and OnePlus have additionally began doing the identical for his or her 2023 flagships, Samsung is the one model apart from Google that rolls out month-to-month safety updates and bug fixes.I’m nonetheless ready to see how the Xiaomi 13 Ultra holds up and looking out ahead to the the Pixel Fold and Pixel 8 collection later within the yr, however Google has to do one thing really spectacular to oust the Galaxy S23 Ultra this yr — if you would like a flagship, you will not discover a higher all-round system than Samsung’s flagship.
With a beautiful design backed by the most effective feature-set of any cellphone accessible in the present day, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a transparent winner in opposition to its 2023 flagship rivals. If you need the most effective all-round bundle, that is the cellphone to get.