Galaxy S23 Ultra hands-on after 3 days: I didn't expect this

I preordered the Galaxy S23 Ultra during Samsung’s Unpacked event last week, and less than 36 hours later it was already with me. That has never happened before. In just three days, the S23 Ultra has shot to the top of my personal smartphone ranking. And yet I have to send it back with a heavy heart.

Looks like its predecessor

It’s not just Apple that has adopted the strategy of no longer changing the design, Samsung has too. Put the S22 Ultra and the S23 Ultra side by side and at first you see no difference at all. When you unbox it, you get the iPhone effect: Did I just buy the same device again for even more money? Not this time, because five things have improved so much that I would recommend the upgrade even to S22 Ultra owners. The camera isn’t one of them.

Five improvements

1. Performance: With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the S23 Ultra is the fastest smartphone I have ever held. The speed is unbelievable. Switching, opening, closing, loading web pages and multitasking, nothing stutters at all.
2. Battery: Samsung always lagged a bit behind Apple and others here. I had never managed a day and a half with a Galaxy device. In the honeymoon phase, when you constantly have the phone in your hand, the battery lasted a whopping 36 hours. That’s top-notch flagship level, not least thanks to the Snapdragon processor.
3. Face unlock: It is blazing fast and reliable, and makes the iPhone with Face ID look pretty old. The fingerprint sensor is still there and handy, for example in winter with a hat and scarf.
4. Squarer frame: The previously strongly rounded sides are a bit squarer, and the edge of the display has moved up a little. The phone sits better and grippier in the hand, and with the S Pen you can write further to the edge.
5. Speakers: They are much fuller and bassier than on the predecessor, and you can clearly hear it. Watching videos is more fun.

Material and color

With the matte glass back and the stainless steel frame, the S23 Ultra feels incredibly premium. I ordered the green color and was a little disappointed. The back is stunning, but unlike in the promo photos, the frame isn’t the same green. It’s such a deep dark green that it looks almost black. I would have preferred it in the color of the back.

Camera: barely changed

Honestly, I didn’t expect this from the camera: as it stands now, it has barely changed compared to the predecessor. The 200-megapixel camera delivers detailed, sharp photos, but you only see the difference to the 50-megapixel camera if you zoom in a lot. The S22 Ultra camera was already truly outstanding. Something has happened with the zoom, but not so much that I’d cry tears of joy. Videos are now available in 8K at 30 fps.

Why I have to send it back

This is the third time in a row that I have presented a Samsung device and then had to send it back. On my S23 Ultra, the S Pen sits so loosely in the body that the whole phone rattles when it vibrates, for example during a call. The entire back vibrates, and it sounds terrible and cheap.

Don’t panic if you preordered it: I asked many brand-new S23 Ultra owners, and none of them had the problem. I probably got a Monday unit again. But when I put down €1,499 for a smartphone, I don’t want it to rattle like an old tin can.

Verdict

Otherwise, the S23 Ultra is a top device where you can’t go wrong. Even as an S22 Ultra owner, you would benefit from the upgrade. I’m looking forward to the replacement and will make more videos about it.