Galaxy S23 Ultra long-term review after 2 weeks: I have to correct myself

I had to send my pre-ordered Galaxy S23 Ultra straight back after receiving it, because the S Pen rattled in the body whenever the phone vibrated. The replacement arrived quickly, and I was able to test it thoroughly. After about 14 days, I’m even more enthusiastic than after the first three days.

Battery and charging time

The battery is bombastic. Like the S22 Ultra it has 5,000 mAh, but thanks to the much better processor it lasts considerably longer. With my usage of WhatsApp, browsing, email, calls, photos and videos, I get about 8 hours of screen-on time and thus almost two days of runtime. Only so-so is the still very long charging time. That has little to do with fast charging.

Performance: the Snapdragon makes the difference

In Europe, we were fobbed off with a much worse processor on the S22 Ultra. Samsung’s own Exynos was a total flop, and the device stuttered its way through the first months. After numerous updates it runs stably, but it’s no comparison to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which was optimized specifically for the Galaxy series. The S23 Ultra is the fastest smartphone I have ever held. In these two weeks it didn’t stutter, hang or think too long a single time.

The price of €1,399 for the 256 GB base model is really not cheap, but this time we also get the best for it.

Camera: I have to revise my first impression

After three days I couldn’t see any real progress yet. That has changed. Overall I find the camera more reliable. With the 200 megapixels of the main camera you can take impressive photos, and the automatic macro mode is exceptionally good: you can get quite close and get super sharp pictures. The video stabilization is really good, and when jogging the picture stays steady and sharp. On top of that come 8K videos at 30 fps. Compared with the S22 Ultra, video recordings are also smooth when panning, which wasn’t the case before. That is due to the better processor.

Since the update to One UI 5.1, the camera app has the Expert RAW mode with many more settings such as multiple exposure and astrophotography. I would have liked to try the latter, but starry nights are rare in Germany right now.

Display, speakers and handling

Watching videos is fun thanks to the super sharp 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display and the really good speakers. The display is no longer quite as curved as on the S22 Ultra, which makes the S23 Ultra sit better and more comfortably in the hand. It remains quite a body, though. The weight of 233 g can’t be talked away, and with longer use it gets heavy. If you say yes to a large display, very good battery life and an integrated S Pen, you also have to say yes to the higher weight.

The sound quality on phone calls surprised me. My conversation partner’s voice comes through the speakers clearly and distinctly, and I haven’t noticed that on any other smartphone.

Recommendation: the SoundPEATS Life Classic

Ad: If you want to save money again after buying, I recommend the new SoundPEATS Life Classic Bluetooth earbuds with a recommended retail price (RRP) of €35.99. Three things impress me:

1. Design: In-ear with silicone tips, comfortable in the ear, feather-light at 3 g, as is the handy case.
2. Sound: Surprisingly good for €35.99, clear highs and full bass thanks to the good fit.
3. Calls and controls: The noise cancellation ensures good call quality even in loud surroundings. The extensive touch controls cover calls, volume, track changes and the voice assistant.

They are compatible with Android and iOS and pair easily without a dedicated app.

Is the upgrade worth it?

If you have an S21 Ultra or older and have the money to spare, you should make the upgrade without batting an eye. But I say clearly: you get the same improvements with the regular S23 or the S23 Plus, because not everyone needs the high-end camera or the endless battery. If you have an S22, think about it briefly, but you should still do it, because of performance, battery, speakers and the better handling. For me personally, that was a reason to trade in my S22 Ultra for the S23 Ultra through Samsung trade-in.