With the release of its S23 range, Samsung took very little risk. The South Korean brand contented itself with refreshing the S22s released last year by dusting off the hardware. No surprise seeing the phones, they more or less resemble the formats released last year.
Look identity
Like Apple with its iPhones, Samsung understood that its phones had to have a strong design. Iconic. A recognizable look among a thousand among the host of smartphones available to assert a position as a leader in this sector. It is now done with these Galaxy S23 which have their identity. In particular the S23 Ultra, the centerpiece of this range.
It must be recognized that once in hand, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra exudes elegance. Whether or not you like the form-factor – quite impressive it must be said – it gives off a real premium look. As usual, the South Korean giant offers us a range of colors (including exclusive ones on the Samsung store) which allows you to find shoes that fit: Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender in classic, gray, green clear, light blue and red for the excluded.
The manufacturer hasn’t skimped on the materials either: matte back that won’t take fingerprints, a 6.8-inch Dynamic Amoled x2 screen… Not to mention the stylus, a legacy of the late Note. Without being essential, it offers an additional user experience. Even in unexpected situations: we loved using it to trigger the camera. In selfie, this allowed a better relaxation of the arm and a more secure hold of the phone.
Snapdragon, enfin !
If the design does not ultimately bring anything new, you have to look at the hardware and components to discover the real novelties. One in particular that changes the game: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip (even with a temporary exclusivity for Samsung on this processor). Until now, in Europe, Samsung delivered its smartphones with an in-house chip (the Exynos). The change is therefore significant because the level of performance was not up to that offered by Qualcomm. A long-awaited decision that allows you to have a really more powerful smartphone in your hands.
With its new generation of Galaxy S, Samsung has erased the flaws to deliver a phone that can hardly be blamed for anything. And that also applies to the photo part. If the 200Mpx sensor seemed to be an announcement effect, a way to stand out, we must admit that the shots are much better than last year with a more natural rendering. Add to that an impressive zoom capability and this is one of the best cameraphones on the market. Even in video, we obtained stunning quality without going through the settings, in other words by filming in… 1080p.
If the picture is positive, we can always find fault with this S23 Ultra. Reproaches that are probably subjectivity? In our eyes, Samsung’s OS is too cluttered, not intuitive enough, and ultimately spoils the overall experience. Let’s also add the charge, which is still limited to 45W (even if the brand justifies itself by invoking the argument of battery health), physical buttons placed on the same edge (not the most ergonomic), a rather imposing photo block… It always lacks that little something to be fully satisfied.
Confirmation
A confirmation rather than a revolution. Samsung delivers a practically perfect copy with this Galaxy S23 Ultra. No real risk taking, we are satisfied with minimal but very important improvements. For regular users of the range, these will speak to them and perhaps encourage them to buy. For the others however, it is difficult to attract them with a real novelty if not this 200Mpx sensor and the photos that can be obtained with it. Too little in such a competitive market, especially since it is not for all budgets. To afford this Galaxy S23 Ultra, you will have to pay… 1,399 euros at the very least (ah inflation!). A small budget but we play in the big leagues.