We are in the middle of an early spring release of new top models with Android. Not least Samsung’s has been awaited by many who want the very latest flagship of the Korean giant, but many are probably also waiting for an answer as to whether they need to buy a new one this year. Or whether they might as well wait until next year or buy something else.
Improvements
Let’s state that there have been improvements in many areas. Not least on performance. For years, Samsung has equipped the models it sells in Europe with its own ARM-based Exynos processors. They have been good, but always slightly behind the development of Qualcomm, which the Americans have received. They have been able to enjoy slightly better performance and slightly longer battery life. Fortunately, giving us the home processor is over. The new models have Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2. That is, the second generation in the new name series of Qualcomm’s top models.
Now all the S23 models from Samsung, S23, S23+ and big brother S23 Ultra, will get this processor. Rumor has it that Exynos has been withdrawn for a complete overhaul of the architecture, but whether it will return is uncertain. We should be happy about that, because we haven’t seen the maker of the processor until now. Not only is it a big leap up from the one in the S22, it also surpasses Apple’s latest processor iIpPhone 14. At least in 3D calculations, which games are so dependent on.
Figures provided by Samsung, which probably come from Qualcomm, say that the processor has a 34 percent better CPU performance, 41 percent better GPU performance and a whopping 49 percent better NPU performance. It sounds completely wild, and one might wonder how such figures are measured. But it is easy to measure for yourself that it is fast. We got impressive numbers when we measured with 3D Mark and GeekBench 5, and for the first time in our memory, an Android phone beat the latest iPhone processor in 3D graphics.
The processor has built-in hardware to calculate reflection and refraction in light, which lays the foundation for more realistic 3D graphics in games that use this.
Then it is good that Samsung says that there is 2.7 times more cooling capacity in the new phones.
And as always, this not only means better performance, but also longer battery life. It was known that the previous model had over 5 percent longer life than the models based on Exynos. This means that the leap from S22 to S23 is going to be big. After all, they are equipped with large batteries, and they do well together with a low-power processor.
Reason to switch
The shift from the S22, which in our opinion was a bit of a revolution with a built-in pen and much else, to this year’s S23 is a far more moderate shift, although a couple of features are enticing. Nevertheless, there is reason to ask, and this applies to all modern smartphones in the expensive class, whether it is enough to switch.
What we see now is the well-known law of diminishing marginal utility. The phones keep getting closer to what we can call perfection, but they never get there. Still, there is not so far left, so the steps are getting smaller and smaller year by year. Consumers notice this, and they postpone the purchase of a new model for longer. A few years ago, we changed mobile phones at less than two-year intervals. Now we are over three years.
Pretty similar
Externally, there is not much difference between the S23 Ultra and the S22 Ultra. But a lot has happened on the inside. There are improvements and upgraded technology in a wide range of areas. But much is also the same. The battery has not gotten bigger, but the processor ensures that it lasts longer. You will use it a lot if you run out of power during the day. Much longer than its predecessor, is the impression after a short test. It is probably primarily thanks to the new processor – which also provides a real jump in the right direction in performance.
The cameras are a mix of new and old. The Samsung S22 Ultra has a main camera of 108 MP. Samsung, which produces its own sensors, has long pushed high resolution. That the S23 would get the new 200 MP version has been known for a long time. Although this is actually the third such sensor that Samsung has built in a short time, of course they themselves are keeping the latest version. It is not long since Xiaomi launched its 12T Pro, also with 200 MP from Samsung.
In the best Samsung spirit, the screen has received the very latest version of Gorilla Glass. This time Victus 2 on the front, which is a bit stronger and tougher than Victus + in S22.
The external dimensions are, so to speak, identical to the predecessor, but the front glass bends slightly less over the edge. It is probably something most people would prefer. The screen is the same 6.8 inches as before, with a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. Samsung says it now has much less of the harmful blue light than before.
Pen
What really sets the Ultra apart from other top models is the built-in S Pen. It is also the same as before, but it is so special to have it in a mobile phone that many users would never consider switching.
Small upgrades
Of course we find small upgrades that are almost unavoidable. When they put in the latest Bluetooth chip, it is version 5.3 and not 5.2. And the latest WiFi chip has support for triple band wifi6E and not just dual band.
On the charging side, 45 watts still applies, and it does not come with a charger as it does with cheaper Chinese models. They are now lying awake at around and over 100 watts.
It is a bit funny that the wireless charging has been reduced from 15 to 10 watts. Perhaps it should have gone the other way, although this does not mean very much.
It still charges in reverse, for example a smartwatch with 4.5 watts.
Safety
For many years, Samsung has taken security very seriously. They are not alone in that, but there is reason to have high confidence in what they do. What we like this year is that you can put the phone in a special service mode, so that if it needs service, service personnel cannot see your data and payment and banking apps.
Camera performance
The biggest question with this edition is perhaps how much better it is with a 200 MP camera than a “measly” 108 MP. As far as we can tell, the answer is: Not much. If it gets better, it is probably very likely.
When Samsung came up with the new 108 MP sensor, the potential was far from exhausted. Through a series of upgrades, they have perfected the software, and now it appears to be absolutely excellent. The 200 MP sensor is at the very bottom of the hill on such a curve, and it becomes almost unfair to compare it with a product as mature as its predecessor. It will also mature into better performance and features over the next year. Just like when you buy a Tesla, which regularly gives you improvements and new features.
If we look more closely at the new main sensor, it is physically slightly larger than the 108 MP sensor. The difference is not great, 1/1.3″ vs. 1/1.33″. This means that the actual pixel size decreases from 0.8 µm to 0.6 µm. This allows it to combine four pixels in height and width and create 2.4 µm “super pixels”, where the sensor takes 12.6 MP images. But also two and two for 50 MP images.
This of course applies to all mobile phones, but Samsung is extremely eager to push out new hardware before the software is fully mature.
So what does the long introduction mean in practice? It is an explanation for the fact that we are seeing smaller improvements than we had expected. Rumors said that the dark properties were very much better. We cannot see that. They are good, by all means. Very good, but so are the ones in S22. Which in turn has significantly improved dark vision throughout the year.
But they must have one thing. When you take pictures with 50 MP resolution, the dynamics are much better than before. Samsung claims four times better. We don’t know, but there is very good resolution in dark areas, even if the sun appears in another part of the image. Impressive.
Then there are the Pro settings, then. Where those really interested in photography can indulge in even more goodies in a separate app that can be downloaded. Very funny for some. Scary for Canon and Nikon. Completely uninteresting to most people.
The other cameras are as before. An excellent ultra-wide angle of 12 MP and two telephoto cameras. One at 3X and one at 10X. The surprising thing is that more top models do not come with proper telephoto photography. Such a two-camera solution is, in our opinion, very smart. If you want 7X magnification, it is much better to interpolate downwards than upwards.
The changes we observe in the first version of the camera software are not major, but the images appear to be more color correct. They agree more with the terrain, and it is probably Apple that has been the model here.
Video is slightly improved in the specifications. Now you can shoot 8K video at 30 frames per second instead of just 24. Sure nice for those who shoot video in this resolution, but the biggest difference is even bigger files. 4K lasts a long time, we think.
Then the optical stabilization of video is much more important. It’s visibly improved, and now you can hop off on foot without it showing on the video. It was good before. Now it’s very good. Certainly, it is an improvement in the OIS mechanism from 1.5 to 3 degrees of physical deviation that does it. And on top comes digital stabilization.
Four OS upgrades
One thing we really like about Samsung (and Apple) is that they have extended the life of the phone by offering a whopping four OS upgrades and five years of security upgrades. This means that you can safely have it for five years, until Android 17 is replaced by 18. Although very few people keep the phone for that long.
Expensive
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a recommended price from NOK 15,990. The slightly smaller Galaxy S23+ costs from NOK 13,990, while the smallest costs from NOK 10,990.
With that price, the S23 Ultra slips past the iPhone 14 Pro Max by a few hundred bucks. It’s risky, although we think the Ultra with the new processor and pen has more to offer.
In other words: It is certainly a thought to take a look at the S22. Then you can save NOK 6,000 on the model with 8/128. And the S22 models are still extremely capable models.
But as always. Such phones are always launched with introductory offers. Good reason to look around a bit.
| Plus | Minus |
| Phenomenal processor | The price is very high |
| Lightning fast on everything | |
| The pen is unique | |
| The cameras are very good, will probably get better | |
| Very good at night photography | |
| Super stable video |
