Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

At Rs. 382,999, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is still a strong flagship, but its value depends on how long you plan to keep it.

• Strengths: excellent battery life, a sharp and bright 1440p display, a fast and cool-running Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a versatile camera with 3x and 10x zoom, very good speakers and the built-in S Pen.
• Weaknesses: large and heavy, shutter lag, video that trails the best iPhones in some conditions, no microSD slot, and Android 17 is its final major upgrade.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra costs Rs. 434,999 in our listings. GSMArena notes that price is the main reason to pick the S23 Ultra, because battery life, charging, the S Pen and performance are close. Choose the S23 Ultra to save money on a proven flagship; choose the S24 Ultra if you want several more years of Android upgrades.

The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel has a 1440 x 3088 resolution, a 120Hz LTPO refresh rate that drops very low when nothing moves, HDR10+ support and up to 1750 nits peak brightness. It is one of the best phone screens for Netflix, short videos and everyday use, and the default Vivid mode looks lively, though it is not the most colour-accurate setting.

The phone ships at 1080p resolution; switching to 1440p in settings gives a sharper picture, and battery life is strong enough to allow it. The curve on the sides is gentler than before, giving more flat area. Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects the front and back.

Limits: there is no Dolby Vision support, so Dolby Vision content loses some highlight detail, and the panel is 8-bit. In direct sunlight the iPhone 14 Pro gets slightly brighter.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is a slightly overclocked version made for the S23 series, and every S23 Ultra uses it; there is no Exynos version. It keeps pace with Apple's A16 Bionic and beats it in graphics, with up to 12GB RAM and fast UFS 4.0 storage that makes apps open and install quickly.

Thermals are excellent. A large vapour chamber keeps the surface below 40 degrees even in heavy games like Genshin Impact, fixing the heating problems of the S22 Ultra. Bypass charging can power the phone directly from the charger while gaming, reducing heat and battery wear, though the option has been missing on some units.

For gaming, multitasking and editing, it remains fast years after launch.

The 200 MP main camera combines pixels for cleaner default photos, and its optical stabilisation now corrects twice as much movement as before. Photos are warm, punchy and colourful with good dynamic range, and low-light shots show more detail and less noise. A 50 MP mode gives extra detail with small files; the full 200 MP mode only pays off in bright light.

• Zoom: 10 MP 3x and 10x telephotos reach up to 100x; results past 10x stand out, and the moon can be captured. Reports differ on far-off buildings, but zoomed shots of people are much clearer.
• Ultrawide: the 12 MP ultrawide is reliable.
• Selfies: the 12 MP front camera is sharp, with accurate skin tones and reliable focus.
• Video: 8K at 30fps is usable, and Super Steady stabilisation is excellent. Opinions differ on how it compares with iPhones for stabilisation and exposure, and selfie video framing is narrow.

Shutter lag remains, especially at 50 MP and 200 MP, but Samsung's Camera Assistant app reduces it. Night mode can occasionally over-process.

The 5000 mAh battery is a highlight. Heavy use with mobile data on gives 7 to 8 hours of screen-on time and still leaves some charge at bedtime, and moderate use can stretch close to two days. Idle drain overnight is minimal. GSMArena measured an Active Use Score of almost 13.5 hours and a 126-hour endurance rating.

With Samsung's 45W charger, the phone reaches about 68% to 70% in 30 minutes and a full charge in about an hour; Samsung's slower adapter takes a little over an hour. It also supports 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging for earbuds or a watch.

The S23 Ultra launched with Android 13 and One UI 5.1. Samsung promised four Android upgrades and five years of security updates, and has been fast with security patches. One UI 9 with Android 17 began rolling out in October 2026, and SamMobile expects it to be the final major upgrade, with security updates continuing for at least another year.

One UI is polished and full-featured:

• S Pen tools for notes, screenshots and signing documents.
• Modes and Routines that change settings automatically when you sleep, exercise or drive.
• Bixby can answer incoming calls with a text reply.
• Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok can use the phone's night mode and zoom cameras directly.

The Camera Assistant app adds extra camera controls, including faster capture.