The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is considered to be the top model of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 series, and the rumors we’ve heard so far seem to confirm that.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra offers a huge upgrade over previous Galaxy S Ultra phones, combining the previous model’s camera array with the Galaxy Note series’ built-in stylus. The Galaxy S23 Ultra appears to be building on this in a few ways, most notably a main camera somehow crammed into the rumored 200-megapixels, and the traditional annual chipset refresh for better performance and power efficiency.
The new Samsung flagship phone is still a few months away, but below we’ve rounded up all the rumors about the Galaxy S23 Ultra so far.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra possible release date and price
Getting the basics out of the way first, we know the Galaxy S Ultra model will be back, as Samsung boss TM Roh said when he talks about the end of the Galaxy Note series. The only question now is when will it show up.
A smart guess would be January or February, when Samsung has been rolling out new Galaxy S phones every year for the past few years. Since we’ve already seen a new Samsung model certified in South Korea, Samsung seems to be seizing the moment.
As for the cost of this Ultra phone, we expect it to cost at least $1,200 again, just like the current S22 Ultra. We’re happy to see the price drop, though, especially since its closest competitor, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, starts at a slightly lower $1,100.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Design and Display
If the changes to the Galaxy S23 Ultra are as small as rumored, then we might see a nearly identical design to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, with square corners, a curved display, and a camera embedded separately on the back. It also means another embedded S Pen for your graffiti needs, one of the S22 Ultra’s most unique features.
We’ve heard that the S23 Ultra may be slightly longer and wider than the S22 Ultra, albeit by a hundredth of a millimeter, so you’re unlikely to notice.
Additionally, leaker Ice Universe claims that the S23 Ultra will have a new display. While it’s hard to improve on the ultra-bright 6.8-inch QHD AMOLED panel and its fully variable LTPO 120Hz refresh rate, Samsung may have a brighter or more efficient display that could be replaced as a welcome update.
In addition, the rumored S23 regular version may also have thicker bezels. That might explain the slight increase in body size, although since the regular S23 and S23 Plus have flat displays instead of curved ones, maybe it won’t work with the Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Camera
We should still see four cameras on the back of the S23 Ultra, save for one major change. There will allegedly be a 200MP main camera, even higher resolution than the already high-res 108MP main camera on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
What’s not rumored to change is the telephoto camera, and according to one source, they’ll both have 10MP sensors like before, and likely have the same 3x and 10x optical magnifications.
On top of that, we’d like to once again see a 40MP selfie camera embedded in the top center of the display. While only one of the five cameras appears to have received a major upgrade, hopefully Samsung will show off some new software enhancements or camera modes at the launch event that will help the S23 series take its place on our best camera phones page a place.
Galaxy S23 Ultra performance and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Samsung typically uses Qualcomm chips to power its Galaxy S phones in the US, but uses its own Exynos chips elsewhere in the world. That means we’ll see the so-called Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Exynos 2300 at the heart of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: battery and charging
To power the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung should use the same 5,000 mAh battery we saw in the Galaxy S22 Ultra. While some extra capacity would be nice, a battery of this size is normal for a large Android phone, so we just hope Samsung can squeeze a little more battery life out of the S23 Ultra. While the S22 Ultra delivered decent results in our custom battery test, the iPhone 14 Pro Max lasted longer.
Rumors predict no change in charging speed, at least for the standard S23. This translates to at least 25W of charging power for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and possibly up to 45W if you buy the right charger. The 45W charger was able to charge the S22 Ultra to 67% in half an hour, which is again good, but not great, compared to the 65W and higher charging standards used by competitors like OnePlus.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Samsung battery