{"id":553183,"date":"2023-02-17T18:24:06","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T15:24:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-total-packageagain-review-geek\/"},"modified":"2023-02-17T18:24:06","modified_gmt":"2023-02-17T15:24:06","slug":"the-total-packageagain-review-geek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-total-packageagain-review-geek\/","title":{"rendered":"#The Total Package\u2026Again \u2013 Review Geek"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_87 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aa07e6f0ef2b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aa07e6f0ef2b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-total-packageagain-review-geek\/#%E2%80%9CThe_Total_Package%E2%80%A6Again_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;The Total Package\u2026Again \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-total-packageagain-review-geek\/#Heres_What_We_Like\" >Here&#8217;s What We Like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-total-packageagain-review-geek\/#And_What_We_Dont\" >And What We Don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-total-packageagain-review-geek\/#Hardware_And_Display\" >Hardware And Display<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-total-packageagain-review-geek\/#Software_and_Battery_Life\" >Software and Battery Life<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-total-packageagain-review-geek\/#Cameras\" >Cameras<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-total-packageagain-review-geek\/#Still_The_Best_Big_Phone_Around\" >Still The Best Big Phone Around<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-total-packageagain-review-geek\/#Heres_What_We_Like-2\" >Here\u2019s What We Like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-total-packageagain-review-geek\/#And_What_We_Dont-2\" >And What We Don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CThe_Total_Package%E2%80%A6Again_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;The Total Package\u2026Again \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div id=\"article-content-area\">\n<div class=\"single-review-card\">\n<div class=\"review-card-heading\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div class=\"rating\" style=\"width: 30%;\">Rating:<br \/>\n<strong><br \/>9\/10<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong class=\"more-info-hover\" data-nosnippet=\"\">?<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong class=\"rating-info\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1 &#8211; Absolute Hot Garbage<\/li>\n<li>2 &#8211; Sorta Lukewarm Garbage<\/li>\n<li>3 &#8211; Strongly Flawed Design<\/li>\n<li>4 &#8211; Some Pros, Lots Of Cons<\/li>\n<li>5 &#8211; Acceptably Imperfect<\/li>\n<li>6 &#8211; Good Enough to Buy On Sale<\/li>\n<li>7 &#8211; Great, But Not Best-In-Class<\/li>\n<li>8 &#8211; Fantastic, with Some Footnotes<\/li>\n<li>9 &#8211; Shut Up And Take My Money<\/li>\n<li>10 &#8211; Absolute Design Nirvana<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/strong>\n<\/div>\n<p>Price: <strong><br \/><small class=\"price_starting_at\">Starting At<\/small> $1,380<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage wp-image-146180 size-full\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p-badge\/146180\/afded6bf7256d66b41da176ceca63c4e.png?width=1200\" alt=\"A Galaxy S23 Ultra in front of a LEGO set\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Josh Hendrickson \/ Review Geek\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Josh Hendrickson \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Smartphones are an incredibly personal thing. We carry them everywhere, interact with them hundreds of times a day, and our choice in ecosystems instantly says a lot about us. If you want to boast to the world, \u201cI have the phone with everything,\u201d then the\u00a0Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra\u00a0is for you.<\/p>\n<p>Wait. Hold on a second. That\u2019s exactly how I started last year\u2019s Galaxy S22 Ultra review. Last year I called that phone the \u201ctotal package,\u201d and for a second, I guess I forgot which phone I was reviewing. That\u2019s probably because, at first glance, they look nearly identical.<\/p>\n<p>But this is another case of, \u201cit ain\u2019t broke, so don\u2019t fix it.\u201d When Samsung debuted the revamped S22 Ultra form factor last year, it was darn near perfect. And while this year is all about refinement, that means what\u2019s great about it remains great. And some things are even better, like the cameras and the way the phone feels in the hand.<\/p>\n<div class=\"review-card-body-inline fullwidth\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"pros\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_What_We_Like\"><\/span>Here&#8217;s What We Like<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>A beautiful display<\/li>\n<li>Included S Pen<\/li>\n<li>All day battery life<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cons\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"And_What_We_Dont\"><\/span>And What We Don&#8217;t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Inconsistent photos<\/li>\n<li>Sharp corners<\/li>\n<li>Still curved screen<\/li>\n<li>Expensive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"reviews-blurb\">Review Geek&#8217;s expert reviewers go hands-on with each product we review. We put every piece of hardware through hours of testing in the real world and run them through benchmarks in our lab. We never accept payment to endorse or review a product and never aggregate other people\u2019s reviews. Read more &gt;&gt;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hardware_And_Display\"><\/span>Hardware And Display<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-144644\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ec88d70b.jpg\" alt=\"Person holding the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in Green and taking a phone call\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"greybox_callout\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Display<\/strong>: 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED X2, Quad-HD AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, slightly curved<\/li>\n<li><strong>Processor<\/strong>: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy<\/li>\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB<\/li>\n<li><strong>RAM<\/strong>: 8GB or 12GB<\/li>\n<li><strong>Charging Speed<\/strong>: 45w wired, 15w wireless, 4.5w reverse wireless<\/li>\n<li><strong>Networking<\/strong>: mmWave 5G,\u00a0Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, GPS<\/li>\n<li><strong>Headphone Jack<\/strong>: Nope<\/li>\n<li><strong>Protection<\/strong>: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, Armor Aluminum frame<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Last year one of the biggest compliments I could give the S22 Ultra is that it looked nothing like the S21 Ultra. It was one of the few phones that year to truly get a redesign and a fresh look. This year, I can\u2019t say the same. If you put the Galaxy S23 Ultra next to the S22 Ultra, you might not be able to tell which is which.<\/p>\n<p>Stare closely enough, and you\u2019ll see the S23 variant has larger camera bumps and a slightly reduced curve to the display. I want to commend Samsung for reducing the display curved, as I will endlessly preach that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/20998\/curved-phone-displays-make-no-sense\/\">curved displays are the worst displays, but it\u2019s not much. And whether it\u2019s good or bad is totally subjective. Holding phones together, I can\u2019t feel the difference. My wife says the S22 model feels better in her smaller hands, while I\u2019ve seen others say the S23 is an improvement.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d rather Samsung just finish the job and ditch curved displays altogether. But I\u2019ll admit, with a phone this size, it probably does help some with holding the thing. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is, after all, pretty huge. It needs to be to fit an S-Pin inside the phone when you\u2019re not using it.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-144637\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/243675a4.jpg\" alt=\"Person holding the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and its S Pen with a hand-written note\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Speaking of the S-Pen, it\u2019s basically just like last year\u2019s entry. A quick push on the edge will spring it out, and it tucks away nicely. Fair warning, I have pulled my phone out of my pocket and found the pen slightly ejected a few times, but it\u2019s infrequent and hasn\u2019t harmed anything. The corners continue to be a sharp boxy affair that digs into your hands slightly.<\/p>\n<p>As for how the display looks, Samsun stuck with the same hardware as last year. Did I mention you\u2019ll have to play spot the difference? Well, here\u2019s one area where you literally can\u2019t. And honestly? That\u2019s fine. The S22 Ultra\u2019s display is pretty fantastic, which means, by default, that the S23\u2019s screen is pretty fantastic. Sometimes it\u2019s better to stick with something than change for no good reason other than to say you made a change. The colors are great, it gets plenty bright, and I never once found myself wishing for more. Just get rid of the curved display entirely, Samsung, and I\u2019ll be ready to call it perfect.<\/p>\n<p>As for the rest, you get the usual mix of forward-thinking and powerful specs. In the past, Samsung either offered a Qualcomm or an in-house processor, depending on where in the world you bought your Galaxy. But the S23 <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> departs with that, opting solely for a \u201cSnapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy\u201d processor. Other phones already have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, but this one is \u201cspecially tuned\u201d for the phone, hence the name. This variant gets a higher clock rate, but let\u2019s be honest: you probably won\u2019t know what the difference is. We\u2019ll get more into speeds with the software, but it\u2019s buttery smooth, and that\u2019s all that matters.<\/p>\n<p>And, of course, Wi-Fi 6E, 5G, and Bluetooth 5.2 continue to be <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>reciated features. Chances are you don\u2019t have a Wi-Fi 6E router yet, but I do, and on my network, the phone screams. The biggest bottleneck is, of course, my internet. But I pay for superfast speeds, and the phone keeps up with no issues.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-146178\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/b238cf6c.jpg\" alt=\"A green Galaxy S22 Ultra next to a Greenish Grey Galaxy S23 Ultra\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Galaxy S22 Ultra on the left is more \u201cgreen\u201d than the Galaxy S23 Ultra on the right<span class=\"imagecredit\">Josh Hendrickson \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>My only complaint is entirely subjective. I don\u2019t like this year\u2019s green color as much as last year\u2019s. It comes off as something very close to grey to my eye. Last year\u2019s green variant is beautiful. This year is drab. A step back. But you might like it better. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, and as usual with modern phones, while the S23 Ultra is technically made out of Gorilla Glass and an Aluminum \u201cArmor Frame,\u201d it feels like it\u2019s made out of wet soap. As in, this thing will practically hop out of your hands faster than the One Ring looking for a new master. Get yourself a case sooner than later.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Software_and_Battery_Life\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_1\">Software and Battery Life<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146085 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/335ad326.jpg\" alt=\"A closeup of the Galaxy S23 Ultra Phone\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Justin Duino \/ Review Geek\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"greybox_callout\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Operating System<\/strong>: Android 13 (One UI 5)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Battery<\/strong>: 5000mAh<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fingerprint Sensor<\/strong>: Ultrasonic in-display<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Every year, I grow to like Samsung\u2019s take on Android more. This time around we have\u00a0Android 13 with One UI 5, and Samsung has continued to trend of steering away from useless overhauls while adding some useful features. If you\u2019re coming from a stock Android phone, like a Pixel, you\u2019ll certainly see that it\u2019s different, but nothing will trip you up.<\/p>\n<p>And Samsung\u2019s additions are actually useful, like the (brazenly stolen from iOS) ability to tap on the subject of an image and copy it elsewhere. Samsung\u2019s integration into Windows with Phone Link continues to be the best Android experience on PC as well, too, short of buying a Surface Duo (don\u2019t buy a Surface Duo). With a Samsung phone, you can screen mirror\u2014something you just can\u2019t do with a Pixel or OnePlus phone.<\/p>\n<p>I wish, though, Samsung didn\u2019t keep trying to duplicate already perfectly good Google apps. We don\u2019t need Samsung Messages when we have Google Messages, nor do we really need Samsung Wallet at this point or Samsung Files. We definitely don\u2019t need Bixby. Let\u2019s be honest; the phone wouldn\u2019t be any worse off without the Samsung app store. It\u2019s just an additional place to maintain and update apps that don\u2019t do much good for anyone. I know I\u2019m really going out on a limb here, but a future where Samsung fully embraces the Wear OS app and dumps Galaxy Wear feels fine to me. I doubt it will happen, but a man can dream. A man can dream of fewer ads in a flagship phone, for that matter.<\/p>\n<p>But all that aside, using the software and the phone is great. Tuning or not, the processor can handle Android 13 and One UI 5 with ease. Forget stuttering or even the implication of a hesitation. Everything is snappy and instant, from opening apps to changing settings. It\u2019s the smooth experience you should absolutely get with a phone called \u201cUltra.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And as for the battery life? Yeah, that lives up to the Ultra name as well. Some of that\u2019s likely down to the large battery, but also, the new processor does a good job of keeping down the heat and not murdering the battery. In a nutshell? For all but most hardcore users, the S23 Ultra should make it to the end of the day with juice to spare. On my particularly light days, I found myself looking at an 80% battery meter when I went to bed. On my rough days, I typically saw something in the 30% area. That\u2019s plenty good enough for someone who wakes up at 7 AM and goes to bed at midnight or later.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for a single reason to buy this phone, the battery might actually be it. This is the phone that you won\u2019t have to worry about making it through a long day, or a hard trip. You can take all the photos, play the games, check the emails, and survive without a charger through the day. It won\u2019t hurt to have one, but no sweat if you forget it at home. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has ridiculously good battery life.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cameras\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_2\">Cameras<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-144642\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ea259075.jpg\" alt=\"Person holding the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in Green and taking a picture\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"greybox_callout\">\n<ul>\n<li><b>Rear Cameras<\/b>: 200MP f1.7(wide) with OIS, 12MP f\/2.2 (ultrawide), 10MPf2.4 (telephoto) with OIS, 10MP\u00a0<span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">f4.9<\/span>\u00a0periscope<\/li>\n<li><strong>Selfie Camera<\/strong>: 12MP UltraWide<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Can a big change feel minor? We\u2019re finally to the first real big changes with this phone, and honestly, at first glance, it feels minor. OK, that may feel like a bit of an exaggeration, but let\u2019s tackle this by avoiding the biggest change first. The Ultrawide and Telescopic cameras are almost identical to last year\u2019s model. Were those good? Yeah, they were pretty good. So this year\u2019s are \u201cpretty good,\u201d too.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, that means you can take crazy 100X zoom shots. And those are impressive. Not because they\u2019re clear as day, mind you. They can be fuzzy as dryer lint if I\u2019m being honest. But the fact that Samsung\u2019s stabilization software is good enough to zoom in that far and actually take a passable photo of your intended target is pretty darn impressive. I took some pictures from a small plane as we flew over Kings Island, which you can see above. Scroll through, and you can see a zoomed-in shot of the park\u2019s Eifel Tower replica, and the 100X zoomed-in photo is pretty clear for something taken in a small plane.<\/p>\n<p>And like last year\u2019s Ultra, you can take clear photos of the Moon, something most smartphones can\u2019t make happen. That\u2019s a combination of zoom and software processing. No, this isn\u2019t some trick where the software replaces the real moon with an image of the moon, its just a crazy set of filters to work through the lighting difficulties. But whether you\u2019re talking 100X zoom or Moon pictures, you\u2019ll won\u2019t take many photos with those options beyond showing off what the camera can do.<\/p>\n<p>So that takes us to the Main camera. The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a 108-megapixel lens, which is already an incredibly high number. So what can Samsung do but turn up the count even more? The Galaxy S23 Ultra, therefore, went with a souped-up 200-megapixel lens. To be perfectly honest, to a certain amount, the reasoning is down to \u201cbecause we can.\u201d In theory, the higher-pixel count has advantages, like better low-light photos and more detail for pixel binning.<\/p>\n<p>But you won\u2019t be taking 200-megapixel photos on the regular. Samsung bins the images down to 12-megapixel images filled to the brim with detail. You could, in theory, force the phone to take a 200-megapixel camera, but unless you\u2019re printing giant posters, there\u2019s no good reason to do so.<\/p>\n<p>So how are the photos? Like last year, they\u2019re pretty OK. I\u2019d like to heap praise on them, but the truth is beyond Moon photos, Samsung\u2019s software processing just isn\u2019t as good as Google\u2019s or even Apple\u2019s. It\u2019s a solid third place and has been for a while. Some photos come out fantastic. Others less so. Take plenty of shots and hope one falls into the amazing bucket.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-144645\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/c5f54bdf.jpg\" alt=\"Person using the 100x zoom on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I\u2019m not saying you\u2019ll be disappointed with Galaxy Ultra S23 photos on the whole. But it\u2019s an inconsistent performer and not \u201cbest in the field.\u201d For this price, I wish it were more consistent. But Samsung continues to chase after whizbang camera lens hardware without stepping up in the software department. And if modern smartphones have taught us anything, its that the software is almost more important than the hardware at this point. You can\u2019t skimp on it and expect to compete.<\/p>\n<p>I suspect Samsung will continue to fine-tune things, as it has done in the past. But it\u2019s a bad idea to buy a gadget based on what could be, go in accepting it as is.<\/p>\n<p>As for the selfie camera, Samsung made an interesting choice this time around. At first glance, the 12-megapixel camera might seem like a step down from last year\u2019s 40-megapixel shooter, but as we\u2019ve already established megapixels aren\u2019t everything. Overall this is an improvement of what came before it. You get better detail, lighting is handled better in most (but not all) cases. And you can record video at 4K 60fps, which is a first for Samsung\u2019s selfie cameras. It does the job, but it won\u2019t work miracles.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Still_The_Best_Big_Phone_Around\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_3\">Still The Best Big Phone Around<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-144641\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/d4e005ad.jpg\" alt=\"Person holding the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in Green with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Here\u2019s the thing about smartphones. If you\u2019re looking for perfection, you\u2019ll never find it. All of them, yes even iPhones, are flawed in some way or another. So it\u2019s just a matter of finding the one that ticks the most boxes for you. So you might be wondering, should you buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra?<\/p>\n<p>If you already have a Galaxy S22 series, you probably should hold off. Especially if you have an Ultra. Only step up if you don\u2019t have an Ultra and for some reason are convinced you need the bigger display, longer battery life, and pen. But realistically, it\u2019s not enough of a change to be worth the dollars.<\/p>\n<p>But what if you have anything else at all? Well, if you want a great \u201cbig\u201d phone, than this is the one to get. No other oversized phone competes, though the Pixel 7 is pretty up there in size. But the Pixel series doesn\u2019t come with the Pen, and the battery life isn\u2019t quite as good. So this is the winner.<\/p>\n<p>And do you want a pen? Then again, this is your phone. And if you want something that just ticks as many boxes as possible, and has pretty passable cameras, then again, you want the Galaxy S23 Ultra. It lives up to the name in all but maybe photo consistency.<\/p>\n<p>But if you don\u2019t need ALL that and can settle for a smaller display and don\u2019t need the giant 200-megapixel camera or the super 100x zoom, maybe save some money and get the Galaxy S23+. This isn\u2019t the phone for people who need \u201cgood enough for most things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This is the phone for someone who wants it all. Just like last year, it\u2019s the total package.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single-review-card border\">\n<div class=\"review-card-heading\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\nRating: <strong><br \/>9\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Price: <strong><br \/><small class=\"price_starting_at\">Starting At<\/small> $1,380<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"review-card-body\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"pros\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_What_We_Like-2\"><\/span>Here\u2019s What We Like<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>A beautiful display<\/li>\n<li>Included S Pen<\/li>\n<li>All day battery life<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cons\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"And_What_We_Dont-2\"><\/span>And What We Don&#8217;t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Inconsistent photos<\/li>\n<li>Sharp corners<\/li>\n<li>Still curved screen<\/li>\n<li>Expensive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\nsetTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '1137093656460433');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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