Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs S22 Ultra, their features have been scrutinized

Now that the Galaxy S23 is official, you may be asking yourself this legitimate question: Should you jump into Samsung’s new smartphones or not? Today we’re taking a look at the S23 Ultra. Does the S22 bring enough changes to overshadow the Ultra? The first elements of the answer in this comparison.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra logically succeeds the S22 Ultra. What are the main developments and do they justify replacing smartphones? So many questions that we’ll try to answer here with a point-by-point comparison of the two products to help you make an informed choice.

Note : this comparison is based on our handling of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and before a full test of the smartphone.

Galaxy S22 Ultra vs S23 Ultra: spec sheet comparison

The spec sheets for both products offer a first look at some of the changes Samsung has made to the Galaxy S23. The first is to be found on the side of the chip that powers the phone: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 instead of the Samsung Exynos 2200. The second concerns the 200-megapixel camera module that replaces the 108-megapixel module of the S22 Ultra. The Korean manufacturer made a few other adjustments, which we explain in detail a little below.

We won’t be returning to the OneUI 5.1 interface that the S23 Ultra will benefit from upon release, as it will also come to the S22 Ultra with the update.

Design

Let’s start with the obvious: the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra looks like two drops of water compared to its predecessor. Changes should be found in the thick contours of the photo modules, as well as in the screen, which is slightly less curved. This last point slightly improves grip, but is far from a “game changer”. The manufacturer has also slightly revised the curves of the S-Pen stylus, which is still located directly on the phone.

So the dimensions of the two products are almost identical. The S23 Ultra is only 5g heavier than the S22 Ultra at 233 grams. We’re still stuck with a big smartphone that’s mostly used with two hands and doesn’t fit in all pockets. Although it remains very attractive, the design hardly changes because of it.

In terms of build quality, the Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts Gorilla Glass Victus 2 glass protection versus the slightly less durable Gorilla Glass Victus + glass on the S22 Ultra. Both the phones benefit from IP68 certification which makes them waterproof and dustproof.

Winner: ex aequo

screen

In 2023, the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 6.8-inch AMOLED QHD + panel still has no reason to be shy of the competition. Its maximum brightness of 1750 cd/m2 ensures perfect readability on the phone in all light conditions. Therefore, Samsung decided to equip the Galaxy S23 Ultra with the same display.

We still find the LTPO 2.0 technology, which allows the screen to “navigate” between 1 and 120 Hz, depending on the displayed content, preferring speed or saving battery. If you’re gaming, for example, the screen will switch to 120 Hz for optimal fluidity. If you’re just looking at an image, the panel can drop to just 1 Hz without affecting your user experience.

Samsung has mastered its theme and therefore did not feel the need to significantly improve the display in the new Galaxy S23 Ultra. The Korean brand may have made some improvements on the outside, but you won’t notice a noticeable difference with the S22 Ultra.

Winner: ex aequo

Performances

This year, Samsung will make a big leap in performance thanks to its new chip: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 from Qualcomm. By abandoning the internal SoC (Exynos 2200) in the European version, Samsung allows itself to withstand all future high-end smartphones of 2023. We have already tested the new high-end chip, and we were not disappointed!

CPU performance is logically superior to the very good Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, but the most obvious improvement can undoubtedly be found in the graphics department. Qualcomm announces a profit of around 25%, which is not insignificant, especially if you like to play. The Galaxy S23 Ultra also features a vapor chamber to better dissipate heat and ensure optimal performance.

The Korean manufacturer also worked with Qualcomm to optimize the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23. This is particularly reflected in the better performance of the NPU (Neural Processing Unit), which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to learn from your usage to improve performance, autonomy or even photography. The S22 Ultra’s Exynos 2200 is clearly left behind.

Winner: Galaxy S23 Ultra

Autonomy and charging speed

To ensure the autonomy of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung still relies on a 5000 mAh battery. Compared to the S22 Ultra, there is no change in this regard. But other parameters come into play, especially the power efficiency of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. At this point, Qualcomm announced that the SoC is 40% more efficient than its predecessor.

A significant gain that allows the S23 Ultra to better manage its consumption compared to the S22 Ultra without increasing battery capacity. Finally, Samsung has apparently worked on software optimizations, which can combine to save precious minutes of stamina. flagship.

On the other hand, don’t expect “ultra-fast” charging on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which stays at 45W wired and 15W wireless. As with the S22 Ultra, Samsung won’t be providing any chargers in the box.

Winner: Galaxy S23 Ultra

Image

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is still equipped with four camera modules. 12 MP ultra-wide-angle, 10 MP telephoto lens for x3 optical zoom, another telephoto lens for x10 optical zoom and a 200 MP main (wide-angle) module. Not to be missed, the S22 Ultra adopts the same configuration, but with a 108-megapixel main module.

Specifically, the increased number of megapixels will allow pushing back the boundaries of technology. “stacking pixels” will combine up to sixteen adjacent pixels into one larger pixel. A method that captures more light and improves image quality, especially in night scenes. You can then choose to shoot at 12.5, 50 or 200 megapixels to prioritize sharpness in already bright scenes or more clarity in dark scenes.

Another highlight is the arrival of more efficient “dual pixel” autofocus on all camera modules to improve focus and image sharpness. Convinced of the image quality gains that this new autofocus can bring, Samsung has not hesitated to upgrade the front camera module from 40 megapixels to 12 megapixels. Finally, the S23 Ultra can only shoot so far [email protected]against [email protected] for its predecessor.

Winner: Galaxy S23 Ultra

The S23 Ultra wins the fight, but not by knockout

As you can see in this comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra brings incremental improvements over what the Galaxy S22 Ultra already offers. Depending on your expectations, these changes will be more or less significant.

The most obvious improvement can certainly be found in the raw performance that the phone can offer. The improvement of the camera module is also a point to be thoroughly tested.

For the rest, the S23 Ultra is more of an evolution than a revolution. We are keeping our final review open for a full product test, which you will find on 01net very soon.