Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: specs, battery & used prices

Summary

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the maximalist of 2023: a 6.8-inch 120 Hz OLED, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a 5,000 mAh battery, the 200 MP stabilized main camera and the built-in S Pen silo, in a 233 g IP68 body. Everyday 89/100, camera 72/100, battery 40/100 — the highest camera score of its year in the catalog. New 12/256 units list at $1,199; used 12/512 units cluster around $443 (five listings), with 8/256 near $380.

Display and design

The 6.8-inch 120 Hz OLED at 1,200 nits with minimal bezels is the industry reference panel of its generation (screen 66/100). The squared-off body carries 233 g and the S Pen inside — the only mainstream flagship that still does — with IP68 sealing throughout. Compactness 61/100 is the honest tax: this is a two-hand phone and does not apologize.

Performance

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the largest chassis of the line: gaming 40/100 with the best sustained thermals of the S23 family, everyday 89/100. One major OS version remains, plus security support into the next decade.

Camera

The 200 MP main with optical stabilization produces the finest detail any 2023 phone captured; the stabilized 10 MP dual telephoto system (3x and 10x) remains the longest credible reach in the catalog, with 8K30 video. Camera 72/100 — the number to beat until its own successor.

Battery and charging

5,000 mAh with 45 W charging: battery 40/100, a full day of the heaviest use and roughly an hour to full. The S Pen drains nothing; the screen is the appetite.

Verdict

At around $443 used for 12/512, the S23 Ultra is the most capability per dollar in the entire 2023 catalog — the camera benchmark, the S Pen, flagship endurance. Its successor refines rather than replaces it; buyers cross-shopping the S23 Plus are choosing between the Ultra's camera and the Plus's lighter frame.