The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has the potential to be one of the best phones of 2023, and there is no long time to wait for it, as Samsung is preparing to unveil the S23 series in Galaxy Unpacked 2023 on February 1.
We expect to see a vanilla Samsung Galaxy S23 and a vanilla Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus as well, but the Ultra will be the top-of-the-line model with the most premium specs and features.
And while it’s coming soon, you don’t even need to wait for the unveiling to learn a lot about it, because the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has been widely leaked. Below, you’ll find all the rumors and credible leaks that have surfaced so far.
cut to the chase
- What is this? The next flagship phone from Samsung
- When is the exit? Feb 1
- How much will it cost? Expect a very high price
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: release date and price
- The announcement is expected on February 1
- The price may be a little higher than last year
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is expected to arrive in Galaxy Unpacked 2023 on February 1. This will go live on Wednesday, February 1st at 10am PST / 1pm EST / 6pm GMT, at 5am AEST on February 2nd for those in Australia.
It will be broadcasted online, so check out how to watch the Samsung Galaxy S23 launch online live. Of course, you can also head over to TechRadar, because we’ll be covering the entire announcement, as it happens.
There is no confirmation on when the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will actually ship, but one leak points to February 17th. We expect that you will be able to place your order shortly after the announcement, and in fact you may already be able to reserve one (Opens in a new tab) If you are in the United States.
We hope you saved though, because the consensus from the leaks seems to be that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will cost more than the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, which starts at $1,199.99 / £1,149 / AU$1,849.
As for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, a price leak indicates that it will start at $1,249, which would be for the model with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. Obviously, it will go up to $1,349 for 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, and $1,499 for 1TB of storage and 12GB of RAM.
We’ve also heard about the possible Australian pricing, as the phone will reportedly start at AU$1,950 in the region.
So far, there is no pricing in the UK, but based on these leaks, it seems likely that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will cost between £50-£100 more than the S22 Ultra, which means a starting price of between £1,200 and £1,250. .
However, it should be noted that the leaks indicate that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will start with a storage capacity of 256 GB as a baseline, compared to 128 GB for the S22 Ultra. In which case, if you compare the rumored S23 Ultra’s starting prices with the 256GB model of the S22 Ultra (which costs $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$1,999), the price doesn’t seem so bad.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Design
- Very similar design to the S22 Ultra
- It is likely to be available in at least four shades
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could be a lot like the S22 Ultra — at least on the outside. That means an angular design that covers the entire screen, a nearly corrugated back with cameras, and a slot for the S Pen that’s sure to be included.
We’ve seen many images that show off this theme, including renders, marketing photos, dummy units, and cases.
You can see a selection of these screenshots below (many from an extensive gallery on WinFuture (Opens in a new tab)) and they all basically show the same thing — a phone that looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
picture 1 from 6
The weight and dimensions could also be very similar, as one of the leaks points to the S23 Ultra as 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm and 233 grams, compared to 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm and 228 grams in the current model. We also expect an IP68 certification for water resistance, just like the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The main visual difference could simply be the colors that the new phone comes in, as many reports indicate that the colors of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra include Cotton Flower (cream), Misty Lilac (pink), Botanic Green and Phantom Black. It appears that these are their official names, but a lot of other leaks point to shades that seem to match that.
We’ve heard the official-sounding names a few times too, and seen pictures of how they look, some of which you can see above and below.
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A source indicates that there may be other colors as well, but they will reportedly be exclusive to Samsung stores.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Display
- The leaks point to a 6.8-inch QHD+ 120Hz display
- Brighter and tougher than before
As with the overall design of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, we don’t expect much new from its screen, with spec leaks pointing to a 6.8-inch 1440 x 3088 AMOLED screen with 500ppi, HDR10+ support, and a 120Hz variant. Refresh rate (can go down to 1 Hz).
The same source notes that the screen will be protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is an upgrade and should be tougher than the protection on the S22 Ultra’s screen.
We’ve heard a less detailed version of these screen specs elsewhere as well, so there’s a good chance this is accurate.
Another update that may be on the display is its brightness, with a leak indicating that it could reach 2,150 nits or more, compared to 1,750 nits on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
S23u max brightness, up to 2150 nits, numbers may vary at launch, due to additional tweaks still less than 2100 max 2200 + Pwz dimming lose vs. Q9 (slightly) less than 2kNovember 23, 2022
Two things we’re not expecting are the under-display camera and improvements to the in-display fingerprint sensor, with leaks suggesting these aren’t on the cards.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Camera and Battery
- The new camera is likely to be 200MP
- Other lenses can stay the same
The camera may be the biggest upgrade over the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, as the main sensor is widely rumored to be a new 200MP one.
Samsung has already announced several 200MP smartphone cameras, with the latest ISOCELL HP2 being a front-runner for listing.
It can be confirmed that the S23 Ultra’s night photos are very strong and much better than the S22 Ultra’s. I think it’s the biggest improvement to Samsung’s flagship mobile phone in five years.October 27, 2022
The leak indicates that this will enable great night photos and the ability to take super fast videos of the sky.
Other cameras, however, may not be upgraded, as reports point to the same 12MP telephoto, 10MP with 3x optical zoom, and 10MP with 10x optical zoom.
Although the 3x and 10x camera specifications are exactly the same as those of the S22 Ultra, the S23 Ultra still has an improvement in telephoto, the improvement in color and some AI algorithms is obvious.October 28, 2022
There may be some new and improved software, such as the ability to save RAW images at 50MP quality, and a Pro mode for the selfie camera. We’ve also heard that focus and shake resistance could be better than before on this phone.
Speaking of the selfie camera, you might get a 12MP sensor, according to a report, although the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a 40MP selfie camera, which seems odd.
As for the battery, we don’t expect changes there, as leaks indicate that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is powered by a 5,000mAh battery, 45W wired charging, and 15W or 10W wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Specifications and Features
- Expect the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset
- The leaks indicate 8GB or 12GB of RAM
The thing we are certain of, in terms of expectations for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, is that it will have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, as not only has that been widely reported, but it’s the obvious choice – at least in some part of the world. .
However, while previous models also used Exynos chipsets in some areas, reports indicate that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will use Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets everywhere.
Even better, this could be an improved version of the chipset, which makes it better here than on non-Samsung phones — and this really is the best Android chipset available.
Reportedly, these chipsets will allow for a 36% increase in processor speed, a 48% increase in graphics performance, and a 60% increase in neural processing compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
As for RAM, the leaks suggest a choice of 8GB or 12GB, while we expect storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Although the 1TB model may be exclusive to Samsung stores.
Moreover, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will of course support 5G and may also provide satellite communications in emergency situations. We’ve also heard talk of speaker and mic improvements, so the audio can be impressive here.
Finally, as for software, the phone is almost certainly running Android 13, possibly adding Samsung’s One UI 5.1 interface.