Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely overview

Let’s get proper to the purpose: Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Extremely is a boring improve in comparison with final 12 months’s S22 Extremely, however it’s simply one of many best phones you should buy.

The S23 Extremely, Samsung’s highest-end member of the brand new Galaxy S23 collection, is without doubt one of the first smartphones that fully justifies its excessive price ticket. At $1,200 and up, it’s certainly not an affordable telephone, however the expertise you get in alternate is solely spectacular. From the attractive AMOLED display and 200-megapixel digicam to the massive battery and S Pen, it’s probably the greatest Android telephones I’ve ever used. The one factor it will probably’t do is fold in half.

However is it the fitting Android telephone for you? Let’s break it down.

The largest new function on the Galaxy S23 Extremely is on the again. Samsung included its all-new 200-megapixel ISOCELL HP2 sensor, which acts as the first digicam. It’s a significant step up when it comes to megapixels in comparison with the S22 Ultra, which carried over the 108-megapixel digicam from the S21 Ultra.

Chances are you’ll be asking your self, “What do I would like a 200-megapixel digicam for?” It looks like pure overkill and a advertising tactic on the floor, and to some extent, it’s. The sensor makes use of a know-how known as pixel binning that teams a ton of the megapixels collectively to create bigger pixels and produce smaller photos. These smaller photos, 12 megapixels in dimension by default, can lean on the additional decision from the sensor for extra element and light-weight. It’s the identical approach different telephones just like the iPhone 14 Pro and Pixel 7 use with their larger-than-average cameras.

In shiny lighting situations, you’d be hard-pressed to discover a important distinction between photographs captured on the S23 Extremely and people from different flagship telephones. Samsung nonetheless retains saturation boosted a tiny bit whereas balancing out highlights and publicity to create some fairly stellar outcomes. You merely can’t take a nasty image with this digicam.

It’s at night time that the additional megapixels make a distinction. As a result of they’re binned, the pixels are far bigger than on different telephones, which ends up in extra mild consumption. This photograph of a neon signal is sharper and extra lifelike on the S23 Extremely than it seems on the iPhone 14 Professional. In an analogous vein, these photographs of a number of the skyscrapers in New York Metropolis paint an almost correct image of what I noticed past the viewfinder, save for a couple of overblown mild glares.

It’s also possible to seize wildly massive 200-megapixel photographs. There’s a button within the digicam app that allows you to flip it on, and boy is it enjoyable to play with. You gained’t wish to use it on a regular basis because it’ll eat away at your storage a lot quicker than regular photographs, however if you wish to seize one thing with a ton of element or plan to print the photograph after it’s taken, that is the mode to be in.

In fact, the buck doesn’t cease on the fundamental digicam. Samsung packs in three extra lenses: a 12-megapixel 120-degree ultrawide, a 10-megapixel telephoto with 3x optical zoom and a 10-megapixel periscoping telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom. These cameras are mainly similar to the S22 Extremely, save for one main enchancment: optical picture stabilization, which is so good that you just’d suppose your telephone had been on a gimbal when taking zoom photographs.

Talking of which, the S23 Extremely is supplied with Samsung’s signature 100x Area Zoom, which is extraordinarily enjoyable to play with. Not solely do you get lossless zoom as much as 10x, however every hybrid zoom stage between it and 100x is extraordinarily excessive in high quality. The S23 Extremely as soon as once more places each different telephone in the USA to disgrace in the case of zoom. I imply, simply have a look at these examples!

Video high quality can also be nice. Tech reviewers extensively take into account the iPhone to be the perfect for taking movies, myself included. However with the S23 Extremely, you will get photographs that go toe to toe with clips captured on the most recent Apple smartphones, together with some that greatest it. I recorded a few 4K, 30 frame-per-second clips throughout a latest journey to New York and in contrast them to my iPhone, and I used to be shocked to search out that the standard was practically equal. I nonetheless suppose the iPhone is an total smoother shooter (particularly when switching lenses whereas recording), however the S23 Extremely makes it a detailed race.

The remainder of the digicam expertise is simply as unbelievable. Portrait mode photographs look wonderful; the Knowledgeable RAW digicam app from Samsung provides you a excessive quantity of management over how your photographs look, due to skilled controls and Adobe Lightroom integration; night time mode helps in particularly darkish conditions; and the ultrawide digicam stays huge sufficient to seize full landscapes with out lacking out on something essential.

The selfie digicam can also be strong. At 12 megapixels, it feels like a downgrade from the outdated 40-megapixel sensor, however Samsung vastly improved the standard of the selfies it takes. There’s a lot better lighting and element, and you’ll report 4K video at 60 frames per second (the primary for any Galaxy selfie shooter).

General, this is without doubt one of the greatest digicam experiences you’ll be able to have on a smartphone. The Pixel 7 Professional and iPhone 14 Professional come second to this telephone in a number of other ways, from sensor decision and zoom capabilities to picture high quality and flexibility. It’s a bit of absurd simply how good it’s, which makes this $1,199 telephone worthy of its “Extremely” identify.

These cameras sit on the again of a smartphone that’s fairly hanging to take a look at. Samsung makes use of a frosted glass end for the backplate and glossy aluminum rails for the perimeters, which seems lots premium. Talking of the perimeters, they’re loads flatter than they was once, which supplies the system a really comparable really feel to earlier Galaxy Notice gadgets.

The S23 Extremely is available in 4 normal colours: Phantom Black, Lavender, Cream and Inexperienced (the colour I bought to overview). There are additionally 4 colours unique to samsung.com: Lime, Sky Blue, Graphite and Purple. They’re loads flashier than the traditional finishes are, so in the event you’re wanting so as to add a bit of fashion to your subsequent telephone, you may wish to decide it up from Samsung’s web site.

Samsung additionally made the S23 Extremely extra sturdy. The system makes use of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back and front, an improve from the Victus Plus glass on the S22 Extremely. It gives elevated sturdiness towards unintended drops, and it’s secure from mud and water, due to an IP68 certification that allows you to soak your telephone in 1.5 meters of water for as much as half-hour.

The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X show on the S23 Extremely is as lovely because it was on the S22 Extremely. Samsung continues to ship a number of the greatest screens you’ll discover on any telephone with wonderful readability, coloration calibration and distinction. The whole lot from watching the most recent films to flipping by way of TikTok is agreeable to the attention, and it’s pin-sharp, due to the 3088 x 1440 decision.

For this era, Samsung lowered the curves on the left and proper sides in order that content material doesn’t spill over as simply. It’s particularly useful with the S Pen, since you may have extra room to attract. It’s additionally only a lot nicer to take a look at — whether or not you’re watching a film or taking part in a sport — because you gained’t need to take care of mild reflecting off the curves within the glass.

Talking of sunshine glare, the S23 Extremely is brighter than the S22 Extremely, making it loads simpler to see in direct daylight. The S22 Extremely may attain a peak of 1,300 nits, whereas the S23 Extremely can go all the best way as much as 1,750 nits. Strolling round sunny Manhattan earlier this month, I used to be simply capable of see all the things on the display, even once I had my sun shades on. My iPhone 14 Professional Max can get a bit brighter at 2,000 nits, however I discovered that distinction to be indistinguishable subsequent to the Extremely.

Extremely-fast efficiency and extremely responsive software program

This is without doubt one of the quickest smartphones I’ve ever used.

Samsung packed the S23 Extremely to the brim with high-powered specs. Not solely are you able to get 8GB or 12GB of RAM and as much as 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage (aka the quickest storage accessible on smartphones), however there’s additionally a specifically tuned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. It’s basically the identical chip you’ll discover in different 2023 Android flagships just like the OnePlus 11, however Samsung satisfied Qualcomm to allow them to crank up the CPU and graphics a bit so the S23 collection is barely quicker than the remainder.

The additional energy is obvious within the chart under, the place we evaluate the OnePlus 11’s Geekbench scores to these on the S23 Extremely. In fact, Apple’s A16 Bionic contained in the iPhone 14 Professional continues to be essentially the most highly effective chip, however the 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy doesn’t fall far behind.

In day-to-day utilization, I discovered the S23 Extremely to be one of many quickest smartphones on the market. I put it by way of the wringer, continually biking between apps, taking tons of images and movies, jotting down notes, utilizing split-screen multitasking to rearrange my calendar and extra. Under no circumstances did I take advantage of the telephone calmly, but it was nonetheless capable of sustain completely properly with no matter I threw at it.

I fired up Asphalt 9 like I do with most telephones I take a look at, and it ran completely properly. I didn’t expertise any dropped frames or slowdowns, and the telephone stayed good and funky your entire time.

In comparison with different telephones I’ve examined just like the iPhone 14 Professional Max, Pixel 7 Professional and OnePlus 11, the S23 Extremely is a screamer. It even feels snappier than the Pixel and, at instances, the iPhone since Samsung’s software program animations are faster.

Talking of software program, One UI 5.1 — based mostly on Android 13 — is what you’ll get out of the field with the S23 Extremely. By far, that is the perfect model of Samsung’s pores and skin I’ve come throughout. It’s practically similar to One UI 5.0 when it comes to performance and appears (moreover a couple of customization choices in your lock display and a few adjustments in system apps), however it’s much more responsive and environment friendly this time round.

I used the Galaxy Z Fold 4 operating One UI 5.0 for a great whereas, so I’ve bought a really feel for a way snappy it was. Briefly, I actually appreciated it, however it undoubtedly felt a tad slower than Google’s Pixel software program or Apple’s iOS. One UI 5.1 flips that on its head, because the S23 Extremely feels simply as fluid and snappy. Is it the brand new processor? The quicker storage? Simply good old school software program optimization? I’m going with the latter, as a result of all the things from launching apps to scrolling Twitter feels extra responsive than any Samsung telephone I’ve reviewed prior to now.

What’s extra, Samsung is promising 4 years of Android upgrades for the S23 Extremely in addition to 5 years of safety patches. In the event you purchase this telephone, you’ll be able to sleep properly realizing your telephone can be supported for years to come back.

The S Pen stays as helpful as ever

Reality be informed, I’m not the most important S Pen person, however I discover that I really like utilizing it each time I come again to a telephone that has one. The S23 Extremely’s S Pen — which lives in the identical silo on the backside — is similar to the one from the S22 Extremely, which implies you get a bunch of note-taking options like screen-off memos, which allow you to jot down notes whereas your telephone is asleep; screenshot instruments; a GIF creation instrument; digicam shutter controls, due to the facet button; and a really, very low 2.8 milliseconds of latency.

All in all, in the event you’re a fan of the S Pen, you’ll really feel proper at house with the stylus on the S23 Extremely. Plus, you’ve bought that flatter display for extra room to write down.

The Galaxy S23 Extremely packs a 5,000mAh battery, which is similar dimension because the battery in final 12 months’s S22 Extremely. In contrast to that telephone, the S23 Extremely is in some way capable of final even longer on a full cost. We discovered the S22 Extremely may final a couple of day and a half, whereas the S23 Extremely may get you simply by way of two full days.

I child you not, I’ll unplug the telephone at about 7:30 a.m., use all of it day lengthy to deal with my on a regular basis duties and take loads of footage, then finish my day round 11 p.m. and nonetheless have 55% to 65% left within the tank. Plus, standby time is stupendous — I solely ever lose about 5% to six% when leaving the telephone off its charger at night time.

The system is supplied with 45W quick wired charging which, whereas not the quickest you’ll discover within the US, is ample to cost from zero to 50% in about half-hour. You additionally get 15W wi-fi charging and 4.5W reverse wi-fi charging, permitting you to recharge your earbuds on the go. Samsung undoubtedly included all the things you’ll want in the case of juicing up.

Some individuals love large telephones; others despise them. In the event you’re a part of the second group and are enticed by the huge capabilities of the S23 Extremely, you’re gonna need to take care of a dimension that may solely be described as gargantuan.

This telephone is large. Like, actually large. It’s a bit taller than the iPhone 14 Professional Max and a tad slimmer, due to the taller side ratio, however the boxy corners and flat sides make it really feel even larger than it really is. There’s a big group of people that will discover the flat sides to be loads nicer than the curved sides of the S22 Extremely, however I’m not certainly one of them. I undoubtedly choose the outdated, tapered edges given how way more snug they had been to carry.

It’s additionally fairly heavy. At 234 grams, it’s 6 grams lighter than the iPhone 14 Professional Max but in addition 22 grams heavier than the Pixel 7 Professional. This telephone is the quintessential definition of a brick in your pocket.

The software program stays bloated and filled with adverts

Bear in mind all that reward I gave Samsung’s software program earlier? Regardless of it being pretty much as good as it’s, it’s not good.

Samsung bundles all of its personal apps with the S23 Extremely, which doesn’t pose an issue till you understand what number of there are. I counted 58 on my unit, and that doesn’t embrace different preinstalled apps like Microsoft 365 and Netflix. It eats up a good quantity of space for storing, collectively lowering your telephone’s total capability by about 20 to 30 gigabytes. For many who don’t use Samsung’s inventory apps and like alternate options like Google’s, it’ll really feel like a waste of house.

Samsung can also be nonetheless displaying ads in its personal apps, which seems and feels as crummy as you’d suppose it does. The quantity of adverts it reveals has fortunately decreased over earlier Galaxy telephones, however they’re nonetheless round. Samsung Pay and Galaxy Retailer wish to promote promotions from third events, whereas the Samsung Members app recurrently jogs my memory to preorder a Galaxy S23 Extremely … whereas I’m holding one.

These points aren’t deal breakers, however they’ll actually be nuisances, particularly while you’re spending $1,200 on a brand new telephone.

Until your software program preferences lie within the Apple world, the Galaxy S23 Extremely is a stellar handset that constantly checks each field it’s best to search for when shopping for a brand new telephone. It has an incredible display, glorious battery life, superior efficiency and a number of the greatest cameras you will get.

$1,200 is some huge cash for a brand new telephone, particularly today. In the event you can reside with out options just like the 200-megapixel digicam and S Pen, the common Galaxy S23 may be had for a whole bunch much less and nonetheless provides you nice efficiency, battery life and software program options. Equally, Google’s flagship Pixel 7 Professional is almost always on sale, generally for $599 to $699, which is nothing in need of an incredible deal.

But when cash’s not a difficulty and also you do pull the set off, you gained’t remorse it. The Galaxy S23 Extremely is by far the perfect telephone you will get for over $1,000.