By Holly, Mozillion Team
Samsung’s latest flagship hero has arrived but how does it compare to last year’s model, let’s take a look.
Camera | S23 Ultra vs S22 Ultra
You would have had to have been living under a rock to not catch a glimpse of the huge advertising campaign behind the camera alone on the shiny new S23 Ultra released this year. The ad shows a girl using her smartphone to take superb closeups of everything from the craters on the moon to the stage at a rock concert with everyone wanting a copy of the results – including the lead singer of the band.
So how good is the camera on the S23 Ultra really? How much better is it than the S22 Ultra and what are the other camera upgrades included?
The main rear camera on the S23 Ultra is now a whopping 200MP (megapixels) – this is the biggest upgrade to the camera versus last year. Compare this with the camera on the iPhone 14 Pro which is 48MP and you’ll get an idea of the scale of this.
However, compared to the S22 Ultra, the S22 Ultra is still rocking a camera with an impressive 108MP, and when we take our minds back to Samsung’s advertising campaign for this model last year, it was again, all about the camera and those lovely close up moon shots. So whether you actually need the extra MP capacity for even more detailed close-ups has to be a personal choice as they are both pro-level, SLR comparable cameras that kick the majority of the competition out of the water spec-wise.
Other upgrades on the S23 Ultra include an even more impressive result for photos taken in low light and improvements to the Nightography features. Nightography is now also available on the 12MP Dual Pixel Front-Facing Selfie Camera.
The selfie camera on the S23 Ultra actually uses less megapixels than last year’s model but thanks to some clever AI image processing, there is no loss in quality when it comes to photos.
Video capture is also looking even more special with Digital Image Stabilisation and enhanced noise control which ensures your content remains smooth and professional.
In a nutshell, you’re going to get incredible photos and video content whatever your experience in photography or videography with either model, with the S23 Ultra’s new 200MP lens being the main benefit in choosing the newer model – if of course you’re going to use it.
Processor | S23 Ultra vs S22 Ultra
The chipset on a smartphone is synonymous with the engine of a sportscar and the chipset on the S23 Ultra is packing some serious horsepower.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor delivers a premium smartphone experience with desktop-level functionality wherever you are. There are also improvements in customisation and artificial intelligence to make every smartphone interaction intuitive and seamless, even when running the most demanding apps.
Don’t be mistaken though, the S22 Ultra from last year is still a seriously powerful piece of kit but if you’re shooting lots of video or running demanding games, you’re going to want the very latest. For everyone else, you may not even notice the difference.
Storage | S23 Ultra vs S22 Ultra
The other main upgrade this year is around the base storage on the S23 Ultra which comes with 256GB versus the S22 Ultra which comes with 128GB. Both have options for more storage up to 1TB.
Display and Battery | S23 Ultra vs S22 Ultra
With their substantial dynamic AMOLED 6.8 inch displays, both the S22 Ultra and the S23 Ultra want to give you the best experience when it comes to gaming, streaming or editing your killer content on the move. They are also the only models in their series with a dynamic refresh rate able to scale all the way from 1 – 120Hz, a boon for improving power consumption.
There is less of a curve on the S23 Ultra’s display which makes it easier to select icons and the like towards the edge of the screen when using the stylus.
Samsung have also bumped up the screen spec, adding Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the display and rear of the phone – this should make it a bit tougher than the S22 Ultra but let’s be honest – both phones should be in a case really.
Both also come with the S Pen stylus as standard and are powered by a monster 5,000 mAh battery.
Of the two, the S23 Ultra is the more power-efficient, thanks to the new processor.
Verdict | S23 Ultra vs S22 Ultra
I’ll start by saying this: both phones are excellent, and powerful pieces of kit to have in your pocket. If you’re an Android user and you want a phone with a big and bright display, with impressive camera and video functions then these really are two models at the top of their game.
The S23 Ultra’s main advantage over the S22 Ultra is its 200MP lens and newer processor. Those are the two main reasons to choose the latest model. Outside of that, the S22 Ultra still very much holds its own, is near identical in many other ways and will cost you far less too – up to £500 less in some cases.