Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: latest rumors and everything we know so far
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The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has the potential to be one of the best phones of 2023, and we won’t have long to wait as Samsung will unveil the S23 series at Galaxy Unpacked 2023 on February 1.
We also expect the vanilla Samsung Galaxy S23 and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, but the Ultra will be the top model and the one with the very best specs and features.
And while it’s coming soon, you don’t even have to wait for the reveal to learn a lot about it, as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has been leaked extensively. Below you will find all the credible leaks and rumors that have surfaced so far.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Samsung’s next flagship phone
- When is it out? February 1
- How much is it? Expect an extremely high price
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: release date and price
- Announcement expected on February 1
- The price may be slightly higher than last year
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is expected to land on Galaxy Unpacked 2023 on February 1. This starts on Wednesday, February 1 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT, at 5am AEDT on February 2 for those in Australia.
It will be streamed online, so check out how to watch the Samsung Galaxy S23 launch live online. Of course, you can also just head over to TechRadar, as we’ll be covering the announcement in full viz.
There’s no confirmation of when the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will actually ship, but one leak points to February 17 and a pre-order bonus for the phone ending on February 16, also suggesting a February 17 ship date.
However, we expect you to be able to place your order shortly after the announcement, and in fact you can already pre-order one (opens in new tab) if you are in the US.
Hopefully you’ve saved up though, as the consensus from 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 for reference.
As for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, a price leak suggests it will start at $1,249, which would be for a model with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. It would apparently increase to $1,349 for 512 GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM, and $1,499 for 1 TB of storage and 12 GB of RAM.
We’ve also heard possible Australian pricing, with the phone said to start at AU$1,950 in the region.
There are no UK prices so far, but based on these leaks it seems likely that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will cost somewhere between £50 and £100 more than the S22 Ultra, meaning a starting price of between £1,200 and £100. 1,250.
However, Samsung has revealed that buyers in the UK can get 512GB for the price of 256GB if they pre-order, which should help a bit. It is not yet clear whether this scheme will also be offered in other regions.
For those in other parts of Europe, a leak from Roland Quandt (opens in new tab) suggests a starting price of 1,409 euros.
However, it’s worth noting that leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will start with 256GB of storage as a base, compared to 128GB for the S22 Ultra. In that case, when you compare the rumored S23 Ultra starting prices to the 256GB model of the S22 Ultra (which costs $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$1,999), the price doesn’t look too bad.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: design
- A very similar design to the S22 Ultra
- Probably available in at least four shades
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could look a lot like the S22 Ultra – at least on the outside. That means an angular, all-screen design, a rear that’s almost burbling with cameras, and a slot for the S Pen stylus that’s sure to be there.
We’ve seen numerous images showing this appearance, including renders, marketing images, dummy units, and cases.
You can see a selection of these photos below (many of which are from an extensive gallery on WinFuture (opens in new tab)) and they all essentially show the same thing – namely a phone that looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Image 1 from 7
There’s even a leaked hands-on video, which you can see below, again showing off a very familiar phone, and a marketing shot of the entire S23 series shared by Evan Blass (opens in new tab).
The weight and dimensions may also be very similar to the S22 Ultra, with one leak suggesting the S23 Ultra is 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm and 233g, versus 163.3 x 77, 9 x 8.9mm and 228g on 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 the new phone comes in as numerous reports suggest that the colors of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra consist of Cotton Flower (Cream), Misty Lilac (Pink), Botanic Green and Phantom Black. Those are apparently their official names, but many other leaks mention shades that sound like they match.
However, we’ve also heard the ostensibly official names a number of times and seen images of what they might look like, some of which you can see above and below.
Image 1 from 2
A source suggests there may be other colors as well, but they are said to be exclusive to Samsung stores.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: View
- Leaks point to a 6.8-inch QHD+ 120Hz screen
- Brighter and tougher than before
As with the overall design of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, we’re not expecting much new from the screen, with spec leaks pointing to a 6.8-inch 1440 x 3088 AMOLED display at 500 pixels per inch, HDR10+ support and a 120Hz variable refresh rate (which can drop to 1Hz).
That same source suggests the screen will be protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is an upgrade and should be stronger than the S22 Ultra’s on-screen protection.
We’ve also heard a less detailed version of these screen specs elsewhere, so there’s a good chance that’s accurate.
Another upgrade the screen could have is brightness, with a leak suggesting it could reach 2150 nits or more, compared to 1750 nits on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
S23u max brightness, up to 2150 nits”Numbers may differ at launch, due to further tweaks Min 2100Max 2200+Pwz dimming still loses by Q9 (slightly) under 2kNovember 23, 2022
That said, leak Roland Quandt (opens in new tab) has since suggested it will stay at 1750 nits, so we’re not sure what’s right here.
Two things we’re not expecting are an under-display camera and improvements to the in-screen fingerprint sensor, with leaks suggesting they’re not on the card.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: camera and battery
- New 200MP camera probably
- The other lenses can remain the same
The biggest upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could be the camera, as the main sensor is rumored to be a new 200MP sensor.
Samsung has even announced several 200 MP smartphone cameras, with the recent ISOCELL HP2 leading the way in terms of recording.
It can be confirmed that the night shots of the S23 Ultra are very strong and much better than those of the S22 Ultra. I think this is the biggest improvement of Samsung’s flagship mobile phone in five years.October 27, 2022
Lek suggests this will enable great night shots and the ability to shoot hyperlapse videos of the sky.
Samsung itself also teased the capabilities in a short video, pointing out great night and moon shots.
The other cameras may not be upgraded, however, with reports pointing to the same 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom and 10MP periscope with 10x optical zoom.
While the 3x and 10x camera specs are exactly the same as the S22 Ultra, the S23 Ultra still has an improvement in telephoto, and the improvement in color and some AI algorithms is obvious.October 28, 2022
The software may have been improved, however, as leaked camera samples suggest the phone can capture better 30x zoom shots than its predecessor. These samples also showcase the phone’s impressive night mode capabilities.
Then again, a second set of leaked camera samples is more of a mixed bag, so it remains to be seen how well the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s cameras can actually perform.
There may also be some new software, such as the ability to save RAW photos in 50MP quality, and a Pro mode for the selfie camera. We’ve also heard that the focus and anti-shake might be better than before on this phone.
Speaking of the selfie camera, it could get a 12 MP sensor according to a report, but since the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a 40 MP selfie camera, that seems odd.
As for the battery, we don’t expect any changes there, with leaks suggesting the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will stick to a 5,000mAh battery, 45W wired charging and 15W or 10W wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Specifications and Features
- Expect a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset
- Leaks point to 8GB or 12GB of RAM
What we’re most sure about, regarding the expectations for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, is that it will have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, as not only is that rumored a lot, but it’s also the obvious lying choice – at least in some parts of the world.
While previous models also used Exynos chipsets in some regions, reports suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset throughout.
Better yet, this could be an upgraded version of the chipset, making it better here than in non-Samsung phones – and this is already the best Android chipset available.
This chipset is reported to provide 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.
Yummy Yogesh Brar (opens in new tab) suggests that future phones in the Galaxy S line could also get exclusive versions of Snapdragon chipsets, so this might not be a one-off.
The above tweet is part of a recent leak detailing just about everything there is to know in terms of specs when it comes to the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
As for RAM, leaks point to a choice of 8GB or 12GB, while for storage we expect options of 256GB, 512GB and 1TB. Although the 1TB model may be exclusive to Samsung stores.
In addition, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra naturally supports 5G and may also offer emergency satellite communication. We’ve also heard talk of improvements to the speakers and microphone, so audio could be impressive here.
Finally, for software, the phone will definitely run Android 13, likely topped with Samsung’s One UI 5.1 interface.