Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Review: The Ultimate Phone for Technology FOMO

Samsung's top-of-the-line Galaxy S23 Ultra packs everything you need to capture memories of your holidays

When capturing holiday memories, we have many cameras and gadgets to choose from. Some may opt for large professional cameras to capture pictures at the highest resolution possible or a compact zoom camera that lets you zero in on subjects. No doubt, if you are a serious photographer, those options may appeal to you, but it is often said that the best camera is always with you.

Smartphone cameras have advanced significantly in offering images on par with high-end cameras. Case in point, Samsung's latest flagship, the Galaxy S23 Ultra. It comes with all the bells and whistles you can hope for, allowing you to hold your travel booking information and switch to snap photos and 4K videos in a heartbeat.

Whether you are exploring a new city, hiking in the mountains, or lounging on a beach, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has everything you need to capture your travel memories, stay connected and organised.

Here are five reasons why.

Cameras that offer unparalleled flexibility

Above No matter what situation you find yourself in, the Galaxy S23 Ultra's four cameras deliver great pictures (Photos: Chong Jinn Xiung)

You definitely want to take the best pictures possible on your holiday. Fortunately, the Galaxy S23 Ultra's quad rear camera system is one of the best on the market. It includes a main camera that snaps up to 200-Megapixel resolution photos, ultra-wide as well as 3x and 10x telephoto cameras.

All these different cameras work in concert to offer the flexibility to capture almost any situation you can throw at it. Want to capture a massive indoor ferris wheel? Switch to the ultra-wide. Is the subject too far away? Hit the zoom button and pick the right zoom level to capture the photo.

Besides photos, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is terrific at capturing videos. You can choose to record videos up to 8K resolution in quality. You can tune this down if you don't want to eat up your storage space. This year's flagship model brings upgraded image stabilisation features that keep videos silky smooth and shake-free.

All-day battery

Above Even if you don't have a full charge, the Galaxy S23 Ultra's battery should last a full day of use (Photos: Chong Jinn Xiung)

One of the most important features of a smartphone, especially when travelling, is its long-lasting battery life which the Galaxy S23 Ultra delivers. The phone boasts a large 5,000mAh battery like the model before it. Its power-efficient new processor helped it last longer than we expected.

Granted, the phone's battery performance varies depending on usage. However, during our test, the Galaxy S23 Ultra still held a respectable over 40 percent of battery life after using it for 13 hours.

When you need to charge, the phone charges fully in just under 60 minutes, hitting 70 percent in half an hour using a 45W or greater USB-C fast charger. Take note that there is that charger is not included.

A stylus for easy notetaking

Above The S Pen makes a return in this year's Galaxy S23 Ultra and its as useful as ever (Photos: Chong Jinn Xiung)

The S Pen stylus was added to the S series in 2022 and received only minor changes. Its inclusion in this year's model complements its productivity-focused features. On a practical level, the stylus is perfect for taking notes, whether you need to jot down a quick reminder or map out your itinerary. The S Pen makes it easy to stay organised and keep track of your travel plans.

Simply the best, no matter the task

Above The powerful hardware within the Galaxy S23 Ultra gives users the flexibility to be productive while on the go (Photos: Chong Jinn Xiung)

As its name implies, Samsung's latest flagship model spares no expense in getting the best features. This includes the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, making it extra fast and efficient. Smartphone spec jargon aside, all you need to know is the S23 Ultra will not disappoint if you are looking for something very fast and responsive.

But beyond raw hardware performance, it has many other useful connectivity features. Among them is Samsung's DeX connectivity feature that turns your smartphone into a tiny mobile computer. All you need is a plug the smartphone into an external monitor, attach or link a keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth and you're good to go. This can be very useful for those who want to get some work done on Google Docs or Slide while on the go.

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Topics

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Review Travel Camera Photography Tech Gadget Smartphone

Tatler Asia

4 reasons why the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the ideal travel companion

Cameras that offer unparalleled flexibility

All-day battery

A stylus for easy notetaking

Simply the best, no matter the task