The Galaxy S23 Ultra only one week left for the official opening. All the information leaked so far has painted a positive picture. Samsung has improved almost every aspect of its upcoming flagship for 2023, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra is an interesting proposition for Samsung’s high-end customers, especially those living in high-value markets.
We have already listed many reasons why the Galaxy S23 Ultra could be A worthwhile upgrade for the Galaxy S20 Ultra customers. But what about Galaxy S21 Ultra users? Should they consider the Galaxy S23 Ultra as their next flagship phone? Let’s answer that by looking at all the improvements the 2023 flagship brings over the 2021 model, and what you might be missing out on by upgrading to a newer phone.
Better, brighter display with 1-120Hz refresh rate
Both the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra feature 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with similar resolutions. However, the 2023 model boosts peak brightness from 1,500 nits to 1,750 nits, and reports suggest that Samsung has fine-tuned color accuracy to a higher level, especially for low-light usage conditions.
Additionally, the Galaxy S23 Ultra supports refresh rates anywhere between 1Hz and 120Hz, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s panel can only go as low as 48Hz. This means that the Galaxy S23 Ultra panel is more compatible with battery life, which can compensate for the higher brightness.
Overall, the Galaxy S23 Ultra display is brighter and technologically superior.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra fully covers the S Pen
Although the Galaxy S21 Ultra was the first S-series flagship to be adopted S Pen support, the phone does not have an inner case for this iconic input device. You can say that the 2021 model is the last pure Galaxy S Ultra flagship, and you can see that as a plus.
That said, if you have any interest in the S Pen, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a decent upgrade over the Galaxy S21 Ultra in the S Pen case alone. The 2023 model fully accommodates the S Pen and offers better stylus technology with less lag. You no longer have to buy an S Pen case for your device and the accessory will always be available.
Better build quality and newer design
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But even if you prefer the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s large camera body, there’s something to be said for the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s design consistency.
The 2023 flagship has a more square footprint and a more minimalistic camera setup without the traditional ‘bump’. It looks more modern than the 2021 model and the thicker metal frame makes the phone look sturdier.
Along with updated aesthetics, the Galaxy S23 Ultra also uses better construction materials, such as a stronger aluminum frame with improved scratch and drop resistance. Gorilla Glass 2 Instead of a Glass Victus screen protector. First, it should provide better protection against drops on hard surfaces such as concrete pavements. In fact, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is more suitable for use without a protective case than the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Snapdragon SoC everywhere and more (perhaps faster) main memory
For the first time, Samsung will no longer split the flagship market between Exynos and Qualcomm chipsets. The Galaxy S23 Ultra ships worldwide with the 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which means support should be better, and you’ll still be experiencing Qualcomm’s best SoC even if you buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra in the Exynos market. .”
And it goes without saying that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a more powerful solution than the Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 SoCs. In addition, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is said to use exclusive version Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with higher frequencies for better performance.
In addition, the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers more storage as standard. The base model has 256 GB, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra has 128 GB or more. On the other hand, you get 8GB of RAM with the Galaxy S23 Ultra rather than 12GB of RAM for the base model, but you can easily compensate by using it. RAM More because the phone offers more memory.
Finally, if the rumors are true, the Galaxy S23 Ultra ships with faster UFS 4.0 storage instead of UFS 3.1, which should make file transfers faster and help the performance of the RAM Plus virtual memory.
Better cameras with a 200MP main sensor
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung’s first smartphone to boast a 200MP primary camera. New ISOCELL HP2 it offers many improvements, especially in terms of low-light performance and autofocus.
Although they provide the same zoom capabilities, telephoto cameras are also better. AI processing has been improved and zoomed-in shots should look better on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
One possible downgrade could be a 12MP selfie sensor, down from the S21 Ultra’s 40MP unit. However, the 12-megapixel sensor looks brand new, which could mean that it uses newer technologies to produce better selfies with more accurate colors.
If you’re looking for a camera upgrade from the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the S23 Ultra certainly fits the bill.
Faster battery charging (wired)
One of the most unusual choices Samsung made for the Galaxy S21 Ultra was to drop the charging speed to 25W. Thankfully, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has better specs. While both phones have a 5,000mAh battery, the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers 45W super fast charging.
However, Samsung also made an unusual choice for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. While the 2023 model boasts faster wired charging than the 2021 flagship, it appears the Galaxy S21 Ultra has 10W wireless charging instead of the 15W wireless capabilities.
So you win some, you lose some. But if you’re looking for faster wired charging, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the way to go.
Newer firmware and support up to Android 17
Although the Galaxy S21 Ultra has been updated Android 13 and One UI 5.0 Recently, Samsung will ship the Galaxy S23 Ultra with a newer one One UI 5.1 Software.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra may finally get One UI 5.1, but it will be the start of the 2023 model. More importantly though, both phones are compatible Samsung’s enhanced four-year Android OS upgrade policySupport for the 2021 model will stop at Android 15. On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will receive Android 17 towards the end of this decade.
Reasons not to upgrade from the Galaxy S21 Ultra
The Galaxy S23 Ultra certainly offers many improvements over the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but what’s the downside? Is there any reason to consider not upgrading to the 2023 model other than the money you have to spend?
Well, as mentioned before, if you upgrade to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, you can drop the 5W wireless charging speed down to 10W. If you’re into wireless charging, this might be a problem.
While you get more (and possibly faster) storage, you lose 4GB of RAM for the base model. However, if you value more apps running in the background and don’t want to use RAM Plus, you might get a lesser experience on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
When it comes to software, it’s true that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will receive longer support, but the Galaxy S21 Ultra is no slouch. It still has two major OS updates planned for the future, so if you decide to use the Galaxy S21 Ultra for a few more years, you won’t miss out on the next few One UI versions.
And finally, a relatively small user base may want to know that the Galaxy S23 Ultra does not have an FM radio. This feature was already market-dependent and only available for the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S21 Ultra (no FM for Exynos). But now the Galaxy S23 Ultra is likely to drop FM radio support everywhere.
If you think the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a worthy upgrade, check out Unpacked 2023. The event will take place on February 1, and the new flagship should be available for pre-order about two weeks before it ships to initial buyers. You can do it until February 1 reserve the phone online and earn $50 in Samsung credit.
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