Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

The S23 Ultra went on sale on 17 February 2023 at $1,199.99, after Samsung unveiled it on 1 February 2023. Every Ultra since, from the S24 Ultra to the current Galaxy S26 Ultra, launched at $1,299.99. What keeps this one interesting is its zoom; what limits it is support.

Support runs out first

Samsung promised this phone four Android upgrades, starting from Android 13 and One UI 5.1, and five years of security updates. If those five years run from the February 2023 launch, about a year and a half of patches is left as of September 2026. The S24 Ultra was the first Ultra promised seven Android upgrades and seven years of security updates, so it will stay supported for years after this one stops.

The 10x camera is why you’d keep it

Camera	Galaxy S23 Ultra
Main	200MP, F1.7, 85°
Ultra-wide	12MP, F2.2, 120°
Telephoto	10MP, F2.4, 3x optical, 36°
Long telephoto	10MP, F4.9, 10x optical, 11°
Selfie	12MP, F2.2, 80°

The two telephotos give optical zoom at 3x and 10x, and Space Zoom stretches to 100x by adding 10x digital zoom and AI Super Resolution to the 10x lens. The S24 Ultra replaced that lens with a 50MP 5x, so if you often shoot distant subjects at 10x, the S23 Ultra still reaches further without going digital.

Video tops out at 8K and 30fps, with a wider angle than before and double the stabilization angle, and the selfie camera records Super HDR at 60fps instead of 30fps.

S23 Ultra or S24 Ultra?

Spec	Galaxy S23 Ultra	Galaxy S24 Ultra
Long telephoto	10MP, 10x optical	50MP, 5x optical
Frame	Not titanium	Titanium
Chip	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy	Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM	8GB-256GB base model; 12GB on 512GB and 1TB	12GB on every model
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 7
Peak brightness	Not published	2,600 nits
Updates	4 Android upgrades, 5 years of security	7 Android upgrades, 7 years of security
US launch price	$1,199.99	$1,299.99

Unless 10x optical zoom is the reason you’re shopping, a used S24 Ultra is the safer buy: it has more memory on the base model, a titanium frame, Wi-Fi 7 and far longer support. The S25 Ultra went further, to the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Battery and charging

The battery is 5,000 mAh typical and 4,855 mAh rated under IEC 61960. With a 45W adapter and a 5A USB-C cable it reaches 65% in around 30 minutes; the adapter is sold separately, and Quick Charge 2.0 and AFC chargers also work. It supports Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 and Wireless PowerShare, which lets you charge other devices from the back of the phone.

Screen

The 6.8-inch QHD+ Edge Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen curves less than the S22 Ultra’s. It refreshes from 1 to 120Hz, samples touch at 240Hz in Game Mode, and has Vision booster and Enhanced comfort. Samsung doesn’t give the S23 Ultra a brightness rating, though it rates the S24 Ultra at up to 2,600 nits.

Build and connections

Gorilla Glass Victus 2 covers the front and back, with 22% pre-consumer recycled content on average, and recycled aluminum, glass and plastics go into 12 internal and external parts. It’s IP68-rated for up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes, measures 3.07 × 6.43 × 0.35 inches and weighs 8.25 oz. It connects over 5G, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Colors were Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender, with Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue and Red sold only on Samsung.com.

Price

At launch the S23 Ultra cost $1,199.99 in the US for 256GB with 8GB of RAM; the 512GB and 1TB versions have 12GB. It’s no longer in Samsung’s lineup, so you’re shopping used or refurbished. Weigh any offer against a used S24 Ultra, and check the price and the model’s storage before you buy.