Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G
Price:
Discontinued
(US launch price was $1,199.99)
256GB variant · Original US launch price · Launched February 2023
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G is the ultimate flagship of the S23 series and the spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note. It features a massive 6.8-inch Edge QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, a groundbreaking 200MP quad rear camera system (200MP Wide + 10MP Telephoto + 10MP Telephoto + 12MP Ultra-wide), 12MP front camera, 8GB/12GB RAM, 5,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging, and built-in S-Pen support.
LAUNCH
| Announced | February 01, 2023 |
| Released | February 17, 2023 |
| Status | Discontinued |
DISPLAY
| Screen Size | 6.8 inches |
| Resolution | 3088 x 1440 pixels (QHD+) |
| Pixel Density | ~500 ppi |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz (Dynamic, 1-120Hz) |
| Display Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, HDR10+ |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (Front) |
PERFORMANCE
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.80 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.80 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.02 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 |
| RAM | 8GB / 12GB (LPDDR5X) |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.0) |
| Operating System | Launched with Android 13 (One UI 5.1); upgraded to Android 16, with Android 17 (One UI 9) expected to be the final major OS upgrade. |
| Security | In-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner |
GAMING PERFORMANCE — COMMUNITY/THIRD-PARTY REPORTS
| PUBG Mobile / BGMI | Third-party testing has reported stable performance around 60 FPS. Some tests have reported support for up to 120 FPS, but this varies with game version, graphics settings, temperature and region. |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | Third-party testing has reported around 60 FPS, with results varying by graphics settings and device temperature. |
| Genshin Impact | Third-party testing has reported around 55-60 FPS under demanding settings, although performance varies with temperature, software and game version. |
| Overall Gaming Performance | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy delivers excellent performance, with third-party tests reporting only ~17% performance throttling under sustained load. Actual performance will vary by chipset, firmware and game version. |
BENCHMARK — THIRD-PARTY TEST RESULTS
| AnTuTu v9 | Around 1,241,531 points |
| AnTuTu v10/v11 | Around 1,521,862 points (Average Reported); higher scores have been recorded up to ~1,720,000 |
| AnTuTu CPU | ~581,203 |
| AnTuTu GPU | ~446,806 |
| AnTuTu Memory | ~272,465 |
| AnTuTu UX | ~443,849 |
| Geekbench 6 Single-Core | ~2,030 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi-Core | ~5,400 |
| 3DMark Wild Life | ~12,158 (Stability ~64%) |
Benchmark scores are third-party results and can vary significantly depending on software version, temperature, battery level and testing conditions. Scores should be treated as approximate rather than guaranteed results.
REAR CAMERA
| Main Camera | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS |
| Telephoto | 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 10x Optical Zoom, 100x Space Zoom |
| Telephoto 2 | 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x Optical Zoom |
| Ultra Wide | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120° (ultrawide), Dual Pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Photo Digital Zoom | Up to 100x Space Zoom (digital) |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama, Nightography |
FRONT CAMERA
| Camera | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Features | HDR, Live Focus, AR Emoji |
| Video Recording | 4K @ 30/60fps, 1080p @ 30/60fps |
VIDEO RECORDING
| Rear Video | 8K @ 24/30fps, 4K UHD @ 30/60fps, 1080p @ 30/60/240fps, 720p @ 960fps (Super Slow-mo), HDR10+, stereo sound recording, gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Slow Motion | 1080p @ 240fps, 720p @ 960fps |
| Front Video | 4K @ 30/60fps, 1080p @ 30fps |
BATTERY
| Battery Type | Li-Ion, built-in (non-removable) |
| Battery Capacity | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired Charging | 45W Super Fast Charging |
| Wireless Charging | Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (up to 15W) |
| Reverse Wireless Charging | Yes — Wireless PowerShare |
CONNECTIVITY
| 5G | Yes — Sub-6 / mmWave (regional) |
| 4G LTE | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 with LE |
| NFC | Yes (Samsung Pay support) |
| UWB | Yes |
USB & DISPLAY OUTPUT
| Connector | USB Type-C |
| USB Speed | USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Display Output | Samsung DeX support |
SIM & NETWORK
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM / Dual SIM (regional) |
NAVIGATION & LOCATION
| GPS | Yes, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS |
SENSORS
| Fingerprint | Yes — In-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner |
| Motion | Three-axis Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Barometer, Hall sensor |
| Other Sensors | RGB Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor |
AUDIO & MULTIMEDIA
| Speakers | AKG-tuned Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos |
| 3.5mm Headphone Jack | No |
BUILD & PROTECTION
| Frame | Armor Aluminum frame |
| Front Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Back Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Water Resistance | IP68 (maximum depth of 1.5 meters up to 30 minutes) |
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm |
| Weight | 233 grams |
COLORS
| Available Colors | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
STORAGE & PRICE (US LAUNCH PRICES)
| 256GB | Discontinued (Launched at $1,199.99) |
| 512GB | Discontinued (Launched at $1,379.99) |
| 1TB | Discontinued (Launched at $1,619.99) |
MISC
| Model Numbers | SM-S918B (Global), SM-S918U (US) |
| Stylus | S-Pen (9ms latency, Bluetooth integration) |
Overall: The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G is a true flagship powerhouse. It features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, a massive 6.8-inch 120Hz display, a groundbreaking 200MP quad camera with 100x Space Zoom, and the convenience of a built-in S-Pen. It was discontinued after the release of the S24 series, but remains a strong choice for productivity and media consumption.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S23 ULTRA 5G IN 2026: IS IT STILL WORTH BUYING?
| Performance | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with 8GB/12GB RAM remains highly capable for gaming and daily tasks. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has received Android 16, while Android 17 with One UI 9 is expected to be its final major OS upgrade. |
| Display | 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (3088x1440, 500ppi) with 120Hz refresh rate. |
| Camera | Quad 200MP + 10MP + 10MP + 12MP camera with 10x Optical Zoom, 100x Space Zoom, and 8K video recording. |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh battery with 45W fast charging and 15W wireless charging. |
| Connectivity | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, UWB. 5G supported. |
| Security Updates | Samsung promised four generations of Android/One UI upgrades and five years of security updates. Update availability and timing may vary by model, region and carrier. |
| Use Case | Still suitable for users who want flagship-level performance, DeX support, S-Pen integration, and a high-quality display at a competitive used-market price. |
Core specifications are based primarily on Samsung's official technical specifications; benchmark figures and other third-party measurements are compiled separately from tested units. This is a historical/legacy device; current retail availability may vary.