Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a groundbreaking ISOCELL HP2 200MP camera alongside a standard 12MP wide-angle lens and two 10MP telephoto lenses for 3x and 10x optical zoom. Featuring OIS, laser autofocus, and Super Resolution Zoom offering 30x and 100x digital zoom. Remarkably, the S23 Ultra's standout isn't the 200MP but its exceptional zoom capabilities. The 3x and 10x zoom produce impressive quality, while the 30x zoom is catching up, and the 100x, though not perfect, is significantly improved. Unrivaled telephoto shots set it apart from other smartphones, offering a versatile and enjoyable zoom photography experience.

While we were all sad to see the Note series devices being retired it was great to see that the Galaxy S23 Ultra continues to carry the Stylus. Despite being shorter than those seen in prior devices, it's comfortable for note-taking and offers diverse functionalities: clipping, translation, note-taking, and camera control. Its standout feature is the ability to write notes on the locked screen swiftly, erasing with a button and saving to Samsung Notes. Quick translations and seamless performance enhance its added value, making it a standout, albeit not a sole reason, in opting for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

This is something pretty much all of us (apart from Brett our resident Apple fanboy) agreed that Samsung had absolutely hit it out of the park with S23 series of devices in general! Its design remains consistent with previous models, offering a mature and recognizable aesthetic with robust build quality, including IP68 water resistance and durable materials like Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and Armor Aluminum. Samsung's emphasis on durability, use of recycled materials, and extended software support underscores its longevity, making it a device designed to last for several years.

While the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip is finally being put into new devices the Samsung Galaxy S23's custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip performs exceptionally even with heavy tasks like gaming, 200MP photography, and 8K video recording without noticeable overheating. Its 12GB RAM and 256GB storage (with a 512GB option) suit those planning to retain the phone. It was quite surprising to a lot of us within the team that the S23 ULTRA does not at all feel like a year old phone, it felt just as fast and smooth as the phones being launched today!