Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

It's expensive and lacks any great breakthroughs, but the S23 Ultra stands alone due to its integrated stylus and stunning cameras

- ALEX WALKER-TODD

PRICE 256GB/8GB, £1,041 (£1,249 inc VAT) from samsung.com/uk

The S22 Ultra (see issue 331, p46) T was a big shift. The first the stole Samsung phone to fuse the style of the Galaxy S series with the functionality of the Galaxy Note, it brought a fresh impetus to stylus-based phones. Physically, the S23 Ultra is a much more subtle change; I needed Samsung to point out that it had reduced the radius of the curved display edges to provide a greater flat area on which to use the S Pen.

Head to samsung.com and you can choose one of its exclusive colours: sky blue, graphite, lime and red. Buy from elsewhere and you're restricted to black, cream, green and lavender. Cutely, the cap of the S Pen matches the body colour of your choosing.

An aluminium alloy frame accompanies the Ultra's usual IP68 certification against dust and water ingress, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 also makes its debut on the S23 series. You might need its protective powers, too, as the size of the Ultra makes it tricky to wield one-handed.

The screen hasn't changed, so your eyes are treated to a 6.8in AMOLED panel with a 1,440 x 3,088 resolution and a dynamic refresh rate that can scale between 1Hz and 120Hz. Colours and visibility - even against strong ambient light - are superb, with an average Delta E of 0.37 in its default Vivid setting. This covers all the DCI-P3 space and beyond.

Peak brightness doesn't match the 1,448cd/m³ we measured on the iPhone 14 Pro (see issue 338, p64), topping out at 1,184cd/m² in HDR mode, but try to spot the difference. Whether you're viewing movies, photos or games, the S23's screen is exceptional.

Soft touch