The Galaxy S23 Ultra is only a week away from being unveiled. All the information presented so far has shown a wonderful picture. Samsung has improved almost every aspect of the next flagship for 2023, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra is an excellent idea for Samsung flagship customers, especially those who live in markets with special business values.

We’ve listed several reasons why the Galaxy S23 Ultra could be a worthwhile upgrade for 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 updates the 2023 flagship made to the 2021 model, and what you might be missing out on by upgrading to a new phone.

The display is nice and bright with a 1-120Hz refresh rate

Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra have 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with similar resolutions. However, the 2023 model increases the maximum brightness from 1,500 nits to 1,750 nits, and reports indicate that Samsung has improved the color accuracy to a higher level, especially for low usage situations. Also, the Galaxy S23 Ultra supports a refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz while the Galaxy S21 Ultra panel can only go down to 48Hz.

Overall, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s display is bright and technically superior.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra supports the S Pen very well

Although the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the first S-series flagship to get S Pen support, the phone does not have a built-in box for this iconic input device. You can say that the 2021 model is the latest Galaxy S Ultra flagship, but you can consider that a plus.

However, if you like the S Pen, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a worthy upgrade from the Galaxy S21 Ultra in the S Pen case alone. The 2023 model fully integrates the S Pen and offers the best stylus technology with minimal interruption. You no longer need to buy an S Pen case for your device, and the device will always be at your fingertips.

Improved home comfort and new design

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But even if you want the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s larger camera, there’s something to be said for the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s compatibility. The flagship 2023 has a square footprint and a smaller camera setup without the traditional “noise”. It looks more modern than the 2021 model, and the metal frame makes the phone stronger.

Apart from its improved aesthetics, the Galaxy S23 Ultra also uses better construction, such as a strong aluminum frame with better scratch and drop resistance, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 instead of screen protection. Glass Victus display. The former should provide better protection on hard surfaces such as concrete pavement. In fact, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is more suitable for unprotected use than the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Snapdragon SoC everywhere and more storage (probably faster)

For the first time, Samsung will not split the flagship market between Exynos and Qualcomm chipsets. The Galaxy S23 Ultra ships with the global 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which means that support should be good, and you will be able to get Qualcomm’s best SoC, even if you buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra in the so-called “market Exynos”. “. ”

Needless to say, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a more powerful solution than either the Snapdragon 888 or the Exynos 2100 SoCs. Also, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is said to use a unique Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 model, with a higher clock speed. for better performance. In addition, the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers more protection than standard. The base model has 256GB of storage, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra has 128GB or more. On the other hand, you will get 8GB of RAM in the Galaxy S23 Ultra instead of 12GB of RAM for the base model, but you can pay better with RAM Plus as the phone offers more storage.

Finally, if the rumors are true, the Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with faster UFS 4.0 storage instead of UFS 3.1, which should improve file transfer speed and improve RAM Plus memory performance.

The best camera has a 200MP main sensor

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the first Samsung phone to feature a 200 MP main camera. The new ISOCELL HP2 offers several improvements, especially in terms of low-light performance and autofocus. Telephoto cameras are also good, although they offer the same zoom capability. AI processing has been improved and shooting should be just as good on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Book specs

A potential downside could be a 12MP selfie sensor, down from the S21 Ultra’s 40MP unit. However, the 12MP sensor seems to be new, which could mean that it benefits from new technology to create better selfies with accurate colors. If you’re looking for a camera upgrade from the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the S23 Ultra is definitely one.

Fast battery charging (wired)

One of the unique choices Samsung made for the Galaxy S21 Ultra was to drop the charging speed to 25W. Fortunately, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has good specifications. Although both phones have a 5,000mAh battery, the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers 45W fast charging. However, Samsung also made a special choice for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Although the 2023 model offers faster charging than the 2021 standard, it appears to have a 10W wireless charger instead of the 15W wireless power of the Galaxy S21 Ultra. So you win some, lose some. But if you’re looking for a fast wired charger, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the answer.

New software and support up to Android 17

Although the Galaxy S21 Ultra was recently updated to Android 13 and One UI 5.0, Samsung will ship the Galaxy S23 Ultra with the new One UI 5.1 software.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra may finally get One UI 5.1, but the 2023 version will be a step forward. More importantly, although both phones are eligible for Samsung’s four-year Android OS upgrade policy, support for the 2021 model will end with Android 15. On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will receive Android 17 near the end of this. ten years. .

Why you shouldn’t upgrade to the Galaxy S21 Ultra

The Galaxy S23 Ultra undoubtedly offers many improvements over the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but what is it? Is there any reason to consider not upgrading to the 2023 model other than the money you’ll spend? Well, as mentioned before, you can lose 5W of wireless charging speed, up to 10W, if you upgrade to Galaxy S23 Ultra. If you’re thinking about wireless charging, that could be a problem. You also lose 4GB of RAM for the base model, although you get more storage (and maybe faster). Still, if you’re more interested in apps running in the background and don’t want to use RAM Plus, you can get a slightly better experience with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. On the software side, it is true that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will benefit from long-term support, but the Galaxy S21 Ultra has not been released. Two major OS updates are still planned for the future, so it’s unlikely you’ll miss out on the upcoming One UI release if you decide to stick with the Galaxy S21 Ultra for a few more years. Finally, a smaller user base may want to note that the Galaxy S23 Ultra lacks an FM radio. This feature is already market-dependent and is only available for the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S21 Ultra (no FM for Exynos). But now the Galaxy S23 Ultra may drop FM radio support everywhere.

If you’re considering the Galaxy S23 Ultra as a worthy upgrade, look out for the 2023 Unpacked. The event will take place on February 1, the new flagship should be available for pre-order about two weeks before delivery to the first buyers. Until February 1, you can reserve the phone online and get $50 in Samsung credit.