Galaxy S23 Ultra, the Samsung mobile with a 200-megapixel camera to ward off the mobile crisis

The mobile market is facing a long-term storm. Since 2016, sales have fallen due to the effects of the different crises (covid, restrictions on China or the war in Ukraine) and inflation. In addition, the ability of companies to present differentiated products has been increasingly scarce. Samsung, the Korean multinational that competes with Apple for the throne of mobile telephony, tries to conjure up this scenario and has presented this Thursday in San Francisco, in an event replicated worldwide and to which EL PAIS has been invited, the Galaxy S23 Ultra and others two models in the range (S23+ and S23). The first, the most advanced, aspires to lead the way to the competition based on three aspects: a camera with a 200-megapixel sensor, the latest generation of processors that facilitate any interaction in microseconds, including the most demanding games, and the maximum use of its possibilities of artificial intelligence. These are its main features.

Main characteristics of the Galaxy S23

Screen. The flagship model, the S23 Ultra, has a 6.8-inch screen, which is about 17.2 centimeters diagonally. Here there have been no substantial changes since the market for now considers that this is the optimal size for high-end mobiles that are not foldable. The lower models are 6.1 inches. The mobile features specific color and contrast adjustment functions, as well as four lighting levels instead of two to correct for the effects of brightness or daylight.

Battery. Nor has progress been made in the nominal capacity of the batteries (between 3,900 and 5,000 milliamps per hour (mAh), depending on the range), equivalent to viewing videos between 22 and 26 hours. The substantial difference in this aspect, in the images and in the processing, is the incorporation of the latest Snapdragon chips (semiconductors): the 8 Gen 2. The addition of these to the new Samsung models allows a 20% longer battery life. the same battery on other terminals. These next-generation processors allow you to take advantage of artificial intelligence to optimize graphics performance by 40%.

Memory. The smallest versions of the S23 range have 8GB of memory and will be marketed with capacities of between 128 and 512GB for storage. The Ultra have between 8 and 12 GB of memory and between 256 GB and up to a terabite to save files.

Camera. Along with the new Snapdragon processors, the cameras are the big bet of the S23 generation. Both aspects go together. Nightography features have been enhanced to optimize photos and videos in different environmental conditions, even in a night setting, and artificial intelligence corrects visual noise and increases sharpness. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has an Adaptive Pixel sensor (200 megapixels) and high-resolution processing (pixel binning). The lower models offer 50 megapixels, but also incorporates the optical image stabilizer (OIS).

For selfies and videos (selfies), the Galaxy S23 series incorporates fast autofocus and a Super HDR camera, which jumps from 30 to 60 images per second. In addition, the mobiles incorporate an exclusive application (Expert RAW5) to capture and edit images, including those of the night sky, as well as zoom functions to take photos remotely using Galaxy Watch smartwatches.

Match. In this regard, the combination of Snapdragon with Samsung represents a considerable advance for the use of the mobile as a gaming platform. The new chips allow faster execution (25%), more realism and lower consumption (40%). A new rendering platform enables realistic characters and ray tracing for mobile gaming without compromising battery performance.

Recycling. “The most impactful technology is measured not only by what it enables people today, but also by how it contributes to a better future. We are redefining ultimate performance by fusing power and lasting innovation, into devices that have less environmental impact,” said Tae Moon Roh (TM Roh), President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. In this way, the Galaxy S23 series is partially made with recycled materials: aluminum, glass and recycled plastics from discarded fishing nets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.

Security. The range includes Samsung Knox, a security platform that allows users to know who has access to their data and how it is used. Knox Vault, which was first introduced on the Galaxy S21 series, isolates critical information from the rest of the device, including the operating system.

Availability and price. As of February 17, the new mobile models will be available. The 28GB Galaxy S23 5G will cost 959 euros; the 256GB one, 1,209; the 512 GB, 1,329. The Ultra 5G version goes from 1,409 euros with 256 GB, to 1,589 with 512GB and 1,829 euros if the terabite of internal storage is reached.

The new devices can already be pre-purchased at the usual points of sale and Samsung.com with an offer of double the storage for a lower price, up to an extra 150 euros discount when delivering the old terminal and other additional accessories depending on the product.

laptops

The mobile market is not the only device market with high competition. Samsung recently resumed the range of laptops and also this Wednesday has presented its latest models: Galaxy Book3 Ultra, Book3 Pro 360 and Book3 Pro. The second is a two-in-one (computer and tablet) with S Pen functionality. They are all mobile friendly. “Today, we see how more and more people use various devices to work efficiently and collaboratively,” explains TM Roth. In this way, the devices allow web sessions started on the computer to continue on the mobile. Users can move between multiple screens on different devices and copy, paste, or drag and drop files between devices or turn them into additional monitors

The Galaxy Book3 Ultra features the latest 13th generation Intel Core i9 processor and NVIDIA RTX Geforce 4070 GPU for laptops. The screens, between 14 and 16 inches, use Dynamic AMOLED 2X, used in the range of premium Galaxy mobiles and which are incorporated into laptops to provide a 3K (2880×1800) resolution.

They will be available in certain markets, not yet specified, from February 17 or March, in the case of the Galaxy Book3. The prices of the six models range from 2,999 euros for the most advanced version, the 16-inch Galaxy Book3 Ultra to 1,499 euros for the 13-inch laptop. For these units, the double capacity offer is also repeated for a lower price and in the event of equipment renewal.

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