For millions of Android users the world around, the new year means a new Samsung phone. The company's Galaxy handsets aren't just some of the most popular around, but their early-year arrival sets the standard everyone is going to be looking to measure up to for months to come. We just got to meet the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+, and while both of those look like some very nice phones, the highlight of Samsung's 2023 lineup has got to be the new Ultra model. Our full review of this heavyweight is coming soon, but for now I'll whet your appetite with an early hands-on look of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, after spending a couple hours trying out this brand-new phone.

Let's not beat around the bush here: this year, Samsung has got its work cut out for it in convincing you why you should upgrade to the S23 phones. In a lot of ways, that is a consequence that's followed the company's success with the Galaxy S line, which has not just managed to basically absorb the Note series in recent years, but has really managed to settle into a groove. As a result, what's actually “new” in 2023 feels far more subtle than it has in years past — and none of that makes it easy to sell phones to people who already have one.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Design and hardware

When we first met the Galaxy S22 Ultra last year, while it was clear that this handset drew a ton of inspiration from the S21 Ultra, we also saw Samsung experiment with a newly tweaked design, changing both the edge construction and the look of the camera module, ditching the island (Samsung calls it “contour housing”) for a number of discrete raised lenses.

With the S23 Ultra, we see plenty of evidence for the success of that change, and the new camera look now permeates across the S23 lineup. Sadly, while the edge design that I liked so much on the S22 Ultra is back on the S23 Ultra, which Samsung even manages to improve upon as it tightens up the radius of the edge's curve, the smaller S23 phones have resisted incorporating that aspect of the larger model's design. I think that's a shame, because I hugely prefer the look and hand-feel of the Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Cameras

Getting further into the phone's hardware, let's start with those cameras. The 5-element array that dominates the S23 Ultra's rear panel may look just like last year's, but it's got a few noteworthy upgrades hiding within.

Probably the biggest change there is the introduction of a very high-res 200MP sensor, and while that number sounds very impressive, it's likely that most of the time users will probably shoot with pixel binning engaged, sacrificing raw pixel count for improved light sensitivity. That's joined by an optical stabilization system with an extra degree of freedom, allowing the camera to better adjust lens position in response to phone movement.

Camera software picks up a few new tricks, too. The multi-exposure mode sounds fun for creating artistic shots, and new Expert Raw integration opens the door for powerful performance from the most demanding photographers. While I wasn't really in a position to appreciate some of these changes during my brief hands-on time, the imaging experience this delivers should easily surpass what was possible from the S22U.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Software and performance

Speaking of surpassing last year's model, this was my first experience operating a phone that's running Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform (with or without Samsung's Galaxy-branded enhancements) and performance is as smooth and responsive as you'd expect. UI elements fly by at the flick of a finger with stutter-free precision.

The presence of One UI 5.1 here isn't exactly a game-changer for Samsung — largely because the company's developed such a stellar reputation for staying up-to-date with software releases — but it's nevertheless exactly what I'd want to see here, and does not disappoint.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Making the sell

While you can absolutely feel that performance, Samsung's still in a bit of a tricky position when it comes to selling shoppers on the S23 Ultra, as so much of what we get here is at best an iterative improvement upon what the S22 delivered, and the lack of bold design changes doesn't do much to communicate that there's a new Ultra in town. Samsung is going to have a much easier job selling the S23 Ultra as its flagship heavyweight to new Galaxy users, or those upgrading from something like an A-series model, than it might convincing existing Ultra users to upgrade. That's far from the end of the world, and not everyone's even interested in upgrading every year, but especially in light of recent revenue reports, I wonder if Samsung is making the wrong move here.

Honestly, though, hemming and hawing over the S23 Ultra not being a “big” enough change is probably not a constructive discussion, and I've got few illusions that this phone is going to do just great for Samsung. I am personally not a huge fan of larger-screen devices, and despite that, I really, really like the feel of the S23 Ultra. A couple years back, I carried the Note 20 Ultra as a daily driver for a while, and I've got to say that this new model keeps everything I liked about that phone while making very few missteps along the way.

My only initial complaints are very small ones — I miss the old S Pens that matched the phone's color along their entire body, rather than just the end. And for that matter, the color selection in general for the S23 Ultra is much more subdued than I'd like — the green isn't bad, but it's also a very nondescript camo-like green, rather than anything bold and joyful. Well, at least cases are always an option, though this phone truly does feel great without one.

Samsung's $1,200 price of entry for the Galaxy S23 Ultra is admittedly steep, especially with big discounts on the company's latest expensive foldables available, but preorder bonuses have already been very attractive, and Samsung and carriers alike are only going to do more to promote the S23 series in the weeks and months to come. Chances are, you're going to be able to find a pretty tempting deal among those. The S23 Ultra may not feel like a must-have upgrade from the S22U, but if you're coming from almost any other Android phone, I imagine you're going to very happy with what Samsung manged to put together here.

Be sure to check back soon for our full review of the S23 series phones, including the S23 Ultra, and if you don't feel like waiting even that long, go ahead and get the ball rolling for yourself by grabbing your own S23 Ultra: