The Galaxy S23 Ultra is only a week away from its official presentation. All the leaked information so far has painted a positive picture. Samsung updated almost every aspect of its upcoming flagship for 2023, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra is an interesting proposition for Samsung flagship customers, especially those who live in markets where trade-in values are stellar.
We’ve already listed many 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 improvements the 2023 flagship brings to the 2021 model, and what you might be missing out on by switching to the newer phone.
Better and brighter display with 1-120Hz refresh rate
Both the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra have 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with similar resolutions. However, the 2023 model increases the peak brightness from 1,500 nits to 1,750 nits, and reports indicate that Samsung has adjusted color accuracy to a higher level, especially for low-light usage conditions.
Also, the Galaxy S23 Ultra supports a refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s panel can only go down to 48Hz. This means the Galaxy S23 Ultra panel is friendlier to battery life, which can make up for the higher brightness.
All in all, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s screen is brighter and technologically superior.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra fully embraces the S Pen
While the Galaxy S21 Ultra was the first S-series flagship to adopt the S Pen support, the phone lacks a built-in case for this iconic entry-level device. You could say that the 2021 model is the last pure flagship of the Galaxy S Ultra, and you could see that as an advantage.
However, if you have any interest in the S Pen, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a worthy upgrade over the Galaxy S21 Ultra in the S Pen case alone. The 2023 model fully incorporates the S Pen and offers better stylus technology with lower latency. You no longer need to buy an S Pen case for your device and the accessory will always be within reach.
Better build quality and a newer design
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But even if you prefer the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s bulky camera housing, there’s something to be said for the consistency of the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s design.
The 2023 flagship has a squarer footprint and a much more minimalist camera setup without a traditional ‘hump’. It looks more current than the 2021 model and the thicker metal frame makes the phone look sturdier.
Aside from its updated aesthetics, the Galaxy S23 Ultra also uses better construction materials, such as a sturdier aluminum frame with better scratch and drop resistance, along with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 instead of the protection of Glass Victus screen. The former should provide better protection against drops on hard surfaces such as concrete pavements. In essence, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is better suited for use without a protective case than the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Snapdragon SoC throughout and more (possibly faster) base storage.
For the first time, Samsung will no longer split the flagship market between Exynos and Qualcomm chipsets. The Galaxy S23 Ultra ships with a 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 worldwide, which means support should be better, and you’ll get to experience Qualcomm’s best SoC yet even if you buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra in the so-called “Exynos market”. .”
And it goes without saying that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a more powerful solution than the Snapdragon 888 or the Exynos 2100 SoCs. In addition, the Galaxy S23 Ultra uses an exclusive version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which boasts higher frequencies for better performance
In addition, the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers more storage as standard. The base model has 256GB of storage, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra has 128GB or higher. On the other hand, you get 8GB of RAM with the Galaxy S23 Ultra instead of 12GB of RAM for the base model, but you can comfortably compensate with RAM Plus as the phone offers more storage.
Finally, if the rumors are true, the Galaxy S23 Ultra ships with faster UFS 4.0 storage instead of UFS 3.1, which should make file transfers faster and help the performance of the virtual RAM Plus.
Better cameras with a 200 MP primary sensor
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung’s first smartphone to feature a 200MP primary camera. The new ISOCELL HP2 offers many improvements, especially in low-light performance and autofocus.
Telephoto cameras are also better, although they offer the same zoom capabilities. The AI processing was improved and zoomed shots should look much better on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
A potential downgrade could be the 12MP selfie sensor, down from the S21 Ultra’s 40MP unit. However, the 12MP sensor appears to be new, which could mean that it takes advantage of new technologies to create better selfies with more accurate colors.
If you’re looking for a camera upgrade from the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the S23 Ultra certainly qualifies as one.
Faster battery charging (wired)
One of the more unusual choices Samsung made for the Galaxy S21 Ultra was to drop the charging speed to 25W. Fortunately, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has better specs. While both phones have 5,000mAh batteries, the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers super-fast 45W charging.
However, Samsung also made an unusual choice for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. While the 2023 model boasts faster wired charging than the 2021 flagship, it appears to have 10W wireless charging instead of the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 15W wireless capabilities.
So, you win, you lose. But if you’re looking for faster wired charging, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the way to go.
Latest software and support up to Android 17
While 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 firmware.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra may get One UI 5.1, but the 2023 model will have a head start. More importantly, while both phones qualify for Samsung’s enhanced four-year Android OS update policy, support for the 2021 model will stop at Android 15. On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will receive Android 17 closer to the end of this decade. .
Reasons not to upgrade from Galaxy S21 Ultra
The Galaxy S23 Ultra certainly offers a lot of upgrades over the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but what’s the downside? Is there any reason you should consider not upgrading to the 2023 model other than the money you’d have to spend?
Well, as mentioned before, you can lose 5W of wireless charging speed, down to 10W, if you switch to the Galaxy S23 Ultra. If you care about wireless charging, this might be a problem.
You also lose 4GB of RAM for the base model, though you get more (and possibly faster) storage. However, if you value more apps running in the background and don’t want to use RAM Plus, you may have a lesser experience on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
In terms of software, it is true that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will be supported for longer, but the Galaxy S21 Ultra is not left behind. It still has two major OS updates planned for the future, so don’t miss out on upcoming One UI releases if you decide to keep using the Galaxy S21 Ultra for another couple of years.
And finally, a relatively smaller user base may want to know that the Galaxy S23 Ultra lacks an FM radio. This feature was already market-dependent and only available for the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S21 Ultra (no FM for Exynos). But now, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is likely to drop FM radio support everywhere.
If you think the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a worthy upgrade, keep an eye out for Unpacked 2023. The event will take place on February 1, and the new flagship should be available for pre-order for about two weeks before the ‘shipping to first buyers. Through February 1st, you can pre-order the phone online and earn $50 in Samsung credit.
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