The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra started off sounding like it wasn't going to be one of the best Android phones of 2023.
So the rumors stated, the Galaxy S23 Ultra was barely going to improve on the outgoing Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is currently the best Samsung phone with a single screen, as well as the firm's Android flagship.
But a series of recent leaks have pointed toward that being bang wrong. And now we've just got a concrete list of 5 big camera upgrades delivered by the S23 Ultra from Samsung's own leakster-in-chief, Ice universe.
Ice, who has a bullet-proof reputation for accurately reporting on future Samsung phone hardware going back over half a decade, has seemingly got early access to the Galaxy S23 Ultra's details and has been posting about the handset for a while now, sharing his thoughts.
Here are the camera upgrades the Galaxy S23 Ultra delivers as stated by Ice on Twitter:
"1. 200MP more natural details and less noise
2. Night mode photos have improved significantly
3. The details of 12MP photos in daily mode are improved, and the color seems to be different
4. 10x telephoto sharpness is improved, followed by subtle changes of 20x, 30x, and even 100x
5. AI plays more roles in telephoto, such as repairing some lines, numbers, and letters to make them look more natural"
Ice also confirms that these might not be the only camera upgrades that the S23 Ultra delivers, either, with him saying he will "think again" if there's anything else he's overlooked.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
The T3 take: Samsung flexes its Android phone camera credentials
Looking at this list of improvements, the big thing that stands out to me is that, really, most of them are software optimizations.
And that makes sense, as the hardware has always been there really with Samsung phones – the sensors and lenses have not been what has held the firm's camera systems back.
I mean, once again seeing confirmation of that 200MP camera sensor is really welcome, and very much hammers home that the Galaxy S23 Ultra is going to be an Android phone for camera enthusiasts, but the optimizations Samsung has reportedly made to reduce noise, improve image color accuracy and detail, enhance low-light photography and improve the involvement of AI processing in telephoto photography really sounds like the even bigger upgrade.
It sure looks like, if what Ice says is true (and he almost always is), then the Galaxy S23 Ultra is going to deliver an Android phone camera experience that will likely be the best in the world, combining awesome hardware with compromise-free image processing software.
Obviously, the proof will be in the pudding so to speak, so you can be sure that we will go into incredible detail when testing the phone's camera system for our full Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review.
Now, if Samsung could just bring the Galaxy S23 Ultra's camera system to the Galaxy Fold Z Fold 5, then I'd be ecstatic.
Rob has been writing about computing, gaming, mobile, home entertainment technology, toys (specifically Lego and board games), smart home and more for over 15 years. As the editor of PC Gamer, and former Deputy Editor for T3.com, you can find Rob's work in magazines, bookazines and online, as well as on podcasts and videos, too. Outside of his work Rob is passionate about motorbikes, skiing/snowboarding and team sports, with football and cricket his two favourites.
-
Forget Black Friday, all Amazon Prime members getting one of the best sci-fi games of all time for free
18 free games are coming for Amazon Prime subscribers in December
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Samsung's Ray-Ban rivalling smart glasses could steal Galaxy S25's thunder
Samsung’s smart glasses could make an appearance at the Galaxy S25 launch
By Chris Hall Published
-
Samsung accidentally posts its own Galaxy S25 spoilers
Revealing One UI 7 features gives us a glimpse at future phone powers
By Chris Hall Published
-
This monster 77-inch Samsung OLED TV is less than half price for Cyber Monday – that's crazy!
You can get $1,700 off the Samsung Class S84D OLED at Best Buy right now
By Rik Henderson Published
-
This Samsung Odyssey OLED monitor deal has to be seen to be believed
49-inch, curved, ultra-wide and OLED – it doesn't get any better than this
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Samsung plans to take on Steam Deck and Switch 2 with a unique gaming handheld
Patent suggests Samsung's skill in another area could transform handheld consoles
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Google set to make moving between Android phones much less painful
Buying a new Android phone? Your next migration could be a lot smoother
By Chris Hall Published
-
Massive Samsung Galaxy upgrade could come from this new camera system
Samsung has developed a new smartphone zoom system that packs its periscope into a much smaller space
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Samsung Galaxy S25 surprise launch date leaked – could be in your hands in weeks
Pencil the 5 January in your diary
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Why wait for Black Friday? This massive 75-inch Samsung 4K TV is under $550 right now
The monstrous Samsung DU6950 has more than 26% off in an early Black Friday deal
By Rik Henderson Published