Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra suddenly looks like a desirable Android phone

Samsung's new Android flagship realized like we've never seen it before

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Android phone in Bora Purple colorway
(Image credit: 4RMD)

Despite the standard Samsung Galaxy S23 not generating a lot of good feels lately, with all leaks pointing to a scarily similar phone to this year's Samsung Galaxy S22, the incoming flagship Galaxy S23 Ultra is making waves in the best Android phones rumor mill.

It's making waves because the new Android phone is rumored to be coming with a series of Android phone upgrades that look like they're going to make it a worthwhile update to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is among the very best Samsung phones.

For example, just days ago did the S23 Ultra's awesome new "ultra night photography" feature leak, which is reportedly "the biggest improvement of Samsung's flagship mobile phone in five years."

This comes on top of the S23 Ultra's already leaked whopping new 200MP camera sensor upgrade, which is slated to offer its user "unparalleled analytical power".

Now, though, we've just got our best look yet at the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra courtesy of this stunning video trailer, which comes courtesy of talented concept designer 4RMD. And the concept video makes the S23 Ultra look a lot more attractive than recent leaks have suggested it was going to be.

The concept video shows a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra equipped with a 6.8-inch display with "thinner bezels" than the previous flagship, as well as a brighter screen, too, which is capable of a 2000 nits peak brightness.

In terms of design tweaks for the Android flagship, the handset features "slightly curved edges" with a "flat display", with the screen coated with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+.

The S23 Ultra is shown to come with an S Pen digital stylus, too, which is black and slots into the handset when not in use.

In terms of cameras, the S23 Ultra in the video comes with a 16MP Ultra Wide unit with a "new, faster sensor", a 108MP Wide camera capable of 8K video recording at 30fps (even though a new 200MP sensor has widely leaked), and a 12MP Periscope unit capable of 12x optical zoom and 120x digital zoom. While around the front this Android handset offers a 40MP Wide selfie camera.

As for power and performance, the phone comes loaded with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB in storage space, and a 5,000mAh battery.

There are a number of colorways for the phone shown in the video, too, including Phantom White, Phantom Black, Beige, Bora Purple and Mint.

The T3 take: Accurate to the latest leaks, but where is the 200MP camera?

It's clear that 4RMD has done their homework with this concept video, as it includes many details about the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra that have been leaked or heavily rumored over the last few months.

Indeed, we know from prolific leakster OnLeaks about the slightly curved edges and flat display, as too its near-identical overall design when compared to the S22 Ultra.

However, what this concept video oddly doesn't show is the S23 Ultra's main party piece upgrade – that the phone is confirmed by Samsung's leakster-in-chief, Ice Universe, to be coming with a 200MP rear main camera sensor.

Indeed, Ice actually has said that, "100% confirmed, S23 Ultra main camera: < 200MP,0.6μm,1/1.3",F1.7 >". And based on over half a decade of bulletproof predictions in terms of future Samsung phone tech and features, that tells us at T3 that this is happening. So the 108MP unit shown in this video doesn't feel accurate to us; the S22 Ultra had that sensor.

Overall, though, there's no denying that this concept video makes the S23 Ultra look more appealing than ever before, and especially in the "Bora Purple" colorway, which in our opinion suits the handset really well. Here's hoping Samsung delivers the colorway on the official phone release.

Whether or not these upgrades will prove enough for Android phone users to plump for the S23 Ultra remains unknown, though, and with incredibly potent rival handsets such as the Google Pixel 7 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 12T Pro already on the market, Samsung is going to have its work cut out to retain its King of Android crown in 2023.

Robert Jones

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.