Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra suddenly looks much more appealing

After the success of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, many are eagerly anticipating Samsung's follow up. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is expected to be released early in 2023, but that hasn't stopped the rumour mill from turning.

We've already got a good idea of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs, which, combined with stunning design renders, look set to make it a shoe-in for best Android phone. Perhaps the most notable inclusion on that spec sheet is a 200MP camera. Those are still as rare as hens teeth, with the first 200MP camera phone revealed just three months ago.

We may have already seen the first image taken by the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, too. Well-regarded tipster and Samsung authority, Ice Universe, posted photos to a Weibo account, suggesting that two images showed the difference between the S22 Ultra and the S23 Ultra when zoomed in.

Now, the same account has posted again. An appropriately autumnal array of three pumpkins are shown, asking users to zoom in to see the difference in quality. Three hours later, Ice reposted the images, stating that the three, in order, were taken by the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, and the Google Pixel 7 Pro. 

That last one could be especially important. The Pixel 7 Pro features some internal wizardry which redefines the standard for phone photography. 

After getting hands on with both the Pixel 7 Pro and the S22 Ultra recently, I can tell you just how good both cameras are. That makes the images posted by Ice Universe even more impressive, because the S23 Ultra is leaps and bounds ahead. There is just a level of detail that isn't apparent in either of the other two images, making the shot appear far more lifelike.

It's worth noting that there is no official verification for these images being taken on an S23 Ultra, though Ice has been very vocal about using one for a few weeks across Twitter and Weibo. If anyone is likely to have their hands on an elusive pre-production model, Ice is.

One thing is certain though: phone photography looks set to get a whole lot better in the coming year.