Given the amount of time people spend on their smartphones each day, it is imperative to purchase a product you feel comfortable using. The way phones are used often differs – some people may be heavy social media users, while others may be on their devices purely for gaming purposes. There are a ton of other ways people may spend time on their phones, which sets up an important question – which phone is the best all-rounder? We have scoured the market to assess what the top brands have to offer and think we have come up with the answer – read on to find out more.
Introducing the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
When it comes to listening to customer feedback, Samsung is one of the best in the business at taking on board what users have to say about their products. This point is perfectly demonstrated by their decision to switch to the hugely reliable Qualcomm chipsets across all regions worldwide. A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset powers the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, providing significant performance uplifts on the Exynos 2200 chip which preceded it.
The phone features a 6.8 Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a QHD+ (1,440 x 3,088) resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. There are a handful of storage options available, but it makes sense to go for the 1TB model with 12GB of RAM if your budget will allow. The S23 Ultra incorporates a massive 200MP main camera, a pair of 10MP optical zoom lenses (3x & 10x), a 12MP 120-degree ultrawide, and a 12MP (f/2.2) selfie shooter. The 5,000mAh battery is the same size as in previous models, but the switch to the Snapdragon chipset has made a big difference to the battery life. Available in several different colors and using a plethora of recycled materials, there is undoubtedly a lot to like about the S23 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in Action
We spent a week putting the S23 Ultra through its paces and struggled to find anything that left us thinking we did not want to keep the phone. The reflective aluminum sides and frosted glass rear are aesthetically pleasing, while all of the primary bits and pieces are located in user-friendly positions. The S Pen is a pleasure to use, with the responsive screen never offering a hint that it feels resistant to lengthy note-writing sessions. Where the phone really shines is with its intuitive interface, which allows for seamless navigation through whichever apps you fancy using.
Gaming performance was particularly impressive, with the phone outranking the iPhone 14 Pro Max in several key metrics. We also used the phone to engage in an extensive session on an online gambling site and found that it seamlessly handled everything we threw at it. The chipset never missed a beat as we flipped through different betting markets and placed wagers, while live streaming of the events ran without a hitch. The S23 Ultra also facilitated easy access to the payment methods that are common in sports betting, with the apps in question downloading in a matter of seconds. As mentioned earlier, the impressive battery life on this phone is a standout feature, offering more than 28 hours of video playback in one session.
If you are the type of phone user who enjoys immersive gaming sessions or wagering on long sports events, you cannot go wrong with the S23 Ultra. The phone inevitably delivered the goods in all other elements of our testing, with its camera performance perhaps the most noteworthy. The inclusion of a 200MP camera is not a first in the industry, but you would be hard-pushed to argue that any other manufacturer has done it better than Samsung.
Even if you are a complete photography novice, you will be astounded by the quality of images the S23 Ultra allows you to take. This phone is THE benchmark in terms of an all-rounder and is well worth the financial outlay given it is backed by five years of guaranteed software updates.
