We put the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra through our rigorous SBMARK Display test suite to measure its performance across six criteria. In this summary of results, we’ll analyze how it performed in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Main specifications of the display:
- 6.8-inch AMOLED, (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio)
- Dimensions: 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inch)
- Resolution: 1440 x 3088 pixels, (~500 ppi density)
- Aspect Ratio: 19.3:9
- Refresh Rate: 120Hz
Pros
- Good readability in most lighting conditions
- Great video experience overall
- Good color fidelity in most lighting conditions
Against
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Low flicker frequency and brightness too high for night reading
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Under bright sunlight, colorful content lacks nuance
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Lack of detail and brightness in indoor lighting conditions
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra achieved an excellent overall display performance, showing some notable improvements over its predecessor. Both the S23 Ultra and S22 Ultra continue to lead the pack in providing the best user experience for video, with a refresh rate that adjusts to the frame rate of the content being played.
Despite good advances in motion control and, to a lesser extent, color rendering, the S23 Ultra remained essentially on the same level as the S22 Ultra for readability, and exhibited the same visible aliasing as the S22 Ultra when playing video games.
Note that all comparisons to the S22 Ultra in this review were made to the Snapdragon version of that device. The S23 Ultra only comes with a Snapdragon processor; unlike previous generations, there is no Exynos-powered version.
Trial summary
Learn about SBMARK display tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone and other display reviews, SBMARK engineers perform a series of objective and perceptual tests under real-life and controlled laboratory conditions. Please note that we evaluate display attributes using only the device’s built-in display hardware and its still images (gallery) and video apps with default settings. (For in-depth information on how we rate smartphones and other displays, check out our articles, “How SBMARK Tests Display Quality” and “A Closer Look at SBMARK Display Tests.”
The following section compiles the key elements of our extensive testing and analysis performed in the SBMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations in the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
How the display readability score is composed
Readability evaluates the ease and comfort with which users can read the still content (photos and web) on the display under various real-life conditions. SBMARK uses its Display Bench to recreate ambient light conditions ranging from total darkness to bright sunlight. In addition to laboratory tests, perceptual analysis is also performed in real-life environments.
Scoring slightly better than its predecessor S22 Ultra, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra came close to the best devices for readability. The S23 Ultra offers an “Extra Brightness” mode that allows users to manually increase the maximum brightness. Without the option turned on, the maximum brightness is 600 nits; with the option on, the maximum brightness is 1050 nits.
The S23 Ultra had good outdoor readability, but it was no better than the older S22 Ultra in this regard. Also, the newer device lagged slightly behind the S22 Ultra in terms of contrast and detail in indoor conditions, as seen below in the model’s coat collar.
In the illustrations below, both Samsung devices show slightly lower contrast than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Readability in an indoor environment (1000 lux).
From left: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Google Pixel 7 Pro
(Photos for illustration purposes only)
In low light, the S23 Ultra lacked sufficient brightness and detail to be clearly readable.
Readability in an outdoor environment (20,000 lux).
From left: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Google Pixel 7 Pro
(Photos for illustration purposes only)
In bright sunlight, Samsung’s powerful display in High Brightness mode showed good readability, with even the darkest details enhanced enough for users to see. However, the color nuances have been lost. Also, at 1910 nits, the boost for the S23 Ultra was less bright than for the S22 Ultra (1990 nits).
Readability in a sunlit environment (>90,000 lux).
From left: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Google Pixel 7 Pro
(Photos for illustration purposes only)
The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra showed excellent brightness and color uniformity.
Measurement of luminance uniformity
This graph shows display smoothness with a 20% gray pattern. The more visible the green color, the smoother the display.
How the Display Color score is composed
The color attribute evaluates the device’s ability to faithfully reproduce colors. Measurements taken include fidelity, white point color, and gamut coverage. We perform color assessments for different lighting conditions to see how well the device can handle color in its surroundings. Colors are measured using a spectrophotometer in a controlled lighting environment. The perceptual analysis of the color rendering compares with the reference model displayed on a calibrated professional monitor.
As with Samsung devices in general, the S23 Ultra’s color was saturated, with the exception of skin tone colors (see color fidelity chart), as users would find such saturation unsettling given the sensitivity of human eyes to this regard. Overall, the S23 Ultra was less saturated than its predecessor.
The S23 Ultra handled rendering better than the S22 series, but while the S22 Ultra had an orange cast, the S23 Ultra had a green cast, which is worse for rendering skin tones. Despite the green cast, color fidelity was good.
Like most devices, the S23 Ultra doesn’t adjust to ambient lighting; her white point is set to a D70 illuminant (7000 Kelvin).
White point with illuminant D65 at 1000 lux
In the following illustrations, the S23 Ultra’s color under bright lighting was oversaturated, but it was still a slight improvement over its predecessor’s color, even if it wasn’t a complete fix.
Color rendering in sunlight (>90,000 lux)
Clockwise from top left: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Google Pixel 7 Pro
(Photos for illustration purposes only)
The Samsung S23 Ultra tended to oversaturate colors while keeping the same hue. However, skin tones looked natural.
Color fidelity measurements
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, color fidelity at 1000 lux in the sRGB color space
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, color fidelity at 1000 lux in Display-P3 color space
Each arrow represents the color difference between a target color pattern (arrow base) and its actual measurement (arrow tip). The longer the arrow, the more visible the color difference. If the arrow stays inside the circle, the color difference will only be visible to trained eyes.
In one corner, the white dot takes on a blue to green tint.
Color behavior on the corner
This graph shows the color shift when the screen is tilted. Each point represents a measurement at a particular angle. The dots within the inner circle show no color change in the corner; those between the inner and outer circle have shifts that only trained experts will see; but those which fall outside the outer circle are evident.
Color shift on the corner
From left: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Google Pixel 7 Pro
(Photos for illustration purposes only)
How the soundtrack of the Display Video is composed
Our video attribute evaluates each device’s Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) and High Dynamic Range (HDR10) video handling in indoor and low-light conditions. We measure the tone mapping, color gamut, brightness and contrast of the display. We perform perceptual analysis Cons our professional reference monitor (Sony BVM-HX310) to ensure rendering respects artistic intent.
Among all the smartphones in the SBMARK database, the latest Samsung device continues to provide the best video experience for the end users with good brightness and pleasant colors. The S23 Ultra is 10 nits brighter in low light than the S22 Ultra, helping the newer device deliver a more realistic look to HDR scenes.
Video rendering in a low light environment (0 lux).
Clockwise from top left: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Google Pixel 7 Pro
(Photos for illustration purposes only)
Clockwise from top left: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Google Pixel 7 Pro
(Photos for illustration purposes only)
Gamut coverage for video content
Primary colors are measured in both HDR10 and SDR. The extracted color gamut shows the extent of color area that the device can render. To meet artistic intent, the measured gamut should match the primary color space of each video.
How the Display Motion score is composed
The motion attribute evaluates the handling of dynamic content. Frame drops, motion blur, and playback artifacts are examined using games and videos.
The handled frame of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra drops noticeably better than the S22 Ultra, as well as providing better responsiveness when using the interface to navigate a video.
The video frame drops
These long exposure photos feature the number of frame irregularities in a 30 second video. Good performance shows a regular pattern (a flat gray image or a pull-down pattern).
The S23 Ultra also adapted the frame rate depending on the video content. We played a white video at 24fps, 30fps and 60fps via the YouTube app and measured the device’s temporal response (shown below). We noticed that the S23 Ultra’s refresh rate matches the displayed video frame rate.
How the Display Touch score is composed
To evaluate touch, SBMARK uses a haptic robot and a high-speed camera to play and record a series of scenarios for fluency, accuracy, and response time evaluation.
Touch is where the S23 Ultra has made major improvements, resulting in more fluidity and precision.
This response time test accurately evaluates the time between a single tap of the robot on the screen and the displayed action. This test is applied to activities that require high responsiveness, such as gaming.
How the display artifact score is composed
Evaluating artifacts means checking performance, image rendering, and motion artifacts that can impact the end-user experience. SBMARK accurately measures device reflectance and flicker, and evaluates the impact of residual aliasing when playing video games, among other characteristics.
The S23 Ultra had the same flickering issue and showed visible aliasing as the S22 Ultra (albeit slightly improved); it also handles vibrations a bit better than the old phone.
Aliasing (foreground)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
(Photos for illustration purposes only)
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – Crop 1
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – Crop 2
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – Crop 3
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