Samsung brings out new S23 weapon in the Megapixel Phone Wars

200MP snapper comes at a £1,1249 starting price

Samsung has shot to the top of the Smartphone Megapixel Bragging league with a 200 MP camera sensor on its new S23 Ultra, one of a trio of Galaxy S23 Series devices in three screen sizes (6.1 inch, 6.6 inches and 6.8 inches.

The S23 Ultra ranges from £1,249 (256GB. to £1,599 (1TB). The S23+ is £1,049 (246GB to £1,149 (512GB) and the S23 is £849 (128GB) or £899 (256GB)

At 200MP, the S23 Ultra camera surpasses the 48MP camera on Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro models Samsung claims the Ultra camera can handle nearly any lighting conditions with improved night photography giving sharper images and videos with less noise in low-light conditions and better colour from newer image processing algorithms.

All three screens are AMOLED displays and have 120Hz refresh rates. The Ultra gets an edge-to-edge display similar to previous Galaxy models. The other S23 and S23+ models have 50MP cameras.

The S23 Ultra supports 8K video and has a 10x optical zoom using periscope lens tech.

The ‘elephant in the room’ is the massive data files generated by 200MP and 8K photos and video. Some commentators wonder why that image quality is even necessary for Instagram and social media output.

S23 Ultra pricing starts at £1,249, ahead of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Analysts say only users of older flagship phones or mid-tier devices will experience tangible real-world benefits

“It’s an impressive device which ticks all the boxes. The challenge is getting users to upgrade with what is perceived to be incremental improvements when everyone is tightening their belts. Everything is heading in the wrong direction for consumer electronic providers”, Commented PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore:

“Samsung is pushing hard to offer the best smartphone camera. The picture quality is good enough that Samsung had enough confidence to film their event using the new handset”, said Uswitch.com mobile commentator Ru Bhikha

“The cameras have broadly the same specs as the S22. So this model might not be enticing to those who bought the S22. There are significant improvements to low-light photography and the use of AI in enhancing images for people with older models.

“The S23 and S23+ have a boost to their battery life. The Ultra has remained unchanged. This could attract some criticism by those expecting the ultimate gaming and productivity phone”.

The S23 range is powered by a tweaked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 across all three handsets.

“Samsung is definitely shooting for the stars but their prices are pretty astronomical too. The basic S23 is £849, the same price as the standard iPhone 14. The S23+ and the Ultra are much more expensive than their Apple equivalents. Whether or not this introduces a new precedent of £1,500- handsets on the market remains to be seen” said Bikha.

“It will be interesting to see how many people go for the Ultra, We’ve seen demand for premium smartphones soften as people spend less due to the cost-of-living crisis. Samsung and selected partners will be offering a deal to purchase the S23’s higher memory variant for the same cost as the entry variant. Customers can get the 256GB version for the price of 128GB and 512GB for the price of the 256GB one – so keep your eyes peeled”, said Bhikha.

CCS Insight connected devices principal analyst Leo Gebbie agreed the S23 device is impressive but that “the emphasis on improvements to camera capabilities and battery life is nothing new”. 

“They underscore the difficulty that Samsung and other phone-makers have to find new ways to promote and sell their products. Customers who will feel the most benefits will be those upgrading from older models or from a mid-range device. Those who have bought a premium mobile in the last year or two will see little difference between what they have and the new Galaxy S23”.