If you're looking at Samsung's 2023 phones, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is ostensibly a Galaxy Note by another name. It's the manufacturer's crown jewel, not only featuring a massive 200MP camera, but the biggest display, and an integrated S Pen.
How much does the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra cost in Australia?
The starting prices for the Galaxy S23 family all increased this year, but it's complicated. In the case of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, you're looking at spending a minimum of $1,949. That's a $100 price increase over last year, but you're also getting double the storage. The base model Galaxy S23 Ultra has 256GB, whereas you only got 128GB last year.
A 256GB Galaxy S22 Ultra sold for $1,999 at launch in 2022, so the Galaxy S23 Ultra is technically cheaper. In short, the starting price of the phone is more expensive, but it's better value.
Here's the pricing for the whole family:
| Phone | RRP | See Price On | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy S23 (128GB) | $1,349 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 (256GB) | $1,449 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (256GB) | $1,649 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (512GB) | $1,849 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (256GB) | $1,949 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (512GB) | $2,249 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (1TB) | $2,649 | Samsung | Amazon |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra features
The Galaxy S23 Ultra's big new feature is a massive 200MP camera on the back. In addition, there's a new and improved selfie camera, and the front screen now almost has no curve. S Pen fans will be glad to know the S23 Ultra still includes Samsung's trademark stylus.
Galaxy S23 Ultra design
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is cut from the same cloth as last year's model but has one meaningful change. While the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a noticeably curved screen, the curve is all but gone this time around. There's the teeniest of tapers that stop it from being entirely flat, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra is effectively curved in name only.
In terms of Galaxy S23 colours, you have a choice of cream, green, lavender or phantom black. If you order directly through the Samsung website, you'll also be able to pick from lime, graphite, red, and sky blue.
Galaxy S23 Ultra camera
The Galaxy S23 Ultra camera gets a big upgrade: a massive 200MP primary lens. This should help with low light performance and also gives you the option to take 200MP and 50MP photos that you can then crop in on.
Otherwise, the Galaxy S23 Ultra's rear-facing cameras are identical to last year. You get a 12MP ultra-wide lens, 10MP 3x telephoto lens, and 10MP 10x telephoto lens.
You do however get a few new software tricks, like astrophotography.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra also gets the new 12MP front-facing camera that also features on the standard Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. The camera has faster autofocus and a wider aperture that helps with selfies in low light.
Galaxy S23 Ultra battery
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery, just like the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Samsung does however say we can expect a bit more longevity thanks to the more efficient processor.
From our testing, we found the battery to be pretty average. You can expect to make it through a single day comfortably on a single charge and possibly even a second day without too many compromises.
Galaxy S23 Ultra processor
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, just like the standard Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus.
Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G
The Galaxy S23 family all support 5G connectivity.
WhistleOut's coverage checker tool has 5G coverage maps, making it easy to see whether you can get 5G. All you need to do is pop in your address when searching for a new phone plan. After you've done so and hit Search, you can jump straight to the coverage map by tapping See Coverage Map and then tapping Click To Activate Interactive Map.
This map will show you what kind of coverage you have in your area. 5G coverage is highlighted using the darkest shade of purple, but unticking 4G and 3G can help make it clearer. The drop-down menu lets you choose between telcos.
Coverage maps are only approximate, only show outdoor coverage, and may be impacted by local conditions such as buildings.
| Galaxy S23 | Galaxy S23 Plus | Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | Flat 6.1-inch | Flat 6.6-inch | Curved 6.8-inch |
| Resolution | 1080p+ | 1080p+ | Quad HD+ |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP | 200MP + 12MP + 10MP + 10MP |
| Front Camera | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| Storage | 128GB - 256GB | 256GB - 512GB | 256GB - 1TB |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB - 12GB |
| Battery | 3,900mAh | 4,700mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Water-Resistance | IP68
|
IP68 | IP68 |
| Durability | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| 5G | Sub 6 | Sub 6 | Sub 6 |
| S Pen | No | No | Yes |
| Price | From $1,349 | From $1,649 | From $1,949 |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra plan providers
Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, Woolworths Mobile and Southern Phone all offer the Galaxy 23 family. Here's a breakdown of the major benefits you can expect each provider to offer:
Telstra Galaxy S23 Ultra plans
Telstra Galaxy plans are often the priciest on the Australian market, but they do come with a host of perks.
Telstra lets you pay your Galaxy off over 12, 24, or 36 months, and all plans are free from excess data charges. If you go over your cap, your data will simply be slowed to speeds of 1.5Mbps, which is still fast enough to stream video in SD. But speeds may be slower during peak times.
Optus Galaxy S23 Ultra plans
Optus Galaxy plans come with solid data inclusions.
Higher-end Optus plans also come with unlimited international calls to selected destinations included with the plan.
All Optus plans are contract-free, and devices can be paid off across 12, 24, or 36 months.
In addition, all Optus postpaid plans are free from excess data charges. If you go over your allowance, you'll be slowed to 1.5Mbps rather than being billed $10 per gigabyte.
Vodafone Galaxy S23 Ultra plans
Vodafone Galaxy plans may not come with the kinds of freebies and perks you can get from Optus or Telstra, but they have bonuses when it comes to bundling.
If you have a Vodafone mobile plan, you can get most of the telco's internet plans - NBN, 5G home internet, and 4G home internet - at a discounted rate.
Vodafone customers also save 5% on their total mobile bill for each postpaid mobile plan on their account after the first. This discount maxes out at 20% and doesn't include handset repayments.
Vodafone postpaid plans are all free from excess data charges. When you go over your plan allowance, you'll be capped at 2Mbps.
You'll also get access to Vodafone's famous $5 roaming, which is still easily the best way to travel with your Australian phone number.
Woolworths Mobile Galaxy S23 Ultra plans
Woolworths Galaxy plans may not come from a big-name telco, but there are other perks.
To start, Woolworths Mobile also offers up to 500GB Data Banking for your excess data. Anything of your data allowance that you don't use will roll over to the next month. You can have up to 500GB of data in your data bank at any time.
Customers can also gift spare data to other Woolworths Mobile users.
Woolworths Mobile is powered by the Telstra network but only has 5G connectivity on select plans.
Southern Phone Galaxy S23 Ultra plans
Southern Phone Galaxy plans offer affordable prices and a number of other perks. Its 24-month plans include a minimum of $50 International Call Credit.
Southern Phone operates on the Optus network and only offers devices on 24-month plans.
If customers exceed their data limits, they can purchase a 1GB data boost for $10 or wait until the next billing month commences.
How to choose the best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra plan for you
There are a few key factors to keep in mind when picking a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra plan:
- Answering "how much mobile data do I use" can help you avoid overspending. Don't pay for more data than you need
- Decide whether you want to pay off your phone shorter on a 24-month plan or get a smaller bill over a longer period of time on a 36-month plan
- If you're a frequent overseas traveller consider any international roaming inclusions
- You may also want to make international phone calls so check if the destinations you may be calling are included in your plan
For a breakdown of the best Samsung plans - from unlimited data plans to plans with international calls - check out our guide. Don't need a plan? You can also check out our picks for the best samsung phones.
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