• This evening Samsung debuted three new smartphones as part of its Galaxy S23 series.
• The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best specced of the lot.
• Key among these specifications is large 200MP lens, which offers a number of night photography features.

Samsung held its first Galaxy Unpacked event for 2023 earlier this evening, where the South Korean company showcased its latest mobile phones in the form of the Galaxy S23 series. As in previous years, there are three models available in the lineup, which is led by the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The new flagship phone looks a lot like last year’s impressive model, but is usually the case, Samsung has added beefier specifications and components to the mix. The standout on the S23 Ultra is a 200MP lens – the ISOCELL HP2 – which Samsung debuted earlier in the year.

Rumoured to be utilised in the upcoming Ultra model, as expected, it does feature here.

Along with the 200MP lens, three other options make up the rear camera array – with a 12MP ultra-wide and pair of 10MP lenses in the quartet. Added to the new array is a 12MP selfie camera, as well as a number of features aimed at improving the night time photography of the S23 Ultra.

Here Samsung explains that the 200MP sensor takes the regular 16 pixels found in such systems and combines them into one larger pixel to boost the low light capture and overall performance. There are also better bokeh effects for night portraits, as well as an astro timelapse mode. Along with the massive lens, Samsung has imbued the S23 Ultra with advanced VDIS to cope with noise in low light conditions, and 2x wider OIS, meaning it is delivers solid performance in a variety of scenarios, according to Samsung.

Last worth mentioning is a RAW photo mode that adds more professional tools to hand, as well as the ability to record 8K video content at 30fps, as Samsung aims for the Ultra to be used by content creators in particular.

Looking at some of the other specifications on the S23 Ultra, it features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 5 000mAh battery, and of course the S Pen stylus, which is housed within a recessed slot in the frame of this phone, just like last year’s model.

As for local availability and pricing, the Galaxy S23 Ultra goes up for pre-order tomorrow, carrying a recommended price tag of R31 999, and going on sale from 25th February. Like the entire S23 series, the Ultra can be purchased in four different colour options – Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender.