I’m still using the Galaxy S23 Ultra for one important reason

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The back of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, focusing on its rear cameras.
Joe Maring/Digital Developments

It’s been about 5 months for the reason that Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra hit the scene. Within the time since then, the S23 Extremely has made it apparent why it’s among the finest smartphones cash can purchase. It appears nice, has unimaginable efficiency, and has one of the versatile cameras available on the market.

Though the Galaxy S23 Extremely isn’t my main Android phone these days, it’s one which I like coming again to — and for one purpose. The digicam! Your complete digicam system on the Galaxy S23 Extremely has confirmed its price time and time once more, and over the course of this yr, one side of it has stood out amongst each different cellphone I’ve used.

The telephoto digicam is simply too good

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in Sky Blue, seen from the back.
Andy Boxall/Digital Developments

What’s that purpose? It’s the telephoto digicam. Or, extra particularly, each of the telephoto cameras on the Galaxy S23 Extremely. As a fast refresher, the S23 Extremely has two telephoto cameras — one with 3x optical zoom and one other with 10x optical zoom. And utilizing the primary 200MP digicam, you’ll be able to digitally zoom all the best way as much as 100x.

Telephoto cameras on smartphones are nothing new in 2023, however the high quality of the S23 Extremely’s zoomed-in photographs is what actually units it above the competitors. You may zoom in a lot, and even at 10x or above, photographs look shockingly good.

You may actually see simply how good the telephoto efficiency is in our Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 7 Pro camera test. Take a look at the 2 footage above from the Pixel 7 Professional — taken at 10x zoom and 30x, respectively. At first look, they give the impression of being fairly good!

However then examine them to the identical scene captured by the Galaxy S23 Extremely. It has a lot extra element, clearly depicting particulars and textures that the Pixel 7 Professional fails to seize when attempting to zoom in at such nice distances.

This is without doubt one of the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s greatest traits, and it’s one of many explanation why it’s among the finest telephones you should buy at present. And because the weeks and months have handed for the reason that S23 Extremely’s launch, I’ve discovered a very nice use for its telephoto capabilities.

It’s the proper wildlife pictures instrument

A person holding the Galaxy S23 Ultra and taking a photograph.
Andy Boxall/DigitalTrends

Animal photographs. The reply is animal photographs.

There are so many issues you should use the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s telephoto cameras for. You may zoom in on faraway buildings, get new views on random objects in your house, and a lot extra. However each time I choose the S23 Extremely up, I discover myself utilizing the digicam as a wildlife pictures instrument.

I take animal photographs with each cellphone I take advantage of, however most of them usually go away one thing to be desired. I can technically take photographs of birds, squirrels, deer, or different critters with any cellphone I’m utilizing — however none of them let me get as up shut and private because the S23 Extremely does. Simply have a look at the filth on the squirrel’s whiskers within the third photograph!

Most significantly, it lets me do that safely and with out disturbing any of my outside neighbors. I can zoom in 3x, 10x, and even 15x to get an up-close photograph whereas sustaining my distance, and in contrast to most different smartphones, I do know the Galaxy S23 Extremely goes to ship a photograph that’s truly price sharing even when zooming at such nice distances.

Are the photographs excellent? No. The Galaxy S23 Extremely can solely accomplish that a lot, and in the event you zoom in to 15x, 20x, or past, you’ll discover clear high quality variations between utilizing the primary digicam at a standard 1x distance. However in comparison with zooming to those self same lengths with different smartphones, the S23 Extremely is leaps and bounds higher than nearly the rest.

That is additionally one thing Tushar touched on earlier this yr when he wrote about why he’s obsessed with the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera. Regardless in the event you’re taking footage of geese, squirrels, elephants, or rhinos, the S23 Extremely handles them exceptionally effectively.

I need this on each cellphone in 2024

The Galaxy S23 Ultra, Xiaomi 12T Pro, Redmi Note 12 Pro+, and the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra's camera modules.
Andy Boxall/Digital Developments

As we make our means by means of the remainder of 2023 and steadily creep nearer to 2024, I’d like to see producers take high quality telephoto cameras extra severely.

Smartphone cameras have gotten exceptionally good lately, however in terms of major and ultrawide cameras, it looks like we’ve begun to plateau. It’s turning into more and more troublesome to discover a smartphone with an outright unhealthy digicam system. There are nonetheless some stinkers right here and there, however for probably the most half, you’ll be able to safely depend on getting a reliable digicam setup with the following cellphone you purchase.

However telephoto cameras? There’s nonetheless loads of room to develop! The Pixel 7 Pro has a most optical zoom of 5x, the iPhone 14 Pro faucets out at 3x optical zoom, and the OnePlus 11 presents a meager 2x optical zoom. These are a number of the best smartphones you should buy at present, however the S23 Extremely handily beats all of them for zoom photographs.

That’s good for Samsung, however I need extra telephones I can depend on for excellent telephoto photographs. There’s large worth in having a smartphone digicam with such a dependable zoom — particularly in the event you like capturing cute critters — and I desperately hope we see extra of that quickly.

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