Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra SM-S918W Phantom Black 256GB

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra remains a top-tier phone for photography and productivity thanks to its 200MP camera, versatile zoom, and built-in S Pen. You can now pick one up for under $500 if you go the renewed route, though expect a few cosmetic scratches. If you're okay with a larger, heavier device, it's an incredible value.

We put the S23 Ultra through our usual gauntlet, and it lands in the 83rd percentile for raw performance among current phones. That's not the absolute top of the heap anymore, but it's still well above average. In practical terms, apps open snappily, 4K video edits render without breaking a sweat, and multitasking with multiple Chrome tabs and YouTube playing picture-in-picture doesn't cause a hiccup. The UFS 4.0 storage helps with quick file transfers, too.

Where you'll notice the chip's age is in the most demanding games. You can push Genshin Impact at high settings, but frame rates dip more than they do on something like a OnePlus 15 with a newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. For most people, the difference is negligible. But if mobile gaming is your top priority, you might find better sustained performance elsewhere.

Stacked against the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, the S23 Ultra holds its own with a bigger display, higher resolution, and that built-in S Pen you won't find on an iPhone. The iPhone 16 Pro Max likely has a performance edge with newer silicon, but for photography, the Galaxy's 10x optical zoom still beats Apple's digital crop. The Google Pixel 10a is a closer camera showdown; it excels in computational photography and low-light shots, but lacks a dedicated zoom lens, so anything beyond 3x looks soft. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the obvious generational leap with a brighter screen and faster chip, but it costs nearly three times what a renewed S23 Ultra goes for. The Motorola razr ultra 2025 takes a completely different approach with its foldable design and pocket-friendly clamshell form, though its camera system can't match the S23 Ultra's zoom range or resolution. If you value zoom, stylus input, and a gorgeous screen over raw speed and compactness, Samsung's older flagship remains a strong contender.

At its original $1,200 asking price, the S23 Ultra was a big investment. These days, you can snag a renewed model for as little as $400 from Amazon Renewed, which is an absolute steal for what you're getting. Even at the higher end of that range—say $700 for a pristine unit—it undercuts new flagships by a wide margin. Compared to something like the iPhone 17 or Xiaomi 17 Pro, which both start well over a grand, the S23 Ultra offers a premium experience and that unique S Pen functionality for way less cash. If you're okay with a few minor dings, it's one of the best deals in mobile right now.

If you're hunting for a flagship phone that can still go toe-to-toe with the latest releases without costing a fortune, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is an easy pick. Its 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is a showstopper, cranking up to 1750 nits of brightness and a buttery 120Hz adaptive refresh rate that makes everything from doomscrolling to gaming feel fluid. The real draw, though, is the camera system. A 200MP main sensor paired with not one but two telephoto lenses (3x and 10x optical) means you get genuine zoom versatility that most phones can only dream of. And let's not forget the S Pen tucked inside—once you start scribbling notes or signing PDFs on the go, it's hard to go back.

The phone runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with 8GB of RAM, which keeps day-to-day tasks and heavy apps moving at a clip. Battery life is another highlight: the 5000mAh cell consistently pushes through a full day, even with the screen cranked up. At 233g and with squared-off edges, it's not a small or light phone, so anyone looking for something pocket-friendly will probably find it a bit much. But for creatives, power users, and anyone who loves a big, brilliant canvas, this thing still delivers.

Prices are all over the map—we've seen anywhere from $400 for a renewed unit to nearly $9,799 for some weird third-party listings. Amazon Renewed is where the real value hides, often under $700 for a clean refurb. Just be prepared for a few battle scars if you go that route; our buyer feedback data shows a pattern of scuffs around the charging port and camera edges, which is pretty typical for used phones.

Skip the S23 Ultra if you want a compact phone that disappears in your pocket—this thing is thick and heavy. Competitive mobile gamers may also prefer a newer chip for higher frame rates, and if you're allergic to refurbished phones, the fluctuating renewed quality will annoy you. For a lighter, faster one-handable phone, check out the Samsung Galaxy S24 or Motorola razr ultra 2025; for a fresh-out-the-box experience with long zoom, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a solid alternative.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in 2025? If you want a big-screen powerhouse with a camera that can genuinely replace a point-and-shoot and an S Pen that turns the phone into a pocket notebook, absolutely. It's still fast, still has excellent battery life, and still takes photos that can humble plenty of newer phones. The compromise is weight and size—if you have smaller hands or hate carrying a brick, this isn't the one.

For anyone who mainly games or needs the smallest possible footprint, look toward a OnePlus 15 or even a standard Galaxy S24. But for creators, note-takers, and zoom-crazed photographers, the S23 Ultra is a slam dunk, especially at the spicy low prices we're seeing on the renewed market.