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Our takeEditorialSamsung's 2023 flagship Ultra at refurb pricing, with a fresh Verizon-installed battery and a one-year warranty — the smart way to buy this phone in 2026.
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Certified Re-Newed-New Battery
7.5/10 UpPhone score
Samsung's 2023 flagship Ultra, refurbished by Verizon with a new battery — and a new lease on life.
Screen
6.8"
Chip
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SM8550-AB (4 nm)
Camera
200 MP
The verdict, & two little voices
Should you actually get the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Certified Re-Newed-New Battery?
The editor weighs in — flanked by the optimist on her shoulder and the cynic on the other.
“S Pen, 10x periscope, fresh battery, Verizon warranty — three years old and still doing things the new Ultra doesn't.”
“Three-year-old silicon, no Galaxy AI, refurb cosmetics — the new battery isn't the part that ages worst.”
Our take
Samsung's 2023 flagship Ultra, refurbished by Verizon with a new battery — and a new lease on life.
The S23 Ultra was Samsung's high-water mark in 2023: the 200 MP main sensor, the built-in S Pen, the 10x optical periscope zoom, and an OLED panel as good as anything Apple was shipping. Three years on, the S26 Ultra now sits in the showroom and the S23 Ultra has slid down the lineup to the refurb tier. Verizon's Certified Re-Newed program is the path that makes the most sense for this phone — same hardware, same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 still snappy in 2026, but with a fresh battery to reset the part most likely to have aged out, and a one-year Verizon warranty to backstop the rest. At $659.99 it's a couple hundred under what a current S26 Ultra costs new, and you keep the S Pen and the 10x reach the regular S26 still doesn't have.
What we love
- S Pen built in — the only mainstream phone that still does this in 2026
- 10x optical periscope zoom holds up against the S26 Ultra's 5x main and the iPhone 17 Pro Max's 8x
- 200 MP main sensor produces sharp daylight stills and clean low-light pixel-binned shots
- 6.8-inch OLED at 120 Hz, 2200 nits peak — still flagship-quality panel
- 5000 mAh battery; the Re-Newed program installs a fresh one, so no aged-out cell anxiety
- IP68 rating handles rain, sinks, and pool splashes
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is one generation behind today's leader but still comfortably fast
- Verizon's one-year warranty on the Certified Re-Newed unit
- 12 GB RAM gives plenty of headroom for multitasking
- Android 15 already loaded; Samsung supports the S23 line through 2027 at minimum
What we don't
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is two generations behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in the S26 Ultra
- No Galaxy AI features that launched on the S24 generation; some came back via update, but the on-device AI experience is thinner
- 45W wired charging is fine, not class-leading — newer Samsung flagships push 65W
- Verizon-only at this price; not a buy if your address has weak Verizon coverage
- Refurbished cosmetics may show light wear; the Re-Newed grade isn't the same as factory-sealed
- 233 grams is heavy by 2026 standards; the S26 Ultra dropped weight
- No guarantee of the original 1 TB storage variant — base unit is 256 GB
- Samsung's One UI skin still ships extra apps you may not want
Full specifications
Display
Size6.8"
Resolution3088 x 1440 px
PPI501
Performance
ChipSnapdragon 8 Gen 2 SM8550-AB (4 nm)
OSAndroid 15
Camera
Rear camera200 MP
Rear camera 210 MP
Front camera12 MP
Battery
Wireless charging15W wireless
Frequently asked questions about the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Certified Re-Newed-New Battery
What kind of display does the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Certified Re-Newed-New Battery have?
A 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel at 3088 x 1440, 120 Hz adaptive, with 2200 nits peak. That's the smooth-scrolling flagship-tier feel, bright enough for direct sunlight, and a resolution high enough that text on news sites and PDFs reads sharp without zooming. The S26 Ultra has nudged peak brightness higher and added some anti-reflective treatment, but in a side-by-side at indoor lighting most people couldn't tell the panels apart. Display is the dimension where the S23 Ultra has aged the most gracefully.
What kind of camera does the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Certified Re-Newed-New Battery have?
A four-camera system that was the most ambitious thing on Android in 2023: a 200 MP main sensor that pixel-bins to a clean 12 MP, a 12 MP ultrawide, a 10 MP 3x telephoto, and a 10 MP 10x periscope. The 10x reach is the part that still impresses in 2026 — the S26 Ultra dropped the dedicated 10x in favor of a 5x main with software cropping, so the S23 Ultra technically out-zooms the current Ultra at long distances. Daylight detail is excellent. Low-light noise is real on the periscope; the main sensor handles it better. Video tops out at 8K, 30 fps; 4K, 60 is the more usable mode.
What is the battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Certified Re-Newed-New Battery?
5000 mAh, and because this is a Certified Re-Newed unit the cell is fresh. That matters — the part of an older flagship most likely to have degraded is the battery, and Verizon swaps it before relisting. Real-world endurance lands solidly in the through-a-day-on-heavy-use band; light days stretch into a second morning. 45W wired charging tops up to roughly half in about 25 minutes; 15W wireless is fine, not fast.
What processor does the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Certified Re-Newed-New Battery use?
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 was the leading Android chip in 2023 and remains comfortably fast in 2026 — apps open quickly, scrolling stays smooth at 120 Hz, and casual gaming holds frame. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in the current S26 Ultra is two generations ahead, with better sustained performance under long gaming or 4K video sessions, but for messaging, photography, navigation, and streaming the gap isn't something most people would feel. Paired with 12 GB RAM there's headroom for heavy multitasking.
How much storage does the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Certified Re-Newed-New Battery have?
The base Re-Newed configuration ships 256 GB, with no microSD slot. That's the comfortable-for-most tier — plenty of room for apps, photos, and a healthy offline music library, with breathing room before you start managing space. Heavy 8K video shooters or anyone who hoards apps may want to confirm a 512 GB unit is available before checkout.
What kind of speakers does the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Certified Re-Newed-New Battery have?
Stereo speakers with one bottom-firing driver and one earpiece tweeter — the standard flagship setup. Loud enough to fill a kitchen for a podcast, clear on calls, slightly thin in the low end like every phone speaker. No reason to buy or skip on this dimension.
Does the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Certified Re-Newed-New Battery support fingerprint or face unlock?
Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader plus 2D face unlock. The fingerprint sensor is one of the best in the Android tier — fast, accurate, works through screen protectors. Face unlock is the camera-only kind; secure enough for opening the phone, not for banking apps. Most people end up using the fingerprint reader as the daily method.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Certified Re-Newed-New Battery water-resistant?
IP68. Rated for 1.5 meters of fresh water for 30 minutes — handles rain, kitchen sinks, and pool splashes. Saltwater and prolonged dives still aren't part of the rating. Standard for a flagship in this tier.
