The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best Samsung phone you can buy right now. Starting at $1,200, it’s also the most expensive non-folding phone that Samsung sells. And the Galaxy S23 Ultra has received praising reviews so far, with camera performance and battery life among the phone’s highlights. The Galaxy S23 Ultra started shipping to buyers last week, and some buyers have discovered a troubling screen defect.
Parts of the display might appear as squashed near one of the corners. It’s not a great look for a $1,200 phone. But Samsung calls it normal, as the screen defect results from the manufacturing process.
As usual with this sort of discovery, Galaxy S23 Ultra owners took to social media to complain about the screen defect. They posted photos and videos that highlighted the screen’s strange deformity. In some images, the screen issue looks like a screen protector is starting to come off. The deformation appears at the corner where the screen meets the bezel.
It’s unclear how widespread the issue is, but several Galaxy S23 Ultra owners have shared photos and videos showing their screens.
Samsung has responded on Twitter, claiming the squashing/pressing look is normal. Apparently, it’s a byproduct of manufacturing. Here’s Samsung’s response:
If you shine a strong light on the display, some parts may appear to be squashed/pressed, this happens because of the pressing process for waterproofing and dustproofing. This is not a product defect. Everything is fine with your phone.
That should put your mind at ease. There’s nothing wrong with the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s display. It’s not coming off, and it should work just as intended.
However, we’re still looking at a design imperfection that shouldn’t be there on a $1,200 flagship phone. It shouldn’t be there on a mid-range handset, either.
While Samsung might be right to minimize the Galaxy S23 Ultra screen defect issue, it’s certainly a disturbing detail. Just imagine the latest iPhone showing a similar display defect issue that Apple would label as normal.
You still can return the Galaxy S23 Ultra and ask for a replacement or refund. But that free trial window is closing fast.
Interestingly, only the Galaxy S23 Ultra seems to have the screen issue. The cheaper Galaxy S23 models seem to be fine.
