The high-performance BMW M3 has officially been translated into a superpowered smartphone via a collaboration between Samsung and BMW Korea. Considering the S233 Ultra is the company’s new pinnacle flagship, a partnership like this seems inevitable, presenting luxury buyers with the souped-up Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra ‘BMW M Edition’ due to start shipping on February 17, 2023.
With the Galaxy S23 Ultra released on the same day, demand is bound to be high for the powerful phone. Headline features include a 200MP sensor, a massive battery and the blazingly efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy (Octa-core) chipset. And while none of the under-the-hood specs has been changed for the S23 Ultra BMW M Edition, the design and obsessive level of detail positions the limited-edition device as the ultimate version of what will likely be the high-end phone to beat in 2023.
Specifically, design inspiration for the Galaxy S23 Ultra ‘BMW M Edition’ has been lifted from the BMW model M3 E30, which was sold between 1986 and 1992. Harking back to this model appears a wise choice for the collaboration, digging at a bit of nostalgia for car enthusiasts by blending vintage design with Samsung’s ultra-modern aesthetic.
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The luxury smartphone ships in a special edition box themed on the E30 M3, which is further packed in a hard case that’s inspired by the M3 G80’s hood and kidney grille. The front has a licence plate reading “Ultimate G23” as well as BMW’s 50th-anniversary M logo on the hood. Buyers also get a bunch of BMW accessories including a power, photo book, a “We Are M” logo and a key ring.
Not much about the BMW-specific design makes its way onto the phone itself, except for an animation when the phone boots, which features BMW’s three M colours along with an analogue watch, tiny compressor and a sunglasses holder. Other than that, the specs and internals for the Samsung S23 Ultra ‘BMW M Edition’ are exactly the same as the Samsung S23 Galaxy.
Samsung x BMW is only making 1,000 of these units with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage. Although, if you wanted to get your hands on one, you’d need to try and import it from South Korea. It’s only being sold locally over there for KRW 1,727,000 (AU$1,950). Notably, there’s no price bump over the standard version, given the regular S23 Ultra starts at $1,949.
Although you’ll probably miss out on the sweet local offer, where people who buy the phone in person will also be given a Starter Park Voucher for the BMW Driving Center in Incheon.
You’ll only be able to buy directly from T-World, which is also selling a Starbucks version of the S23 Ultra.
