But while it’s true that the S23 Ultra offers more premium features, the our Galaxy S23 review shows that it shares more than a few capabilities with its pricier sibling that make this one of the best Samsung phones. Swipe to scroll horizontally Galaxy S23 Galaxy S23 Ultra Screen size 6.1-inch AMOLED (2,340×1.080) 6.8-inch AMOLED (3,088×1,440) Refresh rate 48Hz-120Hz 1Hz-120Hz CPU Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy RAM 8GB 8GB, 12GB Storage 128GB, 256GB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Rear cameras 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto (3x zoom) 200MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto (3x zoom), 10MP telephoto (10x zoom) Front cameras 12MP 12MP Battery size 3,900 mAh 5,000 mAh Battery life (Hrs:Mins) 10:27 12:22 Charging speed 25W wired 45W wired Size 5.8 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches 6.4 x 3.1 x 0.35 inches Weight 6 ounces 8.2 ounces Colors Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, Cream Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, Cream With the Galaxy S22 family, the base model featured a contour cut design in which the cameras were housed in a separate array that blended into the side of the phone; meanwhile, the rear camera lenses of the Galaxy S22 Ultra were stacked in a vertical line simply prottruding from the back of the phone. So apart from different sizes to accommodate the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s larger screen, you’ve got two phones that essentially look alike thanks to the same design flourishes.
That’s because Samsung made the Galaxy S23 screen brighter, with a maximum brightness of 1,750 nits which just happens to match the S23 Ultra’s rating. Colors are marginally more accurate on the Galaxy S23 display, too, given the 0.24 Delta-E rating in Natural mode to the S23 Ultra’s 0.3 score. Similarly, the Galaxy S23 Ultra gives you a more powerful telephoto lens — two of them, in fact, since Samsung equips that phone with a pair of 10MP sensors that offer a 3x and 10x zoom. Other phones in the S23’s price range like the $799 iPhone 14 and $599 Pixel 7 don’t offer a dedicated telephoto lens, so that gives the Galaxy S23 a leg up on the competition.
That’s an overclocked version of the standard Qualcomm silicon that allows Samsung’s flagships to deliver faster performance than other top Android phones. The two phones posted nearly identical single-core scores on GeekBench 5, though the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s multicore result was noticeably better. Our real-world test in which we transcode video using Adobe Premiere Rush produced matching 39-second times for each phone. The similar testing numbers are noteworthy if you’re wondering which phone to get, as they confirm that you’ll get top performance even if you opt for the less expensive Galaxy S23.
We have phones surf the web continuously over cellular, timing how long it takes them to run out of power. That turned out to be 12 hours, 22 minutes for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, landing it a spot on our best phone battery life rankings. While Samsung’s entry-level flagship is limited to 25W wired charging, the S23 Ultra offers a faster 45W speed. With both Galaxy S23 models shipping with Android 13 and Samsung’s One UI 5.1 interface, you can expect similar software experiences regardless of whether you use the S23 or the S23 Ultra.
If you’re the sort of person who views their smartphone as a productivity tool, you’ll appreciate the ability to jot down notes, edit photos and sketch out ideas using the included stylus. If you want the flexibility of a 200MP camera, the power of a great telephoto lens or the productivity boosting capabilities offered by the S Pen, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s asking price of $1,199 is perfectly easy to justify.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: is it worth $400 more?
Interestingly, the changes across the board this year are considerably more iterative — a good sign that Samsung’s S-series lineup has reached a certain maturity. For the most part, Samsung’s top-of-the-line smartphones aren’t bringing any groundbreaking new features or major camera changes this year. Instead, the focus is on smaller quality-of-life improvements that result in the S23 models refining Samsung’s approach to its high-end smartphones rather than redefining it.
Wireless PowerShare App marketplace Google Play Store Google Play Store Network support 5G mmWave 5G mmWave Colors Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender Price From $799 From $1,199 Available from Samsung Samsung Review S23 hands-on S23 Ultra Review
With a 6.1-inch edge-to-edge screen, the S23 is definitely more svelte than the phablet-like S23 Ultra, which has a 6.8-inch display and a design that clearly shows its roots in the Galaxy Note era. This means things may look a bit crisper on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but one can also make the argument that this is more important on the larger screen.
Both feature an IP68 water-resistance rating with Samsung’s latest Armor Aluminum chassis and Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the front and back — an improvement that Corning promises will offer better drop protection should your phone happen to land on a rough surface like concrete. This gives the Galaxy S23 models an impressive performance boost over their rivals’ similarly equipped flagships.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Galaxy S23 remains limited to Samsung’s 25-watt first-generation Super Fast Charging spec. While the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip will likely power more advanced computational photography features to produce better results — the S23 and S23 Ultra offer the same imaging capabilities on the software side — the raw camera specs are mostly identical to what came last year. As usual, Samsung’s camera software will use pixel binning to produce significantly better-quality photos at standard resolutions. This means that other than features specifically tied to hardware, such as the S-Pen and the more advanced camera system on the S23 Ultra, both models should provide the same software user experience.
More significantly, Samsung now promises four major Android OS updates and five years of security patches. Still, it’s a nice bonus for those who want to sketch or take notes on the S23 Ultra’s expansive 6.8-inch screen, and it makes Samsung’s most premium flagship even more of a multipurpose powerhouse that can handle everything from photography to productivity.
Buying direct from Samsung lets you choose exclusive Graphite and Lime colors for both phones, plus Red and Sky Blue options for the S23 Ultra. You’re getting the same cutting-edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip found in the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the same version of Android — and the same update promises — plus a great AMOLED screen and a very capable camera system.
It has the best cameras by a long shot, support for Samsung’s S Pen, and significantly better battery life than the smaller Galaxy S23. That makes the higher price tag much easier to swallow and helps justify splurging a bit on the higher-capacity models, which will also give you 12GB of RAM for peak performance.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S23 Plus vs. S23 Ultra
Samsung announced a new batch of Galaxy S flagship phones at its Unpacked event this week, all of which are set to arrive soon. Samsung’s trio of flagships for 2023 offer some refined designs — which look a little iPhone-like, if I’m being candid — with some camera, battery, and processor improvements over last year’s S22 generation.
You can expect our detailed reviews soon, but, in the meantime, there are plenty of things you may be able to determine right now — especially if you’re in need of an overdue upgrade and want to take advantage of some juicy preorder promotions.
Samsung’s Ultra model is always the one pushing the envelope with the most cameras, the largest amount of RAM and storage potential, and now, by far, the most megapixels.
Moreover, all three S23 phones have the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 120Hz OLED panels, and now feature Wi-Fi 6E radios for potentially faster speeds on less congested bands.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which premium Android phone should you buy?
On one hand, the Galaxy S23 Plus is what you’d expect in a premium high-end phone, and its competitors include other high-end phones like the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or Google Pixel 8 Pro with similar specs and features. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is its own thing in a different league with no competitors in the US market. We lean towards the Galaxy S23 Plus for its comprehensive performance and features for a more traditional price point. Specs Galaxy S23 Plus Galaxy S23 Ultra Display 6.6 inches OLED, 1080p, 120Hz 6.8 inches OLED, up to 1440p, 120Hz Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Optimized for Galaxy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Optimized for Galaxy Storage 256GB, 512GB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Battery and charging 4,700mAh, 45W charging speed 5,000mAh, 45W charging speed Rear cameras 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x zoom 200MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x zoom, 10MP 10x zoom Selfie camera 12MP 12MP Dimensions and weight 6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 inches, 6.91 ounces 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches, 8.25 ounces Starting price $999.99 $1,199.99
With that said, we never felt the need to set the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s display to 1440p, as the default 1080p resolution is easily sharp enough for everything we did during testing and regular use, and it doesn’t use up extra battery. With that said, it’s not necessary to charge at 45W — it’s more of a convenience factor that gives you a boost in battery life quickly when you need it. One of the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s main differentiating factors is its camera system, which includes four lenses while most premium phones “only” come with three. Compare that to the Galaxy S23 Plus’ 50-megapixel (MP) main, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP 3x optical zoom cameras.
It’s incredibly versatile and offers sharp and clear photos of subjects far away. The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s S Pen stylus can be a major selling point if you ever thought your fingers were too clunky for what you do on a phone. It’s not a must-have feature for most people, and Galaxy S23 Ultra owners who aren’t interested in using the S Pen can ignore it and forget it’s even there. Still, it’s a useful tool for note takers and those who use a stylus for more accurate tapping, whether for generally navigating around Android and apps, or making finer photo edits where a clunky finger just isn’t precise enough.
The combination of the S Pen, large screen size, and quad-lens camera makes the Galaxy S23 Ultra and its $1,200 starting price one of the most expensive phones you can buy — only the $1,200 iPhone 15 Pro Max matches the S23 Ultra in price. It’s still a phone with a large display, it beat the Galaxy S23 Ultra in our battery stress test, and it has a camera system that most people would be happy with, all for a lower price.
If you take lots of photos with your phone and you find yourself using the zoom lens more than the main camera, you have a solid case to go for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
And if you’ve ever wished for finer and more accurate screen tapping than your fingers can provide, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s S Pen could be indispensable.
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