The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is already on the market, so it’s time to face it with last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra. After Nothing’s CEO mocked the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s lack of innovation, you too may be wondering if Samsung is really cheating users with a new mobile that does not improve almost nothing to the previous one or if, on the contrary, people are letting themselves be carried away by appearances. We have prepared an in-depth comparison between both mobiles to find out.
It does not take a genius to realize that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has not included any significant design changes, but that does not mean that it is the same inside. Precisely, It is inside the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Ultra where we will find their main differences. So we are going to gut them to find out if it is worth making the leap to the new generation or if it is better to stay with the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Comparison table of specifications: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Galaxy S22 Ultra (right) vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra (left)
As you can see in the image, there are practically no differences in design between these two mobiles. The only notable thing is that the lenses of the S23 Ultra’s camera are a bit thicker and more robust due to the inclusion of a higher resolution main sensor and a new protective glass. Otherwise they are exactly the same. You will find more substantial differences in the comparative specifications table:
|
Specifications |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions and weight | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm. 234 grams. | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm. 229 grams. |
| Screen | 6.8″ QHD+ (3088 x 1440 pixels) with Dynamic AMOLED 2X curved panel, 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 501 ppi, 1750 nits peak brightness, HDR10+, 89.87% screen-to-body ratio, and protection Gorilla Glass Victus 2. | 6.8″ QHD+ (3088 x 1440 pixels) with Dynamic AMOLED 2X curved panel, 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 500 ppi, 1750 nits peak brightness, HDR10+, 89.72% screen-to-body ratio, and protection Gorilla Glass Victory+. |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with Adreno 740 graphics. | US: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 with Adreno 730 graphics. Europe: Samsung Exynos 2200 with AMD graphics. |
| RAM | 8 or 12 GB (LPDDR5+). | 8, 12 or 16 GB (LPDDR5). |
| Storage | 256 GB or 512 GB or 1 TB (UFS 4.0). | 128, 256, 512 GB or 1 TB (UFS 3.1). |
| Rear camera | 12 MP ultra-wide angle: -Pixel size: 1.4μm -Field of view: 120˚ -Aperture: f/2.2 -With Dual Pixel AF 200 MP, wide angle: -Pixel size: 0.6μm (12 MP 2.4μm) -Field of vision: 85° -Aperture: f/1.7 -With PDAF and OIS 10 MP, telephoto: -With Dual Pixel AF -Pixel size: 1.12μm -Field of view: 11˚ -Aperture: f/4.9 -Sensor size: 1/3.52″ -10x optical zoom (up to 100x hybrid) 10 MP, telephoto: -With Dual Pixel AF -Pixel size: 1.12μm -Field of view: 36˚ -Aperture: f/2.4 -Sensor size: 1/3.52″ -3x optical zoom |
12 MP ultra-wide angle: -Pixel size: 1.4μm -Field of view: 120˚ -Aperture: f/2.2 -With Dual Pixel AF 108 MP, wide angle: -Pixel size: 0.8μm (12 MP 2.4μm) -Field of vision: 85° -Aperture: f/1.8 -With PDAF and OIS 10 MP, telephoto: -With Dual Pixel AF -Pixel size: 1.12μm -Field of view: 11˚ -Aperture: f/4.9 -Sensor size: 1/3.52″ -10x optical zoom (up to 100x hybrid) 10 MP, telephoto: -With Dual Pixel AF -Pixel size: 1.12μm -Field of view: 36˚ -Aperture: f/2.4 -Sensor size: 1/3.52″ -3x optical zoom |
| Frontal camera | 12MP: -Pixel size: 1.12μm -Field of view: 80˚ -Aperture: f/2.2 |
40MP: -Pixel size: 0.7 μm (10 MP 1.4 μm) -Field of view: 80˚ -Aperture: f/2.2 |
| connectivity | Dual Band WiFi 6E, Dual SIM 5G, Bluetooth 5.3 LE for the S23 Ultra and Bluetooth 5.2 for the S22 UltraNFC, USB-C 3.2, GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou, BDS, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, IP68 water resistance, ultrasonic fingerprint reader under the screen, 2D face unlock, Samsung DeX, Samsung Pay and built-in S-Pen (Ultra model only). | |
| Battery | 5000mAh with fast charging 45W. Compatible with Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (15W) wireless charging. | |
| OS | Android 13 with One UI 5.1. | Android 12 with One UI 4.1. (Upgradable to One UI 5 and Android 13). |
| Price | From €1409. | From €1,259. |
| buy it here | ||
Practically the same screen, but with different curvatures and protections
Galaxy S22 Ultra screen (right) vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra (left)
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a slightly better grip by having a less pronounced curvature on the sides of the screen than the S22 Ultra. Besides, offers better protection against drops and scratches by having the new Gorilla Glass 2 glass which in theory is more resistant to impacts than the Gorilla Glass Victus+ of the S22 Ultra. Also, it must be said that the S23 Ultra has a slightly thicker aluminum frame and larger and more comfortable to press power and volume buttons.
Although they seem to use the same screen, since both are 6.8 inches with 2K resolution, variable refresh rate of 120 Hz and up to 1750 nits of brightness, they really the S23 Ultra uses an E6 OLED panel which is a bit more advanced and better in terms of colors than the one mounted by the S22 Ultra. However, the difference is not that big to notice.
The jump in power is brutal
With the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung ended the tradition of launching its flagships with different processors depending on the region. The Galaxy S22 Ultra came with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the US and an Exynos 2200 in Europe, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra has arrived with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in all parts of the world. Specifically, Samsung’s latest flagship mounts a custom processor called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, which is basically an overclocked version of Qualcomm’s original chip.
Not enough to use the most powerful processor of the moment, the Galaxy S23 Ultra also includes today’s fastest RAM and storage technologies: LPDDR5+ and UFS 4.0. All this makes its performance better than the Galaxy S22 Ultra that uses LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. And we are not saying it, it is confirmed by the main benchmarks of the world:
According to performance tests, the Galaxy S23 Ultra it is better than the Galaxy S22 Ultra not only in raw power, but also in energy efficiency and gaming performance (when compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 variant, which is the best of the S22 Ultra).
Likewise, it must be said that the S23 Ultra has arrived with Android 13 from the factory and 4 major confirmed Android updates. Instead, the S22 Ultra comes with Android 12 out of the box (you can already upgrade to Android 13) and 4 confirmed major Android updates. That means the S23 Ultra will update to Android 17, while the S22 Ultra will stay on Android 16.
The camera offers twice the resolution, but is it really better?
The only difference in the camera that the Galaxy S23 Ultra has included is found in the main sensor, which is not 108 MP like the S22 Ultra. Uses a new 200 MP sensor that should theoretically guarantee better photographic performance. Remember that in mobile photography megapixels are not as important as it seems. Don’t expect to be out there shooting 200-megapixel photos all the time. In fact, both phones take 12-megapixel photos most of the time, which is the default mode.
Yes indeed, the sensor of the S23 Ultra combines 16 megapixels in a single one to take better illuminated photos and with more details than the sensor of the S22 Ultra, which can only combine 9 pixels into one. Another improvement to the Galaxy S23’s camera is the increased shutter speed, so it takes less time for each shot.
However, Are all these improvements noticeable in the actual photos taken by the S23 Ultra? Judge for yourself:
Definitely, there is obviously an improvement, although it is not so significant as to opt for one mobile or another. By the way, we do not want to fail to mention that the front camera of the Galaxy S22 Ultra is 40 MP, while that of the S23 Ultra is only 12 MP. Of course, this does not mean that the selfie camera of the S23 Ultra is worse, since it has not been demonstrated in the camera tests. There are practically no differences in the selfies of these two mobiles.
Improved speakers and similar autonomy
Although they use the same stereo speakers, those of the Galaxy S23 Ultra have been fine-tuned by the company AKG Acoustics, And you can see it! They are not only heard louder, but also clearer and more defined at low volumes.. Now, if you usually listen to music with headphones, obviously this improvement will not have any importance for you.
In terms of autonomy, both phones use a 5000 mAh battery with 45 W fast charging. However, the Galaxy S23 Ultra can offer a little more battery life, according to tests. Samsung estimates that the S23 Ultra will last 99 hours on standby, 22% more than the previous version. Even so, none will guarantee you an autonomy of 2 days.
Galaxy S23 Ultra or Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is more worth buying?
Currently, the Samsung Galaxy S23 costs €1409 (8 GB + 256 GB) and the Galaxy S22 Ultra is worth €994 (8GB + 256GB) on Amazon. The price difference is huge. If you want a premium smartphone and your budget is €1,000, obviously we recommend sticking with the S22 Ultra. It is not worth spending almost €500 for a model whose improvements in power and camera you will not notice in daily use.
Now, once the price of these devices begins to equalize and the difference is less than €150, it is clear that you should choose the better of the two: the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Thus, you will get a more powerful mobile phone for games, with a better camera and with one more year of official support.
And if you already have a Galaxy S22 Ultra, we do not recommend you take the leap because there is no significant innovation for which it is worth changing mobile. Better wait for the next generation where Samsung will surely be able to add more news that deserves your investment.
