The Samsung S22 Ultra and the Samsung S23 Ultra are two of the best smartphones from the tech giant. Both phones offer a great range of features, but which one is worth your money? In this article, we will compare the two devices and see if upgrading to the S23 Ultra is worth it. We will look at their design, display, performance, camera and battery life to determine which phone offers more value for money.
Both phones are very capable phones when it comes to camera quality, gaming performance and day to day usage. In this article we will only focus on the new upgrades that comes along with S23 Ultra to help you take an informed decision when choosing to upgrade.
Design and Build
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra looks very much like its predecessor, the Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, it does come with some notable changes – for starters, the camera array is larger due to an upgraded 200MP lens. Thankfully, this isn’t intrusive at all and actually improves the device’s appearance!
The Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Ultra both boast a durable aluminium frame. However, the S23 Ultra has an extra layer of defence with the new Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both front and back which can help protect it from drops and scratches better than before. Also S23 Ultra now comes with matt finish.
Galaxy S23 Ultra is slightly narrower, measuring 6.4 x 3.0 x 0.35 inches and lighter weighing 8.2 ounces than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches with a weight of 8.94 ounces.
Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with the color options Cream, Phantom Black, Lavender and Green. For the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the color options are Green, Burgundy, Phantom Black and Phantom White.
As a special deal, Samsung is offering four additional color options (Graphite, Lime, Light Blue and Red) only if you order the Galaxy S23 Ultra directly from Samsung.
Camera
The new Galaxy S23 Ultra really packs a punch when it comes to cameras and this will be a noticeable upgrade to users who love photography or use its advance capabilities. It boasts a remarkable 200-megapixel main shooter and 12MP front camera with auto-focus and improved HDR performance – truly raising the bar for smartphone photography!
Without a doubt the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a more advanced camera and 8K video capabilities making it perfect for those who are into photography or gaming but, if you’re not into those activities then an older model or the standard Samsung Galaxy S23 would do just fine.
Battery life and charging
On the surface, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is comparable to its predecessor, the Galaxy S22 Ultra – both with a 5,000 mAh battery. However, in actuality it can last significantly longer on a charge due to its more energy-efficient Snapdragon processor.
Processor and usability
The most exciting upgrade is the faster new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip exclusive to Samsung S23 Ultra at present that boasts of world-beating graphics performance.
Astounding! This chip offers not only maximum clock speed but also the quickest graphics performance on any phone – what a blessing!
Samsung has proclaimed that the graphics and AI performance of the new Galaxy S22 Ultra surpasses its predecessor by 40%. Moreover, it comes with an even larger vapor cooling chamber, providing sturdier long-term performance gains.
Software
The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes pre-installed with Android 13, and from our review of Android 13 we can see that the updates are helpful but not groundbreaking. This version focuses on features like stability, permission management, Material You design customization, better privacy and security settings.
Android 13 comes with an updated media player and an innovative Bedtime Mode, allowing users to customize sleeping patterns. The Spatial Audio feature – available when paired with a compatible headphone – immerses one into the audio experience. Simply remarkable!
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | |
| Display | 6.8-inch, QHD Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | 6.8-inch, QHD AMOLED Display |
| Refresh rate | 1 – 120Hz adaptive | 1 – 120Hz adaptive |
| Rear cameras | Quad Camera – 200MP Primary (f/1.7 OIS), 12MP Ultrawide (f/2.2), 10MP 3x Telephoto (f/2.4 OIS), 10MP 10x Periscope (f/4.9 OIS), Laser AF | Quad Camera – 108MP Primary (f/2.2 OIS), 12MP Ultrawide f/2.2), 10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4 OIS), 10MP (f/2.4), 10x Periscope (f/4.9 OIS) |
| Selfie camera | 12MP (f/2.2) | 40MP (f/2.2) |
| RAM | 8GB/12GB | 8GB/12GB |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Water/dust resistance | IP68 rating (upto 1.5 meters underwater) | IP68 rating (upto 1.5 meters underwater) |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging | 45W wired/ 15W Qi Wireless Charging,Wireless PowerShare (Charger not included) | 45W wired/ 10W wireless (Charger not included) |
| Weight | 233g (8.2 ounces) | 8.94 ounces |
| Size | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm (6.4 x 3.0 x 0.35 inches) | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches |
| Colors | Official Colors – Cream, Lavender, green and phantom black. Additional exclusive colors – Red, sky blue, light, and graphite. | Green, Burgundy, Phantom Black and Phantom White |
Price
Samsung has kept the starting price for its new Galaxy S23 Ultra at the pricing level as the Galaxy S22 Ultra. But this time, you get double the storage with 256GB compared to 128GB in its predecessor and 8GB of RAM remains consistent.
Samsung S23 Ultra has a 12 GB ram model available as well and its storage options are upto 1TB.
A very welcome update from Samsung in respect to Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung’s commitment of providing upto 5 years of security updates and 4 Android updates.
Our Verdict
When it comes to choosing between the Samsung S23 Ultra and the Samsung S22 Ultra, there are a few key major upgrades that should be considered. Its main being the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip which is really promising for gaming enthusiast and multitasking. Also the new and upgraded Camera options will also be appealing to photo enthusiasts.
Note, we have consciously not discussed most features that are identical or very similar in both the phones and only highlighted the ones that should help a user make an informed decision.
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