Samsung has officially unveiled its Galaxy S23 series of flagship smartphones, and the most feature-packed among the three models is the Galaxy S23 Ultra. So what’s different compared to its 2022 predecessor, the Galaxy S22 Ultra? Should you upgrade? Find out in this spec comparison.
Galaxy S23 Ultra (Green) Vs Galaxy S22 Ultra (Burgundy)
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra |
|---|---|
| 6.8-inch Edge QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display | 6.8-inch Edge QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display |
| 120Hz Dynamic refresh rate | 120Hz Dynamic refresh rate |
| Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (front) | Gorilla Glass Victus+ (front) |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC |
| 8GB, 12GB RAM | 8GB, 12GB RAM |
| 256GB, 512GB, 1TB storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB storage |
| Quad-rear cameras: | Quad-rear cameras: |
| • 200MP Phase Detection F1.7 (wide) | • 108MP Phase Detection F1.8 (wide) |
| • 12MP Dual Pixel F2.2 (ultrawide) | • 12MP Dual Pixel F2.2 (ultrawide) |
| • 10MP Dual Pixel F4.9 (10x tele, 100x Space Zoom) | • 10MP Dual Pixel F4.9 (10x tele, 100x Space Zoom) |
| • 10MP Dual Pixel F2.4 (3x tele) | • 10MP Dual Pixel F2.4 (3x tele) |
| 12MP Dual Pixel F2.2 front camera | 40MP Dual Pixel F2.2 front camera |
| Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM |
| 5G, 4G LTE | 5G, 4G LTE |
| WiFi 6E | WiFi 6E |
| Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| NFC | NFC |
| GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| Fingerprint scanner (in-display) | Fingerprint scanner (in-display) |
| Face Unlock | Face Unlock |
| AKG Stereo Speakers | AKG Stereo Speakers |
| IP68 water and dust resistance | IP68 water and dust resistance |
| S-Pen | S-Pen (9ms latency) |
| One UI 5.1 (Android 13) | OneUI 4 (Android 12) upgradable to One UI 5.0 (Android 13) via OTA |
| 5,000mAh battery w/ 45W fast charging, 10W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging | 5,000mAh battery w/ 45W fast charging, 15W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging |
| 77.9 x 163.3 x 8.9mm | 77.9 x 163.3 x 8.9mm |
| 234g | 227g |
| Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Burgundy | Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, Burgundy |
Table of Contents
Design
Stating that the Galaxy S23 Ultra shares the same design cues as the Galaxy S22 Ultra is an understatement.
Samsung is definitely echoing the don’t fix what isn’t broken trend with it’s S23 lineup, as the S23 Ultra looks exactly like the S22 Ultra, albeit with slightly refreshed color options, namely Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender.
The S23 Ultra just like its predecessor features sharp corners with flat top and bottom frames. The rear features the quadruple-camera setup that still protrudes, and in-front we can find the selfie camera still in the top center under the display.
The only major difference here is the antenna band now seen on both sides of the device.
Display
The display is pretty much the same. Both devices feature a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with QHD+ resolution that supports HDR 10+ and a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
For display protection, the S23 Ultra features the upgraded Gorilla Glass Victus 2, while the S22 Ultra uses Gorilla Glass Victus+.
Chipset
The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This is the latest and greatest from Qualcomm and we can definitely expect improved overall performance, more efficient battery life, and higher benchmark scores.
Memory and Storage
When it comes to RAM, both devices come in configurations that start with 8GB RAM that tops out at 12GB RAM.
Storage-wise, the main difference to note here is that Samsung has upgraded the S23 Ultra’s base storage configuration to start at 256GB, followed by 512GB and maxing out at 1TB. The S22 Ultra on the other hand, features 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB options.
Cameras
For camera hardware everything remains the same, from the 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto for the 3x optical zoom, to the 10MP periscopic telephoto for 10x optical and 100x Space Zoom. The key differences here is the S23 Ultra now features a 200MP main sensor that’s incrementally wider in focal length, and the front-facing camera now features a 12MP sensor.
The front-facing sensor’s megapixel downgrade could sound like a loss if you were a pixel peeper. But I’m guessing this is Samsung leveraging their camera software to take on most of the heat, while also improving on better low-light selfie capabilities.
Connectivity and Features
For connectivity upgrades, the S23 Ultra now features Bluetooth 5.3, while the S22 Ultra comes with Bluetooth 5.2.
The in-display fingerprint scanner, AKG stereo speakers, IP68 water and dust resistance are all still present.
For software, out of the box the S23 Ultra comes with OneUI 5.1 (Android 13) while S22 Ultra’s around the globe have; if not should already be receiving One UI 5 (Android 13) updates over the air.
Battery
The battery remains the same at 5,000mAh and with an upgraded chipset and software tweaks, battery consumption should be more efficient.
However the S23 Ultra features a lower wireless charging rate at 10W compared to the S22 Ultra’s 15W, which could be a pain-point for wireless-charging adopters.
Price
The Galaxy S22 Ultra launched at PHP 68,990 (8GB + 128GB), PHP 72,990 (12GB + 256GB), and PHP 80,990 (12GB + 512GB).
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is now available at PHP 81,990 (12GB + 256GB), PHP 89,990 (12GB + 512GB), and PHP 103,990 (12GB + 1TB, samsung.com-exclusive).
Should you upgrade?
If you’re coming from the S22 Ultra, there isn’t much you’re missing-out on with the S23 Ultra, you can even presume that this is but a subtle refresh of your current model.
If you are someone looking to upgrade to the S22 Ultra but haven’t pulled the trigger yet, now would be the perfect time to do so as it should now be on sale from Samsung themselves.
Go for the S23 Ultra if you want the latest and greatest from Samsung’s non-foldable 2023 lineup that features an S-Pen!
(Yeah that’s you, Galaxy Note user from 2019 and below).
But what do you guys think? Is the Galaxy S23 Ultra worth picking-up? Let us know by leaving a response below.
Read our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 stories here:
1) Samsung Galaxy S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra now official!
2) Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro, Galaxy Book3 Pro 360, and Galaxy Book3 Ultra now official
3) WATCH: Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ Hands-on
4) WATCH: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Hands-on
5) Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ Hands-On
6) Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Hands-on, First Impression
7) Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: What’s different?
It is not worth it for me to upgrade to the S23 ultra when I am already using the S22 ultra because the S23 ultra is only a minor improvement over its predecessor, especially considering the price, which is quite high. Currently, I am utilizing S22 Ultra, but after another year and a half, I may consider upgrading.