Asus ROG Phone 6D vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The Ultimate Showdown

The Asus ROG Phone 6D is a powerhouse designed for mobile gaming, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a flagship known for its versatility and premium features. But which one deserves your money? This detailed comparison breaks down every aspect, from performance and camera to battery and display.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a more polished all-around experience with a superior camera, brighter display, and refined software. However, the ROG Phone 6D delivers unmatched gaming performance and faster charging at a potentially lower price point, making it a compelling choice for dedicated gamers.

PHONES
Phone Names Asus ROG Phone 6D Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48 - A version1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 18, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A version1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA 42.2/11.5 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/210 Mbps, 5GHSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - B version1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2022, September 192023, February 01
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, October 11Available. Released 2023, February 17
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
Dimensions173 x 77 x 10.4 mm (6.81 x 3.03 x 0.41 in)163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight239 g (8.43 oz)234 g (8.25 oz)
 IPX4 water resistant Illuminated RGB logo (on the back) Pressure sensitive zones (Gaming triggers)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass VictusCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Resolution1080 x 2448 pixels (~395 ppi density)1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density)
Size6.78 inches, 109.5 cm2 (~82.2% screen-to-body ratio)6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeAMOLED, 1B colors, 165Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
 -Always-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x3.35 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.85 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
ChipsetMediatek Dimensity 9000+ (4 nm)Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
GPUMali-G710 MC10Adreno 740
OSAndroid 12Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM
 UFS 3.1 NTFS support for external storageUFS 4.0
Main Camera
FeaturesLED flash, HDR, panoramaLaser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Quad-200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video
Single-12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF
Triple50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide) 5 MP (macro)-
Video8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS, HDR10+8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesPanorama, HDRHDR, HDR10+
Single12 MP, 28mm (wide)12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video1080p@30fps4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack YesNo
35mm jackYesNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakers (2 amplifiers)Yes, with stereo speakers
 24-bit/192kHz audio32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive5.3, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1), NavIC (L5)GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.1 (side), USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), OTG, accessory connectorUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compassFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 -Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery
Charging65W wired, PD3.0 10W reverse wired45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 6000 mAhLi-Ion 5000 mAh
Misc
ColorsSpace GrayPhantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition
ModelsAI2203, AI2203_DSM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS
PriceAbout 690 EUR€ 549.90 / $ 454.99 / £ 433.00
SAR-1.12 W/kg (head)     0.92 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-0.96 W/kg (head)     1.40 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life- Endurance rating 126h
Camera- Photo / Video
Display- Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker- -25.6 LUFS (Very good)
Performance- AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Asus ROG Phone 6D

  • Exceptional gaming performance
  • Fast 65W charging
  • Dedicated gaming features (AirTriggers)
  • Competitive price

  • Camera performance lags behind
  • Design less premium than S23 Ultra
  • Software updates may be less frequent

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

  • Outstanding camera system
  • Bright and vibrant display
  • Premium design and build quality
  • Long-term software support
  • Versatile and feature-rich

  • Slower charging speed (45W)
  • Higher price point
  • Can be bulky

Display Comparison

The S23 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display (1274 nits peak) with an infinite contrast ratio, offering exceptional visibility even in direct sunlight. The ROG Phone 6D's display is still excellent, but lacks the same level of brightness and contrast. Both offer smooth 120Hz refresh rates.

Camera Comparison

Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra dominates the camera comparison. Its versatile camera system, including a 200MP main sensor, delivers exceptional image quality, impressive zoom capabilities, and excellent video recording. The ROG Phone 6D's camera is competent but lacks the S23 Ultra's overall quality and features.

Performance

The ROG Phone 6D's Dimensity 9000+ is a formidable gaming chip, optimized for high frame rates and sustained performance. The S23 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is equally powerful, excelling in both gaming and everyday tasks. While benchmarks might show slight differences, real-world performance is generally comparable, with the S23 Ultra potentially having slightly better thermal management.

Battery Life

The S23 Ultra demonstrates impressive battery life, consistently achieving over 13 hours of active use and a remarkable endurance rating of 126 hours. The ROG Phone 6D also offers good battery life, but the S23 Ultra's optimization gives it an edge.

Buying Guide

Who should buy the Asus ROG Phone 6D? Gamers prioritizing raw performance, fast charging, and a dedicated gaming ecosystem. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra? Users seeking a versatile flagship with a top-tier camera, stunning display, and long-term software support.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Is the ROG Phone 6D good for everyday use?
Yes, the ROG Phone 6D is capable for everyday tasks, but its focus is on gaming. The S23 Ultra is a better all-around choice for general use.
❓ Which phone has better software support?
Samsung generally provides longer software update support than Asus, making the S23 Ultra a more future-proof investment.