Honor 80 SE vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the clear winner in terms of overall performance, camera quality, and display technology. However, the Honor 80 SE offers impressive value with its fast charging and decent performance at a significantly lower price point. It's a battle of premium versus practicality.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor 80 SE | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | LTE | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1x | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, November 23 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, December 09 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 161.3 x 73.4 x 7.7 mm (6.35 x 2.89 x 0.30 in) | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 175 g (6.17 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| - | 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels (~444 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.9 cm2 (~91.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 900 (6 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G68 MC4 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 12, MagicOS 7 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| - | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser 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 | 32 MP, f/2.4, (wide) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | 64 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF 5 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) | - |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.4, (wide) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired, 3-80% in 30 min | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4600 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Blue, Pink, Crystal Blue | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | GIA-AN8 | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 370 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) |
Honor 80 SE
- Fast Charging (66W)
- Stylish Design
- Affordable Price
- Decent Performance for Everyday Tasks
- Lower Performance than Flagships
- Less Capable Camera
- Display Not as Bright or Accurate
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional Performance (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2)
- Outstanding Camera System
- Brilliant Display
- Long Battery Life
- Premium Build Quality
- High Price
- Bulky Design
- Charging Speed Not the Fastest (45W)
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 1274 nits and an infinite contrast ratio. Its vibrant colors and exceptional clarity are unmatched. The Honor 80 SE has a decent OLED display, but lacks the S23 Ultra's brightness and color accuracy. The S23 Ultra's adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz) also provides a smoother experience.
Camera Comparison
Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra's camera system is a standout feature, offering incredible detail, dynamic range, and versatility with its multiple lenses and advanced processing. The Honor 80 SE's camera is competent, but lacks the S23 Ultra's image quality and features like Space Zoom.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S23 Ultra delivers blistering performance, easily handling demanding games and multitasking. The Dimensity 900 in the Honor 80 SE is capable for everyday tasks, but struggles with intensive applications. The S23 Ultra's superior chipset and RAM provide a noticeable advantage.
Battery Life
The S23 Ultra demonstrates exceptional battery life, consistently achieving over 13 hours of active use and an endurance rating of 126 hours. The Honor 80 SE offers decent battery life, but falls short of the S23 Ultra's longevity. The S23 Ultra's 45W charging is also faster than the Honor 80 SE's 66W, despite the latter's shorter charging time to 80%.
Buying Guide
The Honor 80 SE is ideal for budget-conscious users who prioritize fast charging and a stylish design. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is for those who demand the absolute best in performance, camera capabilities, and a premium experience, regardless of price.