Honor Magic3 Pro+ vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra takes the crown with its superior Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, brighter display, and consistently excellent camera performance. While the Magic3 Pro+ boasts faster charging, the S23 Ultra's overall package and software support make it the better choice for most users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic3 Pro+ | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 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 | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 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-A, 5G | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, August 12 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 19 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, ceramic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.8 x 74.9 x 9.9 mm (6.41 x 2.95 x 0.39 in) | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 236 g (8.32 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | 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 | 1344 x 2772 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~456 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.76 inches, 115.7 cm2 (~94.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.99 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 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 | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888+ 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 11, Magic UI 5 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 512GB 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 | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/3.5, 90mm (telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom 64 MP, f/1.8, (monochrome) 64 MP, f/2.4, 11mm 126˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF TOF 3D (depth) | 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 | 13 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 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 |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a) | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, 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), Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, color spectrum | 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 66W wireless 5W reverse wireless 5W reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4600 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Ceramic Black, Ceramic White | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | ELZ-AN20 | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 1070 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 Magic3 Pro+
- Incredibly fast 66W wired and wireless charging
- Slightly more compact design
- Good overall performance
- Older chipset compared to S23 Ultra
- Camera not as versatile as S23 Ultra
- Software support may be limited compared to Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 performance
- Stunning, bright display
- Exceptional camera system with versatile lenses
- Long-term software support
- Larger and heavier design
- Slower charging speeds compared to Magic3 Pro+
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's display is a clear winner. Its 1274 nits peak brightness significantly outshines the Magic3 Pro+'s display, offering better visibility in direct sunlight. The S23 Ultra's infinite contrast ratio also contributes to a more vibrant and immersive viewing experience. While the Magic3 Pro+ has a good quality OLED panel, it simply can't compete with Samsung's flagship display technology.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's camera system is arguably its strongest asset. Its versatile lens array, combined with Samsung's image processing, delivers exceptional photo and video quality in various conditions. While the Magic3 Pro+ has a capable camera, it doesn't match the S23 Ultra's overall consistency and features. The S23 Ultra's zoom capabilities are also significantly better.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S23 Ultra provides a noticeable performance advantage over the Snapdragon 888+ in the Magic3 Pro+. The newer chipset offers improved efficiency and raw power, resulting in smoother multitasking and faster app loading times. Both phones handle demanding games well, but the S23 Ultra has a slight edge.
Battery Life
The S23 Ultra demonstrates impressive battery life, achieving 13:24h of active use and an endurance rating of 126h. The Magic3 Pro+ offers decent battery life, but falls short of the S23 Ultra's longevity. Both support fast charging, but the Magic3 Pro+'s 66W wired charging is faster than the S23 Ultra's 45W.
Buying Guide
The Honor Magic3 Pro+ is a great option for users prioritizing incredibly fast charging and a slightly more compact form factor. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is ideal for those seeking top-tier performance, a stunning display, a versatile camera system, and long-term software support.