Honor Magic5 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The Ultimate Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a more polished overall experience with its refined software, versatile camera system, and robust ecosystem. However, the Honor Magic5 Pro delivers exceptional battery life and a brighter display, making it a compelling alternative for those prioritizing those features. The S23 Ultra wins on versatility, the Magic5 Pro on value.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic5 Pro | 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 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China | 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 - China | 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 / 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 | 2023, February 27 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, March 31 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back or eco leather back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.9 x 76.7 x 8.8 mm (6.41 x 3.02 x 0.35 in) | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 219 g (7.72 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 | 1312 x 2848 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.81 inches, 113.7 cm2 (~91.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1800 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 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) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, MagicOS 8 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 4.0 | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, 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 | 12 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1.22µm TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.6, 23mm (wide), 1/1.12" 1.4µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/3.0, 90mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.0, 13mm, 122˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", AF TOF 3D (depth) | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10, 10-bit video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1.22µm TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit audio stereo recording | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a) | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2, 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 | 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 50W wireless Reverse wireless 5W reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Market-dependent versions:· Li-Po 5100 mAh (Global)· Si/C Li-Ion 5450 mAh (China only) | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Meadow Green, Blue, Purple, Orange | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | PGT-AN10, PGT-N19 | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | £ 799.99 / € 407.79 | € 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 109h | Endurance rating 126h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.6 LUFS (Very good) | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | GeekBench: 4378 (v5.1), 5096 (v6) | AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Honor Magic5 Pro
- Exceptional battery life
- Brighter display
- Competitive price
- Excellent low-light camera performance
- Fast charging (66W)
- Software experience less polished than Samsung
- Less versatile camera system compared to S23 Ultra
- Reverse wireless charging slower
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Versatile camera system with excellent zoom
- Refined software experience
- Robust ecosystem integration
- Slightly brighter display
- Premium build quality
- Higher price
- Slower charging speed (45W)
- Battery life not as impressive as Magic5 Pro
Display Comparison
Both phones boast exceptional displays. The S23 Ultra edges out the Magic5 Pro with a slightly higher peak brightness of 1274 nits versus 1227 nits, though both are incredibly bright and visible in direct sunlight. Both have excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), vibrant colors, and smooth 120Hz refresh rates. The S23 Ultra's display is slightly more color accurate out of the box.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera system is arguably the more versatile, offering a wider range of focal lengths and impressive zoom capabilities. The Magic5 Pro excels in low-light photography and offers a unique, vibrant color science. Both capture excellent photos and videos, but the S23 Ultra’s zoom and processing are generally considered superior.
Performance
Both devices are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but the S23 Ultra has a slightly higher clocked prime core (3.36 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). In real-world usage, both phones offer blazing-fast performance, handling demanding games and multitasking with ease. The S23 Ultra's software optimization might give it a slight edge in sustained performance.
Battery Life
The Honor Magic5 Pro takes a clear lead in battery life. Its active use score of 12:06h and endurance rating of 109h significantly surpasses the S23 Ultra's 13:24h and 126h respectively. While the S23 Ultra's battery life is still very good, the Magic5 Pro offers noticeably longer usage between charges.
Buying Guide
The Honor Magic5 Pro is ideal for users who prioritize long battery life, a vibrant display, and a more affordable flagship experience. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is best suited for those seeking a top-tier camera system, a feature-rich software experience, and seamless integration with the Samsung ecosystem.