Honor Magic5 Ultimate vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The Ultimate Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The S23 Ultra offers a more polished and refined experience with its superior software, ecosystem integration, and consistently excellent camera. The Magic5 Ultimate boasts faster charging and a slightly more powerful chipset, but falls short in software optimization and overall user experience. Samsung wins this round.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic5 Ultimate | 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 | 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, 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, March 06 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, March 20 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, 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 + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 217 g (7.65 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 | Glass/ceramic coating | 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, MagicOS 7.1 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 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), 1/2.5", 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/6e, 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, ultrasonic), Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | 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 | Si/C Li-Ion 5450 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Orange | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | PGT-AN20 | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 900 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 Magic5 Ultimate
- Blazing-fast 66W wired charging
- Slightly more powerful chipset
- Excellent display color accuracy
- Reverse wireless charging
- Less refined software experience
- Occasional software stutters
- Camera processing can be inconsistent
- Limited software updates
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Superior software and ecosystem integration
- Industry-leading camera system
- Excellent battery life
- Bright and vibrant display
- Consistent performance
- Slower charging speeds compared to Magic5 Ultimate
- Pricey
- Design can be polarizing
Display Comparison
Both phones feature exceptional AMOLED displays with vibrant colors and excellent brightness. The S23 Ultra's 1274 nits peak brightness gives it a slight edge in outdoor visibility, while the Magic5 Ultimate's display is known for its color accuracy. The S23 Ultra's infinite contrast ratio is a theoretical advantage, but both screens are visually stunning.
Camera Comparison
The S23 Ultra's camera system is arguably the best in the market, offering incredible versatility and consistently excellent image quality across all lenses. The Magic5 Ultimate's camera is also very capable, with a focus on detail and vibrant colors, but it sometimes struggles with dynamic range and processing. The S23 Ultra's video recording capabilities are also superior.
Performance
Both devices utilize 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, the difference is minimal. The S23 Ultra's software optimization provides a smoother and more consistent experience, while the Magic5 Ultimate can occasionally exhibit minor stutters. Gaming performance is excellent on both.
Battery Life
The S23 Ultra demonstrates impressive battery life, achieving 13:24h of active use and an endurance rating of 126h. The Magic5 Ultimate's battery performance is good, but not quite as impressive. The Magic5 Ultimate's 66W wired charging is significantly faster than the S23 Ultra's 45W, but the S23 Ultra offers PD3.0 compatibility.
Buying Guide
The Honor Magic5 Ultimate is ideal for power users seeking raw performance and blazing-fast charging, particularly those comfortable with a less mature software ecosystem. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the better choice for most users, offering a seamless experience, top-tier camera capabilities, and the benefits of the Samsung ecosystem.