Huawei Mate 50 vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A Detailed Comparison of Flagship Power
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the superior choice. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset delivers significantly faster performance, coupled with 5G connectivity and a brighter, more advanced display. While the Mate 50 offers a compelling camera system, the S23 Ultra’s overall package is more future-proof and versatile.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 50 | 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, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International | 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, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, September 06 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, September 28 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 161.5 x 76.1 x 8 mm (6.36 x 3.00 x 0.31 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 | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 202 g / 206 g (7.13 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m 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 | Huawei Kunlun Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1224 x 2700 pixels (~442 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 90Hz | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x2.0 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 SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | EMUI 13 (International), HarmonyOS 3.0 (China) | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR | 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 | 13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.4-f/4.0, 24mm (wide), PDAF 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), PDAF | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 1080p@960fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, Display Port 1.2 | 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), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| BDS Satellite Message (sending only) | 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 5W reverse wireless | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4460 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Silver, Purple, Orange | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | CET-AL00, CET-LX9 | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 720 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) |
Huawei Mate 50
- Faster wired charging (66W)
- Faster wireless charging (50W)
- Potentially unique camera processing style
- Limited to 4G connectivity
- Older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset
- Less detailed display specifications
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Significantly faster processor (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2)
- 5G connectivity
- Brighter and more advanced display
- Longer battery life
- Slower wired charging (45W)
- Slower wireless charging (15W)
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1274 nits, compared to an unspecified peak brightness for the Mate 50. While both likely utilize OLED technology, the S23 Ultra’s infinite contrast ratio suggests a more refined panel. The S23 Ultra’s adaptive refresh rate (LTPO) is also a likely advantage, optimizing battery life by dynamically adjusting the refresh rate. The lack of detailed display specs for the Mate 50 leaves the S23 Ultra as the clear winner for visual fidelity.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are expected to deliver excellent camera performance, but details are limited. The Mate 50’s camera system is a known strength, but without specific sensor details beyond the main sensor, a direct comparison is difficult. The S23 Ultra’s camera system is likely to feature a larger main sensor and more advanced image processing algorithms. The S23 Ultra’s video capabilities are also likely to be superior, benefiting from the more powerful chipset. The absence of detailed camera specs for the Mate 50 makes it hard to definitively claim superiority, but Samsung’s history of camera innovation suggests an advantage for the S23 Ultra.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23 Ultra represents a substantial leap over the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G in the Mate 50. The S23 Ultra’s CPU features a newer Cortex-X3 prime core clocked at 3.36 GHz, compared to the Mate 50’s Cortex-X2 at 3.19 GHz. This, combined with the newer Cortex-A715 and A710 cores in the S23 Ultra, translates to faster application loading, smoother multitasking, and improved gaming performance. Crucially, the S23 Ultra benefits from 5G connectivity, while the Mate 50 is limited to 4G. The 4nm process node used by both chips offers efficiency, but the architectural improvements in the Gen 2 give the S23 Ultra a clear edge.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra achieves an impressive endurance rating of 126 hours and a real-world active use score of 13:24h, indicating excellent battery life. While the Mate 50’s battery capacity is unknown, its 66W wired charging is faster than the S23 Ultra’s 45W charging (65% in 30 minutes). However, the S23 Ultra’s more efficient chipset and display technology likely offset the charging speed difference. The 50W wireless charging on the Mate 50 is a significant advantage over the S23 Ultra’s 15W wireless charging, appealing to users who frequently utilize wireless power.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 50 if you prioritize a unique camera experience and don't rely heavily on 5G connectivity. Its 66W wired and 50W wireless charging are also compelling features. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you demand the absolute best performance, a stunning display, long-term software support, and the benefits of 5G. It’s the ultimate all-rounder for power users and mobile photographers.