Lenovo Legion Y70 vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a well-rounded experience, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the superior choice. Its exceptional camera system, longer battery life, and refined software outweigh the Legion Y70’s gaming-centric advantages. However, dedicated mobile gamers will find the Legion Y70’s performance and charging speed compelling.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Lenovo Legion Y70 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 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/Sub6 | 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, August 18 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, August 23 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 77 x 8 mm (6.44 x 3.03 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 + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 209 g (7.37 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, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~85.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 144Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (peak) | 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 & 4x1.80 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 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 12, ZUI 14 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-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 | - | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | 50 MP, (wide), 1/1.55", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 13 MP, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm, AF Auxiliary lens | - |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 16 MP | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | Yes | 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 Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C | 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 (side-mounted), 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 | 68W wired, 80% in 34 min | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 5100 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Silver, Red | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | L71091 | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 440 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) |
Lenovo Legion Y70
- Faster wired charging (68W)
- Potentially more aggressive cooling for sustained gaming
- Likely more affordable price point
- Older chipset (Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1)
- Inferior camera system
- Shorter battery life
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Newer, more powerful chipset (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2)
- Exceptional camera system
- Longer battery life and wireless charging
- Slower wired charging (45W)
- Higher price point
- Potentially more thermal throttling under extreme load
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display, peaking at 1274 nits measured, compared to an unspecified peak brightness for the Legion Y70. While the Legion Y70’s display specs are not provided, Samsung’s panel benefits from an infinite contrast ratio, delivering deeper blacks and more vivid colors. Both likely utilize adaptive refresh rate technology, but the S23 Ultra’s superior brightness makes it more usable in direct sunlight. The S23 Ultra’s display is geared towards content consumption and outdoor visibility, while the Legion Y70’s display is likely tuned for gaming with a focus on responsiveness.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the clear winner in the camera department. While both devices are listed as having Photo/Video capabilities, the S23 Ultra’s reputation and likely sensor size (not specified in the data) far exceed what’s expected from the Legion Y70. The S23 Ultra’s image processing algorithms are renowned for their dynamic range and detail, making it a superior choice for photography enthusiasts. The Legion Y70 likely prioritizes camera functionality for social media and casual use, lacking the advanced features and image quality of the S23 Ultra.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) represents a generational leap over the Lenovo Legion Y70’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm). The Cortex-X3 prime core in the 8 Gen 2, clocked at 3.36 GHz, offers a performance advantage over the 8+ Gen 1’s Cortex-X2 at 3.19 GHz. Furthermore, the S23 Ultra utilizes newer Cortex-A715 cores alongside A710 cores in the Legion Y70, contributing to improved efficiency and sustained performance. While both chips are 4nm, the architectural improvements in the 8 Gen 2 translate to better thermal management and less throttling during extended gaming sessions. The S23 Ultra’s LPDDR5x RAM also provides a bandwidth advantage over the Legion Y70’s likely LPDDR5 configuration.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra demonstrates superior battery endurance, achieving an active use score of 13:24h and an endurance rating of 126h. While the Legion Y70’s battery capacity is not specified, the S23 Ultra’s larger battery and more efficient chipset contribute to its longer runtime. The Legion Y70 compensates with faster charging – 68W wired, reaching 80% in 34 minutes – compared to the S23 Ultra’s 45W wired (65% in 30 minutes). The S23 Ultra also offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent in the Legion Y70. The Legion Y70 prioritizes quick top-ups, while the S23 Ultra focuses on overall longevity.
Buying Guide
Buy the Lenovo Legion Y70 if you prioritize sustained gaming performance, rapid charging, and don't mind sacrificing camera versatility and some battery life. You're a competitive mobile gamer who needs every edge. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you value a top-tier camera, all-day battery life, a vibrant display, and a polished, feature-rich software experience. You want a premium device that excels in all areas.