Lenovo Legion Y90 vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The S23 Ultra offers a more refined all-around experience with its exceptional camera, stunning display, and long-term software support. However, the Y90 delivers unparalleled gaming performance and aggressive cooling, making it the clear winner for mobile gamers prioritizing raw power.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Lenovo Legion Y90 | 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, March 01 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, March 10 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 177 x 78.4 x 10.1 mm (6.97 x 3.09 x 0.40 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 | 252 g (8.89 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| Built-in two cooling fans RGB light panel (on the back) 4 ultrasonic buttons (Gaming triggers) | 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 2460 pixels (~388 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.92 inches, 113.7 cm2 (~81.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 144Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 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 SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 12, ZUI 13 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 640GB 18GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 640GB (512GB UFS + 128GB SSD) | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 64 MP, f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 1/1.32", 1.0µm, PDAF 13 MP, 120˚ (ultrawide) | - |
| 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 |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+ rec. | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 16 MP | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps | 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 3.1 Gen2, USB Type-C 2.0, 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), 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, 100% in 35 min | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 5600 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Gray | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | L71061 | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 570 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 Y90
- Exceptional gaming performance
- Aggressive cooling system
- Fast charging (68W)
- High refresh rate display (likely 144Hz or higher)
- Camera not as good as S23 Ultra
- Less refined software experience
- Potentially shorter battery life than S23 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Outstanding camera system
- Bright and vibrant display
- Excellent battery life
- Premium design and build quality
- Long-term software support
- Slower charging (45W)
- Higher price point
- Performance not as focused on gaming as Y90
Display Comparison
The S23 Ultra boasts a brighter display (1274 nits vs Y90's likely lower brightness, though specifics are less readily available) and an infinite contrast ratio, offering a more vibrant and immersive visual experience. While the Y90's display is likely high quality, the S23 Ultra's is demonstrably superior. Both use AMOLED technology.
Camera Comparison
Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra is the clear winner in the camera department. Its versatile camera system, including its impressive zoom capabilities, consistently delivers exceptional photo and video quality. The Y90's camera is competent but doesn't match the S23 Ultra's overall performance and feature set.
Performance
The Y90's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, while powerful, is generally considered slightly less efficient than the S23 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The Gen 2 offers improved CPU and GPU performance, especially in sustained loads, and better power efficiency. The Y90's cooling system is a key advantage for maintaining peak performance during extended gaming sessions.
Battery Life
The S23 Ultra demonstrates exceptional battery life, with endurance ratings exceeding 126 hours and active use lasting over 13 hours. The Y90's 68W charging is faster (35 mins vs 30 mins for 65% on the S23 Ultra), but the S23 Ultra's overall battery endurance is superior.
Buying Guide
Buy the Lenovo Legion Y90 if you're a serious mobile gamer who values performance above all else. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you want a premium, versatile phone with a top-tier camera, excellent display, and long-term software updates.