Surface Duo 2 vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the clear winner for most users, boasting superior performance, a vastly better camera system, and exceptional battery life. However, the Surface Duo 2's innovative dual-screen design caters to a niche audience seeking a truly unique multitasking experience, albeit with compromises.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Microsoft Surface Duo 2 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 | 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, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G 6 Gbps DL | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 257, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, September 22. Released 2021, October 21 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 184.5 x 145.2 x 5.5 mm Folded: 145.2 x 92.1 x 11 mm | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 284 g (10.02 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| Stylus support | 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 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1892 x 2688 pixels (~401 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 8.3 inches, 204.0 cm2 (~152.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR, 800 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| Folded position display: 5.8 inches, AMOLED, 1344 x 1892 pixels (4:3) | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 11 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone 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/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.0µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 51mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1.0µm TOF 3D, (depth) | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS, HDR | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.0µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 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 | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX Adaptive | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort | 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), dual accelerometer, dual gyro, dual proximity, dual 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 | 23W wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4449 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Glacier, Obsidian | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | - | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 1480 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) |
Microsoft Surface Duo 2
- Unique dual-screen design
- Compact form factor when closed
- Good for multitasking
- Runs Android
- Lower performance than competitors
- Shorter battery life
- Less impressive camera
- Higher price for the features offered
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional performance
- Outstanding camera system
- Long battery life
- Bright and vibrant display
- Feature-rich flagship experience
- Large and bulky design
- Expensive
- Software can be overwhelming for some
Display Comparison
The Galaxy S23 Ultra's 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1274 nits is simply stunning. Its infinite contrast ratio delivers incredible visuals. The Surface Duo 2's dual 5.8-inch OLED displays offer a unique form factor, but the resolution and brightness are noticeably lower, and the hinge mechanism can introduce some display distortion. While the Duo 2's dual screens offer multitasking advantages, the S23 Ultra's single, larger, and brighter display is generally more enjoyable for media consumption.
Camera Comparison
Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra dominates this category. Its versatile camera system, featuring a 200MP main sensor, offers exceptional image quality, impressive zoom capabilities, and excellent low-light performance. The Surface Duo 2's camera is adequate for basic photography, but it lacks the advanced features and image quality of the S23 Ultra. Video recording is also significantly better on the S23 Ultra.
Performance
The Galaxy S23 Ultra, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, delivers significantly faster and smoother performance than the Surface Duo 2's Snapdragon 888. The S23 Ultra handles demanding games and applications with ease, while the Duo 2 can occasionally show signs of strain. The S23 Ultra's newer CPU architecture and improved thermal management contribute to its superior performance.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23 Ultra's battery life is exceptional, consistently lasting a full day of heavy use and often extending beyond that. Its 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging add to its convenience. The Surface Duo 2's battery life is noticeably shorter, and its 23W wired charging is slower. The S23 Ultra's endurance rating of 126h is a testament to its efficient power management.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Microsoft Surface Duo 2? Users who prioritize multitasking across two screens, enjoy a compact form factor when closed, and value a unique design. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra? Users seeking the best possible camera, top-tier performance, long battery life, and a feature-rich flagship experience.