Motorola Edge 40 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a more polished and feature-rich experience with its superior camera system, brighter display, and refined software. However, the Motorola Edge 40 Pro provides incredible value with its blazing-fast charging and competitive performance, making it a compelling choice for budget-conscious users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Motorola Edge 40 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 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, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66 | 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, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 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 / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, April 04 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, April 04 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 161.2 x 74 x 8.6 mm (6.35 x 2.91 x 0.34 in) | 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 | 199 g (7.02 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 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~394 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 108.0 cm2 (~90.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 165Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 1300 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, up to 3 major Android upgrades | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 4.0 | 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, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.55", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/1.6, (telephoto), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, AF | - |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 10-bit HDR10+, gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 60 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.8", 0.61µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 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 |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG, DisplayPort 1.4 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-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 |
| Ready For 3.5 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 | 125W wired, PD3.0, QC5, 50% in 6 min, 100% in 23 min 15W wireless 5W reverse wired 5W reverse wireless | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4600 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Interstellar Black, Lunar Blue | 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 | € 313.87 | € 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 117h | Endurance rating 126h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -22.6 LUFS (Excellent) | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1273764 (v9) GeekBench: 4896 (v5.1), 5352 (v6) GFXBench: 112fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Motorola Edge 40 Pro
- Blazing-fast 125W charging
- Vibrant OLED display
- Competitive performance
- Excellent value for money
- Sleek design
- Camera not as versatile as S23 Ultra
- Software support may be shorter than Samsung
- No telephoto lens
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional camera system with 200MP sensor
- Brighter and more vibrant display
- Premium design and build quality
- Long-term software support
- S Pen functionality
- Higher price point
- Charging speed slower than Edge 40 Pro
- Large and bulky design
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra takes the display crown with a measured peak brightness of 1274 nits compared to the Edge 40 Pro's 1050 nits. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), but the S23 Ultra's higher brightness provides better visibility in direct sunlight. Both utilize vibrant OLED panels with smooth refresh rates.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's camera system is significantly more versatile and capable. It features a 200MP main sensor, offering incredible detail and zoom capabilities. The Edge 40 Pro's camera is good, but lacks the S23 Ultra's advanced features and image processing prowess. Video recording capabilities are also stronger on the S23 Ultra.
Performance
Both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but the S23 Ultra's variant (SM8550-AC) has a slightly higher prime core clock speed (3.36 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). In real-world usage, both offer exceptional performance for gaming, multitasking, and demanding applications. Thermal management will be a key factor in sustained performance.
Battery Life
The Edge 40 Pro boasts an impressive endurance rating of 117h, while the S23 Ultra scores 126h. However, the S23 Ultra's active use score of 13:24h suggests better real-world battery life. The Edge 40 Pro's 125W wired charging is a game-changer, allowing for incredibly fast top-ups, while the S23 Ultra's 45W charging is still respectable.
Buying Guide
The Motorola Edge 40 Pro is ideal for users prioritizing fast charging, a vibrant display, and a smooth performance experience without breaking the bank. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is perfect for photography enthusiasts, power users needing maximum productivity, and those who appreciate a premium, feature-packed device with long-term software support.