Motorola Edge 5G UW (2021) vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra unequivocally wins this comparison. Its superior performance, stunning display, exceptional camera system, and longer battery life make it a top-tier choice. The Edge 5G UW offers value, but can't compete with the S23 Ultra's overall capabilities.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Motorola Edge 5G UW (2021) | 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, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 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 | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - Verizon, USA | 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 Cat18 1200/150 Mbps, 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 | 2021, October 14 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, October 14 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 169 x 75.6 x 9 mm (6.65 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 200 g (7.05 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| Water-repellent design | 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 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2460 pixels (~395 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~85.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LCD, 144Hz, HDR10 | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3x2.2 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.9 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 SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G (6 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 642L | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 11 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| - | 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/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | 108 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.52", 0.7µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm, AF Auxiliary lens | - |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120ps, 720p@960fps, 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 | 32 MP, f/2.3, (wide), 0.7µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | 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, GLONASS, GALILEO | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, 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, barometer | 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 | 30W wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Nebula 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 | About 550 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) |
Motorola Edge 5G UW (2021)
- Affordable
- Decent 5G connectivity
- Good value for money
- Clean Android experience
- Lower performance
- Less impressive camera
- Shorter battery life
- Less premium build
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional performance
- Stunning display
- Top-tier camera system
- Long battery life
- Premium design and build quality
- S Pen functionality
- Expensive
- Large and heavy
- Software can be feature-heavy for some
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter and more vibrant display with a dynamic refresh rate (1-120Hz) and infinite contrast ratio. The Edge 5G UW has a decent OLED display, but lacks the S23 Ultra's peak brightness and advanced features. The S23 Ultra's display is simply in a different league.
Camera Comparison
The S23 Ultra's camera system is a standout feature, offering incredible detail, dynamic range, and versatility. It excels in all lighting conditions. The Edge 5G UW has a capable camera, but its image quality and features are noticeably inferior to the S23 Ultra.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S23 Ultra delivers vastly superior performance compared to the Snapdragon 778G in the Edge 5G UW. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance on the S23 Ultra. The Edge 5G UW is adequate for everyday use, but struggles with demanding tasks.
Battery Life
The S23 Ultra provides exceptional battery life, easily lasting a full day with heavy use. It also supports faster charging (45W wired, 15W wireless). The Edge 5G UW offers decent battery life, but falls short of the S23 Ultra's endurance.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Motorola Edge 5G UW (2021)? Users seeking a budget-friendly 5G phone with decent performance for everyday tasks. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra? Power users, photography enthusiasts, and anyone wanting the absolute best Android experience with top-of-the-line features.