Motorola Moto X30 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra takes the crown with its superior camera system, brighter display, and longer software support. While the Moto X30 Pro boasts incredibly fast charging and a powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the S23 Ultra's overall refinement and ecosystem integration make it the better choice for most.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Motorola Moto X30 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 | 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 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA 800 / 1900 | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, August 11 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, August 11 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back (Gorilla Glass 5) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 161.7 x 73.5 x 8.4 mm (6.37 x 2.89 x 0.33 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 | 198.5 g (7.02 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| Splash and dust resistant | 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 (~393 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~91.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1250 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, MYUI 4.0 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB 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 | 200 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/1.22", 0.64µm, PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.2, 117˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, AF 12 MP, f/1.6, (telephoto), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom | - |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 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), 0.64µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 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 | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) | 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/6e, 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 |
| 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, 50% in 7 min, 100% in 19 min 50W wireless | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4610 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | White, Black | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | XT2241-1 | 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 Moto X30 Pro
- Incredibly fast 125W charging
- Powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset
- Large and vibrant display
- Competitive price
- Camera performance lags behind S23 Ultra
- Less refined software experience
- Limited software update support compared to Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional camera system with 200MP sensor
- Brighter and more vibrant display
- Longer battery life and software support
- Premium design and build quality
- S Pen functionality
- Higher price point
- Charging speed slower than Moto X30 Pro
- Software can feel bloated to some users
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's display is a clear winner. Its 1274 nits peak brightness significantly outshines the Moto X30 Pro, offering exceptional visibility even in direct sunlight. The S23 Ultra's infinite contrast ratio (nominal) further enhances image quality. While the Moto X30 Pro has a large, vibrant display, it lacks the sheer brilliance and dynamic range of the S23 Ultra.
Camera Comparison
Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra dominates the camera comparison. Its versatile camera system, featuring a 200MP main sensor, delivers exceptional image quality, detail, and dynamic range. The X30 Pro's camera is capable, but it doesn't match the S23 Ultra's overall performance, especially in low-light conditions and zoom capabilities.
Performance
Both phones are powered by Snapdragon chips, but the S23 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 offers a slight edge in sustained performance and efficiency. The X30 Pro's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is still incredibly powerful, providing smooth performance for demanding tasks. However, the Gen 2's improved architecture and cooling contribute to better long-term stability.
Battery Life
The S23 Ultra demonstrates superior battery endurance, consistently achieving longer active use times and impressive endurance ratings. While the Moto X30 Pro's 125W charging is unmatched, the S23 Ultra's optimized power management and larger battery capacity provide a more reliable all-day experience.
Buying Guide
The Motorola Moto X30 Pro is ideal for users prioritizing blazing-fast charging, a large display, and raw performance at a more accessible price point. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is perfect for photography enthusiasts, those seeking a premium and polished experience, and users invested in the Samsung ecosystem.