Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G vs Galaxy S23: The Ultimate Showdown
Samsung consistently delivers top-tier Android experiences, and the S22 Ultra and S23 are prime examples. But with subtle differences, choosing between them can be tricky. This comprehensive comparison breaks down every aspect, from display and performance to camera and battery, to help you make the right decision.
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S23 emerges as the overall winner, offering a more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, improved performance, and a slightly more refined experience. While the S22 Ultra boasts a built-in S Pen and a brighter display, the S23's advancements make it the better long-term investment.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
| 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, 66 - International | 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, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 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 (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | 1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, February 09 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, February 25 | 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 | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 228 g / 229 g (mmWave) (8.04 oz) | 168 g (5.93 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus, 2.8ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROW | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 | 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, 1TB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 108 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, 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, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., 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 | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 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 | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | 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, ultrasonic), 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 | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 3900 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS | SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS |
| Price | € 397.07 / $ 269.98 / £ 304.99 / ₹ 63,899 | $ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990 |
| SAR | 1.18 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.88 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 1.05 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.30 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 108h | Endurance rating 101h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.3 LUFS (Good) | -27.0 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 968359 (v9) GeekBench: 3657 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
- Integrated S Pen
- Brighter Display (1266 nits)
- Versatile Camera System
- Premium Build Quality
- Exynos Chipset (Europe) can be less efficient
- Slightly older design
- Charging speed could be faster
Samsung Galaxy S23
- Improved Performance (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2)
- Better Battery Efficiency
- More Refined Design
- Faster Software Updates
- No S Pen
- Slightly lower peak brightness
- Charging speed could be faster
Display Comparison
Both phones feature stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with a 120Hz refresh rate and excellent color accuracy. The S22 Ultra hits a peak brightness of 1266 nits, slightly higher than the S23's 1198 nits. However, the S23's display is generally considered to be more efficient. Both have infinite contrast ratios.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems with excellent image quality. The S23 features improvements in image processing and low-light performance. While the S22 Ultra has a higher resolution main sensor (108MP vs 50MP), the S23's software optimizations often result in more pleasing and natural-looking photos. Both offer excellent video recording capabilities.
Performance
The S23's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset provides a significant performance boost over the S22 Ultra's Exynos 2200 (Europe) or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (ROW). Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and improved gaming performance on the S23. The Cortex-X3 core in the S23's CPU is a key differentiator.
Battery Life
The S23 demonstrates better battery efficiency thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. While the S22 Ultra has a slightly higher endurance rating (108h vs 101h), the S23's active use score of 11:27h suggests it will last longer under typical usage scenarios.
Buying Guide
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G is ideal for users who prioritize the integrated S Pen for note-taking and creative tasks, and appreciate a brighter display. The Galaxy S23 is best suited for those seeking the latest performance, a more streamlined design, and a generally more efficient and modern Android experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Does the Galaxy S23 have the S Pen?
No, the Galaxy S23 does not have a built-in S Pen. That feature is exclusive to the Galaxy S22 Ultra and other Note series devices.
❓ Is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S23 better than the Exynos 2200 in the S22 Ultra?
Yes, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 offers significantly improved performance and efficiency compared to the Exynos 2200, especially in Europe models.