Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs S22 Ultra 5G: The Ultimate Showdown
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
The S23+ edges out the S22 Ultra thanks to its significantly faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, improved efficiency, and slightly better battery life. While the S22 Ultra boasts a built-in S Pen and a slightly brighter display, the S23+'s overall performance and modern processor make it the winner for most users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S23+ | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (Dual SIM model only) | 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, LTE-A (up to 7CA), 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, February 01 | 2022, February 09 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, February 17 | Available. Released 2022, February 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm (6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 in) | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 196 g (6.91 oz) | 228 g / 229 g (mmWave) (8.04 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | 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) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.6 inches, 105.3 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | 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 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW |
| OS | Android 13, One UI 5.1 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 4.0 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Laser AF, 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 |
| 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@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual video call, Auto-HDR, HDR10+ | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | - | 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 | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.2, 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, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-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) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4700 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime | Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple |
| Models | SM-S916B, SM-S916B/DS, SM-S916U, SM-S916U1, SM-S916W, SM-S916N, SM-S9160, SM-S916E, SM-S916E/DS | SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS |
| Price | $ 780.00 / C$ 1,399.99 / £ 919.08 / € 1,185.89 / ₹ 94,999 | € 397.07 / $ 269.98 / £ 304.99 / ₹ 63,899 |
| SAR | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.04 W/kg (body) | 1.18 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) | 1.05 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 111h | Endurance rating 108h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.5 LUFS (Good) | -27.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1234077 (v9) GeekBench: 5073 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 968359 (v9) GeekBench: 3657 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S23+
- Faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Chipset
- Improved Battery Efficiency
- Slightly Better Camera Processing
- Modern Design
- No S Pen Support
- Slightly Less Bright Display than S22 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
- Integrated S Pen Stylus
- Brighter Display (1266 nits)
- Versatile Camera System with 10x Zoom
- Potentially Lower Price Now
- Older Processor (Exynos or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1)
- Less Efficient Chipset
- Slightly Shorter Battery Life
Display Comparison
The S22 Ultra boasts a measured peak brightness of 1266 nits, making it exceptionally visible outdoors. The S23+ display, while excellent, doesn't reach those same heights. Both offer vibrant colors, excellent contrast (infinite nominal), and smooth 120Hz refresh rates. The S22 Ultra's slightly brighter screen gives it a marginal edge in direct sunlight.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature excellent camera systems capable of capturing stunning photos and videos. The S22 Ultra's versatility with its multiple lenses (including a 10x optical zoom) is a key strength. The S23+ improves upon the S22 Ultra's image processing, delivering more natural colors and better low-light performance. Both record high-quality video.
Performance
This is where the S23+ truly shines. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a substantial upgrade over the S22 Ultra's Exynos 2200 (or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 depending on region). Expect noticeably faster app loading, smoother gaming, and improved overall responsiveness. The S23+'s chip is also more power-efficient, contributing to better battery life.
Battery Life
The S23+ demonstrates slightly better battery endurance, with an endurance rating of 111h compared to the S22 Ultra's 108h. This is largely thanks to the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Both phones support 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging.
Buying Guide
The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is ideal for users prioritizing performance, smooth multitasking, and a more modern processor. It's a great choice for gamers and those who demand snappy responsiveness. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra remains a strong contender, especially for those who value the integrated S Pen for note-taking and creative tasks, and appreciate a brighter display, and are looking for a potentially better deal now that it's older.