Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold4: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The S23 Ultra wins on raw performance, camera versatility, and battery life. However, the Z Fold4's foldable display offers a unique productivity experience. If you prioritize a top-tier camera and longevity, the S23 Ultra is the better choice; if you crave a large, foldable screen for multitasking, the Z Fold4 shines.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 |
| 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, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| 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 | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, February 01 | 2022, August 10 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, February 17 | Available. Released 2022, August 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+) (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) | Unfolded: 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mmFolded: 155.1 x 67.1 x 14.2-15.8 mm |
| 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 | 234 g (8.25 oz) | 263 g (9.28 oz) |
| 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) | IPX8 water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | - |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) | 1812 x 2176 pixels (~373 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 7.6 inches, 183.2 cm2 (~90.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | Cover display: Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ 6.2 inches, 904 x 2316 pixels, 23.1:9 ratio | |
| 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 (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 | Android 12L, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 4.0 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, 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, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 66mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 12mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.06", 1.12µm |
| Video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+ |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, HDR10+ | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF | 4 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/3.0", 2.0µm, under display Cover camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 24mm (wide), 1/3.0", 1.22µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| 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 | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| 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 (side-mounted), 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 | Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 25W wired, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh | Li-Po 4400 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition | Graygreen, Phantom Black, Beige, Burgundy |
| Models | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS | SM-F936B, SM-F936B/DS, SM-F936U, SM-F936U1, SM-F936N, SM-F936W, SM-F9360 |
| Price | € 549.90 / $ 454.99 / £ 433.00 | $ 457.00 / € 511.80 / £ 485.00 / ₹ 73,899 |
| SAR | 1.12 W/kg (head) 0.92 W/kg (body) | 0.96 W/kg (head) 0.92 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.40 W/kg (body) | 1.30 W/kg (head) 1.51 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 126h | Endurance rating 101h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) | -28.3 LUFS (Average) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 964530 (v9) GeekBench: 3981 (v5.1) GFXBench: 43fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Superior Camera System
- Brighter Display
- Faster Performance (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2)
- Excellent Battery Life
- S Pen Support
- Higher Price
- Larger and Heavier
- Less Unique Design
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
- Foldable Display for Productivity
- Unique Design
- Compact when Folded
- Good Performance (Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1)
- Shorter Battery Life
- Less Bright Display
- Camera Not as Versatile
- More Expensive
Display Comparison
The S23 Ultra boasts a brighter 1274 nits display, offering superior outdoor visibility. Its contrast ratio is infinite, providing deep blacks and vibrant colors. The Z Fold4's 1000 nits display is still excellent, but not as bright. The Z Fold4's foldable screen is its defining feature, offering a tablet-like experience in a phone form factor, while the S23 Ultra has a more traditional, albeit stunning, display.
Camera Comparison
The S23 Ultra's camera system is arguably the best on the market, offering incredible detail, dynamic range, and low-light performance. It features a versatile zoom range and excellent video recording capabilities. The Z Fold4's camera is still very good, but lacks the S23 Ultra's zoom capabilities and overall image quality.
Performance
The S23 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 delivers noticeably faster performance than the Z Fold4's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. This translates to smoother multitasking, quicker app loading times, and better gaming performance. Both phones handle everyday tasks with ease, but the S23 Ultra has a clear edge in demanding scenarios.
Battery Life
The S23 Ultra significantly outperforms the Z Fold4 in battery life, offering a much longer active use time and endurance rating. The Z Fold4's battery life is adequate, but users may need to charge it more frequently, especially when utilizing the larger foldable screen.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra? Photography enthusiasts, power users needing top-tier performance, and those prioritizing battery life. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4? Productivity-focused users, those wanting a large screen in a pocketable form factor, and early adopters of foldable technology.