Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: The Ultimate Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The S23 Ultra offers a more refined software experience and consistently excellent camera performance. The 13 Ultra shines with its blazing-fast charging, versatile camera system, and slightly more aggressive pricing. Ultimately, the choice depends on your priorities: software polish vs. charging speed and camera versatility.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Xiaomi 13 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 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, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 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, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G | HSPA, LTE, 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 | 2023, April 18 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, February 17 | Available. Released 2023, April 21 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), eco leather back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) | 163.2 x 74.6 x 9.1 mm (6.43 x 2.94 x 0.36 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 234 g (8.25 oz) | 227 g (8.01 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) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) | LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1300 nits (HBM), 2600 nits (peak) |
| 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 (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 | Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, HyperOS |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 4.0 | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lenses, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, 67mm filter ring holder (optional) |
| 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 | 50 MP, f/1.9 or f/4.0, 23mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/1.8, 75mm (telephoto), 1/2.51", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom 50 MP, f/3.0, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.51", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/1.8, 12mm, 122˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.51", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF | - |
| Video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/480/960/1920fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit rec. (4K@60fps, 1080p) |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, HDR10+ | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF | 32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.14", 0.7µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 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 | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort, 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/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, 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 | Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 90W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 35 min 50W wireless, 100% in 49 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition | Black, Olive Green, White, Orange, Yellow, Blue |
| Models | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS | 2304FPN6DC, 2304FPN6DG |
| Price | € 549.90 / $ 454.99 / £ 433.00 | € 797.98 / $ 389.69 |
| SAR | 1.12 W/kg (head) 0.92 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.40 W/kg (body) | 0.99 W/kg (head) 1.00 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) | - |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Excellent software experience
- Consistent camera performance
- Longer battery life
- Bright and vibrant display
- Premium build quality
- Slower charging speeds
- Higher price point
Xiaomi 13 Ultra
- Incredibly fast charging
- Versatile camera system with multiple lenses
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent display
- Premium build quality
- Shorter battery life
- Software experience may not appeal to all
Display Comparison
Both phones feature exceptional displays. The S23 Ultra edges out the 13 Ultra with a slightly higher peak brightness (1274 nits vs 1207 nits), though both are incredibly bright and vibrant. Both utilize AMOLED technology with excellent color accuracy and viewing angles. The S23 Ultra's display is known for its adaptive refresh rate, dynamically adjusting for smoother scrolling and power efficiency. The 13 Ultra's display is also excellent, offering a similarly smooth experience.
Camera Comparison
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra boasts a more versatile camera system with a larger primary sensor and multiple telephoto lenses, offering greater zoom capabilities. The S23 Ultra's camera is renowned for its consistent image quality and excellent processing. Both phones capture stunning photos and videos in various conditions, but the 13 Ultra's versatility gives it an edge for creative photographers.
Performance
Both devices are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but with slightly different clock speeds. The S23 Ultra has a marginally higher peak CPU clock speed (3.36 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). In real-world usage, both phones offer blistering performance, handling demanding games and multitasking with ease. Differences in performance are negligible for most users.
Battery Life
The S23 Ultra demonstrates superior battery endurance in active use (13:24h vs 10:09h) and boasts a significantly higher endurance rating (126h vs 108h). While the 13 Ultra charges dramatically faster (90W wired vs 45W wired), the S23 Ultra's longer battery life provides more peace of mind.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra? Users prioritizing a seamless software experience, long-term software support, and a consistently reliable camera. Who should buy the Xiaomi 13 Ultra? Photography enthusiasts seeking maximum camera versatility and those who value incredibly fast charging speeds.