Sony Xperia 10 V vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A Clash of Titans

The smartphone landscape is vast, and choosing the right device can be overwhelming. Today, we pit the budget-friendly Sony Xperia 10 V against the powerhouse Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. This comparison will break down their key features, performance, and value to help you make an informed decision.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the clear winner in terms of overall performance, camera capabilities, and premium features. However, the Xperia 10 V offers exceptional battery life and a more compact form factor at a significantly lower price point, making it a compelling option for budget-conscious users.

PHONES
Phone Names Sony Xperia 10 V Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40, 411, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 -1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2023, May 112023, February 01
StatusAvailable. Released 2023, June 21Available. Released 2023, February 17
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic frame, plastic backGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
Dimensions155 x 68 x 8.3 mm (6.10 x 2.68 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 + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight159 g (5.61 oz)234 g (8.25 oz)
 IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)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
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass VictusCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Resolution1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~449 ppi density)1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density)
Size6.1 inches, 86.9 cm2 (~82.5% screen-to-body ratio)6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeOLED, 1B colors, HDRDynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
 Triluminos displayAlways-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver)Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
ChipsetQualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm)Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
GPUAdreno 619Adreno 740
OSAndroid 13, upgradable to Android 15Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)No
Internal128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM
 UFSUFS 4.0
Main Camera
FeaturesLED flash, HDR, panoramaLaser 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
Triple48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.2, 54mm (telephoto), 1/4.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm-
Video1080p@30fps8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR, HDR10+
Single8 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video1080p@30fps4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack YesNo
35mm jackYesNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 24-bit/192kHz audio 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive5.3, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSSGPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0, OTGUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compassFingerprint (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
Battery
ChargingWired, PD, QC45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 5000 mAhLi-Ion 5000 mAh
Misc
ColorsBlack, White, Sage Green, LavenderPhantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition
ModelsXQ-DC72, XQ-DC54SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS
Price€ 225.00 / $ 699.00 / £ 194.99€ 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 175h Endurance rating 126h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -27.4 LUFS (Good) -25.6 LUFS (Very good)
Performance AnTuTu: 357142 (v9) GeekBench: 1897 (v5.5), 2067 (v6) GFXBench: 16fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Sony Xperia 10 V

  • Exceptional battery life
  • Compact and lightweight design
  • Affordable price
  • Good display contrast

  • Lower performance compared to flagship phones
  • Less impressive camera system
  • Older chipset

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

  • Top-tier performance
  • Outstanding camera system
  • Bright and vibrant display
  • Premium design and build quality
  • Fast charging

  • High price
  • Large and heavy
  • Software bloat (subjective)

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display (1274 nits vs 947 nits) and a larger size, offering a more immersive viewing experience. Both have excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), but the S23 Ultra's Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology provides richer colors and deeper blacks. The Xperia 10 V's display is still good, but lacks the vibrancy of the S23 Ultra.

Camera Comparison

The S23 Ultra's camera system is a major selling point, offering incredible versatility with its multiple lenses, high resolution sensors, and advanced image processing. The Xperia 10 V's camera is capable, but lacks the features and image quality of the S23 Ultra. Expect superior low-light performance, zoom capabilities, and overall detail from the S23 Ultra.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S23 Ultra utterly dominates the Snapdragon 695 5G in the Xperia 10 V. Expect lightning-fast app loading, seamless multitasking, and effortless handling of demanding games on the S23 Ultra. The Xperia 10 V is perfectly adequate for everyday tasks, but will struggle with intensive applications.

Battery Life

Surprisingly, the Xperia 10 V edges out the S23 Ultra in active use battery life (16:14h vs 13:24h), and has a significantly higher endurance rating (175h vs 126h). While the S23 Ultra supports faster charging (45W wired, wireless), the Xperia 10 V's exceptional efficiency gives it the edge in longevity.

Buying Guide

The Sony Xperia 10 V is ideal for users prioritizing long battery life, a compact design, and a more affordable price tag. It's great for everyday tasks and media consumption. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is for power users who demand top-tier performance, a versatile camera system, and a large, stunning display, regardless of the cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Is the Xperia 10 V good for gaming?
The Xperia 10 V can handle casual games, but it will struggle with demanding titles due to its less powerful chipset. The S23 Ultra is significantly better for gaming.
❓ Which phone has better software support?
Samsung generally offers longer software update support than Sony. Expect more years of Android updates and security patches on the S23 Ultra.