vivo X90 Pro+ vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The Ultimate Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The S23 Ultra offers a more polished, feature-rich experience with its superior software, broader ecosystem, and versatile camera system. However, the X90 Pro+ shines with its exceptional camera hardware and faster charging, making it a compelling choice for photography enthusiasts.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo X90 Pro+ | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 66 | 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, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 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, 5G | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, November 22 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, December 06 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, aluminum frame, eco leather back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.4 x 75.3 x 9.7 mm (6.47 x 2.96 x 0.38 in) | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 221 g (7.80 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~517 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.78 inches, 111.4 cm2 (~90.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO4 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1800 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 13, Funtouch (Global), Origin OS 3 (China) | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 4.0 | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, Pixel Shift, dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 50.3 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 64 MP, f/3.5, 90mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/1.6, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.4", 0.7µm, AF, 2x optical zoom, OIS 48 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, AF | 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 | 32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, 14-bit RAW video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps | 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/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| 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/6, 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, color spectrum | 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 | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 80W wired, 100% in 33 min (advertised) 50W wireless Reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4700 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Red | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | V2227A | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 1030 EUR | € 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 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) |
vivo X90 Pro+
- Exceptional camera hardware (1-inch sensor)
- 80W wired charging
- 50W wireless charging
- Reverse wired charging
- Premium design
- Software experience less polished than Samsung
- Limited availability in some regions
- Wireless charging slower than S23 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Versatile camera system with excellent zoom
- Bright and vibrant display (1274 nits)
- Robust software and ecosystem
- Long battery life
- S Pen functionality
- Charging speed slower than X90 Pro+
- Design can be polarizing
- Pricey
Display Comparison
Both phones feature stunning AMOLED displays with adaptive refresh rates. The S23 Ultra boasts a measured peak brightness of 1274 nits, offering exceptional outdoor visibility. The X90 Pro+’s display is also excellent, though brightness figures are not readily available. Samsung’s display also has an infinite contrast ratio. The S23 Ultra’s slightly larger size and brighter screen give it a slight edge.
Camera Comparison
The X90 Pro+’s camera system is a major highlight, featuring a 1-inch sensor for the main lens, promising exceptional image quality and low-light performance. The S23 Ultra offers a more versatile camera system with multiple lenses, including a powerful zoom lens. While the X90 Pro+ excels in still photography, the S23 Ultra’s video capabilities and zoom range are superior.
Performance
Both devices are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but Samsung’s version (SM8550-AC) has a slightly higher CPU clock speed (3.36 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). In real-world usage, the difference is negligible. Both phones offer blazing-fast performance for gaming, multitasking, and demanding applications. Thermal management is generally good on both.
Battery Life
The S23 Ultra demonstrates impressive battery life, achieving an active use score of 13:24h and an endurance rating of 126h. The X90 Pro+’s battery life is respectable, but not quite as impressive as the S23 Ultra. The S23 Ultra also offers 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging, while the X90 Pro+ boasts 80W wired and 50W wireless charging, and reverse wired charging.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the vivo X90 Pro+? Photography lovers prioritizing camera hardware and fast charging will appreciate the X90 Pro+. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra? Users seeking a complete flagship experience with a robust software ecosystem, excellent display, and versatile camera capabilities will find the S23 Ultra ideal.