vivo X90 Pro+ vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A Detailed Flagship Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing longevity and a polished experience, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra emerges as the winner. Its superior battery life, brighter display, and refined software outweigh the X90 Pro+'s faster charging and potentially more exciting camera system. However, power users seeking the fastest possible charging and a different photographic aesthetic will find the X90 Pro+ compelling.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo X90 Pro+ | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | 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, 5G | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 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 | |
| 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 | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · 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) 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), OriginOS 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 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, 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, 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 | - | 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 |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless | 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 | 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 50W wireless Reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | 4700 mAh | 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+
- Significantly faster wired and wireless charging
- Potentially more vibrant and saturated camera output
- Reverse wired charging capability
- Battery life likely shorter than S23 Ultra
- Software ecosystem less mature than Samsung’s
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional battery life and endurance
- Brighter and more color-accurate display
- Mature software experience with S Pen support
- Slower charging speeds compared to X90 Pro+
- Image processing may be less vibrant than vivo
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1274 nits, compared to an unspecified peak brightness for the X90 Pro+. While both likely utilize LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates, Samsung’s panel benefits from its higher peak brightness, making it more legible outdoors. The S23 Ultra’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio suggests superior black levels, enhancing viewing experience for HDR content. While the X90 Pro+’s display quality is likely excellent, Samsung holds a clear advantage in raw brightness and contrast.
Camera Comparison
While both phones excel in photography, they approach it differently. The X90 Pro+’s camera system is not detailed in the provided data, but vivo is known for its focus on image processing that produces vibrant, saturated colors. The S23 Ultra’s camera, while not detailed in specs here, is renowned for its versatility and natural image processing. Both phones offer photo and video capabilities, but the S23 Ultra’s larger sensor (typically found in Samsung flagships) and advanced image stabilization (OIS) likely provide superior low-light performance and smoother video recording. The absence of details on the X90 Pro+'s sensor size makes a direct comparison difficult, but Samsung’s established camera technology gives it an edge.
Performance
Both devices are equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm), but the S23 Ultra utilizes the slightly higher-clocked SM8550-AC variant (3.36 GHz vs 3.2 GHz on the X90 Pro+). This marginal CPU clock speed difference is unlikely to be noticeable in most everyday tasks. Both phones feature ample RAM, likely LPDDR5x, ensuring smooth multitasking. However, Samsung’s larger thermal dissipation system, coupled with software optimizations, likely results in more sustained performance under heavy load, minimizing throttling during extended gaming sessions. The 4nm process node on both chips contributes to improved thermal efficiency compared to older generations.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra demonstrates a clear advantage in battery endurance, achieving an active use score of 13:24h and an endurance rating of 126h. The X90 Pro+ compensates with significantly faster charging: 80W wired (100% in 33 minutes) and 50W wireless, compared to the S23 Ultra’s 45W wired (65% in 30 minutes) and 15W wireless. While the X90 Pro+ can top up much quicker, the S23 Ultra’s larger battery and efficient power management translate to longer usage between charges. The inclusion of reverse wired charging on the X90 Pro+ is a useful addition, but the S23 Ultra also offers reverse wireless charging, albeit at a slower 4.5W.
Buying Guide
Buy the vivo X90 Pro+ if you need blazing-fast 80W wired and 50W wireless charging, and appreciate a camera system geared towards vibrant, saturated images. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you prefer exceptional battery life (13:24h active use), a brighter and more color-accurate display, and the S Pen's productivity features, alongside a more established software experience.