Xiaomi 17 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A Deep Dive into Android Flagship Supremacy
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the power user prioritizing peak performance and blazing-fast charging, the Xiaomi 17 Pro emerges as the winner. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 offers a tangible performance advantage. However, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra remains a compelling choice for those valuing established software, consistent camera performance, and all-day battery life.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 17 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, 48, 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, 18, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 80, 81, 83, 84, 89 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 / HSPA / 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 | 2025, September 25 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, September 25 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Dragon Crystal Glass), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 151.1 x 71.8 x 8 mm (5.95 x 2.83 x 0.31 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 | 192 g (6.77 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 | Xiaomi Dragon Crystal Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1220 x 2656 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~464 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.3 inches, 97.1 cm2 (~89.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 2160Hz PWM, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid, HDR10+, 3500 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x4.6 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 840 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 16, HyperOS 3 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| - | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lens, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Laser 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 |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.7, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/3.0, 115mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF (20cm - ∞), OIS, 5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.4, 17mm, 102˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm | - |
| Video | 8K@30fps (HDR), 4K@30/60/120fps (HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR, 10-bit LOG), 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 50 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (wide), PDAF | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos) | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 5 | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5), GLONASS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, Display Port, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, 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, proximity, gyro, compass, barometer | 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 | 100W wired, PD3.0, QC3+, 100W PPS 50W wireless 22.5W reverse wireless | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Si/C Li-Ion 6300 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Purple, Green | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | 25098PN5AC | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 600 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) |
Xiaomi 17 Pro
- Potentially superior performance with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Blazing-fast 100W wired and 50W wireless charging
- Likely to offer innovative software features
- Camera details currently unknown, potential for inconsistency
- Battery capacity not specified, potential for shorter endurance
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional battery life (13:24h active use)
- Versatile and consistent camera system
- Polished and reliable software experience
- Slower charging speeds (45W wired)
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a generation behind
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a measured peak brightness of 1274 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Xiaomi 17 Pro’s display specs are currently unknown, Xiaomi typically employs high-quality AMOLED panels. The S23 Ultra’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of AMOLED technology, delivers deep blacks and vibrant colors. The absence of PWM frequency data for the Xiaomi 17 Pro leaves questions about potential flicker-related eye strain for sensitive users, a known strength of Samsung’s displays.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are equipped for exceptional photo and video capture, but their approaches differ. The S23 Ultra’s camera system is renowned for its consistency and versatility, particularly its 200MP main sensor (not specified for the Xiaomi 17 Pro). While sensor size and aperture data for the Xiaomi 17 Pro are missing, the focus will likely be on computational photography advancements leveraging the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5’s enhanced ISP (Image Signal Processor). The S23 Ultra’s robust OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) is crucial for stable video recording, and it remains to be seen if the Xiaomi 17 Pro can match this level of stabilization. The absence of details regarding the Xiaomi 17 Pro’s telephoto capabilities suggests Samsung maintains an advantage in zoom performance.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Xiaomi 17 Pro’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, built on a 3nm process, features an octa-core configuration with Oryon V3 Phoenix cores clocked up to 4.6 GHz. This contrasts with the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) and its Cortex-X3 prime core at 3.36 GHz. The 3nm node of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 promises superior power efficiency and thermal performance, potentially allowing for sustained peak performance during extended gaming sessions. The Oryon cores, designed by Qualcomm, are expected to deliver a significant IPC (Instructions Per Cycle) uplift over the Cortex architecture used in the S23 Ultra, translating to faster application loading and smoother multitasking. The S23 Ultra’s LPDDR5x RAM is standard for flagships, but the Xiaomi 17 Pro’s RAM configuration is unknown; faster RAM speeds could further widen the performance gap.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra achieves an impressive endurance rating of 126 hours and a real-world active use score of 13:24h, demonstrating excellent battery life. The Xiaomi 17 Pro, however, compensates with significantly faster charging: 100W wired, 50W wireless, and 22.5W reverse wireless, compared to the S23 Ultra’s 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless. While the Xiaomi 17 Pro’s battery capacity is unknown, the faster charging speeds mean less downtime. The S23 Ultra’s 65% charge in 30 minutes is respectable, but the Xiaomi 17 Pro is likely to achieve a full charge in a similar timeframe.
Buying Guide
Buy the Xiaomi 17 Pro if you demand the absolute fastest Android experience, frequently engage in demanding tasks like video editing or high-end gaming, and value the convenience of 100W charging. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you prioritize a polished, reliable software experience, a versatile camera system with consistent results, and exceptional battery endurance for all-day use without range anxiety.