Xiaomi Redmi K80 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A Deep Dive into Flagship Performance
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a complete package with a stellar camera and long-term software support, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra remains the superior choice. However, the Redmi K80 Pro delivers exceptional performance and blazing-fast charging at a potentially lower price point, making it ideal for power users and gamers.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi Redmi K80 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) / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 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, 3, 5, 7, 8, 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 / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / 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 | 2024, November 27 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2024, November 27 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 160.3 x 75 x 8.4 mm (6.31 x 2.95 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 + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 212 g or 217 g (7.48 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 | Longjing glass 2 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~526 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~89.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1800 nits (HBM), 3200 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 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 SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 830 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 15, HyperOS 2 | 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 | Color spectrum sensor, LED 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/1.6, 24mm (wide), 1/1.55", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.0, 60mm (telephoto), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF (10cm - ∞), OIS, 2.5x optical zoom 32 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 120˚ (ultrawide) | - |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@24/30/60fps, 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 | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 20 MP, (wide) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 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 | 6.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LHDC 5 | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C, 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 | 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 | 120W wired, PD3.0, QC3+, 100% in 28 min 50W wireless | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Si/C Li-Ion 6000 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Mint, Lamborgini Green, Lamborgini Black | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | 24122RKC7C | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 500 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 Redmi K80 Pro
- Blazing-fast 120W wired charging
- Potentially superior CPU performance with Snapdragon 8 Elite
- Likely more affordable price point
- Battery capacity unknown, potentially smaller than S23 Ultra
- Software support and updates may be less consistent than Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional camera system with versatile lenses
- Long-lasting battery life and efficient power management
- Polished software experience and long-term support
- Slower charging speeds compared to Redmi K80 Pro
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a measured peak brightness of 1274 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Redmi K80 Pro’s display specs are not provided, Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with its infinite contrast ratio offers a visually richer experience. The S23 Ultra’s adaptive refresh rate, likely utilizing LTPO technology, contributes to better power efficiency compared to a standard adaptive refresh rate, though the K80 Pro may also feature LTPO. Bezels are expected to be minimal on both devices, but Samsung’s display is known for its color accuracy and calibration.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are equipped with advanced camera systems, but their approaches differ. The S23 Ultra is renowned for its versatile camera setup, including a high-resolution main sensor and exceptional image processing. While specific sensor details for the K80 Pro are missing, the focus should be on the primary sensor’s size and aperture. Samsung’s image processing prioritizes vibrant colors and detail, while Xiaomi often leans towards a more natural look. The S23 Ultra’s superior optical image stabilization (OIS) and video recording capabilities are likely to provide a smoother and more stable shooting experience. We'd expect the S23 Ultra to excel in low-light photography due to its established algorithms.
Performance
The Redmi K80 Pro’s Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite, built on a 3nm process, features a unique octa-core configuration with Oryon V2 Phoenix cores. This architecture promises significant performance gains over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) in the S23 Ultra, particularly in CPU-intensive workloads. The K80 Pro’s CPU clock speeds (up to 4.32 GHz) are notably higher than the S23 Ultra’s (3.36 GHz). However, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s optimized Adreno GPU and efficient core arrangement provide a strong counterpoint, and the 4nm process offers better thermal efficiency, potentially mitigating throttling during sustained gaming. The K80 Pro’s LPDDR5x RAM will further enhance performance, but the S23 Ultra’s software optimization and cooling system are crucial factors.
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 Redmi K80 Pro’s battery capacity is unknown, but its 120W wired charging capability is a significant advantage, achieving a full charge in just 28 minutes. The S23 Ultra’s 45W charging, taking 30 minutes to reach 65%, is considerably slower. The K80 Pro also supports 50W wireless charging, far exceeding the S23 Ultra’s 15W Qi wireless charging. The faster charging of the K80 Pro could offset a potentially smaller battery capacity for users who frequently top up their devices.
Buying Guide
Buy the Xiaomi Redmi K80 Pro if you need uncompromising CPU performance for demanding tasks like video editing or emulation, and value the fastest possible charging speeds. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you prefer a more polished software experience, a versatile and consistently excellent camera system, and all-day battery life with reliable longevity.