ZTE Blade A3 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A David vs. Goliath Battle
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra utterly dominates this comparison. Its superior chipset, display, camera, and battery life make it a clear winner. The ZTE Blade A3 Plus offers basic functionality at a low price, but it's not in the same league as the S23 Ultra.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE Blade A3 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 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, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, January | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, January | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 137 x 68 x 10.5 mm (5.39 x 2.68 x 0.41 in) | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 188 g (6.63 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 | 480 x 960 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~215 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.0 inches, 64.5 cm2 (~69.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | TFT LCD | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6739W (28 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | PowerVR GE8100 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 11 (Go edition) | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDHC (dedicated slot) | No |
| Internal | 16GB 2GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| eMMC 5.1 | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash | 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 | 5 MP | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 3 MP | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | - | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | 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, 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 | - | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 2050 mAh, removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | Z3353CA | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 70 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) |
ZTE Blade A3 Plus
- Extremely affordable
- Decent battery life for its class
- Lightweight and compact
- Slow performance
- Basic camera
- Low-resolution display
- Limited storage
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional performance
- Stunning display
- Versatile and high-quality camera
- Long battery life
- Fast charging
- Premium design
- Expensive
- Large and heavy
- Can be overwhelming for basic users
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts a stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 1274 nits and an infinite contrast ratio. Its vibrant colors, sharp resolution, and smooth 120Hz refresh rate are unmatched. The ZTE Blade A3 Plus has a much smaller and less impressive display, likely with lower resolution and brightness, offering a significantly less immersive experience.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S23 Ultra's camera system is a standout feature, offering incredible detail, dynamic range, and versatility. It excels in both photo and video recording. The ZTE Blade A3 Plus has a basic camera setup, suitable for casual snapshots but lacking the advanced features and image quality of the S23 Ultra.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23 Ultra provides blistering performance, handling demanding games and multitasking with ease. The Mediatek MT6739W in the ZTE Blade A3 Plus is a budget chipset, resulting in noticeably slower performance and potential lag, especially with more demanding apps.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers exceptional battery life, easily lasting a full day with active use and boasting an endurance rating of 126 hours. It also supports 45W wired and 15W wireless charging. The ZTE Blade A3 Plus likely has a smaller battery and slower charging speeds, offering less overall battery life.
Buying Guide
The ZTE Blade A3 Plus is ideal for users on a very tight budget who need a basic phone for calls, texts, and light app usage. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is for power users, photography enthusiasts, and anyone who wants the best possible smartphone experience, regardless of price.