Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra vs. the competition: All about those cameras

Performance and battery life upgrades are modest.

·Reporter

February 1, 2023 at 1:15 PM·6 min read

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S23 series, and the formula will seem familiar if you've seen the company's phones from the past few years: one 'small' 6.1-inch handset, a larger 6.6-inch version and a range-topping 6.8-inch Ultra that steals the show. They're all faster and take better photos. The competitive landscape is very different this year, however. The S23 line is competing against not just an expanded Apple lineup with two large-screen iPhones, but a Pixel family that finally lives up to some of Google's loftier promises. Check out the specs below to see how they compare, and be sure to look at our hands-on sessions with the S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra.

What's Changed

The centerpiece upgrade, as you may have guessed, is the Galaxy S23 Ultra's 200-megapixel main camera. It makes the S22 Ultra's 108MP sensor seem modest, and Samsung claims strong low-light photography as well as 8K video at 30 frames per second. You can also expect an improved 12MP selfie camera on the S23 and S23+ models (up from 10MP) with 60FPS HDR, and those phones can shoot Expert RAW photos at their primary camera's full 50MP resolution.

After that, the Galaxy S23 series revolves around incremental (if welcome) updates. They all use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which promises ray-traced graphics and big boosts for AI performance and power efficiency. Batteries are ever-so-slightly larger, and there's greater use of recycled components. Memory and storage are largely unchanged, although that still delivers up to 12GB of RAM and 1TB of storage on the S23 Ultra. You'll still want the highest-end device if you crave more than 8GB of RAM and a 1080p display. Simply speaking, there's no rush to upgrade from the S22 if you're still happy with its capabilities.

Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max

	Galaxy S23 Ultra	iPhone 14 Pro Max
Pricing	Starts at $1,200	Starts at $1,099
Dimensions	163.3 x 78 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in)	160.7 x 77.6 x 7.85 mm (6.33 x 3.05 x 0.31 in)
Weight	233.9g (8.25oz)	240g (8.47oz)
Screen size	6.8in (173mm)	6.7in (170mm)
Screen resolution	3,088 x 1,440 (501PPI)	2,778 x 1,284 (458PPI)
Screen type	AMOLED (120Hz, always on)	Super Retina XDR (120Hz, always on)
Battery	5,000mAh	4,323mAh
Internal storage	128 / 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB	128 / 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB
External storage	None	None
Rear camera(s)	Four cameras: Wide, 200MP, f/1.7 Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.2 Right telephoto, 10MP, f/2.4 Left telephoto, 10MP, f/4.9	Three cameras: Wide, 48MP f/1.78 Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.2 Telephoto, 12MP, f/2.8
Front camera(s)	12MP, f/2.2	12MP, f/1.9
Video capture	8K at 30FPS	4K at 60FPS
SoC	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy	Apple A16 Bionic
CPU	3.36GHz octa-core	3.46GHz hexa-core
GPU	Adreno 740	Apple penta-core GPU
RAM	8 / 12 GB	6 GB
WiFi	WiFi 6e	WiFi 6
Bluetooth	v.5.3	v.5.3
NFC	Yes	Yes
Operating system	Android 13	iOS 16
Other features	USB-C, Qi wireless charging, reverse charging	Lightning, Qi wireless charging, MagSafe charging

Galaxy S23+ vs. Pixel 7 Pro and iPhone 14 Plus

	Galaxy S23+	Pixel 7 Pro	iPhone 14 Plus
Pricing	Starts at $1,000	Starts at $899	Starts at $899
Dimensions	157.7 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm (6.21 x 3 x 0.3 in)	162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9 mm (6.4 x 3 x 0.35 in)	160.8 x 78.1 x 7.8 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.31 in)
Weight	195.9g (6.9oz)	212g (7.5oz)	203g (7.16oz)
Screen size	6.6in (167.6mm)	6.7in (170.2mm)	6.7in (170.2mm)
Screen resolution	2,340 x 1,080 (422PPI)	3,120 x 1,440	2,778 x 1,284
Screen type	AMOLED (120Hz, always on)	AMOLED (120Hz, always on)	AMOLED (60Hz)
Battery	4,700mAh	5,000mAh	4,323mAh
Internal storage	256 / 512 GB	128 / 256 GB	128 / 256 / 512 GB
External storage	None	None	None
Rear camera(s)	Three cameras: Wide, 50MP, f/1.8 Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.2 Telephoto, 10MP, f/2.4	Three cameras: Wide, 50MP, f/1.85 Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.2 Telephoto, 48MP, f/3.5	Two cameras: Wide, 12MP, f/1.5 Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.4
Front camera(s)	12MP, f/2.2	10.8MP, f/2.2	12MP, f/1.9
Video capture	8K at 30FPS	4K at 60FPS	4K at 60FPS
SoC	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy	Google Tensor G2	Apple A15 Bionic
CPU	3.36GHz octa-core	2.85GHz octa-core	3.24GHz hexa-core
GPU	Adreno 740	Mali-G710 MP07	Apple penta-core GPU
RAM	8GB	12GB	6GB
WiFi	WiFi 6e	WiFi 6e	WiFi 6
Bluetooth	v.5.3	v.5.2	v.5.3
NFC	Yes	Yes	Yes
Operating system	Android 13	Android 13	iOS 16
Other features	USB-C, Qi wireless charging, reverse charging	USB-C, Qi wireless charging, reverse charging	Lightning, Qi wireless charging, MagSafe charging

Galaxy S23 vs. Pixel 7 and iPhone 14

	Galaxy S23	Pixel 7	iPhone 14
Pricing	Starts at $800	Starts at $599	Starts at $799
Dimensions	146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.8 x 0.3 in)	155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7 mm (6.1 x 2.9 x 0.34 in)	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm (5.8 x 2.8 x 0.31 in)
Weight	168.1g (5.93oz)	197g (6.95oz)	172g (6.07oz)
Screen size	6.1in (154.94mm)	6.3in (160.5mm)	6.1in (154.94mm)
Screen resolution	2,340 x 1,080 (422PPI)	2,400 x 1,080 (416PPI)	2,532 x 1,170 (460PPI)
Screen type	AMOLED (120Hz, always on)	AMOLED (90Hz, always on)	AMOLED (60Hz)
Battery	3,900mAh	4,355mAh	3,279mAh
Internal storage	128 / 256 GB	128 / 256 GB	128 / 256 / 512 GB
External storage	None	None	None
Rear camera(s)	Three cameras: Wide, 50MP, f/1.8 Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.2 Telephoto, 10MP, f/2.4	Two cameras: Wide, 50MP, f/1.85 Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.2	Two cameras: Wide, 12MP, f/1.5 Ultra-wide, 12MP, f/2.4
Front camera(s)	12MP, f/2.2	10.8MP, f/2.2	12MP, f/1.9
Video capture	8K at 30FPS	4K at 60FPS	4K at 60FPS
SoC	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy	Google Tensor G2	Apple A15 Bionic
CPU	3.36GHz octa-core	2.85GHz octa-core	3.24GHz hexa-core
GPU	Adreno 740	Mali-G710 MP07	Apple penta-core GPU
RAM	8GB	8GB	6GB
WiFi	WiFi 6e	WiFi 6e	WiFi 6
Bluetooth	v.5.3	v.5.2	v.5.3
NFC	Yes	Yes	Yes
Operating system	Android 13	Android 13	iOS 16
Other features	USB-C, Qi wireless charging, reverse charging	USB-C, Qi wireless charging, reverse charging	Lightning, Qi wireless charging, MagSafe charging

If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.

CNN
Video of inmate’s fatal beating shows him handcuffed as correctional officers punch and kick him
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday released what she described as “shocking and disturbing” footage from body-worn cameras of correctional officers showing the fatal beating of an inmate at the Marcy Correctional Facility in upstate New York.
NBC News
Mega Millions jackpot grows to $1.22 billion ahead of Friday night drawing
Friday night's Mega Millions drawing could reveal a winning ticket for the lottery game's fifth largest jackpot: $1.22 billion.
CNN
Trump asks Supreme Court to pause TikTok ban, while Biden admin says app poses ‘grave’ threat
President-elect Donald Trump urged the Supreme Court to pause a controversial ban on TikTok that is set to take effect next month, telling the justices in a legal filing Friday that a delay would allow his administration to “pursue a negotiated resolution.”
AFP
Brazil views labor violations at BYD site as human 'trafficking'
Authorities in Brazil said Friday they were probing Chinese auto giant BYD and one of its contractors for suspected "trafficking" of Chinese workers who were building a factory in the South American country.The workers, employed by BYD contractor Jinjiang Open Engineering, were viewed as "victims of international trafficking for the purpose of labor exploitation," said the statement.
NBC News
Elon Musk accused of censoring conservatives on X who disagree with his immigration stances
The claims came after Elon Musk was involved in a public feud with some Republicans over immigration.
CBS News
Man accused of burning woman on subway indicted for murder, arson
A grand jury has indicted the man accused of setting a woman on fire aboard a Brooklyn subway train, Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez announced Friday.
TODAY
Person without ticket sneaks onto Delta flight from Seattle to Hawaii, is kicked off plane
A passenger without a ticket was kicked off a Delta flight this week after having sneaked onto a flight from Seattle to Hawaii, the airline said.
NBC News
How did unclaimed bodies end up in the hands of a major biotech company?
How Boston Scientific’s Relievant Medsystems came to use the unclaimed dead offers a window into the pressing demand for human bodies.
NBC News
Trump urges Supreme Court to hit pause on a law that could ban TikTok in the U.S. next month
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in the case on Jan. 10. The law is set to take effect on Jan. 19, one day before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in.
USA TODAY
What is a grave blanket, anyway? Everything to know about the traditional gesture
Every holiday, nurseries and flower stores advertise grave blankets. What are they? And where did they come from?
AFP
Trump asks US Supreme Court to pause law threatening TikTok ban
US President-elect Donald Trump filed a brief Friday urging the Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok the day before his January 20 inauguration if it is not sold by its Chinese owner ByteDance.- 'Unprecedented' - In the brief filed on Friday, Trump's lawyer made it clear the president-elect did not take a position on the legal merits of the current case.
CNN
Several North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine die from injuries, Zelensky says
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that several “seriously wounded” North Korean soldiers died from their injuries after being captured by Ukrainian forces.
Politico
Yellen: US will hit debt ceiling in mid- or late-January
The debt limit has been suspended since June 2023.
CNN
Israeli forces surround northern Gaza hospital and order evacuation, says director
The Israeli military surrounded one of the last functioning hospitals in northern Gaza, ordering patients and staff to evacuate and remove their clothing, say eyewitnesses, as concern grows for patients and health workers that remain in the facility.
Associated Press
Israeli airstrikes hit a Yemen airport as a jet with hundreds onboard was landing, UN official says
Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen’s main airport as a civilian Airbus 320 with hundreds of passengers on board was landing and a U.N. delegation was waiting to leave, the U.N.'s top humanitarian official in Yemen said Friday. Julien Harneis told U.N. reporters that the most frightening thing about the two airstrikes on Thursday wasn’t their effect on him and about 15 others in the VIP lounge at the international airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, including the head of the U.N. World Health Organization.
USA TODAY
With SS United States set to be sunk, passengers remember the iconic ocean liner
The historic SS United States is set to be turned into an artificial reef, but people who sailed on the majestic ship remember her heyday.
NBC News
Good Samaritan found dead in Arizona after offering help to a 'stranger with stranded vehicle'
A good Samaritan was found dead in Arizona after he offered to help a man on Monday who claimed to be having car trouble, authorities said.
Reuters
US may hit new debt limit as early as Jan 14, Yellen says
The U.S. Treasury Department may need to take "extraordinary measures" by as early as Jan. 14 to prevent the United States from defaulting on its debt, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told lawmakers in a letter on Friday. Yellen urged lawmakers in the U.S. Congress to act "to protect the full faith and credit of the United States." U.S. debt is expected to decrease by about $54 billion on Jan. 2 "due to a scheduled redemption of nonmarketable securities held by a federal trust fund associated with Medicare payments," she added.
Associated Press
Chinese workers found in 'slavery-like conditions' in Brazil taken to hotels as probe gets underway
Dozens of Chinese workers found by authorities in poor condition at a construction site in Brazil for electric vehicle automaker BYD have been taken and placed in hotels in the country's tropical northeast region. Local prosecutors alleged that the laborers are victims of human trafficking who were living in “slavery-like conditions” under contractor Jinjiang Group, but offered no evidence to back up their claims.
AFP
Canadian foreign, finance ministers meet Trump's team on tariffs
Senior members of Canada's cabinet held talks Friday with US President-elect Donald Trump's nominees to lead the departments of commerce and the interior, as Ottawa works to hold off the threat of punishing tariffs. Canada's newly-appointed Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly met with Howard Lutnick, Trump's commerce secretary nominee, who will also lead the country's tariff and trade agenda.

What's Changed

Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max

Latest Stories