This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung’s most popular products.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the new luxury-level flagship phone in the company’s Galaxy line revealed at Wednesday’s Unpacked event. Starting at $1,200 (£1,249, AU$1,949), one of its biggest improvements is a new 200-megapixel main camera — nearly double the resolution of last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra. That camera upgrade comes alongside a special version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip that Samsung says has been optimized specifically for the Galaxy S23 line.
In some ways, these improvements mirror what Apple did with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max when they launched in September last year. The iPhone 14 Pro phones each include a new 48-megapixel main camera and Apple’s A16 Bionic chip. While Samsung’s entire Galaxy S23 line does include the new Snapdragon chip, Apple instead reserved the A16 Bionic for the Pro phones during that latest refresh.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Lineup Is Here With Big Camera Upgrades
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Both Samsung and Apple’s phones have lots of other high-end specs to consider if you’re deciding between the two. Check out the chart below to see the specs.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs vs. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Apple iPhone 14 Pro
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | iPhone 14 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness | 6.8-inch AMOLED 3,088×1,440 pixels; 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate; Edge Screen; 1,750 nits | 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display; 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate; 2,796×1,290 pixels | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display; 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate; 2,556×1,179 pixels |
| Pixel density | 500 ppi | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 3.07 x 6.43 x 0.35 in | 6.33 x 3.05 x 0.31 in | 5.81 x 2.81 x 0.31 in |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 78 x 163.3 x 8.9 mm | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.85 mm | 147.5 x 71.5 x 7.85 mm |
| Weight (ounces, grams) | 234 g (8.25 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) | 206 g (7.27 oz) |
| Mobile software | Android 13 | iOS 16 | iOS 16 |
| Camera | 200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 10-megapixel (telephoto) 10-megapixel (telephoto) | 48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (telephoto) | 48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (telephoto) |
| Front-facing camera | 12-megapixel | 12-megapixel | 12-megapixel |
| Video capture | 8K at 30fps | 4K at 60fps | 4K at 60fps |
| Processor | Galaxy-optimized Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Apple A16 Bionic | Apple A16 Bionic |
| RAM/storage | 12GB + 256GB; 12GB + 512GB; 12GB + 1TB | RAM NA; 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | RAM NA; 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Expandable storage | None | None | None |
| Battery/charging speeds | 5,000 mAH (45W wired charging) | Undisclosed; Apple claims 29 hours of video playback | Undisclosed; Apple claims 23 hours of video playback |
| Fingerprint sensor | In-display | None (Face ID) | None (Face ID) |
| Connector | USB-C | Lightning | Lightning |
| Headphone jack | None | None | None |
| Special features | 5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, faster wired charging, wireless PowerShare to charge other devices, integrated S-Pen, 200x Space Zoom, 10x Optical Zoom, UWB for finding other devices | Dynamic Island; Always-On display; 5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (e-SIM) | Dynamic Island; Always-On display; 5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (e-SIM) |
| US price off-contract | $1,200 (12GB/256GB) | $1,099 (128GB), $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,599 (1TB) | $999 (128GB), $1,099 (256GB), $1,299 (512GB), $1,499 (1TB) |
| UK price | £1,249 (12GB/256GB) | £1,199 (128GB) | £1,099 (128GB) |
| Australia price | AU$1,949 (12GB/256GB) | AU$1,899 (128GB) | AU$1,749 (128GB) |
