iPhone 15 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: What flagship is the best?

Confused between the iPhone 15 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra? We’ve put together a head-to-head comparison of these two flagship smartphones to help you make an informed decision.

Apple’s latest offering, the iPhone 15 Pro, stands out as one of the most powerful devices on the market. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has firmly established itself as a top contender in the smartphone realm, despite the impending launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The new iPhone now has USB-C for charging, an improved camera, an Action Button, and a better display. There’s also an updated design and a premium Titanium chassis.

But how does the iPhone 15 Pro stack up against the top Android contender, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra? Let’s take a closer look.

iPhone 15 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Price

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The price of a phone is always a key factor when picking up a phone. Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro are flagship devices priced premium for the same reason.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra was launched earlier this year and priced at $1199. The top-end variant with 1TB of onboard storage was priced at $1699.

The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, starts at $999 for the base variant with 128GB of onboard storage. The top-end variant has been priced at $1499 and ships with 1TB of onboard storage, meaning that of the two, the iPhone might, in fact be cheaper.

iPhone 15 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Specifications

	Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra	iPhone 15 Pro
SoC	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy	A17 Pro Bionic (3nm)
Display	6.8 OLED	6.1 OLED
Memory	8GB/12GB	8GB
Storage	256GB, 512GB, and 1TB	256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB
Camera	200+10+10+12, 12MP front. Quad camera with 10x optical zoom	48+12.7+12, 12MP front. Triple camera with 5x optical  zoom
Battery	5000 mAh	3650 mAh
Charging	45W wired charging, 15W wireless and 4.5W reverse wireless	35W wired charging. Qi2 support for wireless charging

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is an Android smartphone on steroids. Everything from display tech, phone size, camera specifications, processor, memory, and storage, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has it all.

It is the best-looking and most powerful smartphone on the Android side of the world. It ships with an S pen for multi-tasking and has a 200 MP camera sensor to take stunning photos.

The S23 Ultra also has a massive 5000 mAh battery pack coupled with 45W fast charging, which might not be the fastest compared to the other Android phones; however, it is way faster than any iPhone ever created.

The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, sees some of the most important updates in any iPhone in recent times. Aside from the new and powerful A17 Pro Bionic chip, the iPhone 15 Pro has a USB Type C for charging and an improved camera setup. The new iPhone 15 Pro is thinner and lighter despite Apple using premium materials like Titanium to build the phone’s chassis.

It is the first iPhone with 8GB of RAM and gets 35W wired charging, which is still relatively modest by modern standards. The iPhone 15 Pro also has an improved battery life over its predecessors.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is an Android smartphone on steroids. Everything from display tech, phone size, camera specifications, processor, memory, and storage, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has it all.

It is the best-looking and most powerful smartphone on the Android side of the world. It ships with an S pen for multi-tasking and has a 200 MP camera sensor to take stunning photos.

The S23 Ultra also has a massive 5000 mAh battery pack coupled with 45W fast charging, which might not be the fastest compared to the other Android phones; however, it is way faster than any iPhone ever created.

The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, sees some of the most important updates in any iPhone in recent times. Aside from the new and powerful A17 Pro Bionic chip, the iPhone 15 Pro has a USB Type C for charging and an improved camera setup. The new iPhone 15 Pro is thinner and lighter despite Apple using premium materials like Titanium to build the phone’s chassis.

It is the first iPhone with 8GB of RAM and gets 35W wired charging, which is still relatively modest by modern standards. The iPhone 15 Pro also has an improved battery life over its predecessors.

Cameras

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When it comes to flagship phones, you can’t judge them with the sheer numbers. The same applies to the camera module of the two phones. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a quad camera module, with one of the sensors being a 200 MP snapper, and the phone is also known for its now-debatable “Moon photos” thanks to its 100X zoom capabilities.

The iPhone 15 Pro has a triple camera sensor with a 48 MP primary camera, a 12.7MP camera with a telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. The numbers, however, do not tell you the actual story. iPhones are historically known for their impressive camera capabilities, especially the Pro phones.

Apple has always emphasized the iPhone’s professional-grade video prowess, while Samsung boasts 8K video. We will have to wait for the iPhone 15 Pro to start retailing to compare the camera modules on the two phones.

iPhone 15 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which one should you buy?

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Choosing between the flagship phone from Samsung or Apple will always be tricky.

You’ll have to consider many factors, including after-support, upfront costs, multi-tasking, device size, camera and battery performance, and more.

Though both brands have a robust ecosystem of products, Apple’s walled garden forces existing Apple users to upgrade within the ecosystem.

On the other hand, Samsung has its ecosystem of phones, tablets, laptops, smart home devices, and more; it’s slightly lenient and can interact with devices from other brands.

Both phones have long software support, though Apple’s devices tend to last slightly longer and have a slightly better resale value.

So, ultimately, choosing between the iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will depend on your other devices and the features you’re looking to use on your phone.