Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S23 Ultra: Which phone should you get?

Are you confused between Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra? Let us help you decide while picking up the best Android phones.

When it comes to top Android smartphones, Samsung’s flagship Ultra phones are in a league of their own. While the Galaxy S23 Ultra has been topping most charts for the good part of last year, the new Galaxy S24 Ultra is a different beat altogether.

Both phones have the bleeding edge of tech – from the best display, components, camera setups, and configuration to battery tech and more. Samsung’s AI-powered OneUI features are the icing on the cake and are easily one of the biggest reasons you should pick Samsung phones over any other Android smartphone.

Choosing one from the Samsung S24 Ultra vs S23 Ultra could be tricky. While these two phones have many similarities, some key differences separate the two phones.

So, read this if you want to upgrade from Galaxy S23 Ultra or want to buy one of the two of the best Samsung phones.

Price

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra packs plenty of new features but it also costs more. While the Galaxy S23 Ultra starts at $1,199, the S24 Ultra costs $1,299. This is a $100 increase. If you go for the 512GB storage model, you pay $1,419 and $1,659 for the 1TB storage model.

Design

Samsung

The new Galaxy S24 Ultra doesn’t look very different from the Galaxy S23 Ultra. It features four cameras on the back in the same arrangement seen on the S23 Ultra.

You will find a nearly identical rectangular shape with flat tops and bottoms. However, the curved display on the front is now replaced by a flat one. The S24 Ultra also has one of the narrowest bezels on a phone, with the bottom bezel matching the rest.

The key difference between the two phones lies in the build quality. The S24 Ultra has a titanium outer frame similar to the iPhone 15 Pro models. This makes the phone more durable but it still weighs almost the same as S23 Ultra.

Camera

Samsung

The Galaxy S24 Ultra brings a camera upgrade but nothing too mind-blowing in comparison to the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

While the main camera on the phone uses the same 200MP sensor, you now get a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. This is a big upgrade over the 10MP periscope shooter that Samsung currently uses on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The ultrawide camera has the same 12MP sensor as the S23 Ultra. A 10MP optical sensor also continues to be on the rear. For selfies, the S24 Ultra uses the same 12MP sensor as the S23 Ultra.

Specifications

	Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra	Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm)
RAM	12GB LPDDR5 (max)	12GB LPDDR5 (max)
Battery	5000mAh	5000mAh
Charging	45W	45W
Display	6.8-inch AMOLED	6.8-inch AMOLED
Cameras	200+12+50+10, 12MP front. Quad camera with 5x optical zoom	200+12+10+10, 12MP front. Quad camera with 3x optical zoom
Price	Starting at $1,299	Starting at $1,199

You’re bound to see performance improvements on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 under the hood.

In Geekbench’s multi-core test, the new chip scored 7,501 points, which is even better than Apple’s A17 Pro (7,237 points). The performance gap is even wider compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip inside the Galaxy S23 Ultra (5077 points).

Samsung also packs a better display on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. While it keeps the same 6.8-inch AMOLED with a dynamic 1-120Hz refresh rate, the brightness now reaches a retina-burning 2,500 nits. This tops the 1,700 nits brightness on the S23 Ultra.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery and 45W wired charging as the S23 Ultra. However, thanks to the new chipset, you may be able to use the phone for longer hours. Storage options remain the same— 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

AI features

While the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was light on AI features, the S24 Ultra comes loaded with them. For starters, S24 Ultra brings a new Circle to Search feature. It lets you long press the home screen button and then circle, highlight, or tap any piece of information within the app to search it on Google search. All this without leaving the current app.

You also get Live Translate, Transcript Assist, and Chat Assist for real-time, two-way multi-lingual communication. Samsung has also introduced AI features in the camera department, like Google Pixels. Features like Generative Edit make pro edits without you having to have pro-level editing skills.

Software updates

Samsung has been the undisputed king of software updates, but Google outdid them. The tech giant revealed the Pixel 8 series with a whopping 7 years of major Android updates, surpassing what Samsung provides with the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

However, the Korean company didn’t want to lag behind. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will get up to 7 years of software updates. This means it will receive at least 7 significant Android updates, similar to what Google assured for the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, by comparison, receives 5 major Android updates. If you upgrade phones frequently, 5 years of software support should be more than enough.

Is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra worth getting?

The Galaxy S23 Ultra brings impressive display, performance, and cameras. But is it better than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra? The answer is no.

The S24 Ultra offers you better incentives to upgrade. You get a faster processor, a better camera system, and a brighter display. But since it costs $100 more, you may want to look for alternatives.

You might want to compare Galaxy S23 Ultra with other flagships to get a better idea. See our Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro comparison for more details. You might also want to check out the iPhone 15 Pros if you’re looking for a premium flagship.

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