Now that the new Galaxy S24 flagship is official, let’s take a closer look at how the older Galaxy S23 Ultra and the S22 Ultra models fare. These two older flagships have received significant price cuts over the past few months, offering great value for money. Both the devices have solid flagship cameras, good processors, large batteries, and a beautiful design as well.
So let’s take a closer look at the S23 Ultra vs the S22 Ultra in this detailed specs comparison.
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Price
Considering the fact that these devices are flagship entries from Samsung buyers should be aware that they come with flagship level prices. Despite the fact that these devices are old they still hold a good amount of their value in the smartphone market as many still sort for these devices. When these devices hit the launch stage they both came with premium price tags edging above $1000 each.
But as they age these devices have lost some of their value, but they are still quite expensive in the market. Considering the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is older, you can get it at a lower price now. Despite their aging, these devices still sit around the $800 price tag (with the S22 Ultra going around $600) when purchased from reputable retail online stores.
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Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Design and colours
When its comes to design these devices have definitely aged like fine wine. Some might argue that they are necessarily the same thing on the outside in terms of design and they are not far from the truth. Well there are a few very subtle differences when it comes to the designs that these devices launched with.
These differences are in the available colours as well as the dimensions of these devices as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra came with some changes. Well these changes are not what most netizens are looking for and Samsung was trying to adopt a new design language with the launch of the S22 Ultra. If you’re looking out to purchase either of these devices here are the design and colour details that they both come with:
Galaxy S23 Ultra:
Design material: Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminium frame with an armour aluminium frame for tougher drop and scratch resistance.
Dimensions: 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in).
Weight: 234g
Colours available: Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition.
S Pen: Yes.
Galaxy S22 Ultra:
Design material: Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame with armour aluminium frame for tougher drop and scratch resistance.
Dimensions: 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in).
Weight: 228g.
Colours available: Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple.
S Pen: Yes.
Major differences:
- S23 Ultra is heavier than the S22 Ultra.
- S23 Ultra has better protection with the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Display
This is an area of most smartphones that manufacturers and users alike take very seriously. Over the years, Samsung has made a name for itself in the smartphone display department as it builds its own display panels to suit its specific needs. So its safe to expect these devices to feature displays that are not only impressive but also up-to-date with what’s available on most flagship devices today.
These devices come with similar displays but the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra edges out the S22 Ultra in terms of protection. Unlike the new S24 Ultra these devices don’t feature any special jaw dropping display feature. So if you’re more into the displays of devices with expectations to get the best of the best, you can rely on either of these devices but for protection, the more recent S23 Ultra is the better option.
Galaxy S23 Ultra:
Display size: 6.8-inch.
Display type: Dynamic AMOLED 2x.
Display resolution: 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density).
Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Brightness: 1750 nits peak brightness.
Special features: Nil.
Galaxy S22 Ultra:
Display size: 6.8-inch.
Display type: Dynamic AMOLED 2x.
Display resolution: 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density).
Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+.
Brightness: 1750 nits peak brightness.
Special features: Nil.
Major differences:
- S22 Ultra features a larger screen to body ratio.
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Cameras
If you’re like the majority of people you’ll have your eyes fixed on these devices because of their camera abilities. Well, both devices come with a quad camera setup with massive main camera sensors. However the newer Samsung S23 Ultra comes with the better camera setup as it adopts a new 200MP main camera sensor.
Samsung also enhanced the photography of the S23 Ultra at launch thanks to software image processing features. Many reviewers and analysts have praised both devices for their camera abilities but the S23 Ultra takes most of the praise considering that it comes with improvements. Here are the comparison details that you’ll need to know before choosing which to buy:
Galaxy S23 Ultra:
Camera setup: 200MP, 10MP, 10MP, and 12MP
Special Features / AI features / Software Features: Multi directional PDAF sensor, AI picture enhancement feature, enhanced AI object-aware engine.
Video Features: 8K video recording at 30fps.
Galaxy S22 Ultra:
Camera setup: 108MP, 10MP, 10MP, and 12MP.
Special Features / AI features / Software Features: Software enhancements to both video and pictures taken with the device.
Video Features: 8K video recording at 30fps.
Major differences & Upgrades:
- S23 features a higher resolution main camera.
- Better low light Portrait via front camera on S23 Ultra, thanks to AI.
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Performance
The life of any smartphone is its processor, and this is a major part of the device that affects the device’s performance. These devices are both flagship entries, so you can expect them to come with the best processors available for Android devices. Both devices make use of the best Snapdragon processors that were available at the time of launch.
However, the newer entry packs up to a 40% performance improvement thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor under its hood. This processor in question is tuned to suit Samsung Galaxy devices using it meaning that the S23 series all pack impressive performance data. If it’s performance you seek, my dear friend, the S23 Ultra is the pick for you in this comparison.
Galaxy S23 Ultra:
Chipset & Graphics: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy & Adreno 740.
% improvement vs older model: 40% performance improvement.
Storage options (RAM / ROM): 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM.
Expandable: Nil.
Benchmark scores if available: Geekbench 6 single-core score: 2091, Geekbench 6 multi core score: 5511. AnTuTu: 1,226,598.
Galaxy S22 Ultra:
Chipset & Graphics: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 & Adreno 730.
Storage options (RAM / ROM): 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM.
Expandable: Nil.
Benchmark scores if available: Geekbench 6 single-core score: 1142, Geekbench 6 multi core score: 3293. AnTuTu: 912,577.
Major upgrades & differences:
- Powerful processor, new AI features, special processor for Samsung Galaxy.
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Software
There’s not much to say in terms of the software on these two devices, as they are both currently running on the same software. Also, there are not many exclusive software features that are exclusive to either device in this comparison. But Samsung did set a new bar with the launch of the S23 series in terms of the number of updates that the device will get after launch.
Galaxy S23 Ultra:
Android version: Android 13.
Promised number of updates: 7 years OS upgrade.
Special software features: Photography enhancing features.
Galaxy S22 Ultra:
Android version: Android 12.
Promised number of updates: 4 years OS upgrade.
Special software features: Nil
Major upgrades & differences:
- The S23 Ultra comes with longer software version support.
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Battery life and charging
In this area both devices are in a tie on paper but after some real life testing we have different news for you. After actual real life testing the S23 Ultra is seen to last longer than its predecessor on a single charge. The S22 Ultra for its part, comes with a very solid battery capacity that assures users of long usage hours on a single charge.
Galaxy S23 Ultra:
Battery Capacity: 5000mAh.
Battery life approx: Up to 26 hours of usage on a single charge.
Wired charging speeds: 45W.
Wireless charging speeds: 15W.
Galaxy S22 Ultra:
Battery Capacity: 5000mAh.
Battery life approx: Up to 20 hours on a single charge.
Wired charging speeds: 45W.
Wireless charging speeds: 15W.
Major differences:
- Upgrades in battery capacity for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Final Verdict
After this comparison and details you might want to skip the S22 Ultra entirely well its not a bad devices. If money is a constraint for you, you can always go for the S22 Ultra but you need to understand that it’s coming to the end of its Android update window. The S23 Ultra however is a better choice for most buyers especially those that don’t have any money constraint when shopping for a flagship device.
Galaxy S23 Ultra:
Pros:
- Improved performance
- long lasting battery
- improvements to camera abilities
- up to 7 years upgrade.
Cons:
- Heavier build.
Galaxy S22 Ultra:
Pros:
- Light design
- impressive performance.
Cons:
- Just 4 years of software upgrades.
