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Which Galaxy S23 model did you pick? Ultra dominates, the small one is second best!

By Preslav Kateliev

Published: Mar 14, 2023, 6:00 AM

30comments

Samsung Galaxy S Series

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Which Galaxy S23 model did you pick? Ultra dominates, the small one is second best!

This story is sponsored by Samsung. PhoneArena's opinions in this article have not been affected in any way!

Disclaimer

Samsung's Galaxy S23 series is out in full swing and early adopters are already enjoying their chosen flagship — be it the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, or Galaxy S23 Ultra. Each one of these brings a different type of experience to the table — whether you want something compact, or an all-out 100x zoom. But they have a through line with the consistency of their fast hardware and excellent camera performance.

We were kind of wondering - which Galaxy did you pick?

$449 ⁹⁹

$1199 ⁹⁹

$750 off (63%)

Galaxy S23 Ultra - 200 MP camera, 6.8-inch screen, overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Get up to $750 off with enhanced trade-in, $100 Samsung Store credit.

Buy at Samsung

$299 ⁹⁹

$999 ⁹⁹

$700 off (70%)

Galaxy S23+ - 50 MP camera, 6.6-inch screen, overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Get up to $700 off with enhanced trade-in.

Buy at Samsung

$99 ⁹⁹

$799 ⁹⁹

$700 off (88%)

Galaxy S23 - 50 MP camera, 6.1-inch screen, overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Get up to $700 off with enhanced trade-in.

Buy at Samsung

We are pretty sure you've made up your mind on which one you are getting. Is it:

Which Galaxy S23 would you buy?

Galaxy S23 Ultra

55.47%

Galaxy S23+

18.87%

Galaxy S23

25.66%

The Galaxy S23 Ultra, with its enormous 6.8-inch screen with curved edges, S Pen, and quad camera setup? The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the only one that got the 200 MP camera upgrade and, being an Ultra model, it's the only one that has the 100x Space Zoom feature for extreme magnification.

If those features are not necessary for you, there's an option where you can save some money and still get a huge Samsung phone.

That would be the Galaxy S23+ — a 6.6-inch display with no curves. Some even prefer the flat screen and grippier frames. No S Pen here and the camera module is not as advanced, though — still very good.

Those things aside, the Galaxy S23+ makes no compromises, as it is powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Made for Galaxy that's in the Ultra.

And then, there's the Galaxy S23 — a perfect choice for those that want a more compact phone (by 2023 standards, that is), or simply the ones that would rather spend less on their premium handset.

The Galaxy S23 is still powered by the same processor as its bigger siblings, has an excellent 6.1 screen, and the same high-quality cameras as the Galaxy S23+.

Design

Dimensions

5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 inches (~0.36 inches with camera bump)
146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6mm (~9.02 mm with camera bump)

6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 inches (~0.36 inches with camera bump)
157.8x76.2x7.6mm (~9.02 mm with camera bump)

6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches (~0.42 inches with camera bump)
163.3 x 78 x 8.9 mm (~10.68 mm with camera bump)

Weight

5.93 oz (168.0 g)

6.91 oz (196.0 g)

8.25 oz (234.0 g)

Materials

Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2)
Frame: Aluminum

Resistance

Water, Dust; IP68

Water, Splash, Dust; IP68

Biometrics

2D Face unlock, Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint

Features

Stylus

Display

Size

6.1-inch

6.6-inch

6.8-inch

Technology

Super AMOLED

Dynamic AMOLED

Refresh rate

120Hz

Screen-to-body

88.57 %

89.71 %

89.87 %

Peak brightness

1750 cd/m2 (nit)

Features

HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware

System chip

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SM8550-AC (4 nm)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SM8550 (4 nm)

Processor

Octa-core
1x 3.36GHz Kryo Prime + 4x 2.8GHz Kryo Gold + 3x 2.0GHz Kryo Silver

Octa-core
1x3.36GHz Kryo Prime
4x2.8GHz Kryo Gold
3x2.0GHz Kryo Silver

GPU

Adreno 740

RAM

8GB (LPDDR5X)

Internal storage

128GB

256GB

Android (14, 13), One UI

Battery

Capacity

3900 mAh

4700 mAh

5000 mAh

Charging

Fast charging

Camera

Rear

Triple camera

Quad camera

Main camera

50 MP (Features: OIS, PDAF)

200 MP (Features: OIS, PDAF)

Aperture size: F1.8
Focal length: 23 mm
Sensor size: 1/1.56"
Pixel size: 1.0 μm

Aperture size: F1.7
Focal length: 24 mm
Sensor size: 1/1.3"
Pixel size: 0.6 μm

Second camera

10 MP (Telephoto, OIS)

10 MP (Ultra-wide)

12 MP (Ultra-wide)

Optical zoom: 3.0x
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal Length: 69 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.94"
Pixel size: 1.0 μm

Aperture size: F2.2
Focal Length: 13 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.55"
Pixel size: 1.4 μm

Third camera

12 MP (Ultra-wide)

10 MP (Telephoto)

Aperture size: F2.2
Focal Length: 13 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.55"
Pixel size: 1.4 μm

Optical zoom: 3.0x
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal Length: 69 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.94"
Pixel size: 1.0 μm

Optical zoom: 10.0x
Aperture size: F4.9
Focal Length: 230 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.52"
Pixel size: 1.12 μm

Fourth camera

10 MP (Telephoto, OIS)

Optical zoom: 3.0x
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal Length: 69 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.52"
Pixel size: 1.12 μm

Video recording

7680x4320 (8K UHD) (30 fps), 3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (960 fps)

OIS, HDR

Front

12 MP

Video capture

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps)

Cellular

Bands n1, n7, n25, n28, n41, n66, n71, n78, n258, n260, n261, SA, NSA, Sub-6, mmWave, 5G Ready

Bands n1, n7, n25, n28, n41, n66, n71, n78, n258, n260, n261, SA, NSA, Sub-6, mmWave

Bands n1, n7, n28, n41, n66, n71, n78, n258, n260, n261, SA, NSA, Sub-6, mmWave

Buyers information

MSRP

$ 800

$ 1000

$ 1200 / € 1300

See the full Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs comparison or compare them to other phones using our Phone Comparison Tool.

So, which one of them is the one for you?

View Full Bio

Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.

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