Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Expected differences
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The Galaxy S23 Ultra was Samsung’s crowd-pleaser in 2023. It was the first Ultra to go all-in on a 200 MP main camera, the one that standardized Snapdragon worldwide, all while keeping the Note DNA alive with the S Pen. Three years later, it’s off Samsung’s shelves but easy to find refurbished or second-hand for far less than the four-figure price of a brand-new Ultra.
As we approach early 2026, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is shaping up to offer several upgrades that would make it an even more impressive flagship. For starters, the display is said to be much brighter and more efficient. What's more, we might even see a unique display feature for increased privacy. Besides the display upgrades, the S25 Ultra is also said to get Qualcomm’s next Snapdragon chip, faster charging, and new hardware for the main camera.
Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Ultra expected differences:
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Larger 200MP sensor or wider f/1.4 lens for the main camera | 200MP main on a ~1/1.3" sensor (still very good) |
| 50MP ultrawide camera | 12MP ultrawide camera |
| 50MP 5x periscope telephoto camera with a larger sensor | 10MP 5x periscope telephoto camera with a smaller sensor |
| 6.9" OLED display that adds anti-reflection and “Privacy Display” toggle | 6.8" OLED display with 1–120 Hz; great low-brightness control |
| ~3,000-nits maximum display brightness | ~1,750-nit peak brightness |
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for Galaxy) with bigger GPU/NPU gains | Noticeably less powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for Galaxy) |
| Potential 60W wired charging | 45W wired |
| Potential Qi2 magnetic wireless charging | 15W wireless; “Qi2-ready” without magnets |
| One UI 8/Android 16 with 7-year support | Launched with Android 13/One UI 5.1; 4-year support commitment |
| Slightly slimmer body; possible return of a camera island | Iconic boxy Ultra with subtle side flats; separate lens rings, Victus 2 glass |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
Noticably thinner lighter
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Thickness ~8.1 mm | Thickness 8.9 mm |
| Dimensions Around 162.8 x 77.6 mm | Dimensions 163.4 x 78.1 mm |
| Weight Around 218 grams, or slightly lighter | Weight 234 grams |
The Galaxy S23 Ultra doubled down on the boxy Ultra look we know today, with slightly flatter sides and a curved-edge glass that only slightly spilled into the panel. It felt every bit as the Note's successor, complete with S Pen, IP68 certification, and the durable Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Rumors suggest that the S26 Ultra will be slimmed by about 0.4 mm compared to the current generation, which would make it close to 0.8" thinner than the S23 Ultra. And since Samsung is said to keep the titanium chassis, we also expect the new model to remain around 218 grams, which is 16 grams lighter.
One aspect where the S26 Ultra might look very different compared to the S23 Ultra is the camera module. The individual rings might be replaced with a unified camera island, supposedly to accommodate thicker optics for the upgraded main sensor or faster lens.
Display Differences
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Size 6.9" | Size 6.8" |
| Brightness 3000 nits (peak) | Brightness 1750 nits (peak) |
*Rumored/expected
Samsung has had some of the best displays on the smartphone market for years. The S23 Ultra shipped with a 6.8-inch display with a QHD+ resolution and a 1–120 Hz display refresh rate. It had a peak brightness of 1,750 nits, and it could go impressively dim at night.
The S26 Ultra will likely keep the 6.9-inch display size from the current generation, but it is said to adopt Samsung’s new M14/CoE OLED stack technology. The goal is to lower internal reflections, introduce better energy efficiency, and increase the peak brightness to 3,000 nits. On top of that, we also expect to see improvements to the anti-reflection treatment that we first saw on the S25 Ultra.
One quirky rumor is a “Privacy Display” toggle that subtly narrows viewing angles to fend off anyone who tries to sneak a peak at your display. Everything else will stay the same, including the fast ultrasonic fingerprint reader embedded in the glass.
Performance and Software
From Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to Elite Gen 5
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for Galaxy) | Chip Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for Galaxy) |
| Process 3nm | Process 4nm |
| RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB 16/1TB Faster LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage | RAM, Storage 8/256GB 12/256GB 12/512GN 12/1TB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage |
The S23 Ultra made history by standardizing Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for Galaxy) worldwide, delivering big CPU/GPU improvements and better battery life without changing the battery size. Now we are three generations later, and the S26 Ultra is expected to land on Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for Galaxy) — a refined 3 nm platform with meaningfully faster GPU and NPU, with higher clock speeds. Samsung has also improved its cooling system throughout the years, so there should be noticeably better sustained performance.
Storage options will be slightly different from the ones we saw on the S23 Ultra. Samsung has completely dropped the 8GB RAM options, and instead is expected to start with 12GB. There will also be a 16GB/1TB variant. The memory, while still LPDDR5X, is said to be faster thanks to new modules.
As for software, the S26 Ultra should debut with Android 16 and One UI 8.5, alongside Samsung’s seven-year update promise. The S23 Ultra, on the other hand, is will soon come to its final year of software support. Samsung promised 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security patches for that generation, which means the last Android version the S23 Ultra will get is Android 17.
Camera
You get a much more usable 5x telephoto, and possible an improved main camera
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Main 200 MP, f/1.7 (or f/1.4) 24 mm ~1/1.1" sensor size | Main 50 MP, f/1.7 24 mm 1/1.3" sensor size |
| Ultrawide 50 MP, f/1.9 13 mm 1/2.5" sensor size | Ultrawide 12 MP, f/2.2 13 mm 1/2.55" sensor size |
| 5x Telephoto 50 MP, f/3.4 5X zoom (111mm) 1/2.52" sensor size | 5x Telephoto 10 MP, f/4.9 10X zoom (230mm) 1/3.52" sensor size |
| 3x Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3x zoom (67mm) 1/3.52" sensor size | 3x Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3x zoom (70mm) 1/3.52" sensor size |
The S23 Ultra ushered in Samsung’s 200 MP era and stuck with a classic quad: 12 MP ultra-wide, 10 MP 3x, and 10 MP 10x periscope, plus 12 MP selfie. The main sensor’s binning delivered clearer night shots and punchy detail, while ExpertRAW gave enthusiasts more headroom.
For S26 Ultra, the rumors say that we will either get a larger ~1/1.1" 200 MP sensor or keep the HP2 one, but with a wider f/1.4 lens. Either of these changes would improve the camera's ability to capture more light, have dynamic range, and even more natural bokeh (the blurry backgrounds and foregrounds).
The Ultra's telephoto capabilities have also evolved since the S23 Ultra came out. Samsung replaced the 10X telephoto camera with a more practical 5X telephoto, which also comes with a larger sensor, giving much better image quality.
The Ultra's telephoto capabilities have also evolved since the S23 Ultra came out. Samsung replaced the 10X telephoto camera with a more practical 5X telephoto, which also comes with a larger sensor, giving much better image quality.
Battery Life and Charging
Same capacity, possibly faster charging at last
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Battery size 5,000 mAh | Battery size 5,000 mAh |
Charging speeds 60W wired 15W wireless charging Possible Qi2 magnetic support USB-C 3.2 | Charging speeds 45W wired 15W wireless charging Does not support Qi2 USB-C 3.2 |
The S23 Ultra proved what an efficient chip can do with a 5,000 mAh pack: it outlasted its predecessor in our tests despite the same capacity. Charging speeds, however, remained the same at 45W.
The S26 Ultra isn’t expected to change the battery capacity, but we do expect to see better battery life thanks to the new Snapdragon chipset and updated display.
More exciting are the rumors of a 60W wired charging coming with the S26 Ultra, which would make charging it much quicker in comparison (we expect it to charge to 100% for under an hour).
More exciting are the rumors of a 60W wired charging coming with the S26 Ultra, which would make charging it much quicker in comparison (we expect it to charge to 100% for under an hour).
Wireless charging speeds are said to remain at 15W, but we might see Qi2 magnetic wireless charging that's similar to the Pixel 10 series.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick overview of the expected Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra specs:
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.1 mm, 218 g | Size, weight 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm, 234 g |
| Screen 6.9" OLED 120Hz | Screen 6.8" OLED 120Hz |
| Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for Galaxy) 3nm | Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for Galaxy) 4nm |
| Versions: 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB 16/1TB LPDDR5X | Versions: 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB --- LPDDR5X |
| Cameras: 200MP main 50MP ultrawide 50MP 5X zoom 10MP 3X zoom 12MP front | Cameras: 200MP main 12MP ultrawide 10MP 10X zoom 10MP 3X zoom 12MP front |
| Battery: 5,000 mAh | Battery: 5,000 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 60W wired 15W wireless | Charging: USB-C 45W wired 15W wireless |
*Rumored/expected
Summary
You’ll definitely feel like you’ve upgraded if you move from the Galaxy S23 Ultra to the S26 Ultra. Three generations later, you’re not just getting the new features of the S26 Ultra, but you are also benefiting from the upgrades that came with the previous two models.
The biggest improvements you’ll notice right away are the new 5x telephoto camera, faster charging speeds (and possibly magnetic charging), the anti-reflective display, and the upgraded chip.
If your S23 Ultra still serves you well, rest assured it will get Android 17 in 2026 and continue to receive security updates for another year. Still, while it remains a great phone, it’s beginning to show its age. The good news is that Samsung often offers generous trade-in deals for older models, and launch promotions usually include free storage upgrades, making the jump to a newer Ultra much easier on your wallet.
The biggest improvements you’ll notice right away are the new 5x telephoto camera, faster charging speeds (and possibly magnetic charging), the anti-reflective display, and the upgraded chip.
If your S23 Ultra still serves you well, rest assured it will get Android 17 in 2026 and continue to receive security updates for another year. Still, while it remains a great phone, it’s beginning to show its age. The good news is that Samsung often offers generous trade-in deals for older models, and launch promotions usually include free storage upgrades, making the jump to a newer Ultra much easier on your wallet.
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