Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S26
54.3Performance81
59.7Display60
69.9Camera47.3
62.8Battery62.1
78.7Features94.7
6 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra8 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 wins this phone face-off, 67.7 to 62.6, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+27) and features (+16). Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Stronger camera score: 70 vs 47
- 300% higher Main camera: 200 MP vs 50 MP
- 233% higher Optical zoom: 10 x vs 3 x
- 80% higher Wired charging: 45 W vs 25 W
- 22% higher Pixel density: 501 ppi vs 411 ppi
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26
- Stronger performance score: 81 vs 54
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 79
- 100% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 10,824 vs 5,400
- 75% higher OS update pledge: 7 years vs 4 years
- 50% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 2,995 vs 2,000
- Lower launch price: $900 vs $1,200
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.8 ″+8% | 6.3 ″ |
| Panel type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 1440x3088 | 1080x2340 |
| Pixel density | 501 ppi+22% | 411 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,750 nits | 2,600 nits+49% |
| Screen-to-body | 89.9 % | 90 % |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Samsung Exynos 2600 (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in the US, China and Japan) |
| AnTuTuDifferent AnTuTu versions — not compared | 1,677,954Bottom 50% | 3,064,672 |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | 550,163Bottom 51% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | 416,322Bottom 47% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | 277,973Bottom 51% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | 433,496Top 44% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,000Top 34% | 2,995+50%Top 14% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 5,400Top 34% | 10,824+100%Top 4% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 256/512GB/1TB | 256GB/512GB |
| Storage type | UFS 4.0 | UFS 4.0 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 200 MP+300% | 50 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.7 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | 10 MP | 10 MP |
| Optical zoom | 10 x+233% | 3 x |
| Max video | 8K@30fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh+16% | 4,300 mAh |
| Wired charging | 45 W+80% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | 12 h | 15.3 h+28% |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 234 g | 167 g+29% |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm | 7.2 mm+19% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Armor Aluminum | Armor Aluminum 2 |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 13 (One UI 5.1) | Android 16 (One UI 8.5) |
| OS update pledge | 4 years | 7 years+75% |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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