Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
54.3Performance90
59.7Display62.7
69.9Camera74
62.8Battery61.2
78.7Features94.7
2 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra16 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins this phone face-off, 76 to 62.6, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+36) 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
- 100% higher Optical zoom: 10 x vs 5 x
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Stronger performance score: 90 vs 54
- Stronger display score: 63 vs 60
- Stronger camera score: 74 vs 70
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 79
- 400% higher telephoto: 50 MP vs 10 MP
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.8 ″ | 6.9 ″+1% |
| Panel type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1440x3088 | 3120x1440 |
| Pixel density | 501 ppi+1% | 498 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,750 nits | 2,600 nits+49% |
| Screen-to-body | 89.9 % | — |
| AnTuTu 10 (CPU) | 550,163Top 54% | 1,017,509+85%Top 7% |
| AnTuTu 10 (GPU) | 416,322Top 54% | 1,344,505+223%Top 4% |
| AnTuTu 10 (Memory) | 277,973Top 50% | 390,717+41%Top 7% |
| AnTuTu 10 (UX) | 433,496Top 35% | 685,076+58%Top 7% |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy |
| AnTuTu 10 | 1,677,954Top 20% | 3,437,807+105%Top 2% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,000Top 33% | 3,850+93%Top 1% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 5,400Top 30% | 11,900+120%Top 1% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 256/512GB/1TB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 4.0 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 200 MP | 200 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.7 | f/1.7 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| Telephoto | 10 MP | 50 MP+400% |
| Optical zoom | 10 x+100% | 5 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 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 45 W | 60 W+33% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 25 W+67% |
| Active use endurance | 12 h | — |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 234 g | 214 g+9% |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm | 7.9 mm+11% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Armor Aluminum | Titanium |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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