S23 vs S23+ vs S23 Ultra: Differences and comparison

Samsung’s out with its latest flagship phones – the Galaxy S23 Series which include three models – the base model Galaxy S23 (value for money classic), Galaxy S23 Plus (best of both worlds) and the Galaxy S23 Ultra (a beast).

The entire Samsung Galaxy S23 family is packed with great features and is one of the best in Samsung phones. That’s why choosing your phone from the S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra can be tough.

This article is for you if you’re unsure which of the three phones is “the One” and some differences and similarities to take into consideration.

You can also read my initial impressions on all three variants - S23 first review, S23 Plus initial review and S23 Ultra hands-on review or do a comparison between S23 Series vs S22 Series.

Contents

• Which S23 Series phone design is right for you?
• Samsung Galaxy S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra: Display
• Which S23 phone display is right for you?
• Samsung Galaxy S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra: Hardware, processor, specs
• Samsung Galaxy S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra: Battery
• Which S23 Series phone to choose based on battery life?
• Samsung Galaxy S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra: Camera
• Which S23 phones gives a better camera experience?
• So, Which Samsung Galaxy S23 phone should you buy?
• Galaxy S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra specifications at a glance

S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra dimensions and weight: Out of all the three S23 variants, the S23 Ultra is the heaviest at 234g vs S23 Plus’s 195grams and S23’s 167grams. The S23 Ultra is also bigger than both the S23 and S23 Plus, with almost 20mm more length on it vs the S23.

At 8.9mm, the S23 Ultra is also thicker than both the S23 and S23 Plus’s 7.6mm.

S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra front screen: Both the Galaxy S23 and S23+ have similar design features with curved edges and flat HD display while the S23 Ultra has sharper edges.

All the three S23 phones feature ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensors.

S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra rear design: At the back, the S23 and S23 Plus have removed the camera housing unit, compared to the S22 and S22 Plus. Instead they have the camera lenses directly at the rear. This is like the rear design on the S23 Ultra.

Others: All the phones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance.

The S23 Ultra is a heavy phones at 234g. If you’re not super excited about this, maybe go for one of the other two S23 variants. If you like phones with straight edges, S23 Ultra may be a good option for you. 

Here’s where you start seeing some differences.

The Galaxy S23 has a 6.1-inch Full HD+ while the S23 Galaxy Plus’s display size is 6.6-inch Full HD+ and the Galaxy S23 Ultra proudly dons a BIG 6.8-inch Quad HD+ display.

The resolution on the S23 Ultra at 3088 x 1440 is higher than both S23 and S23 Plus’s 2340 x 1080.

All the three S23 phones offer an AMOLED 2X Dynamic for a richer viewing experience along with Infinity-O display for more screen real estate and an adaptive refresh rate that goes up to 120Hz.

It all boils down to comfort level while holding your phone. If you, like myself, do not want the hassle of finding innovative ways to use your phone single-handedly, the 6.1-inch S23 is the phone for you.

If you want to make heads turn, go for the 6.8-inch Galaxy S23 Ultra. The S23 Ultra is also a great option if you are into gaming or content capturing. 

The entire S23 family is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor which means they are literally all beasts in their own categories with higher CPU, smoother performance and more efficiency.

The S23 base model offers an 8GB RAM with 256GB and 128GB storage options.

The S23 Plus features an 8GB RAM with 512GB and 256GB storage options.

The S23 Ultra has an 8GB and 12GB RAM with 1TB / 512GB / 256GB internal storage options.

As with the previous S22 Series, there is no expandable memory/microSD support.

Both the S23 and S23 Plus feature improvements here with the S23 battery up at 3,900mAh from 3,700mAh with the Galaxy S22.

With the S23 Plus, the battery size is 4,700mAh while with the S23 Ultra, you get a battery capacity of 5,000mAh.

If you are heavily in content streaming and/or gaming, you’d do well with the S23 Ultra’s longer lasting⁴ battery* (factors like performance, display etc will also propel you to go with the S23 Ultra).

S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra front camera: The S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra have a 12MP front camera with f/2.2 aperture. For the S23 Ultra, this is a step down from the 40MP lens in S22 Ultra.

S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra rear camera:

The S23 and S23 Plus both have a triple rear camera system with the following specifications:

• A 50MP Wide-angle lens with a f/1.8 aperture
• A 10MP Telephoto lens with a f/2.4 aperture
• A 12MP Ultra Wide lens with a f/2.2 aperture

The S23 Ultra offers a 200MP amazing wide-angle lens with f/1.7 aperture, 10MP Telephoto lens with a f/2.4 aperture with 3x zoom capabilities, a 10MP Telephoto lens with a f/4.9 aperture with 10x zoom and a 12MP Ultra-Wide lens with a f/2.2 aperture.

In fact, Samsung claims its 200MP camera lens is the highest resolutionon a Galaxy smartphone in Australia.

The S23 Ultra with the 200MP wide angle camera lens is the biggest improvement notwithstanding the advances Samsung’s been making in its software and AI capabilities.

In terms of the other two S23 and S23 Plus, the camera features on both are the same and since they both have the same processor RAM, there isn’t much difference between the two when it comes to camera capabilities.

If you go out frequently and want great quality photographs irrespective of light conditions, the S23 Ultra is your best bet.

Samsung’s been really upping its camera game in the last couple of years. It first announced the ISOCELL HP1 which was the first 200MP resolution sensor with 0.64 µm sized pixels. The tech giant subsequently launched the ISOCELL HP3 in 2022 - a 200MP sensor that Samsung claimed has the smallest 0.56μm sized pixels ever.

Samsung recently announced its third 200MP camera sensor with 0.6 µm pixels.

Making use of AI advancements, Samsung has been improving its low light photography capabilities using a bunch of technologies like pixel-binning, adaptive pixel sensor technology, automatic low light identification, super clear glass lens, optical image stabilisation (OIS) to name a few.

The new Samsung flagship Galaxy S23 series caters to audiences with different needs depending on what they may be looking for in their smartphone.

The S23 packs all the essentials as a value for money. It’s a compact phone that offers some features of S23 Ultra, such as display technology, processor, front camera, and refresh rate.

The S23 Plus is a great option if you’re looking for something more than the S23’s base value but don’t want to go all out. It’s better than the S23 on things like the display size, storage options and battery while giving you the same processor, operating system, display technology, front camera, refresh rate and colours as the S23 Ultra – best of both worlds.

The S23 Ultra is for you if you want the ultimate mean machine in your pocket. It is no doubt the best of the S23 lot with the two standouts being gaming capabilities and camera capabilities, heightened by its size, longer lasting battery⁵, better cooling system, latest Snapdragon processor, more storage and RAM. The S23 Ultra has also got an epic built-in S-Pen stylus taking its performance up by a couple of notches.

Let’s take a quick peek at the Samsung Galaxy S23 family specifications:

Galaxy S23 vs S23 Plus vs S23 Ultra technical specifications:

Hopefully you’re now armed with the technical details to help you pick the best S23 to fit your lifestyle – but with such astounding performance from all models, we figure you can’t go wrong.

Mobile innovation never stops, with the latest Galaxy S25 Series finally landing in Australia. The new Galaxy S25 Series features new Galaxy AI tools, as well as upgraded processors and camera lenses. Check out the Galaxy S25 Ultra for a look at Samsung’s newest flagship phone.

Angelique Thakur works with Optus. She loves to play around with gadgets and is a dog lover. She also enjoys going on hikes and annoying her partner.

^{[1] Galaxy S23's screen size is 6.1 inches in the full rectangle. Actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and camera hole.
[2] Galaxy S23+'s screen size is 6.6 inches in the full rectangle. Actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and camera hole.
[3] Galaxy S23 Ultra's screen size is 6.8 inches in the full rectangle. Actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and camera hole.
[4] Rated (minimum) capacity is 4855mAh for Galaxy S23 Ultra. Actual battery life may vary depending on network environment, usage patterns and other factors. Typical value tested under third-party laboratory condition. Typical value is the estimated average value considering the deviation in battery capacity among the battery samples tested under IEC 61960 standard.
[5] Available on compatible devices.}