Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: It shouldn’t be this close

It wasn’t long ago that Samsung was the undisputed leader in the Android space, pushing the boundaries of smartphone design and capabilities. Somewhere along the way, it lost its way by resting on its laurels for too long and failing to innovate. Don’t get me wrong. Samsung makes quality traditional-style smartphones and some of the best foldables, but compared to a phone like the OnePlus 13, its latest devices are missing the spark that Samsung used to be known for.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra could have easily been a show of strength. Instead, Samsung kept the status quo, which has led to an unimpressive first impression. If you own the Galaxy S23 Ultra, you may wonder if Samsung’s latest and greatest is worth the cost or the hassle of upgrading your phone. Let’s break it down and see if Samsung has done enough to entice the users of an excellent two-year-old device.

Price, availability, and specs

Starting with the latest and greatest, the Galaxy S25 Ultra hits the market in February 2025 and is available in three storage sizes. You can get it with 256GB of storage for $1,300, 512GB for $1,420, or 1TB for an eye-watering $1,660. There are seven rather boring color options, including Titanium Jetblack, Pinkgold, Jadegreen, Black, Gray, Silverblue, and Whitesilver. The first three color options are Samsung exclusives. Samsung flagships are simple to find and are available from all major carriers, Samsung, and retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

With a launch date of February 2023, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is two years old. It’s available in the same 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage capacities, which retailed for $1,200, $1,380, and $1,620, respectively. The available colorways were a little more colorful and included Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Red. At launch, you could find it in the same places as the S25 Ultra. However, two years after launch, it’s become harder to find. Unless you find it at a sizable discount, it’s not worth getting the older phone at full price.

• 	Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra	Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy
  Display type	LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz	AMOLED, 1~120Hz refresh
  Display dimensions	6.9″	6.8 inches
  Display resolution	3120 x 1440	3088 x 1440 pixels
  RAM	12GB	8GB or 12GB
  Storage	256GB, 512GB, 1TB	256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
  Battery	5,000mAh	5,000mAh
  Charge speed	45W	45W wired (Quick Charge 2.0, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging), 15W wireless (Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, WPC), Wireless PowerShare
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C, S Pen silo
  Operating System	Android 15 and One UI 7	One UI 5.1 w/ Android 13
  Front camera	12MP f/2.2	12MP f/2,2
  Rear camera	200MP f/1.7 main, 50MP f/1.9 ultrawide, 10MP f/2.4 telephoto, 50MP f/3.4 telephoto	200MP f/1.7 OIS main, 12MP f/2.2 wide (120°), 10MP f/2.4 OIS zoom (3x), 10MP f/4.9 OISzoom (10x)
  Connectivity	NFC, UWB	4G, 5G, UWB, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC
  Dimensions	162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm	163.3 × 78 × 8.9mm
  Weight	218g	234g
  IP Rating	IP68	IP68
  Colors	Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver, Titanium Silverblue	Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender + Samsung.com Exclusive Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, Red
  Stylus	Yes, S Pen	Active
  Price	$1,300	From $1,200

Design

A tale of square or rounded corners

Samsung updated the design of the S25 Ultra this year, getting rid of the squared-off, boxy design and rounded edges of the S23 Ultra. Instead, it opted for rounded edges and flat sides. Samsung isn’t the only company heading down this Apple-like path of phone design. Google did the same with the Pixel 9 series, like the Pixel 9 Pro XL. I don’t mind the new design of the S25 Ultra, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra had that unique and better look that defined the Ultra series.

From a size perspective, these two phones are practically identical. At 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm and weighing 218g, the S25 Ultra is slightly smaller and lighter than the S23 Ultra’s 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm dimensions and 234g in weight. The S25 Ultra features all the latest build materials, including a titanium frame and Gorilla Armor 2 protecting the front and back. The S23 Ultra has an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protecting the front and back. Both devices carry an IP68 rating, making them dustproof and water-resistant up to 1.5m for 30 minutes.

The included S Pen is a major reason many people opt for Samsung’s Ultra series, but Samsung decided to mess with it this year. Both devices come with the S Pen, which slots nicely into the bottom of the device, but the S25 Ultra’s version of the S Pen forgoes Bluetooth connectivity. This means functions like Air Commands and using the S Pen as a remote shutter to take a photo are no longer options on the newer device. The S23 Ultra’s S Pen has Bluetooth, so it’s something to consider if you heavily rely on it.

Looking at the back, you’ll see a familiar camera setup in the upper-left corner, with each lens prominently displayed. The lenses on the S25 Ultra appear larger, but the overall look and feel are nearly identical.

Display

Excellent displays with a different feel

Samsung is well known for its excellent displays, and it’s clear both of these devices come with high-quality panels. The S25 Ultra has a 6.9-inch dynamic LTPO AMOLED display with a 3,120 x 1,440 resolution. You get a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and a bright 2,600 nits of peak brightness, making everything smooth and easy to see in the brightest of conditions.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a slightly smaller 6.8-inch dynamic AMOLED display with a resolution of 3,088 x 1,440. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,750 nits of peak brightness. Both devices can drop their respective refresh rates down to 1Hz when it’s not needed to save battery.

Some nitpicking can be done in the comparison, namely the slightly larger and brighter display of the S25 Ultra. In the end, both phones have excellent displays. The biggest difference is that the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a flat display while the S23 Ultra has a curved display. Curved displays aren’t for everyone, but if you’ve used your phone for this long, it likely doesn’t bother you, but it’s worth noting.

Software

Soon to be the same

Being Samsung’s newest device, it makes sense that the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with Android 15 and One UI 7. The S23 Ultra originally came with Android 13 and One UI 5.1 but has been upgraded to Android 14 with One UI 6.1.1. Over the next few months, Samsung should upgrade the S23 Ultra to Android 15 and One UI 7, which puts both devices on a level playing field.

If you’re rocking the S23 Ultra, you know what to expect here. For the uninitiated, One UI 7 is a great Android skin that offers a range of customization options and Galaxy AI. Productivity features like running multiple apps at the same time or using DeX allow you to connect your phone to a hub or docking station to turn it into a desktop experience.

A few enhancements come with One UI 7, some of which may be polarizing. You’ll get the Now Bar, which is a Dynamic Island-like replacement for the lock screen, so you can control various things such as your music. In addition to the Now Bar, you get Live Notifications, a return to the vertical app drawer, new animations, and revamped icons.

With a big focus on AI, One UI 7 comes with new AI-related features. Bixby is being replaced with Google Gemini, something I have long wanted. This change may or may not come to the S23 Ultra when it gets One UI 7, so keep an eye out for details as they become available. Then there are new features such as Now Brief, which aggregates all your data into an easy-to-view window, giving you an at-a-glance overview of your day.

The main difference is their software support. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has seven years of Android OS upgrades and security updates. The S23 Ultra gets four years of Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates. That means the S23 Ultra will stop getting Android upgrades after Android 17, which gives it plenty of support left.

Performance

Old powerhouse or new powerhouse

Samsung typically outfits its Galaxy S-series lineup with the latest powerful Snapdragon processors. At least, that’s the case in the United States. The S25 Ultra is rocking the extremely powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite that’s paired with 12GB of RAM. It’s a world-class chip that won’t struggle with any task you conjure up, including the latest games or video editing.

The two-year-old Galaxy S23 Ultra has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor that’s paired with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM. In 2023, it was the best processor available on an Android device, and it’s still a solid performer two years later.

Smartphone processors have been quite capable and powerful for the past couple of years. Any recent Snapdragon flagship chipset is more than capable of running routine daily tasks, and it can hold its own when gaming. On paper, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is stronger than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but the difference is negligible in everyday use. New can be better, but chasing the latest shiny object doesn’t always lead to significant benefits. If you’re a competitive gamer or need the extra power of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, your decision should be simple, but the extra horsepower isn’t needed for most.

Battery life

Almost unchanged

As reviews aren’t out for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the next two sections will be a best guess based on Samsung’s past devices. Not much has changed in the battery department, so unless the new Snapdragon 8 Elite is more power efficient than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, battery life should be fairly close.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra and S23 Ultra have 5,000mAh batteries that provide about a day and a half of use or roughly eight hours of screen time. They can charge up to 45W wired, which is a bit slow compared to some of the competition. The S25 Ultra can be charged wirelessly up to 25W, while the S23 Ultra tops out at 15W. They are both capable of 4.5W reverse wireless charging.

I would have loved for Samsung to go with a higher capacity or dual-cell battery to give a nice battery boost, but we’ll have to settle for more of the same. I don’t care too much about the charging speeds as I charge my phone at night, but it needs to be acknowledged that Samsung must figure out how to increase its charging performance.

Camera

So many camera lenses to choose from

Not many phones can compete with a Galaxy Ultra device from a versatility perspective thanks to its array of four lenses, each with its own capabilities. The S25 Ultra comes with a 200MP, f/1.7 OIS primary lens, a 50MP, f/1.9 ultrawide lens with a 120-degree field of view, a 50MP, f/3.4 periscope telephoto lens with OIS and 5x optical zoom, and a 10MP, f/2.4 telephoto lens with OIS and a 3x optical zoom.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has the same 200MP, f/1.7 primary lens with OIS, a 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide with a 120-degree field of view, a 10MP, f/4.9 periscope telephoto lens with OIS and 10x optical zoom, and a 10MP, f/2.4 telephoto lens with OIS and a 3x optical zoom.

Regardless of which device you’re holding, they can record 8K video up to 30fps. The S25 Ultra can do 4K video up to 120fps, while the S23 Ultra tops out at 60fps. Both devices have a 12MP, f/2.2 selfie camera that can record 4K video at up to 60fps.

The primary 200MP lens is one of the main reasons these phones are considered some of the best camera phones. It’s capable of stunning photos that will please any user. The S25 Ultra has better complementary camera lenses that can capture better detail with more megapixels. The S23 Ultra has 10x optical zoom, so it can zoom in a bit more than the 5x of the S25 Ultra, which then relies on sensor cropping and AI to make up the difference in zoom ability.

Should you upgrade?

Thanks to Samsung sparing no expense with the hardware in Ultra phones, they tend to remain a viable option for many years. Because Samsung isn’t innovating at the same pace, you end up in a scenario where choosing to upgrade is no longer straightforward. A phone that’s two years old has no business keeping a head-to-head battle this close.

If you’re rocking a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, hold onto it for at least another year. The S23 Ultra has aged gracefully and is still a potent device. With an excellent display, more than capable performance, good battery life, and a nearly identical software experience, I see little reason for an upgrade. The S25 Ultra is the shiny new thing, but it’s not that much better. Unless you need slightly better cameras or a stronger processor, you can safely continue enjoying your S23 Ultra.

If you don’t own the S23 Ultra, default to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It doesn’t make sense to buy a two-year-old device that’s brand new unless you find it on sale. The S25 Ultra is a powerful device with a good camera system, amazing software support, and all-day battery life. It’s expensive, but if you want the best that Samsung offers, then the S25 Ultra is where it’s at.