The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is just a few days away from its expected reveal and our minds are already racking about the potential of the company’s next top-tier flagship – the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – and the threat it might pose to other top-of-the-line mobile phones in the market.
Although it builds on its predecessor, the S23 Ultra has the potential to claim the top spot on its platform as the best Android phone, there is a clear competitor to contend with first and that is the Google Pixel 7 Pro.
While the phone still needs to run and then run our review program before we can make an official verdict on which phone is the best, there’s already a wealth of leaked information surrounding the Galaxy S23 series and S23 Ultra in particular that gives us enough ammunition to make it. Some educated guesses as to how it’s likely to mate with the Pixel 7 Pro.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Pixel 7 Pro: Price and availability
While initial price guesses simply followed the framework set by the S23 Ultra’s predecessor – the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – subsequent leaks have painted a richer picture of how the price landscape will change between generations, with signs pointing to a slight uptick for 2023, though not without. of added value.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is expected to hit the market at $1,249 (which translates to around £1,200 / AU$1,900), which works out to about $50 more than the starting price of the S22 Ultra. The caveat is that Samsung may also increase the base storage, from 128GB to 256GB. For an equivalent jump in storage, you’re looking at a $/£100 increase between the 128GB Pixel 7 Pro and the 256GB model.
As for when you can expect the Galaxy S23 Ultra, it’s set to launch alongside the rest of the S23 series (Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus), on February 1, at Galaxy Unpacked 2023, in stores a week or two later. In the US, interested parties can reserve their devices now (Opens in a new tab)however, and get rid of $50.
Even if the S23 Ultra surprises us all and is weaker than its predecessor, it probably won’t come close in terms of flagship value, when set against the Pixel 7 Pro, with this phone going on sale October 13, 2022, with a starting price of $899 / £849 / AU$1,299.
As mentioned earlier, this applies to the base model – with 128GB of storage, however, even at the higher end, the 512GB Pixel 7 Pro is $1,099 / AU$1,599 with 512GB, which is still below the line. Base expected S23 Ultra by some margin.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Pixel 7 Pro: Design
If you’ve seen the leaked S22 Ultra images, including the supposed press materials, they all indicate that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will look very similar; From the top down pill-shaped shape to the curved-edge glass front and the individually prominent rear cameras.
There’s also an S23 Ultra that still has space for the S Pen, so note-taking and drawing on the go remain part of the Ultra experience, while continued support for water resistance, along with rumors about the use of upgraded Gorilla Glass Victus 2 in the phone’s design, is supposedly For more durability.
Based on what we’ve heard about the colors of the Galaxy S23 series, the S23 Ultra isn’t going to be the fanciest Galaxy ever, with some muted finishes rumored to include Cotton Flower (Cream), Misty Lilac (pink), Botanic Green shades, and Phantom shades. black. Additional shades may also be made available, exclusively on Samsung’s webstore.
The Pixel 7 Pro is much more subdued in its colors than its predecessor, with Hazel being the more adventurous finish (a muted green/gray against a brushed gold frame), while Snow (white with a brushed silver frame) and Obsidian (black with a brushed matte gray frame) round out the selection. Relatively limited in appearance.
The Pixel line has settled into its own distinctive aesthetic over the past two generations, punctuated by the “camera bar” on the back that sticks out from behind, spanning the entire width of the phone. It’s a design detail that, compared to the supposedly similar S22 Ultra (similar to its rumored successor), is undoubtedly more divisive.
Similar to the hardware expected from the S23 Ultra, the 7 Pro is IP68 water and dust resistant, supports wireless charging, and boasts Gorilla Glass Victus (note: not the Victus 2).
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Pixel 7 Pro: Display
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra packs one of the most beautiful displays of any smartphone currently on the market, and the S23 Ultra is rumored to offer a very similar viewing experience, albeit with controversial rumors of a higher peak brightness (2,200 nits, compared to 1,750 currently). nits).
If true, that means the S23 Ultra will offer a 6.8-inch 1440 x 3088 AMOLED panel, with the same dynamic variable refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, and even the same under-display fingerprint sensor as the current model.
The Pixel 7 Pro features a large 6.7-inch LTPO OLED 120Hz display, with a resolution of 1440 x 3120 and a brightness of 1500 nits. While the refresh rate is dynamic — as the S23 Ultra’s screen is supposed to be — in testing, it has fewer increments to cycle through, typically only switching between 60Hz and 120Hz, which won’t provide the same power savings as a full variable panel.
It also features an in-display fingerprint sensor, though the Pixel’s sensor is optical, compared to Samsung’s penchant for ultrasonic sensors in its supposedly less secure high-end phones (and need to shine bright when in use, while the ultrasonic sensor isn’t).
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Pixel 7 Pro: Camera
Galaxy S Ultras have consistently found their way to our best camera phones year after year, thanks to their combination of impressive image quality, comprehensive functionality, and incredible versatility. It’s all made possible by the four-sensor setup you’ll find in the likes of the S22 Ultra, which includes two optical zoom lenses at different magnifications (3x and 10x).
This format looks like it will be given the S23 Ultra as well, but with one notable upgrade: a new 200MP primary sensor (up from 108MP in the last few ultras). While the secondary 12MP ultrawide camera, 10MP 3x telephoto lens, and 10MP 10x periscope telephoto lens doesn’t look like it’s getting any new hardware benefits, the phone has been tuned to offer better low-light photography than before, as well as More details, better focus, and improved stability.
Functionally, the S23 Ultra is also said to be the only member of the Galaxy S23 series to gain new features, such as the ability to capture ultra-high-speed videos from the sky.
Meanwhile, the cameras on Pixel phones are legendary, with computational photography being the name of the game. The 7 Pro is the second device to feature a 50MP primary sensor, which means Google has spent a whole year being able to pull out better photos than the sensor we first met on the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
The wide camera strip on the back of the phone also hosts a 12MP ultrawide (with a secondary macro function) and a 48MP sensor, which tops out at 5x optical zoom and supports a maximum 30x zoom range (just like the S22 Ultra and presumably the S23 Ultra).
Samsung’s upcoming flagship will likely have the edge in terms of video functionality and versatility again, while the Pixel 7 Pro has shown it can take great natural shots with its range, with a particular knack for rendering a variety of skin tones that are more subtle than most competitors. Thanks to the Real Tone initiative of the development team.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Pixel 7 Pro: Performance and Features
“2” seems to be the magic number associated with the Galaxy S23, being one of the first phones to use Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the first Galaxy flagship to reach a 200MP main camera, and – in terms of performance – the first to adopt Qualcomm’s latest chipset. Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
Samsung usually offers different markets different versions of its Galaxy S flagship phones; Some run on Qualcomm silicon, others run on equivalent (but less so) Exynos SoCs. This year, that’s reportedly changing, which benefits all markets (including the UK and Europe) that would normally be saddled with the Exynos variant.
Not only that, but Samsung also appears to have worked with Qualcomm to secure an exclusive improved version of the 8 Gen 2, which will offer better performance; This means that devices with similar specifications from competing phone makers may not be able to reach the same performance ceiling.
In addition to its chips, the S23 Ultra is said to come with a baseline of 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, while the 512GB and 1TB storage models are said to come with 12GB of RAM. The 1TB version may also be exclusive to Samsung’s online store.
Satellite communication, improved microphone and speaker performance are also obviously on the table, as is a similar battery story to the S22 Ultra: 5,000mAh capacity, with support for 45W wired fast charging and 10W or 15W wireless charging.
The Pixel 7 Pro runs on Google’s own Tensor G2 chip, which, in my testing, delivered impressive day-to-day performance, even if it wasn’t quite as impressive in traditional synthetic benchmarking applications the way high-end Snapdragon silicon tends to be.
Designed for excellence and tasks based on artificial intelligence and machine learning, the G2 is ideal for computational imaging and natural language processing talents using voice-based search and control. Depending on how it compares to the current Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, the S23 Ultra will have the edge in terms of raw and gaming performance, but neither phone should feel sluggish in daily use and should last a few years without a noticeable degradation in performance.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Pixel 7 Pro: Software
Of course, software support plays a huge role in the longevity of the phone, with the latest Android 13 version arriving on the Pixel 7 Pro, and it is expected that it will serve the Galaxy S23 Ultra since its launch as well. The Samsung version will come wearing the premium One UI skin, which will include unique functionality to make better use of exclusive features such as the phone’s S Pen.
Where the Ultra may have a surprising advantage is with update longevity. Although Google is responsible for developing every major version of Android, its own phones — including the Pixel 7 Pro — come with three years of OS updates and five years of security updates. , while Samsung pairs its flagship devices with four years of OS upgrades.
away
Galaxy S23 Ultra leaks and rumors frame the device as offering familiar-looking devices with notable improvements over its predecessor in key areas; Some are easier to spot than others.
The move to a 200MP main camera sensor is a big talking point, while the use of a tuned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and a more solid and brighter display is a bit expected but nonetheless welcome; Undoubtedly, it is enough to give it a collective place in the list of the best Samsung phones out there.
As for its position in the face of the Google Pixel 7 Pro. It will almost certainly have the advantage, in terms of raw power and versatility, thanks to the additional rear camera lens and unique S Pen functionality. The Pixel is likely to find more interest among users thanks to its cleaner flagship Android experience, great camera, and most importantly – its significantly lower asking price.