Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs Galaxy S22 Ultra: Is it worth the upgrade?

Like clockwork, Samsung introduced the latest iteration of its Galaxy S series for 2023, aptly called the Galaxy S23 series. It's comprised of three phones, the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra, all of which pack some upgrades compared to last year's models. With that in mind, you may be wondering if the new Samsung Galaxy S23+ is enough of an upgrade to be better than the Galaxy S22 Ultra from 2022.

We're here to help with that by taking a look at the specs and other differences between these two devices so you can decide if it's better to get the latest model or opt for the top-tier Ultra model from last year. It's a valid question considering the Galaxy S22 Ultra can be found with some hefty discounts these days. While we have both a Galaxy S23+ review and a Galaxy S22 Ultra review, this article will compare the two directly to make things easier for you.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs S22 Ultra: Pricing and availability

The Samsung Galaxy S23+ was introduced at a Galaxy Unpacked event on February 1, and it's available to buy right now if you want it. Pricing starts at $999 for the base model, which comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, along with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, which is a specially optimized version of the processor for Samsung phones.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has been available to buy for nearly a year. It launched at a starting price of $1,199, and that includes 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, along with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. Of course, because of its age, you can often find it at a discount that brings it close to the S23 Plus price range, and sometimes even lower.

• 	Samsung Galaxy S23+	Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
  Brand	Samsung	Samsung
  SoC	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  Display	6.6-inch Full HD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (48-120Hz), 240Hz touch sampling rate in gaming mode	6.8-inch Quad HD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz refresh rate (1-120Hz)
  RAM	8GB	8GB, 12GB
  Storage	256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
  Battery	4,700mAh	5,000mAh
  Operating System	Android 13 / One UI 5.1	Android 12 (upgradeable to Android 13 and One UI 5.1)
  Camera (Rear, Front)	50MP f/1.8 main, 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, 12MP f/2.2 selfie	108MP f/1.8 wide, 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto, 10MP f/4.9 10x telephoto, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 40MP f/2.2 front-facing
  Connectivity	5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3	5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
  Dimensions	6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 inches	6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches
  Colors	Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime	Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, Burgundy, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Red
  Weight	6.91 ounces	8.04 ounces
  IP Rating	IP68	IP68
  Price	Starting at $800	Starting at $1,199 (MSRP)
  Micro SD card support	None	No
  Security	Ultrasonic fingerprint reader, face unlock	Ultrasonic fingerprint reader, face unlock

Design: Rounded corners or a boxy look

As far as the design and build quality go, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S22 Ultra aren't too far apart. Both use an Armor Aluminum frame and a glass back plate, in addition to a glass cover for the display. However, the newer Samsung Galaxy S23+ does come with the latest Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which boasts even more durability when dropped on hard surfaces like concrete. If you want peace of mind knowing your phone will last a long time, the Galaxy S23+ may be a better choice.

Of course, the phones do look quite a bit different despite the similar materials. The Samsung Galaxy S23+ has a more rounded design around the corners, and that's been the case for a while. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, similar to the Galaxy Note series before it, has more of a squared-off design, which makes it feel a bit bulkier. And on that note, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is noticeably heavier, which makes sense considering it's larger.

Another notable difference are the color options. The Samsung Galaxy S23+ in four colors, including Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender, with Samsung.com exclusive colors including Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Red. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Ultra was available in Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, and Green, with a few colors exclusively available on Samsung.com, such as Red, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Bora Purple. Some of the colors overlap, but there are a few different options for each model depending on what you prefer.

One thing that the two phones have in common is the design approach for the camera module. In past years, the Plus models such as the Galaxy S22 had a contour design around the cameras, but now, they appear individually on the back of the phone, just like the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Of course, there aren't as many cameras, so they still look different in that regard.

Display: The Ultra model is larger and sharper

The older Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra still pulls a significant advantage when it comes to the display, as it features a larger 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with sharper 3088 x 1440 resolution. Technically speaking, this is a better screen, though you can argue that the higher power consumption at this resolution isn't worth the extra sharpness. The Galaxy S23+ comes in at 2340 x 1080 resolution on its 6.6-inch panel, which is still plenty sharp.

On the flip side of power efficiency, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is better at managing the refresh rate of the display. It ranges from 1Hz to 120Hz, while the Galaxy S23+ can go from 48Hz to 120Hz. Being able to hit that lower refresh rate means the Galaxy S22 Ultra can save more power when there is no motion on the screen, or for things like an always-on display.

Of course, the Galaxy S22 Ultra also has the benefit of supporting the S Pen. After all, this is the successor to the Galaxy Note, and the S Pen is a core part of its identity. That means you can doodle and take notes more accurately on the screen, use air commands, and more using the S Pen.

Cameras: The older model still has a better camera

Samsung isn't making a lot of changes to the Galaxy S23+ in terms of the cameras, and on paper, the setup is exactly the same as it was on the Galaxy S22+. That means you get a primary 50MP camera, with a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP telephoto camera.

That's compared to a whopping 108MP primary sensor on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is backed by similar ultra-wide and telephoto cameras. That is, until you consider the periscope lens, which the Galaxy S22 Ultra has but the Galaxy S23 Plus still lacks. This gives you 10x optical zoom, allowing you to zoom in on much further away objects and still have great image quality. You can even zoom in up to 100x to see very far away objects.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series does pack some improvements to the camera, though, according to Samsung. The selfie camera supports Super HDR and fast autofocus, which should result in much higher quality pictures from the front-facing camera. There's also enhanced 8K video recording and enhanced object-based AI processing that should help bring out more detail in people's faces.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ samples:

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra samples:

While we don't have a direct comparison, you can take a look at some sample shots from both cameras above. Both are great cameras, but you can see the Galaxy S22 Ultra does have some advantages with the higher resolution cameras and better zoom.

Performance: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy makes some big improvements

The big upgrade you'll find inside the Samsung Galaxy S23+ is the processor, with Samsung using the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. Not only that, however, but Samsung is actually using an exclusive optimized version of this chip, called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. This processor comes with some big improvements, with Samsung touting up to 40% faster graphics performance compared to last year's model. AI performance is also "optimized by 40%", delivering better performance and efficiency. We've done a thorough comparison of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 against the Gen 1 model, and the performance benefits are clear across the board. This is not including Samsung's optimizations, but it gives you a good idea of what to expect.

That goes for the battery, too. According to Samsung, the battery in the Galaxy S23 Ultra should last up to 20% longer than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, despite being the same size. While the Galaxy S23+ has a smaller battery, those optimizations will probably push the battery life further, especially with the lower-resolution screen. That's not to say the Galaxy S22 Ultra has bad battery life, as we actually found it to be fantastic when we reviewed the phone. It's also worth noting that all these benefits go doubly for the European version of these phones, considering the Galaxy S22 Ultra had some big issues due to the Exynos processor.

The Galaxy S23+ starts with 256GB of storage instead of 128GB.

In terms of RAM, both models have 8GB by default, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra does have the option for 12GB if you think the additional RAM is useful. As for storage, a benefit of the Galaxy S23+ is that it has a higher starting configuration, at 256GB instead of 128GB, which makes the starting price a bit more enticing. However, you can configure the Galaxy S22 Ultra with up to 1TB of storage, so it's still a better choice if you need massive amounts of space.

Software: OneUI 5.1 brings some exclusive features (for now)

Finally, let's talk software. Comparing both phones at launch, of course, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus runs Android 13 and OneUI 5.1 (versus Android 12 and OneUI 4 on the Galaxy S22 Ultra). However, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has been updated to Android 13 and OneUI 5 at this point, so the differences aren't that big.

With that being said, OneUI 5.1 does have some features exclusive to the Galaxy S23 family. For example, access to Expert RAW settings is now easier in the Camera app. Samsung Notes also has a brand-new feature that allows you to collaborate in real-time on a shared note. Among many other things, there's the new Bixby Text Call feature that lets Bixby answer calls for you, better integration with Samsung Galaxy Book laptops allowing you to control your phone with your laptop's mouse and keyboard, and improvements to multi-tasking in Samsung DeX.

The Galaxy S23+ is newer, which means it will be supported for that much longer.

Based on Samsung's past history, we can assume that some, if not all of these features will eventually be available for older Galaxy phones through a software update. However, that brings us to another point, and that's longevity.

Samsung promises four years of software updates for its flagship phones, and while that means your phone will still be supported for a long time, the Galaxy S23+ is newer, which means it will be supported for that much longer. It will add more new features in the coming years, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra will stop getting new features sooner.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs Galaxy S22 Ultra: The bottom line

Being the newer phone, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ instantly has some advantages. It has a more powerful and more efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, and it will likely be supported with software updates for longer. While the Galaxy S22 Ultra will probably catch up in terms of features in the near future, extended long-term support could mean the Galaxy S23+ can last you a bit longer.

But there are some good reasons to prefer the Galaxy S22 Ultra, too. Whether you want a bigger screen, S Pen support, or a better camera setup, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is still a top choice if you can find it at a discount. If you're paying full price, it's obviously better to look at the new Galaxy S23 Ultra that has an even better camera and all the improvements that the Galaxy S23+ has.