X

Galaxy S23 Series: How Samsung's Flagship Phones Compare, Spec by Spec

Samsung's Galaxy S23 lineup is made up of three phones that are each unique in their own way. Let's see how they compare against each other.

Sareena Dayaram Senior Editor
Sareena is a senior editor for CNET covering the mobile beat including device reviews. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with more than a decade's worth of experience producing stories for television and digital publications across Asia's financial capitals including Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mumbai. Prior to CNET, Sareena worked at CNN as a news writer and Reuters as a producer.
Expertise Huawei, Oppo, smartphones, smartwatches Credentials
  • More than a decade of journalism experience
Sareena Dayaram
2 min read
Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup on a table

From left to right: the Galaxy S23 Ultra, S23 Plus and S23.

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Samsung's Galaxy S24 lineup debuted in January, kicking off another year of phone launches. But the Galaxy S23 series, unveiled at the company's Unpacked event in February 2023, still has phones worth considering in 2024, especially if and when the price drops.

The S23 lineup consists of three models: the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus and the top-specced Galaxy S23 Ultra. What are the differences between each model?

Starting prices for the phones, at least in the US, remain the same as 2022, with the base Galaxy S23 starting at $800 (£849, AU$1,349), bumping up to $1,000 (£1,049, AU$1,649) for the Galaxy S23 Plus and maxing out at $1,200 (£1,249, AU$1,949) for the Galaxy 23 Ultra. 

This represents a price increase in the UK and Australia, among other countries and regions. For instance, the starting price of the base Galaxy S23 has risen in the UK by £80 compared to the launch price of the Galaxy S22. In Australia, the base S23 model received a AU$100 bump.

The three devices share a similar glass and aluminum design. They use the same processor (the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2), have the same display adaptive refresh rate (up to 120Hz) and 12-megapixel selfie camera. The three phones support ultrawideband, a radio technology that powers features such as using digital car keys and lost item tracking.

The S23 is the smallest of the three, weighing 168 grams (5.93 ounces) with a 6.1-inch AMOLED display. The S23 Plus has a 6.6-inch screen and the S23 Ultra has a 6.8-inch display. They weigh 195 grams (6.88 ounces) and 234 grams (8.25 ounces) respectively. 

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a four-camera module, with a 200-megapixel main camera, two 10-megapixel telephoto cameras and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens. According to Samsung's product pages, these sensors have improved resolution (obviously), but also improve the phone's low-light photography by combining sets of smaller pixels into larger individual ones that can capture more light. 

Watch this: Samsung's Galaxy S23 Lineup Is Here With Big Camera Upgrades

The S23 and S23 Plus have identical triple-camera setups on the rear. Both include a telephoto lens, which should help capture faraway subjects. You can learn more about the camera specs in our chart below.  

The Galaxy S23 Ultra's new Note-like features set it apart from both the rest of the S23 lineup and other premium phones made by competitors such as Apple and Xiaomi. It's the second time a Galaxy S Ultra phone has come with a stylus included in the box. There's also a slot for storing it on the phone -- just like Samsung's all-but-discontinued Note series. S Pen fans who bought the Galaxy S21 Ultra had to pay for the stylus separately and find a specific phone case that could store it.

For more information on the similarities and differences between the Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup, look at our specs chart below. 

Galaxy S23 lineup compared


Galaxy S23Galaxy S23 PlusGalaxy S23 Ultra
Display size, resolution, refresh rate 6.1-inch AMOLED; 2,340x1,080 pixels; 120Hz6.6-inch AMOLED; 2,340x1,080 pixels; 120Hz6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,088x1,440 pixels; 120Hz
Display pixel density 425 ppi393 ppi500 ppi
Size (inches) 2.79 x 5.76 x 0.3 in3 x 6.21 x 0.3 in3.07 x 6.43 x 0.35 in
Size (millimeters) 70.9 x 146.3 x 7.6 mm76.2 x 157.7 x 7.6 mm78 x 163.3 x 8.9 mm
Weight (grams, ounces) 168 g (5.93 oz)196 g (6.91 oz) 234 g (8.25 oz)
Operating system Android 13Android 13Android 13
Rear cameras 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 10-megapixel (telephoto) 10-megapixel (telephoto)
Front camera 12-megapixel 12-megapixel 12-megapixel
Video capture 8K8K8K
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for GalaxyQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for GalaxyQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
RAM and storage options 8GB RAM + 128GB; 8GB RAM + 256GB8GB + 256GB; 8GB + 512GB 8GB + 256GB; 12GB + 256GB; 12GB + 512GB; 12GB + 1TB
Battery capacity and charging rate 3,900 mAh (25W wired charging)4,700 mAh (45W wired charging)5,000 mAh (45W wired charging)
Charging port USB-CUSB-CUSB-C
Other features 5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, wireless PowerShare to charge other devices5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, wireless PowerShare to charge other devices, UWB for finding other devices5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, wireless PowerShare to charge other devices, integrated S Pen, 100x Space Zoom, 10x Optical Zoom, UWB for finding other devices
US price $800 (8GB/128GB)$1,000 (8GB/256GB)$1,200 (12GB/256GB)
UK price £849 (8GB/128GB)£1,049 (8GB/256GB)£1,249 (12GB/256GB)
Australian price AU$1,349 (8GB/128GB)AU$1,649 (8GB/256GB)AU$1,949 (12GB/256GB)