If you prioritize photography, especially zoomed shots, the S23 Ultra with its superior telephoto lens and higher overall camera quality is the better option, but it comes at a higher cost. If budget is a concern and you're seeking overall value, the S24 offers adequate performance and a very good camera at a lower price point but with lower battery capacity and storage compared to the S23 Ultra. The S24 is also more compact with a smaller screen, which may be preferable if you find larger phones cumbersome. Both run on Android, have OLED screens, and support 5G, but the older S23 Ultra has a longer battery life. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Best in class for taking photos
Very good for recording videos
Best in class battery life
Best in class display quality
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S24
The Samsung Galaxy S24 has no clear advantages over the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
9.2/10
8.4/10
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has excellent overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy S24 has very good overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a superior selfie camera quality compared to the Samsung Galaxy S24, which is only rated good. Additionally, the S23 Ultra offers a better overall camera system with features like a 10x optical zoom and high photo versatility, while the S24 has less powerful cameras and fewer features like optical zoom.
Photo Quality
9.5/10
8.5/10
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra takes best in class photos, while the Samsung Galaxy S24 takes very good photos.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a superior selfie camera compared to the Samsung Galaxy S24, which takes very good selfies but does not match the Ultra's performance. Additionally, while both phones offer very good capabilities across resolution, software experience, dynamic range, low light performance, and camera versatility, the Ultra's overall camera performance is better, contributing to its excellent photo quality.
Battery
10.4 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has 10.4 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S24 has 8 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a screen size of 6.8 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S24 is 6.2 inches.
Cost
$1,200
$800
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a price of $1,200 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 costs $800.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to have very good videos, while the Samsung Galaxy S24 takes good videos.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra produces excellent videos due to its top-tier video resolution/framerate, stabilization, dynamic range, and low light performance, along with high-quality microphone audio, which collectively provides a superior video recording experience. However, the Samsung Galaxy S24 falls short in these areas, which leads to its poorer video performance despite its best rating in video software experience.
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How the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S24 compare to other phones
"The Galaxy S23 Ultra doesn’t just want a place at the top right now; it expects to stay there. Samsung’s excellent update commitment and connectivity standards will keep its flagship feeling fresh for years to come, and the high-end materials will put up with more than their share of wear and tear. It might be more than most users need in terms of size, power, and cost, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a glaring weakness."
Get a great deal on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or the Samsung Galaxy S24
About Samsung
Samsung is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone industry, standing as the undisputed best-selling brand of Android smartphones in the United States for many years now. Samsung is known for offering a variety of smartphones in all available price points, as well as for implementing cutting-edge technology and innovative features in their flagship devices, ones that often shape the market going forward. The company offers its own unique spin on Android, called One UI, which focuses on offering a multitude of features and is heavily customizable, according to user preference.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
68
Phones evaluated
7,820
Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
151,800
Recommendations made
86,020
Consumer hours saved
About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.
Efthimis Kotanidis
Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.