Google Pixel 8 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which is Better?

Google unveiled its new flagship, the Pixel 8 Pro, at its October 2023 event. It outperforms its predecessor in many ways, including amazing AI capabilities and numerous other features. However, Google raised the price of its latest Pro series, making it a rival to other flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. In terms of camera and performance in the Android world, the S23 Ultra is an excellent choice. Hence, your confusion between these two smartphones is apparent. In this guide, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to help you decide which is best for you.

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Specifications

The Pixel 8 Pro and the Galaxy S23 Ultra do have a few edges over one another when it comes to specs. However, the story can be different on paper, though.

Pixel 8 Pro vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Design and Display

The display Galaxy S23 Ultra is amazing with a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display that has a 120Hz refresh rate. The Pixel 8 Pro, on the other hand, doesn’t compromise much with a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display at 120Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, even having a slightly larger display, doesn’t match the brightness levels on the Pixel 8 Pro. The Pixel 8 Pro has a peak brightness of 2400 while the S23 Ultra only has 1750 nits.

Besides the display, the Pixel 8 Pro retains its curved design, even bezels, and the aluminum frame, making it easy to hold in hands. On the contrary, the S23 Ultra looks more dominative while keeping it easier to hold with squared-off corners and rounded edges. Lastly, both smartphones feature a Gorilla Glass Victus rear glass.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Pixel 8 Pro: Performance

There’s no doubt that the S23 Ultra takes the edge here with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, based on the 4nm architecture. As an icing on the cake, the S23 Ultra got a custom chipset that produces raw processing power while maintaining its power efficiency and excellent ISP.

On the flip side, the Pixel 8 Pro comes with its proprietary Tensor G3 chip, which might sound like a big deal at first. This chipset, even being a 4nm chipset, focuses on AI features like Magic Editor, Call Screening, Audio Magic Eraser, and more rather than providing good performance for the Pixel 8 Pro.

Both manufacturers approach performance differently; while the S23 Ultra focuses on raw power, the Pixel 8 Pro goes for AI advancements.

Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Cameras

Cameras are something that both smartphones excel at, but both smartphones take a slightly different approach. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has four cameras: a 200MP main camera, 10MP, periscope telephoto camera, 10MP telephoto camera, and a 12MP ultrawide camera. With these four lenses, you’ll get outstanding photos, especially the ones with 10x or more zoom since the S23 Ultra supports up to 100x zoom.

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro, on the contrary, has an improved camera system that allows more light into the lens.There’s a 50MP main lens, 48MP telephoto lens, and a 48MP ultrawide lens. While this might translate not much on paper, the Pixel 8 Pro’s magic lies behind its software. The post image processing has always been one of the perks about the Pixel phones.

Pixel 8 Pro vs. S23 Ultra: Software

On the software side, the Pixel 8 Pro comes straight out of the box with Android 14, but the S23 Ultra still runs OneUI 5.1 on top of Android 13. And hence, if you own a Pixel, you get the benefit of getting early updates to your device.

What’s more exciting is that Google promised up to 7 years of OS and security updates for the latest Pixel 8 Pro, meaning if you get a Pixel 8 Pro, you’ll receive Android updates until 2030. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the flip side, offers 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security updates. Which doesn’t fall much behind from what the Pixel 8 Pro offers.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Battery

When it comes to battery life, the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Google Pixel 8 Pro are almost the same with a 5000 mAh and 5050 mAh battery, respectively. So, there isn’t going to be much difference in the battery life.

However, there’s a sizable difference in charging speeds between both phones. The Pixel 8 Pro can charge at 30W on a wired charger and at 23W wirelessly. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can charge at 45W with wired charging and at 15W wirelessly. Both smartphones support reverse wireless charging which can come handy.

Conclusion

The S23 Ultra starts at $1199, while the Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999, implying that Google is attempting to close the price gap in order to enter the flagship segment. If you’re looking for the best Android flagship smartphone, the S23 Ultra is worth the extra $200 over the Pixel 8 Pro.

However, if you take a lot of photos that need to look good and want a smartphone for everyday use, we’d recommend the Pixel 8 Pro over the S23 Ultra, which is $200 cheaper. Plus, if you like Android OS, seven years of updates should excite you even more.

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