The Pixel 8 Pro is currently my favorite Android smartphone, and for good reason. It combines solid performance, fantastic cameras, and an excellent display in one package. But it’s not the only great Android phone on the market: The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is undoubtedly one of the best flagship Android phones you can buy. The question is: which one is better? Let’s dive into the data.
Eyepiece
The Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S23 Ultra may be flagship devices, but they have a few different hardware components. Where Google offers its modern Tensor G3 chip, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is paired with a high-end Qualcomm chip or Samsung’s Exynos chip if you live outside the US
Pixel 8 Pro specifications:
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Display: 6.7-inch Super Actua panel, 1344 x 2992 resolution, 120 Hz, up to 1600 nits (high brightness mode) and 2400 nits (peak HDR)
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RAM: 12 GB
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Memory: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
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Processor: Google Tensor G3
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Battery: capacity 5050 mAh
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Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, ultra-wideband, dual-band GNSS, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS
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Cameras: Octa PD 50MP wide-angle camera, Quad PD 48MP ultra-wide camera, Quad PD 48MP telephoto camera (rear); Dual 10.5 MP PD selfie camera (front)
Galaxy S23 Ultra Specifications:
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Display: 6.8-inch Edge Quad HD+ panel, 3088 x 1440 resolution, 120 Hz, up to 1200 nits (high brightness mode) and 1750 nits (peak brightness)
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RAM: 8 GB / 12 GB (depending on model)
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Memory: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
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Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
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Battery: capacity 5000 mAh
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Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, GLONAAS, BDS, Galileo
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Cameras: 200MP wide-angle camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera, 10MP telephoto camera, 10MP periscope telephoto camera (rear); 12 MP selfie camera (front)
Display and design
You won’t confuse one of these phones with the other. Pixel 8 Pro has silky, rounded corners that feel good in your hands. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the other hand, has a more blocky design that still has rounded corners but feels and looks more like a rectangle than the Pixel 8 Pro.
However, both smartphones have a great-looking design and have a lot of weight and width for a premium device. Both devices also have a USB-C charger on the bottom and bottom-mounted speakers. Aesthetically, I’m more of a fan of the Pixel 8 Pro’s design, though Google hasn’t done much to differentiate this phone from the older Pixel 7. Still, the company has designed its smartphones to look great, and the available color options (Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay) only highlight the cordial, easy-to-use to hold design.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra continues to build on Samsung’s proven design with clickable buttons and an exceptional display. Since you’ll be spending a lot of time looking at the panel, it’s critical to have a great display that doesn’t clash with the phone’s design, and both tick here.
One of the biggest differences is the back of the phones. In the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the camera array is mounted on the side, while the camera array in the Pixel 8 Pro is extended horizontally across the back of the phone. They both look good and raise the back of the phone slightly, making it arduous to place them flush with the table surface. But chance solves this problem.
The displays on both devices are also fantastic, and while the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a higher resolution, both OLED panels provide excellent contrast with glowing, vivid colors and gloomy blacks. However, when placed side-by-side, the S23 Ultra comes to the fore as the more colorful and contrasting of the two. However, the Pixel 8 Pro regains some points thanks to its much higher peak brightness.
Performance and software
Both the Pixel 8 Pro and the Galaxy S23 Ultra are powerful and pleasant to operate, although ultimately your preferred software will likely play a role in which one you choose.
Once again, Google is working on a custom line of Tensor chips, and while the Tensor G3 doesn’t change the game as much as the M1 chip in Apple’s MacBooks, it still offers plenty of performance and great features — most notably, a ton of AI features that Google has packed into the chip. As usual, the Pixel 8 Pro runs a spotless, stock version of the latest Android operating system (in this case, Android 14), so you can experience Android in its purest form without a ton of bloatware slowing things down.
In turn, the Galaxy S23 Ultra runs on the latest version of Android 14, but with the Samsung One UI interface superimposed on it. This means that there is some bloatware on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, although much less than previously found on this type of phone. Both Android 14 on the Pixel 8 Pro and Android 14 on the Galaxy S23 Ultra offer great performance, although the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip in the S23 Ultra offers a bit more power compared to the Google Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8 Pro.
Comparing both devices using Geekbench 6, The Pixel 8 Pro had a lower score of 1,760 when using a single core, while Galaxy S23 Ultra scored 1,885 points. The difference is slightly larger when we compare their multi-core scores, where the Pixel 8 Pro scored 4,442 and the Galaxy S23 Ultra scored 4,998. This suggests that the Galaxy S23 Ultra performs better overall when looking at raw performance. Note: Exact Geekbench scores may vary, but the differences between the two phones should remain relatively consistent.
But raw power isn’t everything. Samsung hasn’t delved into the world of AI as much as Google, which means you’re missing out on a lot of the AI features that aid provide better multitasking and valuable features on the Pixel 8 Pro. Some of these AI features range from compact things – such as the ability to create wallpapers using generative AI – to larger features related to various phone systems – such as the ability to edit unwanted sounds from videos and audio recordings – as well as Google’s previously released Magic feature Eraser allows you to completely edit objects and people in your photos.
Google has also made it possible to translate languages on the spot with the Pixel 8 Pro, and it also allows you to view incoming calls and only let people you want to talk to talk to them. Some of these features were already available on the Pixel 7 and earlier Google smartphones, but the Pixel 8 Pro’s updated chip allows you to process things much faster and more efficiently.
Whichever device you choose, both the Pixel 8 Pro and the Galaxy S23 Ultra are more than powerful enough to handle your daily tasks, whether it’s sending messages, browsing Instagram, or taking high-quality photos in free time .
Cameras
Both the Pixel 8 Pro and the Galaxy S23 Ultra feature top-notch camera sets. The Pixel line has always offered solid cameras, even though it hasn’t always included the most exorbitant hardware to work with. But it’s not the hardware that makes the Pixel a renowned photography device: much of that reputation comes from the processing power and machine learning that Google designs into its phones, and these systems still play a gigantic role in the Pixel 8 Pro’s excellent photo-taking capabilities.
The high-resolution cameras on the back of the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Pixel 8 Pro capture brilliant photos. However, The S23 Ultra can oversaturate colors in photos, an issue that has plagued Samsung devices for years. If you want to shoot with more realistic colors, the Pixel 8 Pro takes better photos. However, if you don’t mind more saturated, too glowing colors, the Galaxy S23 Ultra camera will provide great photos.
Of course, it would be a sin not to mention the huge 200 MP camera on the back of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. While I’m a much bigger fan of the more realistic colors the Pixel 8 Pro offers in photos, the S23 Ultra’s camera captures So plenty of details thanks to the higher quality main camera. Samsung also has a 10MP periscope telephoto lens here, which means much less blur when zooming in on distant objects. You can expect to see all the details of distant objects without having to be subjected to grainy feedback and artifacts. The Pixel 8 Pro doesn’t come with a periscope camera, but various AI programs support digital zoom without losing a ton of detail. Just don’t expect it to look as clear as zoomed-in photos taken with the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s periscope lens.
Battery
While the features and functions are great, it doesn’t really mean anything if your phone’s battery isn’t reliable. Fortunately, neither the Pixel 8 Pro nor the Galaxy S23 Ultra will suffer when it comes to battery, thanks to the massive 5,050 mAh battery in the Pixel and the 5,000 mAh battery in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
However, don’t be fooled by this slight difference in capacity. Depending on what you do, these two phones may have very different battery life limits. Both the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Pixel 8 Pro perform really well at web browsing and messaging, but I noticed that playing videos and other media drained the battery on the Galaxy S23 Ultra much faster than on the Pixel 8 Pro. This is most likely due to the S23 Ultra’s power-hungry hardware, which generates more heat than Google’s AI-powered performance. Still, both the Pixel 8 Pro and the Galaxy S23 Ultra have all-day battery life, provided you don’t spend seven hours gaming non-stop.
However, when it comes to charging, both devices offer different charging options. The Pixel 8 Pro supports 30W wired charging and 12W wireless charging, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra supports 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. This means you can expect decent charging times on both devices, although the Galaxy S23 The Ultra will charge slightly faster compared to the Pixel 8 Pro.
Choosing your next Android device
If you’re planning to buy a modern Android smartphone and want one of the best, then you can’t go wrong with the Pixel 8 Pro or the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Personally, I’m more likely to recommend the Pixel 8 Pro because I really like Google’s design and the Pixel’s numerous AI features. However, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has fought tough to earn its place as one of the best Android smartphones on the market, and I would be remiss if I didn’t at least give Samsung the credit it deserves.
The Pixel 8 Pro it typically costs $999 for the 128GB model, while the smallest storage option for the model Galaxy S23 Ultra (256GB) usually costs around $1,150 on Amazon.
