Head to head
Samsung Galaxy S24 UltravsSamsung Galaxy S23
The short answer
Choose the Galaxy S24 Ultra for the larger screen, peak brightness, more base storage, battery capacity, video playback time and Geekbench 6 CPU score. Choose the Galaxy S23 for lower weight. The Galaxy S23 is £400 cheaper at UK RRP (£849 against £1,249). The Galaxy S24 Ultra gets security updates for longer: until January 2031, against February 2028 for the Galaxy S23.
- Released
- 2024-01-24endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Price
- £1,249Samsung Newsroom UK — Galaxy S24 series, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Security updates until
- 2031-01-24endoflife.date — Samsung mobile, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Released
- 2023-02-17endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Price
- £849Samsung Newsroom UK — Galaxy S23 series, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Security updates until
- 2028-02-17endoflife.date — Samsung mobile, retrieved 2026-09-06
6 wins for Galaxy S24 Ultra1 win for Galaxy S232 gaps borderline0 differences you won’t notice£400 apart at RRP
Verdict: Galaxy S24 Ultra ahead on 6 rows, Galaxy S23 on 1 row
On the makers’ figures and the named third-party sources, the Galaxy S24 Ultra wins on display size (6.8 in against 6.1 in), peak brightness (2,600 nits against 1,750 nits), storage (base) (256 GB against 128 GB), battery capacity (5,000 mAh against 3,900 mAh), claimed video playback (30 h against 22 h) and Geekbench 6 (CPU, multi-core) (6,170 against 4,547, both from Geekbench Browser); the Galaxy S23 wins on weight (168 g against 232 g). 2 gaps are borderline, differences most people would not notice: RAM (12 GB against 8 GB) for the Galaxy S24 Ultra and fast charging (45 W against 25 W) for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Both state the same refresh rate and wireless charging. The other 33 rows have no threshold or no direction to judge by, so nobody wins them.
True to scale
Outlines from each maker’s published dimensions, drawn to scale. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.
Specifications
A win is marked only where the figures can be ranked and the gap is one you could notice. A row the site has no threshold for says whether the two differ, and that it is not ranking them. = marks the same figure on both, ≠ not ranked a difference with no ranking. Every figure carries its source.
Body
Display
Platform
Memory
Camera
Battery
Connectivity
Benchmarks
7 attributes neither phone has a sourced figure for
Typical brightness · HDR peak brightness · OS versions supported · Google Mobile Services · Battery per charge · Battery lifespan · Repairability (EU class). Rows appear as sources are cited — a gap in our data, not a statement about either phone.
Questions
Is the Galaxy S24 Ultra better than the Galaxy S23?
On the figures, neither is better overall: the Galaxy S24 Ultra wins on display size, 6.8 in against 6.1 in (both Samsung Newsroom UK), peak brightness, 2,600 nits against 1,750 nits (both Samsung Newsroom UK), storage (base), 256 GB against 128 GB (both Samsung Newsroom UK), battery capacity, 5,000 mAh against 3,900 mAh (both Samsung Newsroom UK), claimed video playback, 30 h against 22 h (both Samsung UK) and Geekbench 6 (CPU, multi-core), 6,170 against 4,547 (both Geekbench Browser); the Galaxy S23 wins on weight, 168 g against 232 g (both Samsung Newsroom UK). Every other row is borderline, too close to notice, or not ranked.
Which has the better battery?
The Galaxy S24 Ultra, by a gap you’d notice: claimed video playback, 30 h against 22 h (both Samsung UK). The Galaxy S24 Ultra, by a gap you’d notice: battery capacity, 5,000 mAh against 3,900 mAh (both Samsung Newsroom UK).
Which is lighter?
The Galaxy S23, by a gap you’d notice: weight, 168 g against 232 g (both Samsung Newsroom UK).
Which has the brighter screen?
The Galaxy S24 Ultra, by a gap you’d notice: peak brightness, 2,600 nits against 1,750 nits (both Samsung Newsroom UK).
Which gets updates for longer?
The Galaxy S24 Ultra gets security updates for longer: until January 2031, against February 2028 for the Galaxy S23. Sources: dates from endoflife.date.
Which is cheaper?
The Galaxy S23 is £400 cheaper at UK RRP (£849 against £1,249). Prices from Galaxy S24 Ultra: Samsung Newsroom UK; Galaxy S23: Samsung Newsroom UK.
Other comparisons
The pairs a buyer of either phone would also weigh. Any two phones in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.