Comparing the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with the S23 Ultra: what are the upgrades?

The highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S24 series is here and brings with it a lot of new upgrades and features. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra is its flagship offering of the year, featuring top-of-the-line specifications, new on-device AI capabilities, and much more. Here’s a specification-based comparison between the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and last year’s flagship, the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: specs at a glance

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Display

6.8-inch 120Hz QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, 2,600nits brightness

6.8-inch 120Hz QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, 1,750nits brightness

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC

Cameras

200MP+50MP+12MP+10MP rear camera

200MP+10MP+12MP+10MP rear camera

Front Camera

12MP selfie camera

12MP front camera

Battery

5,000mAh

5,000mAh

Charging

45W wired, 15W wireless fast charging

45W wired, 15W wireless fast charging 

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: price in India

Samsung Galaxy S24 UltraSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 
Rs 1,29,999 – 12GB+256GBRs 1,24,999 – 12GB+256GB 
Rs 1,39,999 – 12GB+512GBRs 1,34,999 – 12GB+512GB
Rs 1,59,999 –  12GB+1TBRs 1,54,999 – 12GB+1TB


The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra retails at Rs 1,29,999 for the 12GB+256GB variant, Rs 1,39,999 for the 12GB+512GB variant, and Rs 1,59,999 for the 12GB+1TB variant.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is priced at Rs 1,24,999 for the 12GB+256GB variant, Rs 1,34,999 for the 12GB+512GB variant, and Rs 1,54,999 for the 12GB+1TB variant.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: design

The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s design brings some new changes this time around. Gone are the curves, as the S24 Ultra comes with a flat display with narrower bezels. The chassis is also made of titanium instead of aluminium, which should give it enhanced protection against damage. The rest of the design remains consistent with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is thinner at 8.6mm and 1g lighter compared to the S23 Ultra. The screen is protected by the new Corning Gorilla Armour.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a hefty smartphone at 234g and is a big device to hold, which can require getting a bit used to if you’re switching from a smaller, lighter smartphone. Despite its bulk, the smartphone feels quite premium, with curved sides to the chassis and the screen, tiny bezels, and five circular camera modules on the back. The armour aluminium frame offers excellent build quality, and the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 ensures that the display remains protected. 

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: display

The Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a resolution of 3,120 x 1,440 pixels, a refresh rate of 120Hz and a maximum brightness of 2,600nits. The new device should also support HDR10+ like its predecessor. 

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra equips a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a resolution of 3,088 x 1,440 pixels, a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and a peak brightness of up to 1,750nits. The display is quite vibrant and also comes with HDR10+ support, which allows HD content streaming capabilities on OTT platforms.

Takeaways: In terms of display, the Galaxy S24 Ultra features a much brighter display panel with a higher resolution. The narrower bezels and flat display contribute to an enhanced viewing experience. However, the Galaxy S23 Ultra still boasts one of the best displays a smartphone can have and doesn’t lag far behind when compared to the S24 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: camera

There have been some new developments in the camera setup of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Galaxy S24 Ultra maintains the 200MP f/1.7 primary camera, the 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and the 12MP ultra-wide camera. The most significant change is the introduction of a 50MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, as opposed to the previous 10MP telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom. For selfies, Samsung retains the 12MP front camera. 

The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a 200MP, f/1.7 primary camera along with a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and another 10MP telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom. At the front, the device comes with a 12MP selfie shooter.

Takeaways: The camera setup in the Galaxy S24 Ultra has seen some changes, as Samsung has opted for a higher-resolution lens while sacrificing some of the zooming capabilities. There are also some new AI camera features, like the Instant Slow-Mo videos and generative AI that the flagship offers. You can keep an eye out for our detailed review of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, where we test all these new features.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: performance and software

Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC powers the latest Samsung flagship. The chipset is the successor to last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and will offer the Galaxy S24 Ultra a powerful performance output and on-device AI capabilities. The device operates on OneUI 6.1 based on Android 14 out of the box. A big change this year is Samsung promises users 7 years of OS and security updates, similar to the Google Pixel 8 series. 

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC powers the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung claims that the chipset inside the Galaxy S23 Ultra has been specially tweaked for the device and offers better performance output. The phone excels across various use cases, be it everyday apps, productivity, social, multimedia, or even intensive gaming.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra runs on OneUI 5.0 based on Android 13 out of the box, but has since received the OneUI 6.0 update. Samsung promises 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security updates, as is the standard for a flagship smartphone.

Takeaways: For performance, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC powers the Galaxy S24 Ultra, a direct upgrade to the previous Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, ensuring improved performance output. On the software side, Samsung has announced a whopping 7 years of OS and security updates, making it the highest a flagship smartphone offers, along with the Google Pixel 8 series.


Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: battery

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra draws from a 5,000mAh battery, along with 45W fast charging and 15W wireless charging support. The battery setup of the new flagship remains consistent with that of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. 

A 5,000mAh battery fuels the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and comes with 45W fast charging support. In addition, the Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse charging support. The handset easily lasts an entire day, even with heavy usage, thanks to its various optimisations and a power-efficient chipset.

Takeaways: The battery setup remains consistent in both flagships; however, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is expected to offer enhanced battery optimisation thanks to a more power-efficient chipset.