If you’re looking to buy a top-end Android flagship phone, the Google Pixel 8 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra are two of the best options available on the market right now. The former starts at $999 while the latter starts at $1,199.
There’s much to love about both devices, so making a purchase decision can be difficult. We’ll help you compare them and decide which is the better pick for you.
Design and Durability
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is taller, broader, heavier, and has almost the same thickness as the Pixel 8 Pro. So, if you’re someone with smaller hands, the former can be a bit cumbersome to hold and carry, especially with its boxier design as opposed to the Pixel’s more rounded corners.
Both devices have an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, use an aluminum frame, and come with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on the front and back.
While the S23 Ultra boasts its iconic stylus that can help you take notes, sign documents, and even trigger the camera shutter to take pictures from a distance, the back of the Pixel 8 Pro introduces a new infrared temperature sensor that can help you measure the temperature of nearby objects such as beverages, metals, fabric, ceramic, and more.
The Pixel 8 Pro comes in three colorways: Bay, Porcelain, and Obsidian. The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes in four colorways: Green, Phantom Black, Lavender, and Cream.
If you buy from the official Samsung website, you can also choose from four additional exclusive colorways including Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Red. You can learn Galaxy S23 color is best for youif you need help picking one.
The Pixel 8 Pro has a slightly smaller 6.7-inch display but hits a significantly higher peak brightness of 2,400 nits compared to the 6.8-inch display of the S23 Ultra which goes up to 1,750 nits only. Both devices have variable refresh rate and can dial it down from 120Hz to 1Hz when you’re looking at something static tosave battery life on your phone.
While the Pixel 8 Pro has shifted to a fully flat screen, the Galaxy S23 Ultra still has a slight curve at the edges. You can decide for yourself which style you like better. Both devices are excellent for media consumption, but because the S23 Ultra has slightly thinner bezels and a boxy design, some people may find that it gives a more cinematic viewing experience.
Camera Quality
The Pixel 8 Pro has a whole new set of camera hardware this time, and that’s great on paper, but keep in mind that optimizing for new camera hardware takes time. For you, that means that although photos from the Pixel 8 Pro still look amazing, the camera experience as a whole—at least for now—isn’t as refined as on the S23 Ultra.
Because of this, the S23 Ultra has better video quality, smoother lens transitions, and cleaner low-light shots. And if you’re curious, we’ve also explained why the200MP camera on the S23 Ultra is not a gimmickand can actually be useful if you learn how to use it properly.
Also, keep in mind that when using the new generative AIcamera features on the Pixelsuch as Best Take and Magic Editor, the processing of those features doesn’t happen on-device. Instead, it’s done on Google’s servers, making the process slow and sluggish. In fact, you can’t use those AI features unless your photos are backed up in Google Photos first.
While the Pixel is better at accurate color reproduction, especially thanks to Real Tone, the Galaxy goes for a more Instagrammable look and is also better at edge detection for more professional-looking portraits. The Galaxy also has a longer zoom range of up to 10x optical zoom than the Pixel which sits at 5x.
Both devices are capable of running all modern Android apps and games, but if performance is your priority, you’re better off with the bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip on the Galaxy S23 Ultra than the Tensor G3 on the Pixel 8 Pro.
The former is more powerful, more efficient, and better at heat management. If you play a lot of graphics-intensive games and do a lot of multitasking and video editing on your phone, you’re going to benefit from all that extra power and efficiency.
On the other hand, Google’s Tensor is more specialized to do tasks that require AI and machine learning capabilities. That means the Pixel will be better at things like image recognition, speech recognition, image manipulation, live translation, and more.
Tensor is why Pixel features such as Magic Eraser, Magic Editor, Best Take, Photo Unblur, Video Unblur, Audio Magic Eraser, Call Screen, Hold for Me, Guided Frame, and more. Basically, Snapdragon is built for endurance while Tensor is built to be more helpful in everyday life.
RAM and Storage
Both devices offer up to 1TB of storage, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra starts with 256GB base storage whereas the Pixel 8 Pro starts with 128GB.128GB is usually enough storage, but since you’re buying a flagship, you’re likely the kind of user who intends to do more on your phone than the average person.
In that case, 256GB is a must. For context, the 256GB variant of the Pixel 8 Pro costs $1,059—just $60 more than the base variant. However, the Galaxy uses a newer UFS 4.0 storage standard which is twice as fast and more efficient than the UFS 3.1 standard on the Pixel. The Pixel comes with 12GB RAM while the S23 Ultra comes with 8/12GB RAM depending on the variant you’re buying.
Battery and Charging
Although the Pixel 8 Pro has a slightly larger cell, you’ll get far longer battery life on the Galaxy S23 Ultra thanks to its more efficient processor and better software optimization.
Both devices support reverse wireless charging to power your accessories, but the Galaxy boasts faster wired charging while the Pixel has faster wireless charging.
The Pixel 8 Pro Is Great, But It Needs Work
Most of what makes the Pixel 8 Pro a good phone are its useful software features—stuff that’s not shown on a spec sheet. Also, don’t forget that Google now promises seven years of major Android upgrades, security patches, and Feature Drops in comparison to four years of upgrades on Galaxy flagships.
With the Pixel, you’re getting better photos, helpful software features, a brighter display, faster wireless charging, and a cheaper price. But as many reviewers pointed out, the device doesn’t feel properly optimized to actually take advantage of many of its new features.
With the Galaxy, you’re getting more power, longer battery life, a more refined camera experience, faster wired charging, more color options, and a snappier UI in general. Simply put, the Galaxy is a bit more reliable and less likely to give you problems, but the Pixel is still good if you’re willing to put up with some bugs and wait for Google to better optimize the device.
