Google Pixel 8 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 UItra: don’t buy t…

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro is the last of 2023’s top smartphones to arrive. It’s big, bold, and comes packed with camera tricks to take on Samsung and Apple’s best. But if you are averse to Apple’s ecosystem, the only direct rival to Google’s latest flagship is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Both product lines have a reputation for having one of the most powerful camera phones, with Samsung banking more on hardware supremacy while Google leads with software processing. If you’re trying to find the best pound-for-pound flagship between the two, here’s a detailed comparison to help make your choice easier.

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

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: design and display

The Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S23 Ultra take fundamentally different approaches to design. Samsung goes for a boxy look with flat sides and sharp edges, while Google’s phone has rounded sides with a bulging frame for a more comfortable grip. The weight difference is also massive, as the Pixel 8 Pro is over 22% lighter than the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus protect both phones, which have builds that are IP68-certified. Each device offers a large OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and dynamic adjustment tech, but the Pixel 8 Pro’s screen is brighter and goes all the way up to 2,400 nits.

In day-to-day life, however, those numerical figures won’t make much of a difference as the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s screen is also sufficiently bright, and content legibility is not a problem even under broad daylight. But one area where the Samsung flagship leaps far ahead is stylus support.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra supports stylus input and comes with the S Pen that slots right inside the phone’s chassis. This stylus is not merely a gimmick, though. It supports a wide array of air gestures and comes with a ton of customization and shortcut tricks.

If you know your way around the Good Lock modules, the S Pen will truly elevate your smartphone experience to an altogether different level of convenience and immersion. It also helps that the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the only mainstream flagship phone out there with stylus support.

The Pixel 8 Pro has some technical advantages with its display, but the S23 Ultra’s S Pen is also a great addition. We’re chalking this one up as a tie.

Winner: Draw

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: performance and battery

Samsung has equipped the Galaxy S23 Ultra with a slightly overclocked trim of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip that is exclusive to this particular phone. The chip is paired with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage without any scope for further expansion.

The S23 Ultra is also equipped with a larger vapor chamber cooling system for improved heat dissipation, and it actually does a great job. Google, on the other hand, hasn’t said anything about special attention being paid to the heat management system inside its latest flagship.

What you get inside the Pixel 8 Pro is a custom-designed Tensor G3 processor ticking alongside 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. Google has also fitted dedicated AI and security chips inside the phone, but just like Samsung, it has also skipped on the storage expansion convenience.

In terms of raw performance, you won’t find either phone lagging. But given the history of Tensor chips, the Qualcomm chip inside Samsung’s warhorse should fare better at sustained and demanding tasks and could also prove to be more energy efficient.

There isn’t much difference when it comes to the battery capacity, as both phones have a 5,000mAh battery. However, the Galaxy S23 Ultra takes the crown here. It supports up to 45-watt wired charging, while the Pixel 8 Pro taps out at 30W.

Wireless charging support is also part of the package for both phones, as is reverse wireless power sharing. The latter means you can simply keep any other phone or earbuds case on the Pixel 8 Pro Galaxy S23 Ultra’s rear panel, and it will share power.

We still need to test Google’s Tensor G3 chip for ourselves, but at least right now, we feel pretty confident giving Samsung the win in this category.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

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

Google’s top-tier offering leads with a 50-megapixel optically stabilized main camera. It is assisted by a 48MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom output and a 48MP ultrawide snapper. Selfie duties fall to a 10.5MP sensor with autofocus.

Samsung goes with a massive 200-megapixel main camera on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which performs multiple layers of pixel binning to output images in smaller formats. There are a couple of 10MP telephoto cameras, with one delivering a 3x optical zoom range, while the other one banks on a periscope system to offer 10x optical zoom.

Ultrawide capture is handled by a 12MP snapper, and the front camera also relies on a 12MP camera. The Galaxy S23 Ultra allows 8K capture and can do slow-motion videos at up to 960 frames per second (fps), while the Pixel 8 Pro maxes out at 4K 60 fps capture, and slo-mo is limited to 240 fps.

The Pixel 8 Pro, however, serves up some impressive AI-powered goodies such as Magic Eraser for removing unwanted objects from the frame, Face Unblur to fix photos post-capture, Macro Focus to take close-up shots, Astrophotography mode for long-exposure night sky capture, and Magic Audio Eraser to remove noise from videos.

This time around, Google is also adding some new tricks like Night Sight for video capture and Best Take for group photos, where multiple frames are combined to deliver the most pleasing stills.

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra offers its own unique set of camera features, such as simultaneous video capture from each camera, a stunning 100x zoom range for stills, 360-degree audio capture, and mic zoom-in to follow the camera view. Just like the Pixel 8 Pro, it also supports Night Mode for video (from front and rear cameras), as well as portrait capture.

Based on technical specs alone, we’re giving this round to the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung has Google beat with its 200MP main camera and dual telephoto cameras, plus its enhanced video capabilities. We’ll be sure to put both phones in a head-to-head test as soon as we can, but Samsung’s looking good here.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: software and special features

Software is where the two phones sit on almost opposite ends of the spectrum. Google serves a vanilla flavor of Android on the Pixel 8 Pro with a ton of exclusive features. The Google Assistant experience is the best you’ll ever come across, with more tricks arriving at a regular cadence via Pixel feature drop updates.

This year, Google is adding multilingual assistant voice typing into the mix alongside more natural conversations, improved call-screening capability, better noise isolation for calls, and more. Google is also extending the Face Unlock convenience to payments and app sign-ins.

Samsung, on the other hand, will soon be seeding Android 14-based One UI 6 to the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The Android skin on Samsung phones is a bit divisive. On the bad side, it is cluttered with a healthy dose of bloatware and ads.

But on the positive side, it offers a set of exclusive features that set the Galaxy S23 Ultra apart from every phone out there. For example, Edge Panels and the S Pen wheel offer more shortcuts and tools at your disposal than you would find on any other device.

The scope for aesthetic customization is deep, while Samsung Good Lock modules offer a level of UI control that you simply won’t find on any smartphone out there.

This year, however, Google is making a dramatic leap at boosting the longevity of Pixel phones. Google says the Pixel 8 Pro will get seven Android OS upgrades and security updates, as well as feature drops for an equal number of years. Samsung is only promising four OS upgrades and five years of security updates on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Although the usefulness of each phone’s software features largely comes down to personal preference, there’s no denying that everyone should benefit from Google’s impressive software support. It’s the first of its kind in the Android space, and it’s something we hope to see more of in the future.

Winner: Google Pixel 8 Pro

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: price and availability

The Google Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999 and offers a lucrative freebie in the form of a Pixel Watch 2. That’s a terrific deal, whichever way you look at it, and it makes it one of the best flagship purchases out there at its price point. It is already up for preorders and comes in a trio of colors.

Samsung, on the other hand, is charging a minimum of $1,199 for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. That’s a healthy $200 gulf, and enough to buy a good pair of wireless earbuds or even a previous-generation smartwatch. Color options on the table are Green, Phantom Black, Lavender, Cream, Lime, Sky Blue, Graphite, and Red. But do keep in mind that a healthy bunch of these are exclusive to the Samsung store.

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

Picking between these two phones is fairly straightforward. If you’re chasing the best Android experience, with unbeatable support, reliable cameras, a standout design, and the most rewarding Android experience out there, the Pixel 8 Pro is where you should put your money. And if you’re after the most advanced AI wizardry on a phone, the Pixel should be your default choice.

But if you’re looking for an Android phone that offers camera perks like 10x optical zoom, tons of pro-grade video and photo capture gimmicks, and the versatility of an excellent stylus, the Galaxy S23 Ultra should be your pick. It comes at a 20% premium over the Pixel 8 Pro, but if you’re invested in Samsung’s ecosystem and appreciate the flexibility of One UI, this is the most feature-loaded phone you can possibly get.