Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S25 Ultra
Short answer: the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a big two-generation upgrade, with the much faster Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, a lighter titanium body, a 6.9 inch flat screen, a 50MP ultra-wide and seven years of updates. The S23 Ultra still has the same 200MP main camera, S Pen and 5000 mAh battery, and it is the clear value pick if you want an Ultra on a smaller budget.
Updated 11 November 2026
Design and build
The S23 Ultra has a curved 6.8 inch screen, sharp corners, an Armor Aluminium frame and weighs 234 g. The S25 Ultra has a flat 6.9 inch screen, rounded corners, a titanium frame and weighs only 218 g. It is also thinner at 8.2 mm against 8.9 mm.
The difference in the hand is easy to feel: the S25 Ultra is lighter and more comfortable for long calls and one-hand use. Both are IP68 and both carry a built-in S Pen, though the S25 Ultra's S Pen drops Bluetooth Air Actions.
Display
The S23 Ultra uses a 6.8 inch QHD+ AMOLED with 1 to 120Hz and 1750 nits peak. The S25 Ultra uses a 6.9 inch QHD+ LTPO AMOLED with 1 to 120Hz and 2600 nits peak, behind Corning Gorilla Armor 2 with an anti-reflective coating.
Outdoors the S25 Ultra is much easier to read and shows less glare. The flat panel also suits screen protectors and S Pen use better than the S23 Ultra's curved edges.
Performance and chipset
The S23 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4 nm). The S25 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm), which is a huge jump in CPU, graphics and on-device AI speed.
The S23 Ultra is still fast for daily apps and most games. The S25 Ultra pulls ahead in heavy gaming, video editing and Galaxy AI tasks, and stays smoother over five or more years of use.
Cameras
Both have a 200MP main camera and a 10MP 3x telephoto. The S23 Ultra has a 12MP ultra-wide and a 10MP 10x periscope. The S25 Ultra has a 50MP ultra-wide and a 50MP 5x periscope.
The S25 Ultra's 50MP ultra-wide gives sharper wide shots and macro photos, and its 5x lens is excellent for portraits and mid zoom. The S23 Ultra's true 10x lens still helps for very far subjects. Video improves to 4K 120fps on the S25 Ultra, against 4K 60fps on the S23 Ultra.
Battery and charging
Both phones have a 5000 mAh battery with 45W wired, 15W wireless and reverse wireless charging. The S25 Ultra lasts noticeably longer thanks to its efficient 3 nm chip and LTPO screen.
For long load shedding days the S25 Ultra gives more confidence. No charger comes in the box with either phone.
Specs side by side
- Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy vs Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
- Display: 6.8 inch QHD+ curved vs 6.9 inch QHD+ flat LTPO
- Peak brightness: 1750 nits vs 2600 nits
- Main camera: 200MP vs 200MP
- Ultra-wide: 12MP vs 50MP
- Zoom: 10MP 3x + 10MP 10x vs 10MP 3x + 50MP 5x
- Video: 4K 60fps vs 4K 120fps
- Battery: 5000 mAh vs 5000 mAh
- Weight: 234 g vs 218 g
- Frame: Armor Aluminium vs titanium
- Launch software: Android 13, One UI 5.1 vs Android 15, One UI 7
Software and updates
The S23 Ultra launched with Android 13 and was promised four Android upgrades, so its upgrades end around Android 17. The S25 Ultra launched with Android 15 and gets seven years of Android and security updates, which makes it one of the longest-supported phones you can buy. Both have Galaxy AI, but the S25 Ultra gets the newest features first.
PTA Patch Approved and SIM notes in Pakistan
Our Android phones, including the S23 Ultra and S25 Ultra, are Non Custom box pack units that are PTA Patch Approved, so a local SIM works normally. Only our iPhones are sold as PTA Patch Approved. To learn what box pack means, read box pack mobile meaning (Box Pack Mobile Meaning in Pakistan).
Both are usually nano-SIM plus eSIM, with dual nano-SIM on some regional variants. Ask which variant is in stock.
Who should buy which
Buy the Galaxy S25 Ultra if you want a lighter phone with a brighter flat screen, the fastest Samsung chip of its year, better wide and video cameras and updates into the 2030s.
Buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra if you want the 200MP camera, S Pen and true 10x zoom at a lower cost. For a middle option, see Galaxy S23 Ultra vs S24 Ultra (Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra).
