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    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Expected Differences

    mobile specsBy 1 Comment8 Mins Read
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Expected Differences


    The Galaxy S23 Ultra was Samsung’s crowd pleaser in 2023. It was the first Ultra to feature a 200MP main camera, making Snapdragon the standard worldwide, while keeping the Note DNA alive with the S Pen. Three years later, it’s off Samsung’s shelves but it’s easy to find refurbished or second-hand for far less than the four-figure price of a brand new Ultra. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is shaping up to offer several upgrades that will make it an even more impressive flagship. For starters, the display is said to be brighter and more efficient. What’s more, we can even see a unique display feature for added privacy. In addition to the display upgrade, the S25 Ultra is also said to get Qualcomm’s next Snapdragon chip, faster charging, and new hardware for the main camera.
    This comparison looks at how this three-generation jump will improve your user experience if you decide to upgrade after the new model comes out.

    The galaxy S26 Ultra Vs Galaxy S23 Ultra Expected Differences:

    Galaxy S26 Ultra*Galaxy S23 Ultra
    A 200MP sensor or a wider f/1.4 lens for the main camera200 amp mains at ~1/1.3″ sensor (still very good)
    50MP ultra-wide camera12 MP ultra-wide camera
    50mp 5x periscope telephoto camera with large sensor10MP 5x periscope telephone camera with a small sensor
    6.9” OLED display that incorporates anti-reflection and “Privacy Display” toggles6.8″ OLED display with 1-120 Hz; very low brightness control
    ~3,000-nits maximum display brightness~1,750-nit peak brightness
    Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for Galaxy) with big GPU/NPU advantagesSignificantly less powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for Galaxy)
    Possible 60W wired charging45W wired
    Possible QI2 magnetic wireless charging15W wireless; “QI2-ready” without magnets
    A UI 8/Android 16 with 7 years of supportLaunched with Android 13/One UI 5.1. 4-year support commitment
    slightly slender body; A possible return to Camera Islandthe iconic boxy Ultra with subtle side flats; Separate lens ring, Victos 2 glass

    *Rumor/expectation

    Table of Contents:

    Design and size

    Clearly thin and light
    Galaxy S26 Ultra*Galaxy S23 Ultra
    Thickness
    ~ 8.1 mm    		Thickness
    8.9 mm
    Dimensions
    Approximately 162.8 x 77.6 mm    		Dimensions
    163.4 x 78.1 mm
    The weight
    About 218 grams, or slightly lighter    		The weight
    234 grams

    *Rumor/expectation

    Galaxy S23 Ultra The Box Ultra doubled down on the look we know today, with slightly flatter sides and a curved glass that extends slightly into the panel. It felt every bit the successor to the Note, complete with an S Pen, IP68 certification, and durable Gorilla Glass Victos 2.

    Rumors suggest that S26 Ultra It will shrink by about 0.4mm compared to the current generation, making it 0.8″ thinner than the S23 Ultra. And since Samsung is said to retain the titanium chassis, we expect the new model to weigh around 218g, which is 16g lighter.

    An aspect where S26 Ultra What may look very different compared to the S23 Ultra is the camera module. The individual ring can be replaced by a unified camera island, which is supposed to accommodate an upgraded main sensor or thickened optics for a sharper lens.

    Point out the differences

    Galaxy S26 Ultra*Galaxy S23 Ultra
    size
    6.9″    		size
    6.8″
    shine
    3000 nits (peak)    		shine
    1750 nits (peak)

    *Rumor/expectation

    Samsung has made some of the best displays in the smartphone market over the years. The S23 Ultra ships with a 6.8-inch display with QHD+ resolution and a 1-120Hz display refresh rate. It had a peak brightness of 1,750 nits, and could dim impressively at night.

    S26 Ultra It will likely retain the 6.9-inch display size from the current generation, but is said to adopt Samsung’s new M14/COE OLED stack technology. The goal is to reduce internal reflections, introduce improved energy efficiency, and increase peak brightness to 3,000 nits. On top of that, we also expect to see an improvement on the anti-reflection treatment we first saw on the S25 Ultra. One quirk is a “Privacy Display” toggle that narrows down viewing angles to prevent anyone trying to peek at your display. Everything else will remain the same, including the fast ultrasonic fingerprint reader embedded in the glass.

    Performance and software

    From Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to Elite Gen 5
    Galaxy S26 Ultra*Galaxy S23 Ultra
    shut up
    Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for Galaxy)    		shut up
    Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for Galaxy)
    The process
    3 nm    		The process
    4nm
    RAM, storage
    12/256 GB
    12/512GB
    12/1tb
    16/1 TB

    Faster LPDDR5X RAM
    UFS 4.0 storage

    		RAM, storage
    8/256 GB
    12/256 GB
    12/512gn
    12/1tb

    LPDDR5X RAM
    UFS 4.0 storage

    *Rumor/expectation

    The S23 Ultra made history by standardizing Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for Galaxy) worldwide, delivering bigger CPU/GPU improvements and better battery life without changing battery size. Now we are three generations later, and S26 Ultra Snapdragon 8 Elite is expected to land on Gen 5 (for Galaxy) – an improved 3nm platform with significantly faster GPUs and NPUs, with faster clock speeds. Samsung has also improved its cooling system over the years, so it should perform significantly better.

    The storage options will be slightly different from what we saw on the S23 Ultra. Samsung has dropped the 8GB RAM option altogether, and is expected to start at 12GB instead. There will also be a 16GB/1TB variant. The memory, while still LPDDR5X, is said to be faster thanks to new modules.

    such as software, S26 Ultra Should debut with Android 16 and up Along with Samsung’s seven-year update promise, a UI 8.5. The S23 Ultra, on the other hand, will soon enter its final year of software support. Samsung has promised 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security patches for this generation, which means the last Android version on the S23 Ultra is Android 17.

    Camera

    You get a more usable 5x telephoto, and potentially a better main camera
    Galaxy S26 Ultra*Galaxy S23 Ultra
    important
    200 MP, f/1.7 (or f/1.4)
    24 mm
    ~ 1/1.1″ sensor size    		important
    50 MP, f/1.7
    24 mm
    1/1.3″ sensor size
    Ultra wide
    50 MP, f/1.9
    13 mm
    1/2.5″ sensor size    		Ultra wide
    12 MP, f/2.2
    13 mm
    1/2.55″ sensor size
    5x telephoto
    50 MP, f/3.4
    5x zoom (111mm)
    1/2.52″ sensor size    		5x telephoto
    10 MP, f/4.9
    10x zoom (230mm)
    1/3.52″ sensor size
    3x telephoto
    10 MP, f/2.4
    3x zoom (67mm)
    1/3.52″ sensor size    		3x telephoto
    10 MP, f/2.4
    3x zoom (70mm)
    1/3.52″ sensor size

    *Rumor/expectation

    The S23 Ultra ushered in Samsung’s 200MP era and stuck with the classic quad: 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3X, and 10MP 10X periscope, plus a 12MP selfie. The central sensor binning delivered clear night shots and perfect detail, while Mahirao gave fans more headroom.

    for S26 Ultrarumors say we’ll either get a bigger ~1/1.1″ 200MP sensor or keep the HP2, but with a wider /1.4 lens. Either of these changes will improve the camera’s ability to capture more light, dynamic range, and even more natural bokeh (blurred backgrounds and foregrounds).

    The Ultra’s telephoto capabilities have also evolved since the S23 Ultra came out. Samsung replaced the 10x telephoto camera with a more practical 5x telephoto, which also comes with a larger sensor, which greatly improves image quality.

    Battery life and charging

    Same capacity, possibly faster charging
    Galaxy S26 Ultra*Galaxy S23 Ultra
    Battery size
    5000 Mah    		Battery size
    5000 Mah

    Charging speed
    60W wired

    15W wireless charging

    Possible QI2 magnetic support

    USB-C 3.2

    Charging speed

    45W wired

    15W wireless charging

    Does not support QI2

    USB-C 3.2

    *Rumor/expectation

    The S23 Ultra proved what an efficient chip can do with a 5,000 mAh pack: it outshone its predecessor in our tests despite the same capacity. Charging speed, however, remains the same at 45W.

    S26 Ultra They are not expected to change the battery capacity, but we expect to see better battery life thanks to the new Snapdragon chipset and updated display.

    More interesting are the rumors of 60W wired charging coming with the Lord S26 Ultrawhich will make it much faster than that (we expect it to receive 100% for less than an hour).

    The wireless charging speed is said to remain at 15W, but we can see the Q2 magnetic wireless charging that is similar to the Lord. Pixel 10 series.

    Comparison of Specs

    Galaxy S26 Ultra*Galaxy S23 Ultra
    Size, weight
    162.8 x 77.6 x 8.1 mm, 218 g    		Size, weight
    163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm, 234 g
    Screen
    6.9″ OLED
    120Hz    		Screen
    6.8″ OLED
    120Hz
    The processor
    Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for Galaxy)
    3 nm    		The processor
    Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for Galaxy)
    4nm
    Version:
    12/256 GB
    12/512GB
    12/1tb
    16/1 TB

    lpddr5x

    		Version:
    12/256 GB
    12/512GB
    12/1tb
    —

    lpddr5x

    Camera:
    200 amp mains
    50MP Ultra Wide
    50mp 5x zoom
    10MP 3x zoom

    12 MP front

    		Camera:
    200 amp mains
    12MP Ultra Wide
    10MP 10x zoom
    10MP 3x zoom

    12 MP front

    Battery:
    5000 Mah    		Battery:
    5000 Mah
    Charging:
    USB-C
    60W wired
    15W wireless    		Charging:
    USB-C
    45W wired
    15W wireless

    *Rumor/expectation

    Summary

    If you move on from the Lord, you will definitely feel like you have upgraded Galaxy S23 Ultra to S26 Ultra. After three generations, you’re just not getting new features S26 Ultrabut you’re also benefiting from the upgrades that came with the previous two models.

    The biggest improvements you’ll notice right now are the new 5x telephoto camera, faster charging speeds (and possibly magnetic charging), anti-reflective display, and upgraded chip.

    If your S23 Ultra still serves you well, rest assured that it will get Android 17 in 2026 and continue to receive security updates for another year. Still, while it’s a great phone, its age is starting to show. The good news is that Samsung often offers generous trade-in deals for older models, and launch promotions usually include a free storage upgrade, making the leap to a new Ultra much easier on your wallet.


    From smartphones to space exploration, Alexander is a tech enthusiast. His curiosity extends to DIY experiments with his gadgets, and he enjoys switching between different brands to experience the latest innovations. Before joining Phonerena, Alexander worked on the Google Art Project, digitizing valuable artworks and gaining a diverse perspective on technology. When he’s not immersed in tech, Alexander is an outdoorsman who enjoys mountain hiking, wildlife photography and nature conservation. His interests also extend to martial arts, running and snowboarding, reflecting his dynamic approach to life and technology.

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