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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 15, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16
Time to compare Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with Apple iPhone 16. We will cover the essentials so you can buy with confidence.
Ratings: 4.4★ vs 4.8★
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Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
★4.4
(1,332)•Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:4 generations of OS upgrades; 5 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Graphics:Qualcomm Adreno 740
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Apple iPhone 16
★4.8
(219)•Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
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Comparison: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
★4.4(1,332)Best Buy
Apple iPhone 16
★4.8(219)Best Buy
| Criterion | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Apple iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.4(1,332)Best Buy | ★4.8(219)Best Buy |
Operating System | Android | iOS |
Software Support | 4 generations of OS upgrades; 5 years of security updates | Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine) |
Graphics | Qualcomm Adreno 740 | Apple 5-core GPU (A18) |
RAM | 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5X | 8 GB |
Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.0) | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe) |
Display Size | 6.8" (measured diagonally; actual viewable area is less) | 6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less) |
Screen Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display | Super Retina XDR OLED |
Resolution | 3088 x 1440 pixels (QHD+), 500 ppi | 2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi) |
Refresh Rate | 1–120Hz (Adaptive) | 60 Hz |
Peak Brightness | 1,750 nits (Peak) | 1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum |
Main Camera | 200MP Wide (f/1.7, 85° FOV), Laser AF, OIS | 48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) |
Ultra-Wide Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide (f/2.2, 120° FOV) | 12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support |
Telephoto Camera | 10MP Telephoto (3x optical, f/2.4) + 10MP Periscope (10x optical, f/4.9); OIS | No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS |
Optical Zoom | 3x, 10x Optical Zoom | 0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range) |
Digital Zoom | Up to 100x Space Zoom | Up to 10x |
Video Recording | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps | 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps |
Front Camera | 12MP Front (f/2.2, 80° FOV), Dual Pixel AF | 12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps |
Battery | 5,000 mAh (Typical) | 3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback |
Wired Charging | Up to 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0 (Adapter sold separately) | USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher |
Wireless Charging | Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (15W); Wireless PowerShare | MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W |
Connectivity | 5G (Sub6/mmWave); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; UWB | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode |
USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 | USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output |
Durability | IP68 (Water resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 min); Armor Aluminum frame; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back |
Dimensions | 6.43" x 3.07" x 0.35" (163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm) | 5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm) |
Weight | 8.25 oz (234 g) | 6.00 oz (170 g) |
Biometrics | Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor; Face Recognition | Face ID |
Extras | Integrated S Pen (2.8ms latency); Samsung DeX; Samsung Knox | Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite |
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Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Rating:★4.4(1,332)Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:4 generations of OS upgrades; 5 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Graphics:Qualcomm Adreno 740
RAM:8GB / 12GB LPDDR5X
Storage:256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.0)
Display Size:6.8" (measured diagonally; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display
Resolution:3088 x 1440 pixels (QHD+), 500 ppi
Refresh Rate:1–120Hz (Adaptive)
Peak Brightness:1,750 nits (Peak)
Main Camera:200MP Wide (f/1.7, 85° FOV), Laser AF, OIS
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra-Wide (f/2.2, 120° FOV)
Telephoto Camera:10MP Telephoto (3x optical, f/2.4) + 10MP Periscope (10x optical, f/4.9); OIS
Optical Zoom:3x, 10x Optical Zoom
Digital Zoom:Up to 100x Space Zoom
Video Recording:8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps
Front Camera:12MP Front (f/2.2, 80° FOV), Dual Pixel AF
Battery:5,000 mAh (Typical)
Wired Charging:Up to 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0 (Adapter sold separately)
Wireless Charging:Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (15W); Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity:5G (Sub6/mmWave); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; UWB
USB:USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1
Durability:IP68 (Water resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 min); Armor Aluminum frame; Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Dimensions:6.43" x 3.07" x 0.35" (163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm)
Weight:8.25 oz (234 g)
Biometrics:Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor; Face Recognition
Extras:Integrated S Pen (2.8ms latency); Samsung DeX; Samsung Knox
✓ Pros:
- • Class-leading 200MP main camera and versatile 10x optical zoom
- • Custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy provides top-tier performance
- • Excellent battery life with 5,000mAh capacity
- • Integrated S Pen adds unique productivity features
- • Premium build with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and IP68 rating
✗ Cons:
- • Slow charging speed (45W) compared to competitors
- • Large and heavy (8.25 oz) form factor is difficult for one-handed use
- • Expensive starting price
- • No microSD card slot for expandable storage
- • Included USB cable is only USB 2.0 despite port supporting 3.2
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Apple iPhone 16
Rating:★4.8(219)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
RAM:8 GB
Storage:128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe)
Display Size:6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate:60 Hz
Peak Brightness:1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum
Main Camera:48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP)
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support
Telephoto Camera:No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS
Optical Zoom:0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range)
Digital Zoom:Up to 10x
Video Recording:4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
Front Camera:12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps
Battery:3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback
Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher
Wireless Charging:MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W
Connectivity:5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode
USB:USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output
Durability:IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back
Dimensions:5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm)
Weight:6.00 oz (170 g)
Biometrics:Face ID
Extras:Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite
✓ Pros:
- • A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence
- • 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop
- • Added Macro photography support to the non-Pro lineup
- • MagSafe charging speed increased to 25W (requires 30W adapter)
- • New physical Camera Control and Action buttons added
✗ Cons:
- • Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
- • USB-C port limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds (480 Mb/s)
- • No dedicated telephoto lens (zoom beyond 2x is digital)
- • Always-On display feature is omitted
- • No physical SIM tray in US models (eSIM only)
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Which one is better?
Overall, Apple iPhone 16 delivers better satisfaction. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is still a quality option with specific strengths worth considering.
Who should buy each?
Expert take:
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra suits buyers who need Class-leading 200MP main camera and versatile 10x optical zoom, Custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy provides top-tier performance
- Apple iPhone 16 suits buyers who want A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence, 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop
Conclusion
We hope this comparison helps you buy with confidence. Both products are dependable; the right one depends on how you will use it.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra excels if you value class-leading 200mp main camera and versatile 10x optical zoom. Apple iPhone 16 is better if you prioritize a18 chip with 8gb ram specifically optimized for apple intelligence. Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
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