Android
Best Galaxy S23 Ultra Alternatives (2024)
If you can’t afford a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra right now, or you simply want a phone that’s comparable to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, here are the best Galaxy S23 Ultra alternatives money can buy.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S model. It features top-of-the-line hardware including powerful cameras. It also includes a stylus called the S Pen that lets you write and draw on the screen.
It’s a workhorse and it should be on your shopping list if you’re in the market for a device that’s capable of taking excellent photos and videos, running the best looking games, and/or getting work done on-the-go.
Unfortunately, you may have to shell out a lot of money in order to get one.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is positioned as the company’s premier Galaxy S device and it has a price tag worthy of that position. Without a deal, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is $1199 in its lowest configuration. If you want more storage, you’ll need to pay more.
There are Galaxy S23 Ultra deals out there right now, but many of them require you to trade-in a device to Samsung, a carrier, or a retailer.
If you don’t have a device to trade-in, or if the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s price is too expensive for your budget, but want a device that can hold its own against Samsung’s flagship, you’ll want to investigate Galaxy S23 Ultra alternatives.
Fortunately, there are quite a few Galaxy S23 alternatives on the market in early 2024 with many more on the way.
In this guide we’ll take you through devices that are comparable to the Galaxy S23 Ultra and help you find a device that fits both your needs and your budget.
Pixel 8 Pro
If you’re looking to stay put on Android, Google’s Pixel 8 Pro should be at, or near, the top of your shopping list. The Pixel 8 Pro is one of the best Galaxy S23 Ultra alternatives on the market right now.
Google sells two version of the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and it’s the Pixel 8 Pro that’s most comparable to the Galaxy S23 Ultra thanks to its premium set of features.
The Pixel 8 Pro features a large 6.7-inch OLED display with 1344 x 2992 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It also comes with 12 GB of RAM, Google’s Tensor G3 processor, a 50 MP Octa PD wide camera, 48 MP Quad PD ultrawide camera, and a 48 MP Quad telephoto camera.
On top of that, it comes with Google’s sleek version of Android 14 and a price point that’s competitive with the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s.
The Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999 for the 128GB model. The 256GB variant will run you $1059, the 512GB model costs $1179, while the larger 1TB Pixel 8 Pro is $1399.
You can buy the Pixel 8 Pro directly from Google or from retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
While it’s no longer Samsung’s flagship device, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is still an excellent Galaxy S23 Ultra alternative and worthy of consideration if you really want a device that runs Samsung’s version of Android.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra may not have all of the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s bells and whistles, but most people should be fine using last year’s specs given that they’ve aged fairly gracefully.
Galaxy S22 Ultra specs include a 6.8-inch QHD AMOLED display, on par with the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor (the Galaxy S23 Ultra uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset), a 108MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide lens, and two 10MP telephoto lenses.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has the better camera experience, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s setup should be fine for many people.
Something else to keep in mind is the fact that Samsung keeps its devices upgraded with new software for several years. In the case of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, it should continue to get regular software updates for another four years which makes it a sound investment.
Speaking of an investment, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is cheaper than the Galaxy S23 Ultra which makes it an intriguing option for those of you that want a Galaxy S Ultra model, but aren’t thrilled with the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s price.
You can buy the Galaxy S22 Ultra directly through Samsung or through retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
If price is not an issue for you, you may also want to check out Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 which is even more expensive than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but it’s also very unique.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is one of the latest models in the Galaxy Z series and it’s a foldable device that gives you access to two screen sizes.
On the outside, it has a 6.2-inch cover display. The inner display is a foldable 7.6-inch screen which supports Samsung’s S Pen stylus.
Of course, the foldable display isn’t the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s only attractive feature. The device also has a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto lens.
It’s certainly different, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is worth a look if you want something that’s perhaps a bit more exciting than the Galaxy S23 Ultra and other traditional devices. It’s also a multitaskers dream.
You can buy the Galaxy Z Fold 5 directly from Samsung or via retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.
OnePlus Pro 10
OnePlus has a OnePlus 11 on the market, but we also recommend taking a look at the OnePlus 10 Pro as a potential Galaxy S23 Ultra alternative.
Like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the OnePlus 10 Pro comes with a massive display (6.7-inches). The device uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 which is backed by 8GB of RAM. This will be plenty of horsepower for most users.
The OnePlus 10 Pro has a three camera setup as opposed to the four camera setup on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The OnePlus 10 Pro features a 48 MP main camera, 8MP telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultra-wide lens.
The device’s software, dubbed Oxygen OS, is based on Android, but it looks and feels different than the software on Samsung’s flagship. Before you buy you’ll certainly want to compare the two and see which feels more comfortable.
Given its age, the OnePlus 10 Pro is cheaper than the Galaxy S23 Ultra and you may be able to find a great deal if you shop around.
You can find the OnePlus 10 Pro at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.
iPhone 15 Pro Max
If you’re willing to move off of Android, make sure you check out Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max, the company’s flagship iPhone model.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is powered by Apple’s iOS 17 operating system and it comes with company’s best hardware, even better than the iPhone 15 Pro.
It has a large 6.7-inch display, Apple’s latest and greatest in-house processor, and a triple camera setup which includes a 48MP main camera, 12MP 2x telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultra-wide lens.
Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1199 without a deal. You can buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max directly from Apple or through retailers like Amazon.
Upcoming Galaxy S23 Alternatives
You can also expect additional Galaxy S23 Ultra alternatives to launch in the months ahead.
Samsung’s cooking up a new Galaxy S24 series and these models (Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra) will arrive in early 2024.
Apple’s also working on new versions of the iPhone, but the iPhone 16 is a long way out and will likely debut in September, 2024.
Wait for Performance Improvements | ||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||
The iPhone 16 series should come equipped with a new processor (A18), but performance improvements will likely go beyond that. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple might have support for Wi-Fi 7 which the Wi-Fi Alliance recently announced. Kuo's information has been backed up by Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu. That being said, Pu believes the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will come with support for Wi-Fi 6E which is currently limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. ?si=1jKMNIUZ9PEBYooa Pu claims the base iPhone 16 models, presumably called iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, will come with Apple's A18 chip and 8GB of RAM while the higher-end models would come with an A18 Pro processor. He's reiterated this stance in newer notes. This has been backed up by a report from a user on Weibo who says the lower-end models will come with the first Apple chip specifically designed for the standard models. This is an interesting development because it means the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus would skip the company's A17 chip. A private user on X/Twitter has released technical information about chips for unreleased Apple products and said information also suggests all four iPhone 16 models will utilize an A18 processor. Early iOS 18 code, seen by MacRumors, hints at this being the case. Taiwanese publication Economic Daily News says Apple's upcoming A18 and M4 chips will feature an upgraded Neural Engine with more cores. This should improve the devices AI learning capabilities. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also says Apple's "planning to make AI-focused upgrades to this year’s iPhone processor Jeff Pu also says the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will sport Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X75 modem. This should lead to faster, and more efficient, 5G connectivity. Pu believes the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will keep the Snapdragon X70 modem from Apple's iPhone 15 lineup. Qualcomm announced it extended its modem license with Apple through March 2027 which means we'll see Qualcomm modems, and not in-house Apple modems, appear on the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, and iPhone 18 at the very least. On top of all that, we've also heard the iPhone 16's OLED display might be more power efficient thanks to new material Samsung's developing for Apple. Naver user "yeux1122" claims the iPhone 16 Pro Max could feature the longest-ever battery life on an iPhone. Alleged iPhone 16 details have highlighted the potential size of the batteries on board the phones and here's what it may look like:
If this is true, every iPhone 16 model except the iPhone 16 Plus will carry a larger battery. Another leaker, Instant Digital, says the iPhone 16 Pro's display might be up to 20% brighter for SDR content. Specifically, they say the display will offer 1,200 nits. HDR brightness will evidently stay at 1,600 nits. The iPhone's peak brightness for typical SDR content has been stuck at 1,000 nits since the iPhone 13 Pro's release back in 2021. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
