Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S20 Ultra: Should you upgrade?

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was one of the best and most powerful Samsung phones you can buy before it was succeeded by the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It continues to represent the higher peaks of the company’s ambitions, with more cutting-edge hardware than most will know what to do with. That said, the S23 Ultra will still feel quite familiar to fans of the series.

In fact, we can trace much of this latest model’s identity back to the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the first of its name. If you jumped onto the S20 Ultra bandwagon, it’s been a good four years. It’s probably time to swap out to something new. But should the S23 Ultra be the device you jump to, or should you go for the Galaxy S24 Ultra instead? We compare the Galaxy S23 Ultra vs the Galaxy S20 Ultra to find out how far the company has progressed with its marquee flagship and if it’s worth blessing it again with your money.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S20 Ultra: Specs

The Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Galaxy S20 Ultra are similar in many ways. They’re evolutions of the same product line, after all. But with a three-year difference between the two phones, some specs have changed substantially.

The most significant change is the use of the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. In fact, the S23 Ultra has a particular version of the processor, branded as “Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy,” with a higher clock speed on the prime core compared to the regular processor variant.

We’ve done our fair share of testing and have found that this Galaxy-specific processor does bring some improvements compared to other phones with a regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The difference is pretty slight, though. Regardless, the new phone is definitely very fast.

On the older Galaxy S20 Ultra, we have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G SoC in the US and the Exynos 990 in other parts of the world. These were flagship processors back in the day, but they can be squarely classified as mid-range chips now, thanks to impressive leaps in processing capabilities in recent years.

While we’re on the topic of processors, it might be worth noting that the Galaxy S23 Ultra is only available with a Snapdragon processor this time around. There are no Exynos versions of the Galaxy S23 devices.

The second most significant difference between the two devices is the display.

While the size and resolution remain roughly the same, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has an LTPO 3.0 panel with a variable refresh rate range of 1Hz to 120Hz. The Galaxy S20 Ultra did not have an LTPO panel. The phone can only choose between fixed steps of either 60Hz or 120Hz for its refresh rate.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra also has a higher peak brightness than the S20 Ultra, which comes into play only for HDR content. The display curvature at the side edges is also different. The new device has a slightly tighter curve, owing to its Galaxy Note ancestry.

Speaking of Note ancestry, the Galaxy S23 Ultra also boasts an integrated S Pen. The Galaxy S20 Ultra neither integrates an S Pen in its body nor does it support an S Pen at all. When the S20 series was launched, the Galaxy Note lineup was amid an identity crisis. Later on, Samsung merged the Note lineup with the S Ultra range, hence the presence of the S Pen on the 2023 flagship.

While the S23 Ultra gains a style, it lacks expandable storage. The Galaxy S20 Ultra was the last S series flagship to support microSD expansion up to 1 TB. SD cards are slower than internal UFS storage and prone to failure. Regardless, they still came in handy for people who created or consumed a lot of local media. There is a 1TB storage option on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but as expected, it costs more.

There’s a similar trade-off with RAM; you get more but slower RAM on the S20 Ultra (12GB/16GB LPDDR5), while you get less but slightly faster RAM on the S23 Ultra (8GB/12GB LPDDR5X). These are some areas where the Galaxy S20 Ultra is arguably the better device. You get less base storage but expandability with it and more RAM, which is only slightly slower.

When it comes to build materials, both phones have an aluminum mid-frame. However, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has the latest Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 instead of Gorilla Glass 6 on the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Both are great materials, but the later version obviously has a slight edge.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra also has a better camera setup on paper than the Galaxy S20 Ultra. But we’ll be talking about this in greater detail in a dedicated section below, so continue reading!

Another difference between the phones is their software support cycle. The Galaxy S20 Ultra launched in 2020 with Android 10 and One UI 2.1. Samsung promised three generations of Android updates and four years of security updates. Consequently, the Galaxy S20 Ultra has received Android 13 and One UI 5 updates, as well as regular security patches. While the phone is no longer present on the company’s monthly update roster, Samsung has continued to release security patches, albeit it is unknown for how long this shall be the case.

For the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung promises four generations of Android updates and five years of security patches. This means the S23 Ultra will be upgradeable from Android 13 to Android 17 and will receive security patches up to 2028. The phone has already been updated to One UI 6.1 based on Android 14.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs S20 Ultra: Size comparison

These Samsung flagships are similar in size, with the S23 Ultra being slightly leaner and taller. However, you wouldn’t notice unless you held them both side by side. The Galaxy S23 Ultra measures 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm. The S20 Ultra measures 166.9 x 76.0 x 8.8 mm. Both phones also use an aluminum mid-frame construction with glass on the front and back.

What you will notice quickly are the different design approaches. The Galaxy S23 Ultra takes close inspiration from the Note lineup. The Galaxy S20 Ultra maintains more of its S-appeal. The S23 Ultra has a boxier design with a flat top and bottom mid-frame, sharp corners, and a tight curvature on its sides. The S20 Ultra has rounded corners and a smoother curve on its sides.

Make no mistake, though. Both are large phones, and you will find it difficult to handle either with just one hand. The S23 Ultra is about 11g heavier than the S20 Ultra, accounting for the integrated S Pen and other internal layout changes.

The back of the phones is another point of differentiation. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a clean look with individual islands for its camera sensors. The Galaxy S20 Ultra, on the other hand, has a huge camera island that demands attention. Both phones will rock when placed on a table.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs S20 Ultra: Camera

When it comes to cameras, both of these devices represent a significant jump in hardware for the S series. The Galaxy S20 Ultra was the first S series phone to come with a 108MP primary camera and periscope zoom lens; Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra is the first S series phone to come with a 200MP primary camera. The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with four rear cameras. On the other hand, the Galaxy S20 Ultra came with three cameras and a Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor for measuring depth data.

The fundamental idea behind these large MP count setups is to capture a lot of data and then use pixel binning to merge several adjacent pixels into one. The S20 Ultra combines nine adjacent pixels (3×3) into one pixel to produce a 12MP image, whereas the S23 Ultra merges 16 adjacent pixels (4×4) into one pixel to create a 12.5MP image. In both cases, the result is impressive photos from the primary camera, with ample light and good detail preservation.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra primary camera samples

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra primary camera samples

Do note that since the S20 Ultra was Samsung’s early attempt at a large MP count camera, it has some trouble maintaining subjects in focus. Samsung subsequently resolved this by swapping out the ToF sensor for the Laser AF module on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which you’ll also find on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The 12MP ultrawide angle camera has not seen much change across these devices, but the zoom approach has dramatically changed.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra ultrawide camera samples

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra ultrawide camera samples

The Galaxy S20 Ultra opts for a 48MP periscope camera that can output 4x optical zoom. In contrast, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 10MP periscope camera that can output 10x optical zoom and a 10MP telephoto zoom that can output 3x optical zoom. All the magnification ranges in the middle are handled with a combination of optical and digital crops on both devices.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra zoom camera samples

Samsung Galaxy S23Ultra zoom camera samples

As expected, the Galaxy S23 Ultra performs significantly better in zoom performance. The presence of optical zoom at 3x and 10x ranges allows you to get very crisp images at these points without needing any digital zoom. The 3x zoom not only adds versatility in how close or far you can be from your subject but also helps out with portrait shots.

Further, Samsung has also made improvements in 30x and 100x digital zoom performance — these shots are unusable on the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Still, you can get some utility out of the ones clicked by the latest models.

Samsung has added plenty of camera features over the years, and it has shared them across previous generation devices, too, through One UI updates. The devices remain largely at par on camera features for now, but expect the gap to widen in the coming years once the Galaxy S20 Ultra stops receiving feature updates.

Right off the bat, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has an edge with features like 8K 30fps video recording, improved Nightography (dancy word for night mode), and Ultra Stabilization for shake-free videos. These features are tied to hardware changes, and so the Galaxy S23 Ultra will retain its lead in the coming years as well. But to its credit, the Galaxy S20 Ultra was one of the best camera phones of its time.

In our review, we found the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to have a very powerful and flexible camera system, though. It makes no compromises and will definitely become one of the best camera phones of 2023. It’s the better bet if you care for camera quality, but the Galaxy S20 Ultra still shoots excellent photos.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a 12MP selfie camera, compared to the 40MP camera on the Galaxy S20 Ultra (binned down to 10MP). The higher MP count on the older device may appear better at a cursory glance. Still, the newer ISP on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Samsung’s processing, and AI magic will give you marginally better results on the Galaxy S23 Ultra in all situations.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra front camera samples

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra front camera samples

During our tests, we’ve found that the 40MP selfie camera won’t be missed too much. The larger pixels can capture more light. The colors and details are spot-on, and the edge detection is very accurate. The selfie camera can even shoot 4K content at 60fps.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs S20 Ultra: Battery and charging

Despite the age difference, Samsung has made practically no changes to the battery and charging situation, at least on paper. Both phones have a 5,000mAh non-removable battery that should last you through a good day and some. As mentioned in our review, the Galaxy S20 Ultra lasted through a full day with a couple of hours of juice left in reserve.

However, it is essential to remember that the Galaxy S20 Ultra could only do either 120Hz at FHD+ resolution or 60Hz at QHD+ resolution, but not 120Hz at QHD+ resolution. The Galaxy S23 Ultra can run at 120Hz at QHD+ resolution. It’s variable, though, and it can also run at 1Hz when showing a static image. This means it can save battery when the image is static.

Regardless, we’ve found in our tests that the more efficient chipset, variable refresh rate feature, and extra screen improvements do wonders. With the Galaxy S23 Ultra, we managed to get two days on a full charge, with six to eight hours of screen-on time. This means the Galaxy S23 Ultra is obviously the better choice if you care for battery life, adding almost a whole extra day of juice.

Both phones support 45W Adaptive Fast Charge through a wired connection. Don’t be misled by the number, though, as this 45W charging is barely improved from Samsung’s older 25W charging, even if you use a 45W charger. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a slight edge on fast charging, though. It can maintain the top 45W speeds for longer. Around 10 minutes, actually, while the Galaxy S20 Ultra made it closer to two minutes.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra takes just under an hour to charge, while the Galaxy S20 Ultra takes just over an hour. It’s a difference of a few minutes. If you’re interested, you can also see our tests for the base Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus charging speeds.

All that said, you must ensure you get the correct charger to reach those 45W speeds. Remember, the Galaxy S23 Ultra doesn’t come with a charger in the box. We made a list of the best Galaxy S23 series chargers available if you need some help. That’s another difference between these devices; the Galaxy S20 Ultra came with a charger in the box, even if it was a slower 25W one.

Both phones support 15W wireless charging and also support reverse wireless charging.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S20 Ultra: Price

Surprisingly, Samsung managed to bring down and maintain the lower pricing on its Ultra flagship from the Galaxy S21 Ultra onwards. The starting price of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is $200 lower than that of the S20 Ultra, but the S23 Ultra still is one of the more expensive phones out there.

You could make the price of the Galaxy S23 Ultra more palatable if you purchased it during the pre-order window. If you pre-ordered the device, Samsung gave you a free upgrade to the next storage version. That’s old news now, though. The phone was available for pre-order from February 1, 2023, to February 16, 2023. Open sales began on February 17, 2023.

Samsung no longer sells the Galaxy S23 Ultra or the Galaxy S20 Ultra in their new condition. You can spot refurbished units on Amazon and pre-owned units on Swappa for ~$700 and ~$300, respectively, depending on the phone’s condition. As the devices age further, expect them to go out of circulation.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S20 Ultra: Should you upgrade?

If you’ve followed along so far, the verdict is clear: the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the better device. That’s no shock, but the margin between the two devices is surprisingly not as large as you might expect, especially considering that the Galaxy S20 Ultra was launched three years ago. That is testimony to the fact that overkill specifications age gracefully because of the extra headroom.

Still, if you are out to buy a top-tier flagship, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the obvious and clear choice. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 remains an excellent chip that will not disappoint with its performance or efficiency. You also get an S Pen, which allows you to interact with your device. The fact that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will get up to Android 17 in the future and continue to receive security patches up to 2028 is also a big win. You won’t get a new unit from Samsung, though, so you’ll have to make do with a refurbished unit.

Samsung has also launched the Galaxy S24 Ultra as its premier flagship. If you have your eyes set at the very top, you should go for that instead. You can read more about this in our Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra comparison.

The only advantages the Galaxy S20 Ultra has over the S23 Ultra are the presence of the microSD card slot and more RAM. We do not consider both of these heavy enough to outweigh the upgrades the S23 Ultra brings to the table. While you can pick up the Galaxy S20 Ultra for cheap in a refurbished state, the longer-term prospects of the device are not that great. It does not make a lot of sense to buy a Galaxy S20 Ultra right now unless you are getting it for really cheap.

Of course, if you already own a Galaxy S20 Ultra and it is in good condition, you can very much keep it for some more months. It remains an excellent phone, and if you have no reason to upgrade, you don’t need to upgrade.

Overall though, those looking to upgrade from the Galaxy S20 Ultra shouldn’t hesitate to jump at the Galaxy S23 Ultra or the Galaxy S24 Ultra. These are excellent choices, and you’ll feel right at home.

That said, you can also get a great experience from Samsung’s other S23 devices. We’ve published our reviews of the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus, so check them out and see if they are more your style. You can also go with one of our favorite budget phones to save money.

If you want a new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, you should also consider protecting your investment. We have lists of the best Galaxy S23 Ultra cases.

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