The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra continues Samsung’s legacy of providing a stunning device that is unapologetically expensive. Samsung crams as many specs into its Ultra devices as it possibly can to differentiate this behemoth from the rest of the Android landscape. It does about anything you would expect a smartphone to do in 2023 and often does it with class-leading performance.
OnePlus entered the smartphone market in 2014 with the sole goal of disrupting the smartphone market. In many ways, the OnePlus 11 is a throwback to the company’s early days in both philosophy and its determination to reign victorious. The OnePlus 11 harkens back to its roots and isn’t afraid to do things its way. Today that battle is between two of the best Android phones on the market.
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | OnePlus 11 | |
|---|---|---|
| SoC | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| Display | 6.8-inch QHD+ (3088 x 1440) AMOLED, 120Hz, LTPO | 6.7-inch QHD+ (3216 x 1440) AMOLED, 120Hz, LTPO |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB | 8GB/16GB |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB |
| Battery | 5000mAh, 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare | 5000mAh, 80W wired (100W international) |
| Front Camera | 12MP f/2.2 | 16MP f/2.45 |
| Rear cameras | 200MP f/1.7 primary, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, 10MP f/2.4 telephoto, 10MP f/4.9 telephoto | 50MP f/1.8 primary, 48MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, 32MP f/2.0 portrait telephoto |
| Connectivity | 5G (sub-6GHZ, mmWave), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | 5G (sub-6GHZ, mmWave), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm, 234g, IP68 | 163.1 x 74.1 x 8.53mm, 205g, IP64 |
| Software | Android 13/One UI 5.1 | Android 13/Oxygen OS 13 |
| Software Support | OS updates through 2027 and security patches through 2028 | OS updates through 2027 and security patches through 2028 |
| Colors | Standard: Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender Exclusive: Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red | Titan Black, Eternal Green |
| Price | $1200/$1380/$1620 | $699/$799 |
Price & availability
Let’s get it out of the way. The S23 Ultra is going to cost you. The 256GB version will run you $1200, the 512GB version is $1380, and the 1TB version is $1620. It will be available through Samsung’s website, all the major carriers, and many of the smaller carriers around the United States. It is also available from retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy. It is available for preorder and will officially launch on February 17.
OnePlus kept its pricing in a more agreeable territory. The 8GB/128GB version costs $699, and the 16GB/256GB version will cost you $799. It will not be available through any carriers at launch, including T-Mobile. You can purchase it from OnePlus, Amazon, and Best Buy. It is available for preorder and will launch on February 16.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a large device with sharper edges than its younger siblings. It continues the design trend that Samsung has used over the past few years but adds a bit of refinement to create a familiar package. The Galaxy S23 Ultra measures 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm and weighs a hefty 234g. The front is all display, with some thin bezels and its selfie camera located in the middle of the display, near the top edge. Flipping the device over, you are greeted by a flat back and its quad-camera setup. The S23 Ultra includes a built-in S-Pen for taking notes and is IP68 rated.
The OnePlus 11 has a more love-it-or-hate-it design than the one Samsung chose to implement. The front is filled by the display and some thin bezels. OnePlus likes to place its selfie camera in the upper-left corner of its display. Flipping the device over, you will instantly form a positive or negative opinion. You will find the camera housing that is large and round. It waterfalls toward the edge of the back panel. It’s a design we like, but it won’t be for everyone. We applaud OnePlus for taking a chance on a unique design and not just blindly following the crowd. At 163.1 x 74.1 x 8.53 mm and weighing 205g, the OnePlus is less wide, thinner, and lighter than the S23 Ultra. It has an IP64 rating which is a bit disappointing.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is available in a variety of colorways. It comes in green, phantom black, lavender, cream, graphite, sky blue, lime, and red. The first four are available everywhere, while the last four are exclusively available from Samsung. The OnePlus 11 can be found in titan black or eternal green.
Display
Samsung doesn’t compromise with its Ultra displays, and that isn’t changing this year. It has a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 3088 for a pixel density of 500 ppi. This is an LTPO display, so its refresh rate can go from 1Hy to 120Hz. It has a peak brightness of 1,750 nits, so you won’t have to worry about seeing it outside. Samsung covered the display with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for added protection and used an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
The OnePlus uses a very similar panel to the one Samsung uses for its device. You get a 6.7-inch display with a resolution of 1440 x 3216 for a slightly higher pixel density of 515 ppi. This is also an LTPO display with the same 1-120Hz refresh rate. It has a lower peak brightness of 1300 nits compared to Samsung’s attempt, but you won’t have any issues outdoors. OnePlus went with the original Gorilla Glass Victus and used an optical fingerprint reader, similar to what is found in the Google Pixel 7.
Software
Samsung ships the Galaxy S23 Ultra with Android 13 and its custom skin, One UI 5.1. OnePlus ships the OnePlus 11 with Android 13 and its custom skin called Oxygen OS. Manufacturers use these custom skins to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Samsung’s attempt is slightly more refined than OnePlus’ Oxygen OS. Both skins are customizable and do a good job of getting out of your way.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra gets four years of Android OS software updates and an additional year of critical bug fixes. OnePlus is making a huge change this year and will offer the same four years of Android OS updates with an additional year of bug fixes. Samsung has a better recent track record with its updates, but OnePlus seems to have taken notice.
Performance and connectivity
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the OnePlus 11 have similar performance capabilities thanks to their inclusion of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. The S23 Ultra can be found with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage or with 12GB of RAM and 512GB/1TB of storage. All three storage options use the faster UFS 4.0 variety. The OnePlus 11 can be found with either 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage or 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The 128GB storage option is the slower UFS 3.1 variety, while the 256GB option uses UFS 4.0. Either device can handle whatever you need it to do, and it will do it without breaking a sweat.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra ships with 5G (mmWave and Sub 6GHz), Bluetooth 5.3, and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. The OnePlus 11 also ships with mmWave and Sub 6GHz 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, but comes with Wi-Fi 7 support. While capable of supporting the Wi-Fi 7 standard, it may come as a future update after regulatory approval.
Battery life and charging
The Galaxy S23 Ultra and OnePlus 11 have a 5000mAh battery for great battery life. With the efficiency increase of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and its large battery, you can expect two days of regular use. Samsung’s device can charge using a 45W wired charger or 15W wireless charging. It also has the capability of reverse wireless charging.
OnePlus removed wireless charging completely this year but included its 80W SUPERVOOC power adapter (100W internationally). It can charge the OnePlus 11 in a hurry. It takes about 30 minutes to go from dead to full power. With charging capabilities like that, you will likely never have to worry about battery life again.
Cameras
Samsung has mostly stuck with the same camera lenses as in previous years, with one 200MP exception. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 200MP f/1.7 main lens, a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens, a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto lens, and a 10MP f/4.9 telephoto lens. It can record 8K video at 30fps, 4k at up to 60fps, and 1080p at up to 120fps. The selfie camera is a 12MP f/2.2 lens capable of 4K at up to 60fps recording. Early photo samples suggest an improved night mode and the ability to use the full 200MP for your photos. It has OIS for image stability and has a 10x optical zoom or a 100x digital zoom (Space Zoom).
The OnePlus 11 uses a Hasselblad-tuned triple-camera setup. It has a 50MP f/1.8 main camera, a 48MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, and a 32MP f/2.0 portrait telephoto camera. The front-facing camera consists of a 16MP f/2.45 lens. It can record 8K video at 24fps, 4K up to 60fps, and 1080p at up to 60fps. OnePlus doesn’t include OIS with the OnePlus 11. Its zoom capabilities top out with a 2x optical zoom and can’t get past a 5x digital zoom before image quality begins to suffer. Even with its lack of zoom, this is a very capable camera that won’t disappoint.
How much are you willing to spend?
Both devices are capable of being one of the best 5G phones on the market today. They are well-rounded and provide an excellent combination of power, versatility, and battery life that will provide a great overall experience. Both offer fantastic and industry-leading (for Android) support, even if OnePlus needs to prove it first.
The question isn’t which device is better, but at what point does the pricing become an obstacle that keeps a product from dominating the market? Samsung will have its followers, and for a good reason, but we can’t help but see phones that offer similar performance while significantly undercutting on price. The OnePlus made some compromises, like foregoing wireless charging and using the original Gorilla Glass Victus, but with a $400 price difference from the top-tier OnePlus 11 compared to the base Galaxy S23 Ultra, do the compromises even matter?
Maybe it does for you, and you want the best device you can get without compromising anywhere. Then the Galaxy S23 Ultra will be a masterfully built device that will suit you well. For everyone else, the OnePlus 11 will serve you just as well and do it for years to come. Just make sure you grab a quality case to keep it looking great for the long haul.
