Why Pixel 7 Pro is better than Samsung S23 Ultra
What's the story
Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra bears several upgrades in terms of display protection, cameras performance, and hardware. However, it retains the design and feel of S22 Ultra.
On the other end, we have Google's Pixel 7 Pro with a modern design, second-generation Tensor chipset, enhanced camera features, and pure Android OS.
So should you pick S23 Ultra or save money and get Pixel 7 Pro?
Design
Both phones have IP68 water resistance
Both Galaxy S23 Ultra and Pixel 7 Pro feature a centerally-aligned punch-hole cut-out with super thin bezels, an aluminum frame, and curved edges.
However, the S23 Ultra gets Corning's latest Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, while the 7 Pro provides Gorilla Glass Victus for safeguarding the screen.
The S23 Ultra is marginally wider (163.4x78.1x8.9mm v/s 162.9x76.6x8.9mm) than Pixel 7 Pro.
Details
Galaxy S23 Ultra's S Pen is great for taking notes
The S23 Ultra has dedicated silo at the bottom edge to house the bundled S Pen.
The sleek stylus has a 2.8ms super-low latency, a 0.7mm fine tip, and 4,096 pressure levels, allowing for smoother writing/drawing experience.
The built-in Bluetooth allows it to function as a remote for S23 Ultra, triggering camera shutter, pause/turn-up playlist, etc.
Display
Both devices have a 120Hz refresh rate
The S23 Ultra boasts a 6.8-inch QHD+ (1440x3088 pixels) Dynamic AMOLED 2x panel with a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, HDR10+ certification, and 1,750-nits peak brightness.
The 7 Pro offers a 6.7-inch QHD+ (1440x3120 pixels) LTPO AMOLED screen with a 10-120Hz variable refresh rate, HDR10+, and 1,500-nits peak brightness.
The S23 Ultra also has a faster ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader than 7 Pro's optical scanner.
Cameras
S23 Ultra has a 200MP main camera
The S23 Ultra gets 200MP (f/1.7, OIS,) main sensor, 12MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide shooter, 10MP (f/2.4, OIS) portrait sensor, and a 10MP (f/4.9, OIS) periscope telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom.
The 7 Pro has a 50MP (f/1.85, OIS) main shooter, 12MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide lens, and a 48MP (f/3.5, OIS) periscope snapper with 5x optical zoom.
Up front, they get 12MP and 10.8MP cameras, respectively.
Internals
Galaxy S23 Ultra offers up to 1TB of storage
The S23 Ultra is fueled by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, mated with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, up to 1TB UFS 4.0 storage, and a 5,000mAh battery supporting 45W wired fast-charging.
In India, the 7 Pro comes with Tensor G2 chipset, 12GB/128GB (LPDDR5/UFS 3.1) configuration, and a 5,000mAh battery with 30W wired fast-charging.
Google's flagship offers faster wireless charging (23W v/s 10W).
Pricing
Galaxy S23 Ultra is costlier than Pixel 7 Pro
The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes in 12GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB, and 12GB/1TB variants, which cost Rs. 1,24,999, Rs. 1,34,999, and Rs. 1,54,999, respectively. It is currently up for pre-order via the brand's e-store with attractive benefits.
The Pixel 7 Pro retails at Rs. 84,999 for its sole 12GB/128GB configuration via Flipkart, meaning the S23 Ultra is Rs. 40,000 costlier than Pixel 7 Pro.
Verdict
Which flagship model should you consider?
Samsung has done a good job with the S23 Ultra, giving it plenty of power and performance along with a great camera, display, and S Pen-related chops.
But the Pixel 7 Pro is no slouch. In fact, it benefits from a bloatfree Android OS, faster software deliveries, and some cool photography features.
Given the massive price difference, the Pixel flagship makes more sense.