Apple iPhone 17 Pro / Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Apple iPhone 17 Pro: A3523 / A3526 (nano-SIM + eSIM) · 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB; Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue. eSIM-only country models carry a larger battery; the 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max is a separate model.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Galaxy S23 Ultra (2023): 8 GB + 256 GB, 12 GB + 512 GB or 12 GB + 1 TB. Every market uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. The Galaxy S23 and S23+ and the later S24 Ultra are separate models.

SpecificationApple iPhone 17 ProSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Release year20252023
Display6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 2622 × 1206 pixels, 460 ppi; ProMotion adaptive refresh up to 120 Hz; Always-On

ProMotion raises the refresh rate to 120 Hz for scrolling and games and lowers it for static content to save power, which lets the Always-On lock screen stay lit at a very low rate. Measured as a standard rectangle the diagonal is 6.27 inches.

Apple
6.8-inch QHD+ Edge Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 1–120 Hz adaptive refresh; 1750 nits; 240 Hz touch sampling in Game Mode

Adaptive refresh drops to as low as 1 Hz when content is static to save power and rises to 120 Hz when scrolling and gaming. Vision Booster adjusts colour and contrast in bright conditions across three lighting levels; the edge curve is reduced compared with the S22 Ultra.

Samsung
Brightness and contrast1,000 nits max typical, 1,600 nits peak HDR, 3,000 nits peak outdoor, 1 nit minimum; 2,000,000:1 typical contrast

3,000 nits is a short peak reached in sunlight under auto-brightness, not sustained full-screen brightness. The 1-nit floor helps reading in the dark without glare.

Apple
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Front and back glassCeramic Shield 2 front with fingerprint-resistant oleophobic and anti-reflective coatings; Ceramic Shield back

Apple says Ceramic Shield 2 resists scratches 3x better than the previous generation, and the back resists cracks 4x better than the previous back glass. The anti-reflective coating is meant to keep the screen readable in bright light.

Apple
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2; Armor Aluminum frame

According to Samsung, the S23 series was the first S series to use Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

Samsung
Chassis and cooling7000-series aluminium unibody; laser-welded vapor chamber filled with deionised water

The vapor chamber spreads A19 Pro heat into the chassis; Apple claims up to 40% better sustained performance than the previous generation. Aluminium conducts heat better than the titanium frame of earlier Pro models.

Apple
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ChipA19 Pro; 6-core CPU (2 performance, 4 efficiency), 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, 16-core Neural Engine; hardware ray tracing

Neural Accelerators in the GPU cores speed up on-device AI work; hardware ray tracing computes realistic lighting and reflections in games.

Apple
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Storage256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB

Usable space is lower than the label because the OS and apps take room. There is no memory card slot.

Apple
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Main camera48MP Fusion Main, 24 mm, ƒ/1.78, second-generation sensor-shift OIS; 12MP 2× (48 mm) optical-quality crop

The 2× view is not a separate lens; it uses the centre of the 48MP sensor for a 12MP image. Default photos are 24MP.

Apple
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Ultra Wide camera48MP Fusion Ultra Wide, 13 mm, ƒ/2.2, 120° field of view; 48MP macro

Macro shots use the Ultra Wide camera; the phone can switch automatically when you get close to a subject.

Apple
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Telephoto camera48MP Fusion Telephoto, 100 mm (4×), ƒ/2.8, tetraprism, 3D sensor-shift OIS; 12MP 8× (200 mm) optical-quality; 40× digital zoom

8× (200 mm) is a crop from the centre of the 4× telephoto sensor, which Apple calls optical-quality zoom. The telephoto sensor is 56% larger than the previous generation's.

Apple
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Video4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps; ProRes and ProRes RAW (4K 120 fps with external recording), Apple Log 2, ACES, Genlock; Cinematic mode 4K 30 fps; four studio-quality mics

4K 120 fps ProRes records only to external storage over USB-C. Apple Log 2 and ProRes RAW leave room for colour grading; Genlock keeps several cameras in sync.

Apple
Up to 8K at 30 fps

The Expert RAW app (downloaded separately from the Galaxy Store) offers RAW capture at up to 50 MP.

Samsung
Front camera18MP Center Stage, ƒ/1.9, autofocus; 4K Dolby Vision up to 60 fps; Dual Capture

The square sensor allows landscape group selfies while holding the phone upright; Dual Capture records front and rear cameras at once, up to 4K 30 fps.

Apple
12 MP, F2.2, 80°

On the S23 series the front camera gets fast autofocus and 60 fps Super HDR.

Samsung
BatteryUp to 31 hours video playback, 28 hours streamed; built-in lithium-ion

These figures are for the nano-SIM + eSIM model (A3523/A3526). Apple says eSIM-only models last longer because they fit a bigger battery.

Apple
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Wired chargingUp to 50% in 20 minutes with a 40 W or higher USB-C adapter; adapter not in the box

Fast charging needs a high-wattage USB Power Delivery adapter; a 20 W adapter charges more slowly.

Apple
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Wireless chargingUp to 25 W with MagSafe and Qi2; 50% in 30 minutes with a 30 W+ adapter and MagSafe Charger

25 W needs the new MagSafe Charger or a Qi2 25 W-capable charger; older Qi chargers run at lower power.

Apple
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USB-CUSB 3 up to 10 Gb/s; 4K HDR video out over DisplayPort; charging

10 Gb/s needs a USB 3 cable; the cable in the box is a charging cable. Video can go to a monitor or TV over a suitable USB-C cable.

Apple
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WirelessApple N1 chip: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be, 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread; second-generation Ultra Wideband; NFC with reader mode

Thread builds a low-power mesh with smart-home devices; Ultra Wideband finds AirTags and compatible devices with direction and distance. Wi-Fi 7 needs a compatible router.

Apple
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Cellular and SIM5G sub-6 GHz and Gigabit LTE (4×4 MIMO); nano-SIM and eSIM, dual eSIM support

This model has a physical SIM tray; models sold in some countries are eSIM-only. eSIM needs carrier support.

Apple
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Location and safetyDual-frequency GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, NavIC; Emergency SOS, Find My and Roadside Assistance via satellite; Crash Detection

Dual-frequency GPS reduces location drift among tall buildings. Satellite features vary by country; Apple offers them free for two years after activation.

Apple
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Water and dust resistanceIP68 (IEC 60529; up to 6 m for 30 minutes)

Testing is done in lab conditions; resistance may decline over time and liquid damage is not covered by warranty.

Apple
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Buttons and sensorsAction button, Camera Control; Face ID, LiDAR Scanner, barometer, high dynamic range gyro, high-g accelerometer, dual ambient light sensors

Camera Control is a touch-sensitive side button that opens the camera and lets you slide to adjust zoom and exposure. LiDAR helps autofocus in the dark and portrait depth.

Apple
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Size and weight150.0 × 71.9 × 8.75 mm; 204 g Apple78.1 × 163.4 × 8.9 mm; 234 g Samsung
Operating conditions0–35 °C operating; −20–45 °C non-operating; tested up to 3,000 m altitude

Outside this range the phone may pause charging or dim the display.

Apple
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Operating systemShips with iOS 26; Apple Intelligence (varies by region and language) Apple—
In the boxiPhone 17 Pro and 1 m USB-C Charge Cable; no power adapter or EarPods Apple—
Processor—Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy

Samsung says the vapour chamber is larger on every S23-series model.

Samsung
Memory and storage—8 GB + 256 GB, 12 GB + 512 GB or 12 GB + 1 TB

Memory depends on the storage option; usable space is lower because of preloaded software. There is no memory card slot.

Samsung
Rear cameras—200 MP Wide (F1.7, 85°), 12 MP Ultra Wide (F2.2, 120°), 10 MP 3x telephoto (F2.4, 36°), 10 MP 10x telephoto (F4.9, 11°)

The 200 MP sensor outputs 200, 50 or 12 MP images through pixel binning. 100x Space Zoom combines 10x optical with 10x AI-assisted digital zoom; image quality may deteriorate beyond 10x. The optical stabilisation angle was doubled compared with the S22 Ultra.

Samsung
Battery and charging—5000 mAh (typical; rated minimum 4855 mAh); 45 W wired charging; Fast Wireless Charging 2.0; Wireless PowerShare

45 W requires a separately sold 45 W adapter and a 5 A USB-C cable; wired charging is compatible with QC2.0 and AFC. Wireless PowerShare charges Qi-compatible devices from the back of the phone when the battery is above 30%.

Samsung
Software and updates—Launched with Android 13 and One UI 5.1; four Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates

Update timing can vary by model and market.

Samsung
Connectivity—5G, LTE, Wi‑Fi 6E, Wi‑Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.3

Using Wi‑Fi 6E’s 6 GHz band needs a Wi‑Fi 6E router and market availability.

Samsung
Security—Samsung Knox, Knox Vault

Knox Vault keeps critical data in separate hardware isolated from the operating system.

Samsung
Water resistance—IP68 (up to 30 minutes at 1.5 metres in fresh water)

Samsung does not recommend beach or pool use.

Samsung