It is not easy to decide whether or not it is time to upgrade your phone. This is especially true if you’re looking at an expensive phone like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which starts at $1,200 without a discount.
The answer largely depends on the phone you own, its age, condition, and your budget. No single approach works for everyone, but taking these factors into consideration can help you decide. If your phone is too old to receive new Android upgrades, this is also a good sign that you should consider upgrading. (But before you do, see if you can save some money with a barter deal.)
Comparison of Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Ultra
It’s worth holding onto the Galaxy S22 Ultra for a while longer before upgrading.
With the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung has improved on the areas Ultra phones are known for: camera quality and performance. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the first Samsung phone capable of capturing 200MP photos. The entire Galaxy S23 range is also running on a new processor that’s been optimized specifically for Samsung’s Galaxy devices.
In my testing, however, the improvements Samsung has made behind the scenes to the way the camera captures color and dynamic range seem more impactful than the higher resolution. The entry-level Galaxy S23 Ultra also has twice the storage space compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which can come in handy for storing all those photos.
Watch this: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: A high-quality camera at a high price
However, it’s worth holding onto the Galaxy S22 Ultra for a while longer before upgrading. While the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s improvements are appreciated, they’ll be most noticeable when you’re upgrading from a phone that’s several years old.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra and S22 Ultra still have a lot in common. Both phones have a large 6.8-inch display, a built-in S Pen, better low-light photography than previous generations, a multi-lens camera system that can zoom up to 100x digitally, and a 5,000mAh battery. You’ll get the same overall experience on both phones, but with improvements to camera quality and processing power on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Samsung also provides newer phones with four generations of Android updates and five years of security updates, which means the Galaxy S22 Ultra will look right for the next few years.
bottom line: If you have a Galaxy S22 Ultra, don’t upgrade yet. There is still a lot of life in this phone.
Comparison of Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S21 Ultra
Keep your S21 Ultra for as long as possible to justify the money you spent on it in the first place.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra and S22 Ultra share many similarities, with the main differences being the S22 Ultra that includes an S Pen, a newer processor and improved low-light photography performance. For this reason, the same piece of advice holds true: If your Galaxy S21 Ultra is in good shape, don’t upgrade just yet.
Photography will likely be a big priority if you’re interested in the Ultra lineup. The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers some improvements in this regard, such as a new 200MP sensor, better dynamic range and improved low-light performance.
But those changes aren’t significant enough to warrant popping up for a new device just yet, unless you can get it essentially for free with a trade-in deal. Even then, I’d encourage you to hold onto the S21 Ultra for as long as possible to justify the money you spent on it in the first place.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 200MP camera is only noticeable when you zoom in on the pixel level, or if you intend to print large copies of your photos. And if you really want the S Pen, you can always buy it separately instead of upgrading your entire phone.
Since Samsung supports four generations of Android software updates on the Galaxy S21 lineup, it will also continue to get new versions of Android through Android 15.
bottom line: If your Galaxy S21 Ultra is in good shape, keep it for a little while longer. You’ll still get a main camera sensor with a higher resolution than most phones, as well as the ability to zoom up to 100x digitally. You’ll be missing some of Samsung’s new improvements to low-light photography and dynamic range, but the Galaxy S21 Ultra still has a capable camera.
Comparison of Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S20 Ultra
Upgrading from the Galaxy S20 Ultra? It depends.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra falls into that gray area where it might be worth upgrading, but it depends on the condition of your device. If you bought the Galaxy S20 Ultra at launch, your phone is now over 3 years old. This means that performance and battery life may start to deteriorate.
The upgrades to the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s cameras, battery life, and power would likely be noticeable to justify the upgrade, but it’s also a good idea to hold on to the Galaxy S20 Ultra for another year if you’re happy with it. Just remember that the Galaxy S20 Ultra is only eligible for three generations of Android system updates, which means it’s reached the end of its run since it launched with Android 10. (However, the phone still receives monthly security updates).
The Galaxy S20 Ultra and S23 Ultra have dedicated lenses for capturing wide, zoomed, and ultra-wide photos. But there are some notable differences when it comes to the specifications of these cameras. As mentioned earlier, the Galaxy S23 Ultra can take photos with a resolution of up to 200MP, while the Galaxy S20 Ultra takes a resolution of up to 108MP – the same as the Galaxy S21 Ultra and S22 Ultra.
But there are some changes when it comes to telephoto lenses, too. Galaxy S23 Ultra has two 10MP telephoto cameras compared to Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 48MP telephoto lens. Since having two zoom lenses means the S23 Ultra doesn’t need to crop as much to achieve a zoom, you should see sharper results when zooming in at 3x and 10x.
Samsung has also improved its optical image stabilization over the years, which means the S23 Ultra should be better at taking still shots while zooming. In 2020, some users also reported issues with the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s auto focus, though Samsung later released a software fix. However, it’s safe to say that you can expect a camera upgrade if you switch to the S23 Ultra.
Other than that, you’ll get many of the routine upgrades with the S23 Ultra, like a new, faster processor, an updated design that looks more like the Galaxy Note, and the included S Pen. Newer Samsung phones like the S23 Ultra also have ultra-broadband support, making it easy to share files with other Samsung phones and use your phone as a digital car key.
But it’s worth remembering that you’ll give up the micro SD card slot on the S20 Ultra if you upgrade, which means you can’t add more storage. You will also lose the ability to use Samsung Pay on older payment terminals that do not support tap to pay.
bottom line: If you have a Galaxy S20 Ultra, the changes in the Galaxy S23 are noticeable enough to warrant an upgrade. But the Galaxy S20 Ultra is also recent enough to make it worth holding onto for now if you’re still happy with it.
Comparison of Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G is now about 4 years old.
The Galaxy S10 5G was Samsung’s best phone as of 2019, which means it’s now almost 4 years old. And in those four years, Samsung has made many improvements that definitely warrant an upgrade. Due to the age of the Galaxy S10 5G, it also no longer receives Android system updates because Samsung only guaranteed three generations of updates.
As is typical with high-end Samsung phones, one of the biggest benefits you’ll get from the upgrade is the cameras. In addition to major gains in resolution, low-light performance, stability, and dynamic range, you’ll also get a much closer zoom on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The Galaxy S10 5G only supports 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom, which is a far cry from the 10x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Camera aside, you’ll get a significantly newer processor which should result in faster performance and better energy efficiency, a larger battery, an S Pen and a slightly larger screen. Finally, there’s a lot to be gained from an upgrade—nearly everything will look like new.
bottom line: Yes, you must upgrade if you have the Galaxy S10 5G. Everything from the software to the cameras and performance will get a huge boost.
In general, it’s worth upgrading to the Galaxy S23 Ultra if you have a Samsung phone that’s at least 3 years old. Take a look at the table below for a closer look at how the Galaxy S23 Ultra compares to its predecessors.
Galaxy S23 specifications. vs. older Samsung phones
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | Galaxy S22 Ultra | Galaxy S21 Ultra | Galaxy S20 Ultra | Galaxy S10 5G | |
| Display size, resolution | 6.8 inches AMOLED; 3,088 x 1,440 pixels; 120Hz adaptive refresh rate | 6.8 inches AMOLED; 1440 x 3088 pixels | 6.8 inches AMOLED; 3200 x 1440 pixels | 6.9″ AMOLED; 3200 x 1440 pixels | 6.7 inches AMOLED; 3,040 x 1,440 pixels |
| pixel density | 500 pixels per inch | 500 pixels per inch | 515 pixels per inch | 511 pixels per inch | 505 pixels per inch |
| Dimensions (mm) | 78 x 163.3 x 8.9 mm | 77.9 x 163.3 x 8.9 mm | 75.6 x 165.1 x 8.9 mm | 76 x 166.9 x 8.8 mm | 162.6 x 77.1 x 7.94 mm |
| Weight (ounces, grams) | 8.25 oz.; 234 grams | 8.07 oz.; 229 grams | 8.07 oz.; 229 grams | 7.76 oz.; 220 gr | 6.98 oz.; 198 grams |
| Mobile software (shipped at launch) | Android 13 | Android 12 | Android 11 | Android 10 | Android 9 |
| camera | 200 MP (wide), 12 MP (ultrawide) 10 MP (telephoto) 10 MP (telephoto) | 108MP (wide), 12MP (ultrawide) 10MP (3x telephoto) 10MP (10x telephoto) | 108MP (wide), 12MP (ultrawide), 10MP (3x telephoto), 10MP (10x telephoto) | 108 MP (wide angle), 48 MP (telephoto), 12 MP (ultrawide), time-of-flight camera | 12 MP (wide angle), 16 MP (ultrawide), 12 MP (telephoto), 3D depth (HQVGA) |
| front camera | 12 megapixel | 40 megapixel | 40 megapixel | 40 megapixel | 10 MP, 3D depth (HQVGA) |
| video capture | 8 kg | 8K, 4K | 8K, 4K | 8K, 4K | 4k |
| Healer | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for the Galaxy device | Snapdragon 8 of the first generation | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
| RAM/Storage | 8 GB + 256 GB; 12 GB + 256 GB; 12 GB + 512 GB; 12 GB + 1 TB | 8 GB + 128 GB; 12 GB + 256 GB; 12 GB + 512 GB; 12 GB + 1 TB | 16 GB + 512 GB; 12 GB + 256 GB; 12 GB + 128 GB | 12 GB + 128 GB; 12 GB + 256 GB; 16 GB + 512 GB | 8 GB + 256 GB; 8 GB + 512 GB |
| Expandable storage | no one | no one | no one | up to 1 terabyte | no one |
| battery | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh | 4500 mAh |
| fingerprint scanner | in the show | in the show | in the show | in the show | in the show |
| conductor | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | no one | no | no | no | Yes |
| Special features | 5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, Wireless PowerShare to charge other devices, Built-in S Pen, 100x Space Zoom, 10x Optical Zoom, UWB to find other devices | 5G (mmw/Sub6), S Pen bundled, IP68 rating, 120Hz display, UWB, Wireless Power Share, 100x distance zoom (digital), 10x optical zoom, 45W charging support (sold separately) | 5G (mmw/Sub6), S Pen support (not included), IP68 rating, 120Hz display, UWB, Wireless Power Share, 100x space zoom (digital), 10x optical zoom | 5G (mmw/Sub6); 120Hz refresh rate; 100X zoom (digital); Wireless PowerShare; IP68 rating | 5G (mmw/Sub6); Wireless PowerShare; 3D depth cameras (not for face unlock); IP68 rating |