Google and Samsung both launch stigma - new flagship handsets this year that boast meaning upgrades on their predecessors – but which handset is best for you ?
TheGoogle Pixel 8 Procontinues Google ’s AI focus with fresh photograph , video and redaction features – including one that totally put back your face with a happier version of you – and welcome generative AI with open arms with feature of speech like AI wallpaper creation .
TheSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra , on the other hand , is Samsung ’s one - block - store for productivity and television camera operation , boasting four rearward cameras with varying storey of zoom as well as S Pen support that allows you to note - take and doodle to your heart ’s content .
We ’ve spent a lot of time with both of these handset , allowing us to plunge deep into all their difference to see out whichAndroid smartphoneis best for your needs . Keep read to find out everything you need to cognize .
Price
Out of these two handsets , the Pixel 8 Pro is the more low-priced option . Google did increase the terms from last year , with the base model sitting at £ 999/$999 .
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is more expensive in comparison , with the foundation example make out with a £ 1249/$1199 price tag .
Design and Screen
The Galaxy S23 Ultra calculate very standardised to theGalaxy S22 Ultra , with the same boxlike design that makes it a little hard to use with one hand . It come with theGalaxy S Pen stylus – which is embedded into the handset for convenience . This stylus has lower latency than theApple Pencilat an telling 2.8ms and feels incredibly antiphonal to use , piss it one of the principal rationality to prefer for this handset – provided you like the construct of a stylus .
Google designed the Pixel 8 Pro in the same nervure as its last two French telephone , choose for the same camera stripe as both thePixel 6andPixel 7ranges . The Pixel 8 Pro was also uncomfortable to hold for retentive periods due to the camera bar , get it finger very top - heavy .
look towards the displays , the Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a 6.8 - inchDynamic AMOLED 2Xpanel with aQuad HD+ ( 3088×1440 ) resolution and adaptative 120Hz refresh pace . The Pixel 8 Pro , on the other mitt , comes with a 6.7 - in Super ActuaLTPOOLED display with a 1344×2992 solvent andadaptive refresh ratethat can leap out from 1Hz to120Hz .
We found that the Galaxy S23 Ultra was supremely frizzy during use , with everything from schoolbook to game calculate as clean as ever . It was easily legible in direct sunlight thanks to the 1750 nit bloom cleverness and see capital while rain buckets 4 thou content from the likes of YouTube or Netflix .
In our review of the Pixel 8 Pro , we observe that it is one of the undecomposed Android display we ’ve ever used , with a peak cleverness of 2000nitsmaking it one of the brightest phone displays on the market . HDR performance was fantastic and made picture content look extremely elaborate and immersive .
Both Google and Samsung opted to let in an adaptive refresh charge per unit on their flagships . This allows the screen door to bound up to 120Hz during intensive tasks while still dropping depressed to conserve barrage when needed . We regain that both handset implemented this feature of speech very well , with piloting feeling fluent and runny in both instances .
Camera
Samsung handsets are make out for their impressive camera , and the Galaxy S23 Ultra is no exception . It comes with a 200 - megapixel main sensing element , alongside a 12MP ultrawide lens of the eye and dual 10MP telephotograph lenses with 3x and 10x optic zoom respectively .
We find that the 200MP cracker on the Galaxy S23 in truth surpass expectations , perform well in both well - lit and low - light conditions , with the latter deliver some of the best results we ’ve witness from a smartphone to day of the month . Shots were well - lit with telling HDR carrying out that wreak notable gain and point to the darkest and light area of the photo taken , with enough color to look vivacious without looking too contrast - heavy and fake .
The Pixel 8 Pro comes with a 50MP main sensor , 48MP ultrawide lens and 48MP telephoto detector with 5x ocular rapid climb and backup for Super Res Zoom up to 30x . We felt that this setup offered one of thebest cameraphoneexperiences on the market place right now ; highlights are pushed to create striking images , with colours that are restrain yet still exact and vibrant .
image from both the secondary cameras were capital , although we did note that the rapid climb attainment may not match the Galaxy S23 Ultra for reach , but the 5x zoom acquire you close enough to a subject area and plenitude of detail is keep back . The slap-up AI features are another very welcome addition , withMagic Eraserallowing us to polish off unwanted masses or object from the background of picture and sound Take bid up alternative facial reflexion for mathematical group pic .
Performance
Samsung opted to pack theSnapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxyinside the Galaxy S23 Ultra , a exceptional variation of Qualcomm ’s last - propagation chipset . It can be pair with either 8- or 12 GB of RAM and either 256 GB , 512 GB or 1 TB of UFS 4.0 storage .
We felt that this handset felt ultra - rapid and reactive in enjoyment , in part thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate . Playing the late AAA Mobile River games was more than possible even with shaft tracing enabled and images were captured without wait . Our reviewer noted that the Galaxy S23 Ultra provided a top - tier experience , make it ideal for anyone who prioritises raw big businessman .
The Pixel 8 Pro come in with Google ’s ownTensor G3chipset , which can also be found in thePixel 8 . It can be paired up with 12 GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512 gibibyte or 1 TB of storage .
In keeping with the previous Tensor chips , the G3 continue Google ’s focus on AI skill rather than pushing execution and general speed as key features . After a few singultus at the start of our review – which include a lot of lagging and slow loading times – the Pixel 8 Pro balance out to grow a fast performance in everyday use after around two workweek .
The Pixel 8 Pro does n’t shine when it comes to gaming , however , with multiple frame rate drops in intensive titles like COD Mobile and even some retardation in top - down title like Survivor.io . Everything was playable , but we observe that it could n’t run at the same level as the Galaxy S23 Ultra , make it less desirable for avid mobile gamers .
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a 5000mAh battery which allows for comfortable all - daytime battery life . We only strike the 20 % mark once during our review , with the phone ordinarily terminate the twenty-four hour period with something closer to 40 % charge on modal .
The only downside was the charging speed ; the Galaxy S23 Ultra took 28 minutes to make the 50 % mark and 91 minute for a full bang , putting it behind other Android flagships like theOnePlus 11 .
The Pixel 8 Pro , in comparability , performed comparatively likewise . Our referee usually had between 20 - 25 % pass on in the tank at the close of the Clarence Day after six hour of screen time . Charging result were also interchangeable , with the Pixel 8 professional reaching 50 % in 39 minutes and 100 % in 87 min .
It ’s deserving note that the Pixel 8 Pro does n’t come with a courser in the box , just a USB - C to USB - C cable . We recommend using a fireplug capable of outputting at 30W , which we used to get our aforementioned charging solution .
