Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Sony Xperia 1 V
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Sony Xperia 1 V, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 V | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,299 | $1,198 |
| Our rating | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 45W | 30W |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage (max) | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.8 in | 6.5 in |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Main camera | 200 MP | 52 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 234 g | 187 g |
| Released | Feb 2023 | Jul 2023 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is ahead on our rating, wired charging, screen size, main camera. Sony Xperia 1 V is ahead on weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Sony Xperia 1 V is the cheaper option.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 V | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak) | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR, 643 ppi |
| Size | 6.8 inches | 6.5 inches |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels | 4K HDR (3840 x 1644 pixels), 21:9 aspect ratio |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (front), Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (rear) |
| Features | Always-on display, adaptive refresh rate (1Hz-120Hz) | — |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 V | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 13, One UI 5.1 (upgradable to newer Android versions) | Android 13, upgradable to Android 15 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 740 |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 V | |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| Card slot | No | microSDXC, up to 1TB |
| Type | UFS 4.0 | — |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 V | |
|---|---|---|
| Quad | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS; 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, Super Steady video | — |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama, Expert RAW | ZEISS optics, ZEISS T* coating, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye AF, real-time tracking, Photography Pro, Videography Pro, Cinematography Pro |
| Video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Triple | — | 48 MP (effective 52 MP, 12 MP still images), f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.35" Exmor T for mobile sensor, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 12 MP, f/2.2, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.5" Exmor RS for mobile sensor, Dual Pixel PDAF; 12 MP, f/2.3-2.8, 85mm-125mm (telephoto), 1/3.5" Exmor RS for mobile sensor, Dual Pixel PDAF, 3.5x-5.2x continuous optical zoom, OIS |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 V | |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF | 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9" Exmor RS for mobile sensor |
| Features | Dual video call, Auto-HDR, HDR10+ | HDR, hand gesture, display flash |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 V | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 45W wired (PD3.0, 65% in 30 min advertised), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless | 30W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) |
| Wireless charging | — | 15W wireless, reverse wireless |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 V | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm | 165 x 71 x 8.3 mm |
| Weight | 234 g | 187g |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) | Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Other | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | — |
| Durability | — | IPX5/IPX8 water resistant, IP6X dust proof |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 V | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E), tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE Audio, aptX HD |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | — |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Sony Xperia 1 V | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | February 1, 2023 | 2023, May 11 |
| Status | Available | Available. Released 2023, July 28 |
Frequently asked questions
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or Sony Xperia 1 V?
Sony Xperia 1 V — 234 g for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra versus 187 g for the Sony Xperia 1 V.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or Sony Xperia 1 V?
Sony Xperia 1 V — Feb 2023 for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra versus Jul 2023 for the Sony Xperia 1 V.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or the Sony Xperia 1 V rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 9/10 and the Sony Xperia 1 V 8/10.