Galaxy S25 Ultra vs S23 Ultra: Worth Skipping Two Generations?
If you bought a Galaxy S23 Ultra in 2023, this is the upgrade question that matters in 2026. The S25 Ultra was runner-up Phone of the Year at MKBHD's 2025 Smartphone Awards; the S23 Ultra was a contender in 2023. Two years and two chip generations apart.
Updated · Verdict based on MKBHD Smartphone Awards results and spec analysis.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung · 2025 · From $1299
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung · 2023 · From $1199
Round wins
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: 6 · Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: 0 ·Ties: 2
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz LTPO | 6.8-inch QHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB |
| Camera | 200MP main + 50MP ultrawide + 10MP 3x + 50MP 5x telephoto | 200MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 10MP 3x + 10MP 10x telephoto |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| OS | Android 15 (One UI 7) | Android 13 (One UI 5.1) |
| Starting price | $1299 | $1199 |
| Released | 2025 | 2023 |
Round-by-round breakdown
Display
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraS25 Ultra has anti-reflective coating and ~30% higher brightness than S23 Ultra. Outdoor legibility improvement is real.
Performance
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraSnapdragon 8 Elite (S25 Ultra) is roughly 60% faster than 8 Gen 2 (S23 Ultra) and dramatically more efficient. Big jump.
Camera
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraSame 200MP main + 5x periscope, but the S25 Ultra's ISP and processing pipeline is meaningfully improved. Side-by-side stills are better — particularly in low light.
AI features
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraGalaxy AI on the S25 Ultra is dramatically more capable than anything on the S23 Ultra. Many features simply don't work on the older phone.
Battery
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraSame 5,000 mAh battery, but S25 Ultra's chip efficiency wins by 1.5+ hours of screen-on time.
S Pen
TieIdentical S Pen across generations.
Software longevity
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraS25 Ultra: 7 years of updates remaining. S23 Ultra: 4 years remaining. The longevity gap is real.
Price
TieS25 Ultra: $1,299. S23 Ultra: not really sold new anymore. Trade-in value is decent on the S23 Ultra to offset the upgrade cost.
Final verdict
Yes, upgrade — the S25 Ultra is meaningfully better across performance, AI features, and brightness, and the chip gap (8 Gen 2 → 8 Elite) is large. If you can stomach $1,299, this is a worthwhile skip-generation upgrade. If price-sensitive, look at the discounted S24 Ultra (2024 Phone of the Year, $300+ off) as a more rational interim pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I upgrade from Galaxy S23 Ultra to S25 Ultra?
Yes — the gen-over-two-gen jump is real (chip, AI features, battery efficiency). If you can wait for S26, the S25 Ultra is a satisfying skip-gen upgrade in the meantime.
S23 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: how much better is the camera?
Same hardware, meaningfully better processing. Side-by-side stills are noticeably better in low light and on dynamic range. Daylight is roughly equivalent.
Is the S24 Ultra a better in-between upgrade than the S25 Ultra?
Possibly — the S24 Ultra (now $300+ off) won MKBHD's 2024 Phone of the Year and shares 80% of the S25 Ultra's capability for several hundred dollars less.