OnePlus 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which flagship is better?

OnePlus has finally unveiled the OnePlus 11 for the global market, but how does it compare to Samsung's high-end Galaxy S23 Ultra?

Although the prices of the two differ significantly, there are a surprising number of similarities between the OnePlus 11 and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra that could drive consumers away from Samsung. Here are the main differences between the OnePlus 11 and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Design and screen

When it comes to design, the OnePlus 11 and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra take very different approaches.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra retains that large square Galaxy Note-esque form factor and a large 6,8-inch display. And while a 6,8-inch screen doesn't seem much bigger than the OnePlus 6,7's 11-inch screen, trust us when we say it is.

Measuring 163,4 x 78,1 x 8,9mm and 234g, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is thicker, taller and heavier than the relatively svelte OnePlus 11 of 163,1 x 74,1 x 8,5mm , 205 g.

That's not to say the Galaxy S23 Ultra is an ugly, unwieldy device – far from it – but it's a challenge to use one-handed, and we think the boxy design makes it feel bigger in the hand. than it really is.

The OnePlus 11 is much easier to use with one hand and with a slight curvature around its edges it sits very comfortably in the palm.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra easily has one of the best displays around, boasting a 2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 6,8X display with key features including 120Hz refresh rate, 1750 nits peak brightness, support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision and, most importantly, support for Samsung's S Pen.

The stylus can really make the most of this extra real estate offering, whether it's doodling, taking notes, or just interacting with the phone. And the built-in button can be used for air gestures or to activate the camera shutter remotely. When not in use, the S Pen lives in the S23 Ultra's chassis, making it a particularly handy accessory exclusive to the S23 Ultra.

The OnePlus 6,7's 11-inch AMOLED display is nothing to sniff at, however; it's also high resolution at 1440 x 3216, and it has a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate with LTPO 3.0 technology that lets it drop to as low as 1Hz to save battery life, as well as support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

Ultimately, there's very little difference between the two high-end screens, although Samsung's S23 Ultra seems like the better option for those who just want the biggest screen possible – and the S Pen is also a nice touch.

Cameras

In most comparisons, the OnePlus 11 would have a fighting chance with its rear camera offering consisting of a 50MP main lens, 48MP ultra-wide, and 32MP telephoto – but the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a special case.

Although we are still not ce Well into 2023, we believe the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's camera offering will be one of the most competitive on the market this year, with a combination of a new 200MP main (and exclusive) snapper, a 12MP ultrawide, a pair of 10MP telephoto lenses at 3x and 10x and the ability to digitally zoom up to 100x.

Sure, the latter degrades overall image quality, but it can still take particularly impressive close-ups of the moon on a clear night.

It's this 200MP snapper that's the real star of the show, effortlessly capturing some of the most detailed and vibrant images we've ever taken on a smartphone – and doing so in any light level. In fact, the S200 Ultra's 23MP main snapper can deliver something close to night vision with its impressive ability to use 16-in-1 pixel binning and improved OIS to capture a lot more light than at first. naked eye.

The supporting lens fleet further extends its photographic prowess with equally impressive performance in well-lit conditions, although it can't quite compete in low light, especially when you come to telephoto lenses which look relatively dark. . Still, it's a versatile shooting system that more than justifies the S23 Ultra's hefty price tag.

The OnePlus 11's trio of cameras are indeed capable, delivering a noticeable leap in quality over last year's OnePlus 10 Pro, especially in low-light conditions. Although it's not as capable as the S23 Ultra, a smartphone that costs £500 more, it does a great job of capturing low-light environments with decent precision. However, without a dedicated laser autofocus, low-light images can sometimes turn out a bit softer than I'd like.

Performance on ultra-wide and telephoto lenses is also decent, helped in part by the Hasselblad's impressive camera setting which makes it difficult to spot which camera took a particular image (apart from the angle, of course). .

So while the S23 Ultra arguably has the most capable camera setup, the OnePlus 11's rear camera trio will still suffice for the vast majority of consumers - especially with a £729 price tag.

Performance

Performance should be top-notch no matter which smartphone you choose, although Samsung's S23 Ultra could score a victory in benchmarks with its special Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy chipset over the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. of the OnePlus 11. This is combined with 12 GB of RAM for the first and 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM for the second.

Qualcomm claims the S23 Ultra's chipset offers higher CPU clock speed and improved GPU performance and efficiency over the standard 8 Gen 2 chipset, though you're unlikely to notice huge differences in the daily performance.

Both feel equally responsive in use, with the ability to easily handle 3D mobile gaming, although I did notice that the OnePlus 11 can get hot around the top and bottom edges during prolonged gaming sessions.

Samsung scores a win in the storage department with a range of storage options including 256GB, 512GB and 1TB, while the OnePlus 11 only comes in 128GB and 256GB variants. neither have expandable storage, so additional base storage could be useful for particularly happy consumers.

Elsewhere, the two flagships are fairly balanced with support for 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC. Here's how the two stack up side-by-side:

As you'd expect from flagships in 2023, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and OnePlus 11 come with Android 13, but with different skins applied.

Samsung is opting for its OneUI interface, with the latest OneUI 5.1 update bringing small features like the ability to schedule routines and the ability to answer an incoming call via text message using Bixby. It is one of the finest Android skins out there with lots of extra features exclusive to Samsung devices to make your life easier.

The OnePlus 11, on the other hand, sports the OxygenOS 13 update. Although it comes close to the overall look and feel of new owner Oppo's ColorOS, I still really liked the software experience on offer with genuinely useful features like Zen Mode and the ability to set up work and personal profiles to keep work notifications from bothering me in the evenings. It is also highly customizable for those who like to change the look of their smartphone.

Software promises are also among the best with OnePlus and Samsung offering four years of OS upgrades for their flagships, which should take both the S23 Ultra and OnePlus 11 all the way to Android 17.

Battery life

While the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the OnePlus 11 both sport an identical 5000mAh battery, the larger, higher-resolution screen on Samsung's flagship means the OnePlus 11 can last a bit longer away from the charger.

I found the OnePlus 11 can comfortably last all day with the ability to go a second day if I'm not hammering the battery. The same can't be said for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, with a few days of testing where I hit the 20% battery mark by the end of day one.

That's still good for an all-day device, but you won't quite get two days without compromises like lowering screen resolution.

OnePlus also clearly wins in terms of charging capabilities, with its 100W SuperVOOC charging delivering a 50 per cent charge in just over 12 minutes and a 100W charge in 28 minutes. Samsung's combination of slower 45W charging and large battery capacity means it takes around an hour and 20 minutes to reach a full battery.

Price

Where the OnePlus 11 and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra really differ is in the price department, with Samsung's top-end flagship coming in at £1249 – and that's only for the base 256GB model. That's almost £500 more than the OnePlus 11 with 128GB of storage, which costs £729.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will cost you the following:

• 256GB storage: £1/$249
• 512GB storage: £1/$399
• 1TB storage: £1/$599

While the OnePlus 11 is much more affordable:

• 128GB storage: £729/$699
• 256GB storage: £799/$799

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the OnePlus 11 are both excellent smartphones, but they are suitable for different people.

The OnePlus 11 is a solid all-rounder offering a great screen, impressive performance and a capable camera setup – but not the most versatile. It is also beaucoup more affordable than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which might tip the scales in terms of value for money.

However, if money is no object and you don't mind the large square form factor of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, it is undoubtedly one of the most capable smartphones we will see this year with its Samsung-exclusive Snapdragon chipset, a top of the range. display with S Pen support and the smartest camera offering – including a 200MP main camera – you'll find right now.