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The Street

Jason Cipriani

Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: Which Phone Is Right For You?

Samsung Qualcomm

Samsung’s smartphone lineup has never looked better. Its foldable line has the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4, while the Galaxy S23 line was recently released, adding three new models--the S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra--to Samsung’s smartphone portfolio.

If you’re shopping for a new phone and looking at Samsung’s high-end options in the S23 Ultra and Z Fold 4, it can be easy to get caught up in the spec sheet and price difference.

The S23 Ultra and Z Fold 4 are similar in many aspects, but at the end of the day are designed for two completely different use cases. Having used both phones for an extended amount of time, I’ll break down the differences and similarities in a bid to help you make an educated decision between Samsung’s flagship phones.

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Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: Design and Display(s)

When it comes to design and display, the S23 Ultra and Z Fold 4 are obviously different. The S23 Ultra uses a traditional smartphone candy bar design, with a single 6.8-inch display, a front-facing camera and a series of rear-facing cameras.

The Z Fold 4 looks like a really thick traditional smartphone with its 6.2-inch cover display, but when you open it like a book you’re presented with a 7.6-inch main display. Two screens means you technically have two front-facing cameras, with a 10-megapixel camera on the cover display, and a 4-megapixel under-display camera on the main screen when the phone’s opened.

If you’re judging these two phones based on the first screen you see, there’s no comparison--the S23 Ultra’s display looks much better than the Z Fold 4’s cover screen. It’s not only larger, but it has a higher resolution so images, videos and text look sharp on it.

While the front display of the Z Fold 4 is important, its main display is one of the biggest reasons people opt for the foldable phone over a traditional phone. The 7.6-inch main screen looks sharp, although there is a visible crease in the middle of it where it bends so that the Z Fold 4 can fold shut.

The Z Fold 4 offers the best of both worlds, while the S23 Ultra is one of the best traditional smartphones you can buy in 2023.

One aspect of the Z Fold 4 for those who are new to foldable smartphones will have to acclimate to is the overall thickness when it’s closed. The S23 Ultra measures 8.9mm thick, while the Z Fold 4 has two measurements. When it’s closed, it’s akin to having two smartphones stacked atop one another, measuring 15.8mm thick at the hinge, while it’s only 6.3mm thick when it’s opened.

Related: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Review

You also have to consider the weight when looking at size differences, with the S23 Ultra weighing in at 233-grams, with the Z Fold 4 weighing slightly more at 263-grams.

I’ve found using the cover display on the Z Fold 4 to be an alright experience, due to how narrow the phone is when it’s closed. Using the S23 Ultra, on the other hand, feels like a natural fit because it’s more familiar. The real magic of the Z Fold 4’s design happens once it’s open and you’re using the entire screen.

Another important distinction between the two phones that are worth pointing out is the location of the fingerprint sensor. On the S23 Ultra, it’s under the display, but on the Z Fold 4 it’s built into the frame of the phone and pulls double duty as the sleep/wake button. The placement on the Z Fold 4 takes some getting used to, especially when the phone is open.

Final Takeaway on Design and Display(s): Deciding between the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 boils down to whether you want a transitional smartphone with a stunning display or a foldable device that has an acceptable screen on the front, with a tablet-like display on the inside.

Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: Performance and Battery Life

On paper, the S23 Ultra should outperform the Z Fold 4 simply due to using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, over the Z Fold 4’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. But when using either phone, be it something routine like responding to an email or texting, or multitasking with multiple apps on the screen (yes, you can use split screen apps on the S23 Ultra, just like you can on the Z Fold 4), both phones feel responsive and are constantly at the ready.

The Z Fold 4 comes with 12GB of memory and 256GB, 512GB or 1TB or storage. The S23 comes with either 8GB and 256GB of storage, or a 12GB version comes with the same storage allotments as the Z Fold 4 up to 1TB.

Powering the S23 Ultra is a 5,000mAh battery, with the Z Fold 4 packing a slightly smaller 4,400mAh battery. That 12% difference in battery, and likely the larger display on the Z Fold 4 means that I’ve often had to charge the Z Fold 4 before the day ends on a busy day--or at the very least, the battery is nearing empty by the time I’m calling it a day. Whereas with the S23 Ultra, there’s enough battery power there to get through a long day of work without any fuss.

Both phones support Samsung’s S Pen stylus, but only the S23 Ultra has a built-in silo for storing and charging the S Pen. The Z Fold 4’s S Pen integration doesn’t include Bluetooth support, so you’ll miss out on features like Air Actions where you can use the stylus as a magic wand to control things.

Final Takeaway on Performance and Battery Life: Objectively, the S23 Ultra is a faster phone. Subjectively, I can’t really tell the difference between the Z Fold 4 and S23 Ultra’s performance. Battery life, however, is an area where the S23 Ultra outshines the Z Fold 4.

Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: Cameras

One of the major weaknesses for Samsung’s Fold line has been its cameras; it felt like Samsung focused so much on making a screen that could fold that the cameras were an afterthought.

With the Z Fold 4, it feels like Samsung has remembered its foldable phones should have stellar cameras, just like the S-series. On the back of the Z Fold 4 you’ll find three cameras. There’s a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera, a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom and up to 30x Space Zoom. That camera setup is on par with the Galaxy S23+, however the S23 Ultra is once again Samsung’s crown jewel when it comes to camera specs and performance.

The S23 Ultra has four rear-facing cameras. There’s a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and two different 10-megapixel telephoto cameras. Those offer 3x and 10x optical zoom along with 100x Super Resolution Zoom. And, finally, there’s a massive 200-megapixel wide camera that serves as the main camera.

The S23 Ultra’s camera performance is hard to beat, by any phone, let alone by the Z Fold 4--but I honestly don’t have any complaints about the camera on the Z Fold 4. (Ask me about my Z Fold 3, however, and I’ll likely bore you.)

You’re getting cleaner and higher-resolution photos out of the S23 Ultra than you are the Z Fold 4, but if you’re like most people, you’re just sharing those photos on social media or sending them to a family member, the Fold 4’s photos are more than good enough.

Final Takeaway on Camera: The S23 Ultra’s camera is the camera setup to beat on any smartphone, not just between it and the Z Fold 4. If you’re serious about your pictures, then the S23 Ultra is where it’s at. However, if you want a foldable phone and a solid camera experience, the Z Fold 4 delivers exactly that.

Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: Bottom Line

Both of these Samsung devices offer a first-in-class experience for their respective categories and purpose. The Z Fold 4 is the best foldable phone money can buy, and the S23 Ultra is the best smartphone announced in 2023.

You’ll get strong performance, a well-rounded camera experience and solid battery life from both phones, although each of those categories leans in favor of the S23 Ultra.

Ultimately, deciding between the S23 Ultra and the Z Fold 4 comes down to whether you want the typical smartphone experience, with a candy bar design or, if you want a versatile phone that mirrors a traditional phone, while also offering a tablet-like experience based on what you’re doing at the time.

Once you narrow it down to that, the decision should be easy. Or at the very least, easier.