Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB)
Side by side comparison between Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra phones, differences, pros, cons and full specifications. What's the better?
,
6.4"
AMOLED
AMOLED
1440x2960
12.2
MP
MP
8mp
6GB
RAM
RAM
Octa-core
4000
mAh
mAh
(Non removable)
vs
6.8"
AMOLED
AMOLED
1440x3088
200
MP
MP
12mp
12GB
RAM
RAM
Octa-core
5000
mAh
mAh
(Non removable)
What's the better phone? Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB)
The phonemore's choice is much more technical than personal. Therefore, you shouldn't only consider this. Our goal is to help you, but what's important to us may not be important to you. You decide which one is the best! Comment!
11 Advantages 
24 Advantages | 25 Common items in both devices |
| Aluminum frame, glass front/back |
| Super AMOLED / Dynamic AMOLED |
| 16 million |
| Digital and optical zoom |
| PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera / PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras |
| OIS: Optical stabilization |
| HDR photo/video on both cameras |
| +18 specs and more in the table below |
Check the comparison table below for more items that are not evaluated in comparison score above.
Highlight differences Clear highlight📱 Model features | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Model | Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) |
| Other model names | Galaxy Note9 (Qualcomm) 6GB RAM, Samsung Crown | Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G (SM-S918B/Dual-SIM) |
| Country or region available |  USA |  (Global, International) |
| Brand | Samsung | Samsung |
| Release date | 8/24/2018, Announced: 8/9/2018 | 2/17/2023, Announced: 2/1/2023 |
| Depth | 8.8 millimeters (0.35 inches) | 8.9 millimeters (0.35 inches) |
| Size (width x height) | 76.4 x 161.9 millimeters (3.01 x 6.37 in) | 78.1 x 163.4 millimeters (3.07 x 6.43 in) |
| Weight | 201 grams (7.04 ounces) | 234 grams (8.19 ounces) |
| Build, materials | Aluminum frame, glass front/back Back: Gorilla Glass 5 | Aluminum frame, glass front/back Back: Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Protection against water and others | IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant | IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant |
📲 Display | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Display type | Super AMOLED | Dynamic AMOLED |
| Screen size | 6.4" inches | 6.8" inches |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~84% (screen-to-body ratio) | ~89.5% (screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display resolution | 1440x2960 pixels (18.5:9) | 1440x3088 pixels |
| Touchscreen | Capacitive Multitouch 10-points | Capacitive Multitouch 10-points |
| Pixel density (dot pitch) | 514 PPI | 501 PPI |
| Colors | 16 million | 16 million |
| Scratch-resistant glass | Gorilla Glass 5 | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Display features | HDR10 2.5D glass Always-On Display | 1750nits[peak] HDR10+ Always-On Display |
🤖 Operating System | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| System version | Android 8.1 Oreo | Android 13 |
| Firmware update | Android 10 | Android 14 |
| User Interface | One UI 2.0 / 2.5 | One UI 5.1 / 6.0 |
⚙️ Processor | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Chipset | 64bit: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (SDM845) (10nm) | 64bit: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550-AC) (4nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core, 2 processors: 4x 2.8GHz Kryo 385 Gold (Quad-core) 4x 1.7GHz Kryo 385 Silver (Quad-core) | Octa-core, 3 processors: 1x 3.36GHz ARM Cortex-X3 (Single-core) 4x 2.8GHz ARM Cortex-A710/A715 (Quad-core) 3x 2GHz ARM Cortex-A510 (Triple-core) |
| GPU graphical controller | Qualcomm Adreno 630 (710MHz) | Qualcomm Adreno 740 |
| Performance (benchmark) | AnTuTu: 249124 (v7), 316449 (v8) Geekbench: 9026 (v4.4), 2092 (v5.1) GFXBench: 15fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1241613 (v9) Geekbench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
💽 Memory and storage | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| RAM memory | 6GB LPDDR4X | 12GB LPDDR5X |
| Internal storage | 128GB (111GB available) UFS 2.1 | 256GB (218GB available) UFS 4.0 |
| External storage | Until 1TB microSD, microSDXC (dedicated slot) | Not supported |
📶 Mobile networks | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Dual-SIM | Not supported | Dual-SIM Standby - Call active on one sim card |
| SIM card | 1 slot (Single-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF) | 2 slots (Dual-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF) + e-SIM |
| Maximum Download / Upload | 1200/150 Mbps | 3000/1920 Mbps |
| Network technology | 2G, 3G, 4G | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Frequency, bands | Expand band details Collapse details | |
| GSM MHz band | Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900 | Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Primary 2G network | CDMA 800/1900, GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | CDMA 800/1900, GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Primary 3G network | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO TD-SCDMA 1900/2000 UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 |
| Primary 4G network | LTE Cat18 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 18, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41) | LTE Cat20 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66, 71) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48) VoLTE |
| Primary 5G network | Not supported | SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71) |
| Primary data network | GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A, TD-SCDMA, UMTS, TD-HSDPA, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A | GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA, Sub6 |
| Secondary 2G network | Not supported | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Secondary 3G network | Not supported | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 |
| Secondary 4G network | Not supported | LTE Cat20 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66, 71) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48) VoLTE |
| Secondary data network | Not supported | GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA, Sub6 |
📷 Camera | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Back camera (main camera) | (dual camera) 12.2 megapixels 12MP telephoto f/2.41/3.4"52mm1.0µmAFOIS2x-optical-zoom | (quad camera) 200 megapixels 10MP periscope telephoto f/4.9230mm1/3.52"1.12µmPDAFOIS10x-optical-zoom 10MP telephoto f/2.470mm1/3.52"1.12µmPDAFOIS3x-optical-zoom 12MP ultrawide f/2.213mm120°1/2.55"1.4µmPDAFSuper-Steady |
| Main camera resolution | 4032x3024 pixels | 20000x10000 pixels |
| Video recording (primary) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) 60 fps | 8K UHD (7680x4320) 30 fps |
| Flash | Dual-LED flash | LED flash |
| Focal aperture | f/1.5 (aperture) | f/1.7 (aperture) |
| Focal length | 26mm lens | 24mm lens |
| Sensor size | 1/2.55" inches | 1/1.3" inches |
| Pixel size | 1.4µm pixel | 0.6µm pixel |
| Autofocus | PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera | PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras |
| Touch focus | Supported | Supported |
| Image stabilization | OIS: Optical stabilization | OIS: Optical stabilization |
| Zoom | Digital and optical zoom | Digital and optical zoom |
| Face/smile detection | Face detection, Smile detection | Face detection, Smile detection |
| BSI sensor | Supported | Supported |
| HDR | HDR photo/video on both cameras | HDR photo/video on both cameras |
| Camera extras | feature not registered | 8K@24/30fps 4K@30/60fps 1080p@30/60fps 1080p@240/960fps (slow motion) HDR10+ |
📸 Front camera | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Front camera (secondary) | 8 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Front camera resolution | 3264x2448 pixels | 4000x3000 pixels |
| Video recording (secondary) | 2K UHD (2560x1440) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) |
| Front flash | Not supported | Not supported |
| Focal aperture | f/1.7 (aperture) | f/2.2 (aperture) |
| Focal length | 25mm lens | 26mm lens |
| Sensor size | 1/3.6" inches | feature not registered |
| Pixel size | 1.22µm pixel | feature not registered |
🔉 Sound and multimedia | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Loudspeaker | Stereo sound 32-bit/384kHz | Stereo sound 32-bit/384kHz Dolby Atmos Tuned by AKG |
| Active noise cancellation | 2 microphones or more | 2 microphones or more |
| Radio | Not supported | Not supported |
| TV | Not supported | Not supported |
| Video formats | MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, DivX, XviD | MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, XviD, MKV |
| Audio formats | MP3, OGG, eAAC+, FLAC | MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC |
🔌 Connectivity | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| USB | USB 3.1 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go | USB 3.2 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go |
| Audio output | 3.5mm jack | Type-C reversible connector |
| TV output | USB Type-C SlimPort® | USB Type-C (reversible) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 + A2DP/LE | 5.3 + A2DP/LE |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac [wifi5] (2.4GHz, 5GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax [wifi6E/6] (2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot |
| DLNA | Not supported | Supported |
| GPS | A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou | A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou |
| NFC | Supported | Supported |
| Infrared port | Not supported | Not supported |
🧭 Sensors | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor ANT+ Barometer Compass Face unlock Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted) Gyroscope Hall effect Heart rate Iris scanner Proximity sensor SpO2 | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometer Compass Face unlock Fingerprint sensor (under display) Gyroscope Hall effect Proximity sensor UWB (Ultra Wideband) |
| Vibrating alert | Supported | Supported |
🔋 Battery | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Battery type | Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable) | Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable) |
| Battery capacity | 4000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charger, watts | 15W Wired fast charging | 45W Wired fast charging Reverse charging by cable USB Power Delivery 3.0 |
| Inductive / wireless charging | Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA) | 15W Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA) 4.5W Reverse wireless charging |
| Talk time autonomy | feature not registered | feature not registered |
| Standby | feature not registered | feature not registered |
➕ Other features | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Call control | Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands | Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands |
| Messaging | SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail | SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail |
| Hands-free calling | Supported | Supported |
| Video calling | Supported | Supported |
| Ringtones | Polyphonic and customized | Polyphonic and customized |
| Web browser | HTML, XHTML, HTML5 | HTML, XHTML, HTML5 |
| Antenna | Internal antenna | Internal antenna |
| Qwerty physical keyboard | Not supported | Not supported |
| Miscellaneous | • Colors: Black, Copper, Purple, Blue • S Pen Stylus (Bluetooth) • Samsung Pay • Samsung DeX | • Colors: Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red • Samsung DeX • Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard) • S Pen (Stylus Pen): Bluetooth 2.8ms latency |
☢️ Radiation rate | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 128GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| SAR 1.6W/kg (USA, Mexico, etc.) | feature not registered | 0.98W/kg (head), 1.1W/kg (body) |
| SAR 2W/kg (Europe, UK, etc.) | feature not registered | 0.963W/kg (head), 1.398W/kg (body) |