The ultimate zoom comparison: is the Samsung S24 Ultra better than the S23 Ultra?

One of the most significant changes made to the new Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is its configuration of telephoto lenses. While its predecessor boasted one 3x and one 10x optical zoom, the S24 Ultra has been given a 3x and a 5x.

Certainly a downgrade on paper. Even so, Samsung’s promising that smartphone photographers will get equally good or even better results with the S24 Ultra than with its predecessor. One reason being the new 50-megapixel sensor used for the 5x magnification. According to the manufacturer’s analyses, people also tend to use a 5x zoom more than a 10x zoom. Keen to find out if this is really the case, I put both devices’ zooms through their paces and drew a detailed comparison.

3x zoom: differences revealed in darkness

Both models have a 3x optical zoom, though their focal lengths aren’t quite the same. Despite their similarities, the phones don’t just produce the same photos – both have different processing software. But this is more of a difference in style. There are no visible differences in terms of sharpness and detail accuracy.

As you can see in this example, however, it’s a whole different story when it comes to colour reproduction. The S23 Ultra looks much bluer and, ultimately, more realistic. The S24 Ultra, on the other hand, has a slight yellowish tint and generally appears slightly brighter.

While Samsung may not have improved the 3x zoom optically, it has enhanced the phone’s image processing. The thing is, this is only noticeable in night mode. When this is enabled, the S24 produces sharper images, with more details. But not always. I took the next photo about five times on each phone. Only two of the S24 Ultra shots came out as nicely as the one shown here. With this in mind, it’s definitely worth taking several snaps in tricky conditions.

The S23 brightens the image considerably, meaning you lose lots of detail, such as the delicate tree branches or wooden structures on buildings. Not only that, but bright areas like the one in front of the street lamp are overexposed.

Verdict on the 3x zoom: In daylight, there’s hardly any difference between the S23 Ultra and the S24 Ultra. In the dark, sometimes the S23 comes out on top, sometimes the S24. However, the new handset certainly has the superior night mode. On both devices, night mode takes pictures over a period lasting several seconds, which are then combined to form a photo.

5x zoom: the S24 Ultra comes up trumps

In this zoom range, the S24 Ultra’s able to draw on its full potential. It does have dedicated optical 5x magnification after all. Meanwhile, the S23 Ultra’s forced to work with a 3x optical zoom and enhance the images digitally.

At first glance, the photos look very similar. The image taken by the S23 Ultra is slightly brighter, with the moss and lichen on the roof clearly visible. All in all, the S24 Ultra’s depiction is truer to reality.

Real differences in quality can be seen if you zoom in further. This reveals the roof tiles, green shutters and gold ornamentation to be sharper on the S24 Ultra. So if you look super closely, the optical zoom has a clear advantage here.

The more extreme the lighting conditions, the more the S24 Ultra’s advantages come to the fore at this zoom level. With night mode enabled in dark conditions, the S23 Ultra’s photo is almost a little brighter, but far more pixelated. The S24 brings out much more detail, including the plants and the illuminated windows.

Verdict on the 5x zoom: At this zoom level, there’s a clear winner. While the S23 Ultra has to work with digital magnification, the S24 Ultra makes use of its new sensor and corresponding zoom. As a result, the new Ultra really is always slightly better, particularly in difficult lighting conditions.

10x zoom photos: a small win for the S23 Ultra

Let’s now take a look at the zoom level the S23 Ultra achieves with its optical sensor. For this comparison, the S24 Ultra uses 5x optical magnification, then enlarges the image digitally.

In good light, the photos are very similar in quality. The differences lie in the image processing. While the S23 Ultra brightens the photo more and emphasises colours, the S24 Ultra keeps things slightly more natural.

Scrutinising the logo reveals some more differences. On the S23 Ultra, the orange looks more pixelated, probably due to the brightening effect. The bricks, however, are in sharp focus. The S24 Ultra, on the other hand, makes the bricks look much blurrier and the logo more evenly coloured. Whichever image you prefer is ultimately a matter of taste.

I took a snap of this Lego astronaut at 10x zoom in a relatively poorly lit room. Looking at this example, the S23 Ultra is clearly a cut above. The image, unprocessed as always, is brighter and more detailed.

This becomes particularly apparent when I zoom in on the figure again. The photo taken with the S23 Ultra is sharper and less grainy, with the facial stubble and print on the body much clearer.

With night mode switched on, there’s an obvious winner in the 10x zoom category. The S24 Ultra is clearly better in night mode, producing less noise and more details.

When taking pictures of bright lights at nighttime, it’s a different story. On the whole, the S23’s image comes across as more harmonious this time. The lights aren’t as garish, the contrast is better and the little box on the left isn’t swallowed up by the dark as much.

Verdict on the 10x zoom: At the highest yet perfectly usable zoom level, the S23 Ultra has the edge. However, as you can see from my examples, it doesn’t beat the S24 Ultra in every single situation.

100x zoom: only useful if you’re in a pinch

On paper, both smartphones can achieve a maximum magnification of 100x. This is perfectly fine if you’re using your phone as a replacement for binoculars. However, if it’s a photo you’re after, you’ll have to deal with significant losses in quality. Regardless of which Ultra model you’re using.

Again, the main difference can be seen in colour reproduction. The S23 Ultra captures the yellow of the dial better than the S24 Ultra. What’s more, the S23 takes better pictures. At this magnification, every small movement translates into a hefty wobble on the screen viewfinder. Samsung tries to compensate for this and stabilises the image – something the S23 does better. With the S24, it was harder to keep the subject in focus. It produced blurrier, more incorrectly cropped images.

Verdict on the 100x zoom: At this maximum zoom, the S23 Ultra is more consistent. Primarily when it comes to recognising details you can’t see with the naked eye. Mind you, the photos can be used for documentation purposes at best.

Video zoom: good in daylight

The good news is that both Ultra smartphones are really good for recordings shot at 10x magnification. There are no significant differences in quality at any zoom level. The S24 Ultra tends to be slightly brighter, but less rich in contrast. Incidentally, this is exactly the opposite of how its photos turn out – a description better reserved for the S23 Ultra’s images.

There are a few examples in the video below, but I didn’t include any night shots. Even using 3x zoom, they’re not particularly attractive.

Video zoom verdict: The zoom is also good for shooting videos in daylight, regardless of whether you’re using the old handset or the new one.

Overall verdict: the S24 Ultra’s zoom is sometimes better – but not always

Despite its seemingly «worse» optical zoom, the S24 Ultra can pretty much go toe-to-toe with its predecessor. Even so, the new zoom system isn’t visibly better than the S23 Ultra’s.

It really depends on what you use on a day-to-day basis. If you generally go for a zoom range of 3x to 5x, there’s not much between the two phones. At 5x to 10x, the S24 Ultra is more impressive. At 10x or just above, the S23 Ultra is better.

What zoom magnification do you tend to use? Are there any questions about the S24 series you’re interested in exploring? Let me know in the comments!

Header image: Lorenz Keller