The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the most popular Android flagship of 2023, but can the weak OnePlus offer something more with the powerful OnePlus 11? The OnePlus 11 features super-fast charging, performance optimizations that make it great for gamers, and a Hasselblad-branded camera system focused on capturing high-quality photos.
These are all unique features, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra definitely has more features and longer software support. It has multi-zoom cameras, S Pen, new 200MP camera. It's the sleekest phone ever.
Galaxy S23 Ultra and OnePlus 11 in brief:
- Galaxy is physically bigger and heavier;
- The Galaxy has an S Pen stylus, the OnePlus doesn't;
- Both have slightly curved screens;
- Both have the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip;
- OnePlus has a version with 16GB of RAM, more than the Galaxy
- The Galaxy has two zooms, while the OnePlus only has one;
- Both have the same size 5000 mAh battery;
- OnePlus charges faster and has a charger in the box;
- Galaxy supports wireless charging, OnePlus doesn't:
- OnePlus is cheaper than Galaxy.
Design and screen Quality
The OnePlus is more compact and lighter than the Galaxy, but it lacks the S Pen.
The first and most obvious design difference between the two is their physical dimensions. Both are big phones, but the OnePlus is smaller so you can comfortably hold it in one hand and it weighs less, while the Galaxy is a really huge phone. The build quality feels high on both of them, both have an aluminum frame, tempered glass on the front and back, and a slightly curved screen, but all of these premium features are found in flagship phones.
The OnePlus only comes in two colors: green and glossy black, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra comes in more colors.
One detail worth noting is the placement of the buttons. The OnePlus has the power button on the right and the volume buttons on the left like the iPhone, while the Galaxy has both the power button and the volume button on the right. We also liked that the OnePlus 11 retains OnePlus' acclaimed Silent Switch Alert Slider, which works great and is very comfortable.
Screen
Both phones use a basic biometric fingerprint scanner, but the Galaxy uses an ultrasonic fingerprint reader while the OnePlus uses an optical fingerprint reader. OnePlus is particularly fast and easy to use. Both phones can unlock using 2D facial scanning, which isn't as secure as a fingerprint, but is still a welcome addition.
Camera
Both phones make some significant changes to their camera systems: the Galaxy brings a new 200MP primary with the promise of capturing clear low-light shots, while the OnePlus 11 brings a 2X zoom telephoto camera to help you capture better images.
Ultimately, if you don't mind a bulky build and want a versatile phone, go for the Galaxy, but if you value a clean user interface and incredibly fast charging, the OnePlus 11 is a surprisingly good choice.
