PhoneLifespan

iPhone 13 vs Galaxy S23 Ultra

vs

Winner

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

The Galaxy S23 Ultra wins this one, taking camera and display decisively. Against the iPhone 13 it's also the sounder buy at $16.81 per month of safe use.

Value Score: iPhone 13 60 · Galaxy S23 Ultra 76 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Apple iPhone 13 $249
Buy with care$9.09/mo
2021◆ Buy-by Sep 20262028
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra $339
Buy with care$16.81/mo
2023◆ Buy-by Feb 20262028

Category by category

Display
iPhone 13 50Galaxy S23 Ultra 90

The Galaxy S23 Ultra's screen is the better one — 6.8-inch dynamic amoled 2x, qhd+, ltpo 1–120hz, 1750 nits peak.

Performance
iPhone 13 74Galaxy S23 Ultra 85

The Galaxy S23 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is simply the faster chip.

Camera
iPhone 13 52Galaxy S23 Ultra 96

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has the stronger camera system (4 real rear lenses vs 2).

Battery
iPhone 13 45Galaxy S23 Ultra 80

5,000mAh vs 3,240mAh — the Galaxy S23 Ultra lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity
iPhone 13 33Galaxy S23 Ultra 24

The iPhone 13 is supported until Sep 2028 — 7 months longer than the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Value
iPhone 13 60Galaxy S23 Ultra 76

Overall value goes to the Galaxy S23 Ultra at $16.81 per month of safe use.

Full spec table
SpeciPhone 13Galaxy S23 Ultra
Price (street)$249$339
Display6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 60Hz6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, QHD+, LTPO 1–120Hz, 1750 nits peak
ChipsetApple A15 BionicSnapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
RAM4GB8GB/12GB
Storage128GB/256GB/512GB256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery3,240 mAh5,000 mAh
Charging20W wired (50% in ~30 min), MagSafe 15W wireless45W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless
Rear cameras12MP main, 12MP ultra-wide200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x, 10MP periscope 10x
Dimensions146.7 × 71.5 × 7.65 mm163.4 × 78.1 × 8.9 mm
Weight174 g234 g
Water resistanceIP68IP68
Supported untilSep 2028Feb 2028
iPhone 13 full verdict →Galaxy S23 Ultra full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.