Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Aquos R9

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

The Galaxy S23 Ultra wins this one, taking display and camera decisively. Against the Aquos R9 it's also the sounder buy at $16.94 per month of safe use.

Value Score: Galaxy S23 Ultra 76 · Aquos R9 57 — methodology

The lifespan decider

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

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra $339

Buy with care$16.94/mo

2023◆ Buy-by Feb 20262028

Sharp Aquos R9 $530

Buy with care$20.01/mo

2024◆ Buy-by Sep 20262028

Category by category

Display

Galaxy S23 Ultra 90Aquos R9 60

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

Performance

Galaxy S23 Ultra 85Aquos R9 78

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

Camera

Galaxy S23 Ultra 96Aquos R9 67

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

Battery

Galaxy S23 Ultra 80Aquos R9 80

Battery capacities are close enough not to decide this.

Software longevity

Galaxy S23 Ultra 24Aquos R9 32

The Aquos R9 is supported until Sep 2028 — 6 months longer than the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Value

Galaxy S23 Ultra 76Aquos R9 57

Overall value goes to the Galaxy S23 Ultra at $16.94 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	Galaxy S23 Ultra	Aquos R9
Price (street)	$339	$530
Display	6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, QHD+, LTPO 1–120Hz, 1750 nits peak	6.5-inch Pro IGZO LTPO OLED, FHD+, up to 240Hz, ~2000 nits peak
Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 (4nm)
RAM	8GB/12GB	12GB
Storage	256GB/512GB/1TB	256GB
Battery	5,000 mAh	5,000 mAh
Charging	45W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless	USB-C wired (no wireless)
Rear cameras	200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x, 10MP periscope 10x	50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide
Dimensions	163.4 × 78.1 × 8.9 mm	156 × 75 × 8.9 mm
Weight	234 g	195 g
Water resistance	IP68	IP68 (also MIL-STD-810G)
Supported until	Feb 2028	Sep 2028

Galaxy S23 Ultra full verdict →Aquos R9 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.