{
    "url": "https://whatmobilepk.com/compare/huawei-nova-16-se-vs-samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra/",
    "generated": "2026-08-13T03:11:49+00:00",
    "source": "WhatMobilePK.com",
    "currency": "PKR",
    "headline": "Huawei nova 16 SE vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra",
    "answer": "The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the stronger phone of the two, scoring 84 against 81 on our combined specification score. It leads on performance, camera and memory & storage. The Huawei nova 16 SE still wins on battery & charging and value for money, so it remains the better choice if that is your priority. The Huawei nova 16 SE is the cheaper of the two at PKR 127,999 against PKR 389,999.",
    "phones": [
        {
            "name": "Huawei nova 16 SE",
            "slug": "huawei-nova-16-se",
            "brand": "Huawei",
            "url": "https://whatmobilepk.com/mobile/huawei/huawei-nova-16-se/",
            "image": "https://whatmobilepk.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-12-2026-11_13_20-AM-1024x683.png",
            "price": {
                "amount": 127999,
                "currency": "PKR"
            },
            "updated": "2026-08-12T06:19:18+00:00",
            "scores": {
                "performance": 55,
                "camera": 87,
                "battery": 86.5,
                "display": 100,
                "memory": 75,
                "value": 100,
                "overall": 80.7
            },
            "specs": {
                "Design & build": {
                    "Release date": "August 5, 2026 — China",
                    "Dimensions": "Not officially confirmed",
                    "Weight": "229 g",
                    "Water resistance": "IP65 (reported)"
                },
                "Display": {
                    "Screen size": "6.84 inches",
                    "Resolution": "1276 × 2776 pixels",
                    "Panel type": "LTPS OLED 120Hz Up to 8,000 nits (reported)",
                    "Protection": "Kunlun Glass"
                },
                "Performance": {
                    "Chipset": "Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm)",
                    "CPU": "Octa-core 1 × high-performance core + 3 × performance cores + 4 × efficiency cores",
                    "GPU": "Huawei Maleoon",
                    "Operating system": "HarmonyOS 6.1"
                },
                "Memory & storage": {
                    "RAM": "8GB",
                    "Internal storage": "128GB / 256GB / 512GB",
                    "Card slot": "No"
                },
                "Camera": {
                    "Main camera": "50 MP f/1.9 RYYB, reported Huawei Red Maple multispectral sensor LED flash, HDR, panorama, AI photography",
                    "Selfie camera": "32 MP f/2.2 HDR, AI photography",
                    "Video recording": "Up to 4K@30fps, reported"
                },
                "Battery & charging": {
                    "Battery capacity": "Li-Ion (non-removable) 8,500 mAh",
                    "Wired charging": "66W fast charging, reported"
                },
                "Connectivity & extras": {
                    "SIM": "Dual Nano-SIM",
                    "Wi-Fi": "Wi-Fi 7",
                    "Bluetooth": "Bluetooth 6.0",
                    "NFC": "Yes",
                    "Sensors": "Fingerprint Side-mounted Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Ambient Light Compass Color Spectrum / Multispectral Sensor",
                    "USB": "USB Type-C OTG"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra",
            "slug": "samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra",
            "brand": "Samsung",
            "url": "https://whatmobilepk.com/mobile/samsung/samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra/",
            "image": "https://whatmobilepk.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ChatGPT-Image-Jul-26-2026-11_40_16-AM-1024x683.png",
            "price": {
                "amount": 389999,
                "currency": "PKR"
            },
            "updated": "2026-07-26T06:51:44+00:00",
            "scores": {
                "performance": 90,
                "camera": 98,
                "battery": 69.6,
                "display": 100,
                "memory": 87.5,
                "value": 37.2,
                "overall": 83.8
            },
            "specs": {
                "Design & build": {
                    "Release date": "February 17, 2023",
                    "Dimensions": "163.4 × 78.1 × 8.9 mm",
                    "Weight": "233–234 g (varies slightly by market)",
                    "Water resistance": "IP68 dust and water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 minutes)"
                },
                "Display": {
                    "Screen size": "6.8 inches",
                    "Resolution": "1440 × 3088 pixels (QHD+)",
                    "Panel type": "Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz Adaptive (1–120Hz)",
                    "Protection": "Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2"
                },
                "Performance": {
                    "Chipset": "Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4nm)",
                    "CPU": "Octa-core 1 × Cortex-X3 @ 3.36 GHz 2 × Cortex-A715 @ 2.80 GHz 2 × Cortex-A710 @ 2.80 GHz 3 × Cortex-A510 @ 2.00 GHz",
                    "GPU": "Adreno 740",
                    "Operating system": "Android 13, One UI 5.1 (Upgradable)"
                },
                "Memory & storage": {
                    "RAM": "8GB / 12GB",
                    "Internal storage": "256GB / 512GB / 1TB UFS 4.0 (256GB version may use UFS 3.1 in some markets)",
                    "Card slot": "No"
                },
                "Camera": {
                    "Main camera": "200 MP (Wide), f/1.7, OIS 10 MP (3× Telephoto), OIS 10 MP (10× Periscope Telephoto), OIS 12 MP (Ultra-Wide), 120° Laser Autofocus Multi-directional PDAF LED Flash HDR Panorama Expert RAW Nightography 100× Space Zoom 3× Optical Zoom 10× Optical Zoom",
                    "Selfie camera": "12 MP, f/2.2 Dual Pixel PDAF HDR",
                    "Video recording": "8K @30fps 4K @30/60fps 1080p up to 240fps Super Steady Video HDR10+ Video"
                },
                "Battery & charging": {
                    "Battery capacity": "Li-Ion (non-removable) 5000 mAh",
                    "Wired charging": "45W Wired Fast Charging 15W Wireless Charging 4.5W Reverse Wireless Charging (Wireless PowerShare)"
                },
                "Connectivity & extras": {
                    "SIM": "Dual Nano-SIM + eSIM (market dependent)",
                    "Wi-Fi": "Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7 (Wi-Fi 7 available on select regional variants) Tri-band Wi-Fi Dual-band support (market dependent) Wi-Fi Direct Mobile Hotspot (Wi-Fi Tethering)",
                    "Bluetooth": "5.3, A2DP, LE",
                    "NFC": "Yes",
                    "Sensors": "Under-display Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Sensor Compass (Magnetometer) Barometer Face Unlock (software-based) Auto Brightness Sensor (Ambient Light) Virtual Proximity Sensing Motion & Gesture Recognition Samsung Knox security integration S Pen detection and hover sensing",
                    "USB": "USB Type-C 3.2 OTG supported"
                }
            }
        }
    ],
    "verdict": {
        "winner": "samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra",
        "margin": 3.1,
        "decisive": true,
        "categories": [
            {
                "category": "performance",
                "label": "Performance",
                "weight": 25,
                "basis": "Gaming score where available, otherwise chipset tier plus usable RAM.",
                "scores": {
                    "huawei-nova-16-se": 55,
                    "samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra": 90
                },
                "leader": "samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra"
            },
            {
                "category": "camera",
                "label": "Camera",
                "weight": 20,
                "basis": "Camera Score where available, otherwise sensor resolution and lens count. Megapixels alone do not measure image quality.",
                "scores": {
                    "huawei-nova-16-se": 87,
                    "samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra": 98
                },
                "leader": "samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra"
            },
            {
                "category": "battery",
                "label": "Battery & charging",
                "weight": 18,
                "basis": "Cell capacity in mAh weighted with rated wired charging output.",
                "scores": {
                    "huawei-nova-16-se": 86.5,
                    "samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra": 69.6
                },
                "leader": "huawei-nova-16-se"
            },
            {
                "category": "display",
                "label": "Display",
                "weight": 15,
                "basis": "Pixel density, refresh rate and panel technology.",
                "scores": {
                    "huawei-nova-16-se": 100,
                    "samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra": 100
                },
                "leader": null
            },
            {
                "category": "memory",
                "label": "Memory & storage",
                "weight": 12,
                "basis": "Highest advertised RAM and internal storage configuration.",
                "scores": {
                    "huawei-nova-16-se": 75,
                    "samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra": 87.5
                },
                "leader": "samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra"
            },
            {
                "category": "value",
                "label": "Value for money",
                "weight": 10,
                "basis": "Combined spec score divided by current Pakistani retail price.",
                "scores": {
                    "huawei-nova-16-se": 100,
                    "samsung-galaxy-s23-ultra": 37.2
                },
                "leader": "huawei-nova-16-se"
            }
        ],
        "unscored": []
    },
    "differences": [
        "Huawei nova 16 SE costs PKR 262,000 less.",
        "Huawei nova 16 SE packs a 3,500 mAh larger battery.",
        "Huawei nova 16 SE charges 21W faster.",
        "Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra offers 4 GB more RAM.",
        "Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra ships with 512 GB more storage.",
        "Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 150 MP higher-resolution main sensor."
    ],
    "faq": [
        {
            "question": "Which is better, Huawei nova 16 SE or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?",
            "answer": "Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes out ahead on our combined spec score, leading by 3.1 points. It wins on performance, camera and memory & storage. Huawei nova 16 SE can still be the better buy if your priorities sit elsewhere or if you find it at a lower street price."
        },
        {
            "question": "What is the price of Huawei nova 16 SE and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in Pakistan?",
            "answer": "Huawei nova 16 SE is listed at PKR 127,999 and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra at PKR 389,999. That makes Huawei nova 16 SE cheaper by PKR 262,000. Retail prices move often, so treat these as indicative."
        },
        {
            "question": "Which has the better camera, Huawei nova 16 SE or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?",
            "answer": "Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra scores higher in our camera assessment. Huawei nova 16 SE uses a 50 MP main sensor against 200 MP on Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, though sensor size and processing matter more than resolution alone."
        },
        {
            "question": "Which phone has the better battery, Huawei nova 16 SE or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?",
            "answer": "Huawei nova 16 SE leads on battery. Huawei nova 16 SE carries a 8500 mAh cell and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra a 5000 mAh cell, with 66W and 45W wired charging respectively."
        },
        {
            "question": "Which is better for gaming, Huawei nova 16 SE or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?",
            "answer": "Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the stronger gaming phone here. Huawei nova 16 SE runs the Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm) while Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4nm)."
        }
    ],
    "methodology": "Category scores are derived from published hardware specifications using one formula applied to every device. Categories without sufficient published data are excluded from the total rather than estimated. No paid placement, no editorial weighting.",
    "license": "Facts may be quoted with attribution to WhatMobilePK.com (https://whatmobilepk.com/)."
}