All the Details for Samsung and Apple’s Flagship Phones, the Galaxy S23 vs. the iPhone 14
For $800, both the Galaxy S23 and the iPhone 14 are excellent smartphones. We detail the specifications of each phone so you can see what makes them unique.
The Samsung Galaxy S23, Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra were among the three Galaxy S23 models that Samsung unveiled earlier this month during the company’s Feb. 1 Unpacked event in San Francisco. The new phones appear to be in line to rank among the best phones of the year because of their abundance of features and camera upgrades. While we are currently reviewing the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus, you may read Lisa Eadicicco’s assessment of Samsung’s most costly phone, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, to see how it performs.
Galaxy S23 series from Samsung
Preorders for Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy S23 flagship series are now open, and the handsets will arrive on February 17. With various Galaxy S23 preorder bargains currently available at Samsung, Best Buy, all the major phone carriers, and other places, you can save on the newest gadgets.
Despite being one of the year’s first significant innovation launches, the phone market is very competitive. Last fall, Apple and Google both introduced new iterations of their respective flagship lineups: Apple with the Phone 14 and Google with the Pixel 7. And new gadgets, like the OnePlus 11 5G, will soon be available.
Apple’s primary camera sensors aren’t as high-resolution as Samsung’s in terms of cameras. Only a 12MP main camera sensor and a 12MP ultrawide camera are available in Apple’s entry-level iPhone 14 devices. You can only get a 48MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide, as well as a 12MP telephoto lens to capture additional detail, if you choose the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max. On the other side, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus have a 50MP primary, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto lens. You can also get a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto lens if you spend more money on the S23 Ultra.
When comparing shots taken with the S22 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro last year, we noted that having more megapixels does not necessarily result in better photos. In order to enhance light, Samsung’s camera sensor frequently groups pixels together, yet this actually produces more manageable 12-megapixel images. If you want, you can capture a 200- or 50-megapixel photo, but that level of detail is excessive for the typical 4×6 print.
Only a quick summary of some of the key distinctions between the Galaxy S23 series from Samsung and the iPhone 14 is provided. We’ve compiled all of the raw specifications in the chart below if you want to learn more about connectivity, storage possibilities, and other aspects.
Samsung Galaxy S23 specs vs. Apple iPhone 14
| Galaxy S23 | iPhone 14 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution, brightness | 6.1-inch AMOLED; FHD+ (1,080×2,340 pixels); 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate; 1,750 nits | 6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels; 1,200 nits |
| Pixel density | 425 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 2.79 x 5.76 x 0.3 inches | 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 70.9 x 146.3 x 7.6mm | 147 x 72 x 7.8mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 5.93 oz.; 168.1g | 6.07 oz.; 172g |
| Mobile software | Android 13 | iOS 16 |
| Camera | 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 10-megapixel (telephoto) | 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) |
| Front-facing camera | 12-megapixel | 12-megapixel |
| Video capture | 8K at 30 fps | 4K at 60 fps |
| Processor | Galaxy-optimized Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Apple A15 Bionic |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB RAM + 128GB 8GB RAM + 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Expandable storage | None | None |
| Battery/Charging speeds | 3,900 mAh (25W wired charging) | Undisclosed; Apple claims 20 hours of video playback (25W wired charging) |
| Fingerprint sensor | In-display | None (Face ID) |
| Connector | USB-C | Lightning |
| Headphone jack | None | None |
| Special features | 5G, 120Hz display, water-resistant (IP68), wireless PowerShare to charge other devices | 5G enabled; MagSafe; water-resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (e-SIM) |
| Price off-contract (USD) | $800 (8GB/128GB) | $799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB) |
| Price (GBP) | £769 (8GB/128GB) | £849 (128GB) |
| Price (AUD) | AU$1,249 (8GB/128GB) | AU$1,399 (128GB) |
Last but not least, it would be impossible to compare Samsung and Apple phones without mentioning their respective operating systems. Apple’s iPhone 14 ships with iOS 16, whereas Samsung’s S23 devices ship with Android 13. The decision as to which operating system to choose often comes down to personal preference. Android excels at flexibility and customisation, while Apple’s mobile operating system is renowned for its simplicity. Then there’s the ecosystem of devices you’d be opting into to consider.
Despite this, there are other similarities between the two, including the ability to edit and reverse sent messages and a Live Text function that can extract text from images and videos. The other changes range from slight to major. Android phones, for instance, are unable to add widgets to the lock screen while having a wide variety of customization choices. Also, they are missing Apple’s brand-new drag-and-drop Visual Look Up feature, which enables you to extract an item from a photo and transfer it into another program as a stand-alone object.
