Samsung Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14 Pro - compared

Posted:
in General Discussion edited February 2023
Samsung has released its answer to the iPhone 14 Pro and other smartphones. Here's how the Galaxy S23 compares against the iPhone 14 Pro.

Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14 Pro
Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14 Pro


Samsung has officially introduced its new array of smartphones, which includes the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra, a few months after Apple released its iPhone 14 lineup.

The firm unveiled the new gadgets on February 1 during its Unpacked event, as it does every year during the first quarter of a year. As expected, the most recent versions offer several enhancements and additions over the 2022 Galaxy line.



Despite being the entry-level model in the Samsung lineup, the Galaxy S23 is comparable to the iPhone 14 Pro in some ways.

Galaxy S23 versus iPhone 14 Pro - Specifications

SpecificationsSamsung Galaxy S23iPhone 14 Pro
Price (starting)$799.00
Buy at Samsung
$999.00
Check prices
Dimensions (inches)5.76 x 2.79 x 0.35.81 x 2.81 x 0.31
Weight (ounces)5.937.27
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 (Gen 2)A16 Bionic
Storage128GB
256GB
128GB
256GB
512GB
1TB
Display6.1 Dynamic AMOLED 2X6.1 Super Retina XDR
Resolution2340 x 1080 at 425ppi2556 x 1179 at 460
BiometricsFace DetectionFace ID
ConnectivityBluetooth 5.3
Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.3
Wi-Fi 6
Rear Cameras50MP Wide
12MP Ultra Wide
10MP Telephoto
48 Main
12MP Ultra Wide
12MP Telephoto
Front Camera12MP12MP TrueDepth
Battery3,900mAh3,200mAh
ColorsPhantom Black
Cream
Green
Lavender
Space Black
Silver
Gold
Deep Purple

Galaxy S23 versus iPhone 14 Pro - Display

A Super Retina XDR Display using OLED technology is found on the iPhone 14 Pro, which has a pixel density of 460 and a resolution of 2,556 by 1,179.

It's an always-on display with ProMotion technology that has adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, and a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1. The iPhone also has a max brightness of 1,000 nits, 1,600 brightness for HDR content, and it can push to 2,000 nits peak brightness outdoors.

A Super Retina XDR Display using OLED technology is found on the iPhone 14 Pro
A Super Retina XDR Display using OLED technology is found on the iPhone 14 Pro


The Galaxy S23 display is 6.1 inches, with a resolution of 2,340 by 1,080 pixels and a density of 425 pixels per inch. Unlike the iPhone 14 Pro, Samsung uses Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology in the Galaxy S23 display. But it similarly offers refresh rates at up to 120Hz, and a touch sampling rate of 240Hz in Game Mode.

As a type of OLED display, AMOLED technology offers a few advantages, such as consuming less power and showing more vibrant colors. These displays are also thinner and more flexible, as evident in Samsung's folding smartphones.

However, AMOLED technology tends to be more expensive than OLED and is less visible in direct sunlight. The iPhone's display can reach 2,000 nits in outdoor settings, giving it an advantage over the Galaxy S23.

Galaxy S23 versus iPhone 14 Pro - Processor

The second-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 powers the Galaxy S23 with four performance cores and three efficiency cores. It also has an Adreno GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing for gaming for better lighting, shadows, and illumination effects.

It offers improvements in artificial intelligence, such as up to 4.35x faster performance than the previous generation.




For instance, Qualcomm built its first camera processor with artificial intelligence into the chip. Its image signal processor supports 8K video capture in 10-bit HDR and photo capture at up to 200 megapixels.

Similar to Apple's computational photography process, the Snapdragon 8 has Real-Time Semantic Segmentation. During processing, the chip can independently apply different noise reduction, sharpening, and color correction levels in up to eight photo layers.

Qualcomm has also added Bokeh Engine 2 to the new processor, which can adjust the blurred background's quality, intensity, and shape in portrait-style images and videos. Other enhancements in the photography features include greater local tone mapping, improved image stabilization, and updated auto exposure, compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

On Apple's side, an A16 Bionic chip powers the iPhone 14 Pro, and the CPU of six cores has four for efficiency and two for performance. It also has a 16-core Neural Engine capable of nearly 17 trillion operations per second, and a 5-core GPU.




Benchmarks for A16 Bionic on an iPhone 14 Pro show a single-core score of 1,882 and a multi-core score of 5,584.

Benchmarks for the Galaxy S23 have yet to be released, but CPU scores leaked in February. The Galaxy S23 showed that it managed 1,473 in single-core performance and 4,718 for multi-core performance.

Those scores bring it into the vicinity of the A16 Bionic, although real-world usage will provide a better idea of how it fares against Apple's optimized chip design for its software and hardware.

Geekbench shows a Metal score of 15,386 for the A16 Bionic chip found inside the iPhone 14 Pro. Although the Galaxy S23 doesn't have GPU scores yet, some benchmarks show it exceeding the A16 in some charts, but falling behind in others. For example, while it doesn't list numbers, the chart for 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited shows the two chips pretty close in score.

Galaxy S23 versus iPhone 14 Pro - Battery

With a 3,200mAh battery, the iPhone 14 Pro can run up to 23 hours of video playback and up to 20 hours of streamed video. It can deliver up to 75 hours of audio playback, however.

The Galaxy S23's battery has a 3,900mAh capacity, and its battery life will be known once reviewers test it.

Although Samsung's smartphone has a higher capacity than the iPhone 14 Pro, it may not necessarily beat it based on specs alone. Apple's A-series of processors tend to perform better than Snapdragon, including power efficiency.

The Galaxy S23's battery has a 3,900mAh capacity
The Galaxy S23's battery has a 3,900mAh capacity


Apple claims that the iPhone 14 Pro can reach up to a 50% battery charge in 30 minutes when using a 20W or higher charging adapter. Samsung lists similar charging for the Galaxy S23, except it requires a 25W charger to meet 50% battery in 30 minutes.

Cables are another difference, as the Galaxy S23 has a USB-C port, and the iPhone 14 Pro has a Lightning port.

With MagSafe on the iPhone 14 and Qi on the Galaxy S23, both smartphones have the option of wireless charging. MagSafe, at 15W of power, can charge an iPhone 14 Pro in roughly two hours.

Fast-charging time isn't known yet for the Galaxy S23, but Samsung's Fast Charging 2.0 reaches around the same time, as seen in some reviews.

Galaxy S23 versus iPhone 14 Pro - Cameras

The Galaxy S23's primary camera system consists of a 50-megapixel wide camera with f/1.8 aperture, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens with f/2.2 aperture, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture and 3x optical zoom. Its front camera boasts a 12-megapixel lens with an f/2.2 aperture.

Apple made several updates to the camera system when it debuted the iPhone 14 Pro
Apple made several updates to the camera system when it debuted the iPhone 14 Pro


Apple made several updates to the camera system when it debuted the iPhone 14 Pro. For example, a new Photonic Engine significantly improves low-light performance in photos across all the cameras.

It applies the Deep Fusion computational photography earlier in the imaging process to preserve textures and details and offers improved color. The iPhone 14 Pro also introduces a 48MP 24mm Main camera with a quad-pixel sensor and f/1.78 aperture.

For most photos, the quad-pixel sensor combines every four pixels into one sizeable quad-pixel equivalent to 2.44 microns, resulting in better low-light capture. The sensor also benefits pro workflows, optimizing for detail in ProRAW.

The quad-pixel sensor also allows for a 2x Telephoto option on the 48MP camera, which employs the center 12 megapixels of the sensor to produce 4K films and full-resolution images without using digital zoom.

The new 12MP Ultra Wide camera on the iPhone 14 Pro has 1.4-micron pixels, improving macro photography capabilities by producing crisper, more detailed photographs. The aperture of the camera is f/2.2 with a 120-degree field of view.

The 12MP Telephoto camera on the iPhone 14 Pro has an f/2.8 aperture and a 3x optical zoom range. Additionally, a new TrueDepth camera system on the front sports an f/1.9 aperture for improved low-light selfie and video performance and brings autofocus in the front camera for the first time.

Galaxy S23 versus iPhone 14 Pro - Pricing

Pricing for the iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999 with 128GB of storage with upgrade options for 256GB at $1,099, 512GB for $1,299, and 1TB for $1,499 at the highest tier.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 starts with 128GB of storage at $799 with an upgrade to 256GB for $859, which is less expensive than Apple's upgrade options.

The iPhone 14 Pro comes in Silver, Space Black, Gold, and Deep Purple. On the Samsung side, the S23 color options are Green, Lavender, Phantom Black, and Cream.

While supplies last, Samsung also offers Graphite and Lime colors for the handset. Another limited-time feature is a free upgrade to 256GB of storage when customers preorder the device.

Galaxy S23 versus iPhone 14 Pro - What to Buy

The larger 50MP sensor on the Galaxy S23 may tempt some mobile photographers. The architecture on the chip powers real-time Semantic Segmentation to recognize and optimize each aspect within a frame -- like faces, hair, clothes, and backgrounds -- during the capturing process.

However, another factor to consider is the iPhone 14 Pro, with more storage options for high-quality photos and videos. Higher storage is mainly for people who like to keep their files offline on their devices instead of offloading them to the cloud.

Processing on each device is pretty similar, and the Galaxy S23 doesn't fall too far behind the iPhone 14 Pro. But, of course, Apple optimizes its entire stack of hardware, software, and chips to work efficiently together.

The Galaxy S23 is a worthy opponent, and those who are platform-agnostic and don't make a fuss about the operating system may consider it a worthwhile purchase. It's also more affordable than the iPhone 14 Pro at $799, although wireless carrier incentives are offering deals on Apple's iPhone.

Buyers can preorder the Galaxy S23 now, and it starts shipping on February 17.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    Curbstomp by a half year old iPhone. 

    The s23 can compete with the iPhone 15 and see how that goes. 

    $799 to start for a Samsung android phone? LOL

    ANYTHING above the price of free for an android phone is too much. Especially one that’s late to the party and still loses. 
    edited February 2023 watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 15
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 1,070member
    JP234 said:
    The features are irrelevant. Unless you don't own any digital devices, if you have Apple devices, you buy an Apple phone. If you have Windows or Android devices, you buy an Android phone. It would be terminally stupid to do anything else.

    End of story.
    Actually, since no one (yet) in Windows or Android offers the seamless integration of Apple over so many products, the loyalty to an ecosystem is not nearly as strong as it is with Apple customers. "Switchers" are an important part of how Apple continues to do better than the PC and mobile phone market overall. Google would seem to have the best shot at creating an ecosystem to rival Apple's, but their hardware isn't as good as Apple's yet, and they have gaps in their product line that Apple doesn't. 
    edited February 2023 watto_cobrachia
  • Reply 3 of 15
    MadbumMadbum Posts: 536member
    Lol Samsung … What a shit show….
    pulseimageswatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 15
    XedXed Posts: 2,822member
    JP234 said:
    The features are irrelevant. Unless you don't own any digital devices, if you have Apple devices, you buy an Apple phone. If you have Windows or Android devices, you buy an Android phone. It would be terminally stupid to do anything else.

    End of story.
    So you don't think people who use WinPCs own iPhones? In my experience, about half the people I know still use WinPCs and most of them use iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches in various combinations. Additionally, the iPhone and iPad have been Apple's biggest reason and lead-in for "switchers".

    Somehow you have the mental capacity to find your way to this forum but still can't make a rational comment to save your life. 🤦‍♂️
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 15
    MadbumMadbum Posts: 536member
    Satellite sos? Samsung?

    Try  again next year lol
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 15
    For those interested in image quality beyond specs: /lux.camera/iphone-14-pro-camera-review-a-small-step-a-huge-leap/

    The main lens: "I have simply never gotten image quality like this out of a phone."

    The UWA:  "Corners are still highly distorted and soft at times, despite excellent automatic processing from the system to prevent it from looking too fish-eye like"

    Would a similar comparison for the S23 be helpful...?
  • Reply 7 of 15
    Summary for me is that Apple clearly maintains the silicon design crown with a huge margin. Outperforming snapdragon which has double the performance cores is incredible.

    samsung clearly benefits from their wider portfolio of engineering components such as screens. It does feel like the gap has closed though and Apple is in parity.

    overall healthy competition for Apple while reinforcing Apples lead and end to end ecosystem advantage.

    Hopefully the compute edge will increasingly translate into software advantage and it does feel like Apples silicon team is executing better and faster than the iOS team. Hard challenge to overcome and may be a worth while investment to double down on software dev capacity and experimentation.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 15
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,323member
    Is this article comparing the "base" S23 to the "Pro" iPhone? That doesn't seem fair.
  • Reply 9 of 15
    Base S23 should be compared with basic iPhone 14 not the Pro but I think AI knows that but did this anyway! 

    The difference in performance, past indications of battery life and pixel density alone make it a class lower! 

    Stop playing!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 15
    nubusnubus Posts: 576member
    A lot of numbers without the essentials.

    1. S23 is the first to use Gorilla Glass Victus 2 - how does this compare to Ceramic Shield? Will it make Apple improve with iPhone 15?
    2. S23 is the first Galaxy S to no longer use a Samsung CPU - not even outside US making this a major leap forward for most.
    3. S23 is using the Qualcomm X70 modem with 5G AI-enhanched tech and 60% better energy efficiency than iPhone 14 Pro (X65). The chip is also supporting Iridium for communication.
    It seems Samsung is doing innovation just Gillette. 50 mpix? We will do a gazillion! 4K video? We will do 8K - with 8 GB memory. The current Apple likes talking numbers but Samsung is reduced to incoherent hardware specs.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 15
    XedXed Posts: 2,822member
    JP234 said:
    Xed said:
    JP234 said:
    The features are irrelevant. Unless you don't own any digital devices, if you have Apple devices, you buy an Apple phone. If you have Windows or Android devices, you buy an Android phone. It would be terminally stupid to do anything else.

    End of story.
    So you don't think people who use WinPCs own iPhones? In my experience, about half the people I know still use WinPCs and most of them use iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches in various combinations. Additionally, the iPhone and iPad have been Apple's biggest reason and lead-in for "switchers".

    Somehow you have the mental capacity to find your way to this forum but still can't make a rational comment to save your life. 🤦‍♂️
    I know they do. You obviously do. But your decision to do so is terminally stupid. Note I criticized your decision, not you personally, the way you did me. Ad hominem insults are not the stuff of this forum. You'd probably be happier on Twitter, Truth Social or Breitbart.com, where you can trade rude and racist remarks with like-minded Androids.
    My decision to do what now?

    As for crying about being insulted, maybe you should read what you write and then edit before attacking others. OK, boomer?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 15
    XedXed Posts: 2,822member
    mbgold1 said:
    Base S23 should be compared with basic iPhone 14 not the Pro but I think AI knows that but did this anyway! 

    The difference in performance, past indications of battery life and pixel density alone make it a class lower! 

    Stop playing!
    I'd like to see all the latest devices compared as there are some features in the S23, like the camera specs, that are more inline with 14 Pro.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 15
    KITAKITA Posts: 409member
    Summary for me is that Apple clearly maintains the silicon design crown with a huge margin. Outperforming snapdragon which has double the performance cores is incredible.
    What? The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has only one high performance "Prime" core, which is still smaller than one of Apple's high performance cores.

    Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 tra 32 bit e 64 bit  Hardware Upgrade
    • 1x Cortex X3
    • 2x Cortex A715
    • 2x Cortex A710
    • 3x Cortex A510
    I'd also note, the processor in the S23 isn't a standard "Snapdragon 8 Gen 2", it's a higher binned chip, the "Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy" which also has higher clock speeds.

    Snapdragon 8 Gen 2:
    • CPU @ 3.2 GHz
    • GPU @ 680 MHz
    Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy:
    • CPU @ 3.35 GHz
    • GPU @ 720 MHz
    Qualcomm is still using stock ARM cores, their NUVIA cores have yet to make their debut.

    In terms of GPU, the non-Galaxy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is already ahead of the A16, so not much needs to be said there:




    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 14 of 15
    KITAKITA Posts: 409member
    Madbum said:
    Satellite sos? Samsung?

    Try  again next year lol
    https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2023/01/qualcomm-introduces-snapdragon-satellite--the-world-s-first-sate

    Snapdragon® Satellite offers truly global coverage1 from pole to pole and can support two-way messaging for emergency use, SMS texting, and other messaging applications – for a variety of purposes such as emergencies or recreation in remote, rural and offshore locations.

    At CES 2023, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced Snapdragon Satellite — the world’s first satellite-based two-way capable messaging solution for premium smartphones. Snapdragon Satellite will provide global connectivity using mobile messaging from around the world1, starting with devices based on the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform.

    Qualcomm-image

    Powered by Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF Systems and supported by the fully operational Iridium® satellite constellation, Snapdragon Satellite will enable OEMs and other service providers to offer truly global coverage. The solution for smartphones utilizes Iridium’s weather-resilient L-band spectrum for uplink and downlink.

    Emergency messaging on Snapdragon Satellite is planned to be available on next-generation smartphones, launched in select regions starting in the second half of 2023.

    The S23 phones should be able to support Snapdragon Satellite when it's available later this year.



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