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Samsung finally took the wraps off the Galaxy S23 series, and introduced the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra. The new flagships come equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, an enhanced camera array on the back, and much-improved battery life. There are many more quality-of-life improvements under the hood, such as a larger vapor cooler chamber.
Did you already pick your next device? Check out the best cases for the Galaxy S23 and the iPhone 14 here.
In this guide, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy S23 vs the Apple iPhone 14, and see which of the flagships provide a better bang for your buck. We’ll take a closer look at the price, hardware, design, specifications, camera, and even the battery.
Price & Availability
Both the Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14 retail at the same starting prices, $799.99. The difference is that Samsung offers the Galaxy S23 with 256GB of base storage – at least, during the promotional pre-order period. Both devices are offered with the same storage configuration settings, and both are widely available at carriers and retailers.
During the pre-order period, you can grab the Galaxy S23 with 256GB of storage (for the price of the 128GB variant), and receive an additional $100 in Samsung Credit to use towards other products and accessories.
Technical Specifications
The Galaxy S22 goes head to head against the iPhone 14 in key aspects, such as dimensions and screen size. Both devices are equipped with top-notch chipsets, and while the iPhone 14 has less memory, it manages it efficiently. The two devices offer comparable performance when it comes to gaming and multitasking; however, Samsung and Android, in general, offer better options for multitasking and using multiple apps simultaneously.
| Category | Samsung Galaxy S23 | Apple iPhone 14 |
| Dimensions | 5.76 x 2.79 x 0.3 in (146.30 x 70.86 x 7.62mm) | 5.78 x 2.81 x 0.31 in (146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm) |
| Weight | 5.93oz (168.11g) | 6.07oz (172g) |
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| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Apple A15 Bionic |
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| Front Camera | 12 MP, f/2.2, 80-degree FoV, AF, [email protected] | 12 MP, f/1.9, PDAF, [email protected] |
| Security | Under-display fingerprint scanner, Face unlock, PIN, Pattern, Password | Face ID face unlock, PIN, Pattern, Password |
| Connectivity | 5G (sub-6GHz/mmWave), LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, UWB, NFC / Samsung Pay | 5G (sub-6GHz/mmWave), LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, UWB, NFC / Apple Pay |
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| Operating System | OneUI 5.1 (based on Android 13) | iOS 16.3 |
| Colors | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender & Lime, Graphite | Blue, Purple, Midnight, Starlight, PRODUCT (RED) |
| Price | From $799.99 | From $799.99 |
Design
There are quite a lot of design differences between the Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14. First and foremost, the iPhone 14 is more rounded, and features flat sides. The Galaxy S23 has rounded edges with curves, giving the device a completely different feel when held. The two devices are incomparable, but they feature similar dimensions, making them easily the best one-handed devices you can find on the market today.
On the other hand, there are far fewer differences when it comes to materials. Both devices feature aluminium chassis with glass front and back panels. The iPhones use an unknown version of Corning Gorilla glass panels. In contrast, the Galaxy proudly wears the latest Gorilla Glass Victus 2 glass technology, providing better protection against scratches and lessening the chances of the panels cracking.
The camera lenses also protrude on both devices, making them uneven on flat surfaces, which is less than ideal. Luckily, both phones have an endless number of cases and skin on the market, making them easy to customize to your needs.
Display
Both the Galaxy and the iPhone pack a 6.1-inch panels, but they’re marketed differently. Despite the marketing names for the panels, both feature OLED displays with similar resolutions. The two displays feature high pixel-per-inch density, and the Galaxy takes the edge by offering 120Hz refresh rate, with 240Hz touch sampling rate in Game Mode.
We do have to give credit to Apple, as even their 60Hz display feels smooth for browsing and scrolling, but it’s not quite 120Hz like on the more expensive Pro models. A this price range, it’s expected to have it by default, and the Galaxy S23 certainly wins this round.
The Galaxy S23 has a more subtle punch hole cutout, taking up very little space when compared to the iPhone’s large notch. Regarding the selfie camera, the Galaxy sports a 12MP f/2.2 sensor with autofocus, while the iPhone 14 houses a 12MP f/1.9 unit. Both cameras offer excellent performance out of the box with unique nighttime selfie opportunities.
Camera
The camera on the iPhone and Galaxy devices are some of the best on the market. Both smartphones offer flagship-level quality and are excellent for night photography, selfies, video, and more. The iPhone 14 has two camera sensors on the back, featuring a 12MP f/1.5 primary and a 12MP f/2.4 ultrawide camera.
The Galaxy S23 is equipped with a 50MP primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture and OIS. The ultrawide packs a 12MP sensor with f/2.2, and the telephoto packs a 10MP sensor with f/2.4 aperture, capable of 3x optical zoom. The new telephoto algorithm is improved, and backed up by new AI features to improve the quality. Users wanting to take advantage of the 10x optical zoom capabilities will have to rely on the new Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S23 series ship with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip with overclocked CPU and GPU cores. The new devices also pack a new, larger vapor cooling chamber, helping keep the temperatures down. As a result, the Galaxy S23 series are some of the best-performing devices on the market today.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 packs the Apple A15 Bionic chip from 2021. It’s still a capable flagship chipset, but it’s slightly behind the curve when it comes to benchmarks. In day-to-day use, it handles everything perfectly, and it’s a pleasure to multitask and play graphics-intensive titles on high settings.
Both devices are efficient and manage their memory well, and they’re excellent for those wanting to play, browse, use social apps, and multitask simultaneously. While there are differences in performance, both offer excellent performance. However, if you’re looking for the latest and the most powerful device, the Galaxy S23 will likely perform better.
Battery
The Galaxy S23 has a 3,900 mAh battery, while the iPhone 14 packs a 3,279 mAh cell. The Galaxy supports faster wired charging at 25W, and the iPhone at 20W. Both devices are advertised to go from 0% to 50% in just 30 minutes, and the two devices also support wireless charging.
The Galaxy supports 15W Qi wireless charging, while the iPhone only supports that speed with MagSafe-compatible chargers. It only supports Qi-wireless charging at 7.5W, and it lacks reverse wireless charging. That being said, both devices come with efficient chips and can easily last a full day with general use, and users can easily make it to two days – depending on usage.
Which one should you buy?
If you’re looking for raw power, one of the best camera setups, and a more responsive display, then the Galaxy S23 is the way to go. It offers faster charging, and a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. It’s an excellent device and the go-to flagship for Android users in 2023.
However, if you’re heavily invested in Apple’s ecosystem, you might want to go for the iPhone 14. It’s an excellent device with a beautiful display, excellent camera, and long-lasting battery life. The device is expected to receive 5-6 years of OS and security updates, and it’s one of the best phones, especially if you plan on holding on to it for two or more years.
The Galaxy S23 series also offer four years of OS updates, and Samsung has become one of the best OEMs at providing support for its flagship series. It’s one of the best Android smartphones on the market, and it’s an easy recommendation for most users looking for a compact, powerful device.
Perhaps, the only thing that comes to mind is the ecosystem. Users already heavily invested in the Galaxy or Apple ecosystem might find it difficult to switch, especially as they could stop working together the moment the switch is made. Sadly, there are no right or wrong answers, and whichever device you pick up, we’re certain they’ll serve you well in the foreseeable future.
