The Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14 are Samsung’s and Apple’s flagship entry-level smartphones, respectively. They both share the same price and approximate size. Despite this, these great phones are fundamentally different on the inside. Be it their designs, operating systems, ports, etc., the Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14 are very different. In this comparison, we’ll break down the specs of both of them to find out which phone suits your needs better. Let’s unpack.
Price and availability
Both the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Apple iPhone 14 start at $799 in the US. You can buy them from their respective manufacturers’ online stores and major US retailers. The former phone is available in Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender shades, while the latter offers Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple and Red variants.
Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14: Specifications
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Clarification |
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Apple iPhone 14 |
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Dimensions and weight |
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Display |
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Storage |
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Battery and charging |
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Safety |
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Rear camera(s) |
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Front camera(s) |
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Port(s) |
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Connection |
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software |
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Ends |
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design
Although design is largely a subjective matter, we can still make almost objective observations to help you decide. For starters, as the above specs chart shows, the two phones are almost identical in size. While they aren’t exactly identical, they share a similar size, weight, 6.1-inch screen, and glass/aluminum build. This means it’s a tie between the two so far, even if you have a size preference.
Starting with colors, the Galaxy S23 offers four finish options, while the iPhone 14 goes for five. While this is a pro in the design department, it won’t really matter if you already like one of Samsung’s colors. After all, we usually choose a color once in a phone’s lifetime.
Moving on to the actual builds, the Galaxy S23 features a clean back with three camera lenses placed vertically towards the top left corner. The iPhone 14 also has a dual camera system that has two lenses with a diagonal range to the same angle. Both devices look modern and minimalist, so we can’t really pick a winner in this regard.
Flipping the two smartphones over reveals two gorgeous, edge-to-edge displays. The Samsung phone includes a hole for the front-facing camera, while the iPhone has a notch that houses the TrueDepth camera system. Which one is better is up to you and the overall design framework is equal as both the phones share the same features despite looking completely different.
Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14: display
Speaking of punch holes and notches, let’s move on to these 6.1-inch displays. As mentioned earlier, both these devices have edge-to-edge displays with thin bezels. The most notable difference between the two is the cuts, but this circuit goes beyond that. For starters, the Galaxy S23 supports a 120Hz refresh rate, while the iPhone 14 only settles for 60Hz. You may notice the iPhone’s inferiority when scrolling quickly through lists or focusing on transition animations. 60 Hz flag bearer smartphone is unacceptable in this era.
However, the iPhone 14 comes with a display profile. It has a slightly higher pixel density when compared to the Galaxy S23. However, the chances of noticing the difference are slim. Meanwhile, Samsung’s device has a higher maximum brightness, which will make it easier to use your phone when you’re outside on a sunny day.
Considering all these aspects, the Samsung Galaxy S23 beats the Apple iPhone 14 in the demo stage. You get more screen real estate thanks to the punch hole, higher brightness, and smoother refresh rates.
Performance
In this day and age, flagship phones rarely suffer from performance issues. After all, the mobile apps that we usually use are comparatively not very demanding. According to the benchmarks, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 outperforms the A15 Bionic in performance tests, but not in power efficiency tests. So while the CPU and CPU performance of the Galaxy S23 may be superior, the iPhone 14 manages battery power more efficiently. Although, the differences are very subtle and you probably won’t be able to tell the difference between the two.
Both phones start with a 128GB SSD. While the Galaxy S23 maxes out at 256GB, the iPhone 14 goes for 512GB. So if 256GB isn’t enough for you, the iPhone 14 gets an extra winning point. If you don’t have storage issues, a Samsung phone will do a little better. As a result, we’ll consider this round a tie, as it really comes down to whether you personally prefer the extra storage and power efficiency or performance.
Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14: Cameras
Smartphone cameras are an important item to weigh before making a purchase. After all, most of us no longer carry dedicated digital or professional cameras to capture our everyday moments. Instead, we depend on the ones included in our smartphones. At the rear, the win goes to Samsung, as the spec sheet shows. The Galaxy S23 has Wide, Ultra-Wide, and Telephoto lenses, which are superior to the iPhone 14’s non-Telephoto setup. Not to mention that the Samsung phone’s main camera also has a significantly higher resolution than Apple’s.
However, the front end is a different story. The Galaxy S23 offers a conventional lens for taking selfies and using face unlock. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 uses a TrueDepth system with a dot projector, a higher-resolution camera, and an infrared sensor. It is able to 3D-map your face, making Face ID more secure and possible in pitch black environments. If Samsung’s face unlock isn’t enough for you, you can always depend on the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
If you don’t take a lot of selfies and rarely depend on rear cameras, this round is a win for Samsung for having a more advanced rear camera system.
Battery:
With two devices that last a typical day on a single charge, let’s weigh the charging technologies instead. This round is an easy win for Samsung due to many factors. For star lovers, the Galaxy S23 has a USB Type-C port, ditching the iPhone 14’s ancient Lightning port. Additionally, it supports faster charging speeds, both in the wired and wireless sections. Most notably though, the Galaxy S23 supports Wireless PowerShare, which is basically reverse Qi wireless charging. It allows you to share your S23 battery with another Qi-compatible device, such as your headphones or smartwatch. This feature is missing on the iPhone 14. While the iPhone 14 has MagSafe support like a pro, it’s no match for the faster charging speeds and wireless Qi reverse charging on the Galaxy S23.
Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14: Which one to buy?
As our detailed description shows, the iPhone 14 hardly wins at any stage. It can be said that all rounds of the Galaxy S23 are either draws or wins. So, given that the two phones cost the same, the Samsung Galaxy S23 beats the iPhone 14 in this battle. However, keep in mind the operating systems. If you are closely connected to the Apple ecosystem and have other devices from the company, it would be more reasonable to buy the iPhone 14. Likewise, if you’re using Windows or Chrome OS, it might make more sense to get the Android-powered Galaxy S23. And don’t forget to pick up a Galaxy S23 case for extra protection.
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