The Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14, respectively, are the flagship entry-level smartphones from Samsung and Apple. Both share the same approximate price and size. Inside out, though, these excellent phones are very different. Be it their designs, operating systems, ports, etc. — the Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14 are very distinct. In this comparison, we will break down both their specs to find out which phone will suit your needs the best. Let’s decode!
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14: Price and Availability
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Apple iPhone 14 start at $799 in the United States. The former phone is available in Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender, while the latter offers Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and Red options. You can also order the Galaxy S23 directly through Samsung to access website-specific colors: Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Red.
Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14: Specifications
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Design: about the same size
Although design is largely a subjective matter, we can still make semi-objective feedback to help you decide. For starters, as the tech specs table above shows, the two phones have pretty much the same dimensions. While not exactly identical, they share the approximate size, weight, 6.1-inch screen, and glass/aluminum build. This means it’s a link between the two, even if you have a size preference.
Starting with colors, the Galaxy S23 offers eight finish options — with only four available through Samsung.com — while the iPhone 14 has five. While this is a pro in the design department, it really won’t matter if you actually like one of Samsung’s colors. After all, we usually choose the color once during the life of the phone.
Moving on to the actual designs, the Galaxy S23 features a clean back with three camera lenses stacked vertically towards the upper left corner. Likewise, the iPhone 14 has a dual camera system that includes two lenses arranged diagonally towards the same angle. Both devices look modern and minimalist, so we can’t really pick a winner in this regard.
The flip of the two smartphones reveals stunning edge-to-edge screens. The Samsung phone has a hole for the front camera, while the iPhone has a hole that houses the TrueDepth camera system. Which one looks better is up to you, and the overall design tour is a tie-breaker because both phones share a lot of the same characteristics, despite the very different looks.
Display: 120Hz vs. 60Hz
Speaking of holes and cracks, let’s move on to the 6.1-inch screens. As mentioned earlier, both devices have edge-to-edge displays with slim bezels. The most notable difference between the two is the cutouts.
Getting into the screen itself, however, is where the difference really begins. For starters, the Galaxy S23 supports 120Hz refresh rates, while the iPhone 14 settles for just 60Hz. You may notice the iPhone’s inferiority when scrolling quickly through menus or focusing on transition animations. 60 Hz on a Main Smartphone is not acceptable in this age.
Despite this, the iPhone 14 does have one positive screen. It has a slightly higher pixel density when compared to the Galaxy S23, though the chances of you noticing the difference are low. Meanwhile, Samsung’s has a higher brightness, which makes it easier to use your phone when you’re outdoors on a sunny day.
With all these aspects in mind, the Samsung Galaxy S23 beats the iPhone 14 in the show round. You get more screen real estate thanks to the hole punch, higher brightness, and smoother refresh rate.
Performance: Power vs. Storage
In this day and age, flagship phones rarely suffer from performance issues. After all, the mobile apps we usually use are not very demanding, relatively speaking. By benchmarks, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for the Galaxy beats the A15 Bionic in performance tests but not in energy efficiency tests. So while the Galaxy S23’s CPU and GPU performance could be superior, the iPhone 14 manages battery power more efficiently. However, the differences are so slight, you likely won’t be able to tell the two apart.
Both phones start with a 128GB SSD. However, the Galaxy S23 maxes out at 256GB, while the iPhone 14 maxes out at 512GB. So if 256GB isn’t enough for you, the iPhone 14 gets an extra winning point. If you don’t have storage concerns, your Samsung phone will do a little better. As a result, we’ll consider this roundup a bit of a tie, as it really depends on whether you personally prefer extra storage and power efficiency or performance.
Cameras: Rear cameras vs. TrueDepth front camera
Smartphone cameras are an important item to consider before making a purchase. After all, most of us no longer carry around digital or professional cameras meant to capture our everyday moments. Instead, we rely on the ones in our smartphones. In the back side section, the win goes to Samsung, as the technical specifications table shows. The Galaxy S23 has wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses, which edge out an order of magnitude lower than the iPhone 14. Not to mention, the primary camera on the Samsung phone also has a much higher resolution when compared to Apple’s.
But the frontal round is a different story. Galaxy S23 offers a normal lens for selfies and face unlock. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 uses the TrueDepth system with a dot matrix display, high-resolution camera, and infrared sensor. It’s capable of 3D mapping of your face, making Face ID more secure and possible in pitch-black environments. If you are not satisfied with Samsung’s face unlock feature, you can always rely on the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
Unless you take selfies heavily and rarely rely on the rear cameras, this roundup is a win for Samsung for having a more advanced rear camera system.
Battery: Samsung has faster charging
Since both devices last a typical day on a single charge, let’s balance charging techniques instead. This round is an easy win for Samsung due to multiple factors. For starters, the Galaxy S23 has a USB Type-C port, eliminating the old Lightning port in the iPhone 14. Plus, it supports faster charging speeds in both the wired and wireless departments. Notably, the Galaxy S23 supports Wireless PowerShare, which is essentially reverse Qi wireless charging. It allows you to share the S23’s battery with another Qi-compatible device, like earphones or a smartwatch. This feature remains missing on the iPhone 14. While the iPhone 14 has MagSafe support, it is in no way equal to the faster charging speeds and reverse Qi wireless charging on the Galaxy S23.
Galaxy S23 vs iPhone 14: Which should you buy?
As our detailed breakdown reflects, the iPhone 14 doesn’t quite win either round. Arguably, all rounds are either ties or wins for the Galaxy S23. If we consider that both phones cost the same price, the Samsung Galaxy S23 wins against the iPhone 14 in this battle. Though, keep operating systems in mind. If you are closely associated with the Apple ecosystem and have other devices from the company, it makes sense to buy the iPhone 14. This way, you can benefit from seamless integrations with your iPad or Mac. Likewise, if you’re on Windows or Chrome OS, it might make sense to get the Android-powered Galaxy S23. And don’t forget about it Get the Galaxy S23 case For more protection!