iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23: The Ultimate Showdown
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S23 edges out the iPhone 13 Pro with its newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, brighter display, and slightly better battery life. However, the iPhone 13 Pro's iOS ecosystem and refined camera processing remain compelling advantages for Apple loyalists. It's a close call!
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2638, A2639, A2640 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2638, A2639 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2636 | 1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, September 14 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 24 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.30 in) | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 204 g (7.20 oz) | 168 g (5.93 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) | Adreno 740 |
| OS | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| NVMe | UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) | 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec. | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3095 mAh (12.11 Wh) | Li-Ion 3900 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | A2638, A2483, A2636, A2639, A2640, iPhone14,2 | SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS |
| Price | € 398.00 / $ 365.86 / £ 300.00 | $ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990 |
| SAR | 1.20 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.88 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.30 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 85h | Endurance rating 101h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.9 LUFS (Very good) | -27.0 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 794348 (v9) GeekBench: 4687 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
- Excellent video recording
- Seamless iOS integration
- Refined user experience
- Strong resale value
- Older chipset compared to S23
- Slightly lower battery life
- Limited customization options
Samsung Galaxy S23
- Brighter display
- Faster performance (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2)
- Versatile camera system
- Longer battery life
- Reverse wireless charging
- Android ecosystem may not appeal to all
- Software updates can be slower than iOS
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 takes the display crown with a measured peak brightness of 1198 nits, significantly brighter than the iPhone 13 Pro's 1063 nits. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal) and vibrant colors, but the S23's extra brightness shines in outdoor conditions. The iPhone 13 Pro's ProMotion 120Hz adaptive refresh rate provides smooth scrolling, a feature also found on the S23.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer exceptional camera systems. The iPhone 13 Pro excels in video recording and consistent image processing, delivering natural-looking results. The Galaxy S23 boasts a more versatile camera system with improved low-light performance and more creative shooting modes. The S23's zoom capabilities are also generally considered superior.
Performance
The Galaxy S23's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 delivers a noticeable performance boost over the iPhone 13 Pro's A15 Bionic. While the A15 is still incredibly capable, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 handles demanding tasks and games with greater ease and efficiency. Both phones offer incredibly fast and responsive performance for everyday use.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23 demonstrates slightly better battery endurance, with an endurance rating of 101h compared to the iPhone 13 Pro's 85h. Active use scores also favor the S23 (11:27h vs. estimated 9-10h for the iPhone 13 Pro). While both offer all-day battery life for moderate users, the S23 provides a bit more breathing room.
Buying Guide
The iPhone 13 Pro is ideal for users deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, prioritizing seamless integration and a polished user experience. The Galaxy S23 is a great choice for Android enthusiasts seeking cutting-edge performance, a vibrant display, and versatile camera features.