iPhone 14 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy S23+: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S23+ edges out the iPhone 14 Plus thanks to its significantly faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, faster charging, and slightly better battery endurance. While the iPhone offers a familiar iOS experience and excellent camera quality, the S23+'s overall performance and features make it the winner.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 14 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (Dual SIM model only) |
| 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 - A2886, A2888 | 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, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2886, A2888 | 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-A (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, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2887 | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, September 07 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, October 07 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.8 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.31 in) | 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm (6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International)· eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) | Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by) |
| Weight | 203 g (7.16 oz) | 196 g (6.91 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 | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.6 inches, 105.3 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 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 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| NVMe | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide) | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | - |
| Triple | - | 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, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 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 | - |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, 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 Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh) | Li-Ion 4700 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Midnight, Purple, Starlight, Blue, Red, Yellow | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | A2886, A2632, A2885, A2888, A2887, iphone14,8 | SM-S916B, SM-S916B/DS, SM-S916U, SM-S916U1, SM-S916W, SM-S916N, SM-S9160, SM-S916E, SM-S916E/DS |
| Price | € 391.58 / $ 329.97 / £ 335.00 | $ 780.00 / C$ 1,399.99 / £ 919.08 / € 1,185.89 / ₹ 94,999 |
| SAR | 1.14 W/kg (head) 1.15 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.04 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 102h | Endurance rating 111h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.7 LUFS (Very good) | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 797976 (v9) GeekBench: 4582 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1234077 (v9) GeekBench: 5073 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 14 Plus
- Excellent video recording
- Familiar iOS ecosystem
- Good camera quality
- Long battery life
- Slower charging
- No 120Hz refresh rate
- A15 Bionic is aging
- Limited customization
Samsung Galaxy S23+
- Blazing-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Versatile camera system
- Faster charging (45W)
- 120Hz adaptive refresh rate
- Reverse wireless charging
- Android OS can be complex for some
- Samsung's One UI can be divisive
- Pricey
Display Comparison
Both phones boast stunning displays with excellent color accuracy and brightness. The iPhone 14 Plus has a 797 nits max brightness, while the S23+ is expected to be slightly brighter. Both have 'Infinite' contrast ratios (nominal), indicating excellent blacks. The S23+ has a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, offering smoother scrolling and animations, a feature the iPhone 14 Plus lacks.
Camera Comparison
Both phones have excellent camera systems. The iPhone 14 Plus excels in video recording and offers a consistent, natural look to its photos. The Galaxy S23+ boasts a more versatile camera system with improved low-light performance and more advanced features like Space Zoom. Both offer excellent photo and video quality, but the S23+ provides more creative options.
Performance
The Galaxy S23+’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a clear winner here. It offers significantly improved CPU and GPU performance compared to the iPhone 14 Plus’s A15 Bionic. Expect faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and better gaming performance on the S23+. The A15 Bionic is still capable, but it's showing its age.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23+ has a slight edge in battery life, with an endurance rating of 111 hours compared to the iPhone 14 Plus's 102 hours. However, the charging speed is where the S23+ truly shines, with 45W wired charging (advertised) versus the iPhone 14 Plus's 15W wired charging. The S23+ also offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.
Buying Guide
The iPhone 14 Plus is ideal for users deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, prioritizing ease of use, and appreciating the iOS operating system. The Galaxy S23+ is perfect for Android enthusiasts who want cutting-edge performance, a versatile camera system, and faster charging speeds.