iPhone 14 vs Samsung Galaxy S23: The Ultimate Showdown

Choosing a new smartphone can be overwhelming, especially with so many excellent options available. The Apple iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy S23 are two of the biggest contenders, each boasting impressive features and capabilities. This comprehensive comparison will break down their strengths and weaknesses to help you make an informed decision.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Galaxy S23 edges out the iPhone 14 thanks to its brighter display, more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and faster charging. While the iPhone 14 offers a familiar iOS experience and excellent camera, the S23 provides a more modern and feature-rich package overall.

PHONES
Phone Names Apple iPhone 14 Samsung Galaxy S23
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 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 - A2882, A28841, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2882, A28841, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 MbpsHSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / 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 - A28831, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2022, September 072023, February 01
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, September 16Available. Released 2023, February 17
Body
BuildGlass front, glass back, aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
Dimensions146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.31 in)146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 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 + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight172 g (6.07 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
ProtectionCeramic Shield glassCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Resolution1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density)
Size6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio)6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeSuper 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
CPUHexa-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)
ChipsetApple A15 Bionic (5 nm)Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
GPUApple GPU (5-core graphics)Adreno 740
OSiOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM
 NVMeUFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0
Main Camera
Dual12 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)-
FeaturesDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Single12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF
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
Video4K@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@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR, HDR10+
Single12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 -32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE5.3, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSSGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBLightning, USB 2.0USB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFingerprint (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)
Battery
ChargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Ion 3279 mAh (12.68 Wh)Li-Ion 3900 mAh
Misc
ColorsMidnight, Purple, Starlight, Blue, Red, YellowPhantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime
ModelsA2882, A2649, A2881, A2884, A2883, iphone14,7SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS
Price€ 344.00 / $ 277.58 / £ 300.00 / ₹ 64,900$ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990
SAR1.15 W/kg (head)     1.16 W/kg (body)0.95 W/kg (head)     0.88 W/kg (body)
SAR EU0.98 W/kg (head)     0.98 W/kg (body)0.96 W/kg (head)     1.30 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life Endurance rating 90h Endurance rating 101h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -25.2 LUFS (Very good) -27.0 LUFS (Good)
Performance AnTuTu: 817125 (v9) GeekBench: 4761 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Apple iPhone 14

  • Seamless iOS experience
  • Excellent video recording
  • Refined design
  • Strong resale value

  • Slower charging speeds
  • Less versatile camera
  • Limited customization options
  • No expandable storage

Samsung Galaxy S23

  • Brighter and more vibrant display
  • Faster performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  • More versatile camera system
  • Faster charging
  • Reverse wireless charging

  • OneUI can be overwhelming for some
  • Design is less distinctive
  • Software updates can be slower than iOS

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S23 takes a clear lead in the display department. Its measured peak brightness of 1198 nits significantly surpasses the iPhone 14's 804 nits, resulting in better outdoor visibility. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), but the S23's vibrancy and brightness give it an edge. The iPhone 14's display is still very good, but not as impressive.

Camera Comparison

Both phones offer excellent camera systems. The iPhone 14 excels in computational photography and video recording, delivering consistently good results. The Galaxy S23 boasts a more versatile camera setup with improved low-light performance and more advanced features like Space Zoom. Ultimately, camera preference is subjective, but the S23 offers more flexibility.

Performance

The Galaxy S23's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a powerhouse, offering noticeably faster performance than the iPhone 14's A15 Bionic. While the A15 is still capable, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 handles demanding tasks and games with greater ease and efficiency. Expect smoother multitasking and quicker app loading times on the S23.

Battery Life

The Galaxy S23 demonstrates slightly better battery endurance, with an endurance rating of 101h compared to the iPhone 14's 90h. While both offer all-day battery life for most users, the S23 provides a bit more breathing room. The S23 also supports 25W wired charging, significantly faster than the iPhone 14's 15W wired charging.

Buying Guide

The iPhone 14 is ideal for users deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, prioritizing ease of use, and appreciating a refined design. The Galaxy S23 is a better choice for Android enthusiasts, those seeking top-tier performance, a vibrant display, and versatile camera features.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Which phone has better software support?
Apple iPhones generally receive longer software support and faster updates than Samsung Galaxy phones.
❓ Is the iPhone 14 worth buying in 2024?
The iPhone 14 remains a capable phone, but the Galaxy S23 offers more advanced features and performance for a similar price.