Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy S23: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S23 takes the crown with its superior performance, brighter display, faster charging, and longer battery life. However, the Pixel 7a offers a compelling alternative with its excellent camera and more affordable price point, making it a great value for budget-conscious buyers.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Google Pixel 7a | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 - GWKK3, G0DZQ | 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, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GWKK3 | 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 | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GHL1X, G82U8 | 1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, May 10 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, May 10 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 152 x 72.9 x 9 mm (5.98 x 2.87 x 0.35 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 + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 193.5 g (6.84 oz) | 168 g (5.93 oz) |
| IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~429 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.7 cm2 (~81.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR, 90Hz | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Google Tensor G2 (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G710 MP7 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 13, upgradable to Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 64 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm | - |
| Features | Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 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 |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, OIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 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 | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, PD3.0 7.5W wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4385 mAh | Li-Ion 3900 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Charcoal, Snow, Sea, Coral | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | GWKK3, GHL1X, G0DZQ, G82U8 | SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS |
| Price | € 179.90 / $ 150.00 / £ 170.00 / ₹ 25,980 | $ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990 |
| SAR | - | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.88 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.30 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 101h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -27.0 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Google Pixel 7a
- Excellent camera for the price
- Clean Android experience
- Compact and lightweight
- Good value
- Slower performance than S23
- Less bright display
- Slower charging
- No wireless charging
Samsung Galaxy S23
- Blazing-fast performance
- Bright and vibrant display
- Long battery life
- Fast charging (wired & wireless)
- Premium build quality
- Higher price
- Can be bulky for some
- Software can be bloated compared to Pixel
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 boasts a significantly brighter display (1198 nits vs 1070 nits) and an impressive infinite contrast ratio, resulting in more vibrant colors and deeper blacks. While the Pixel 7a's display is perfectly adequate, the S23's is noticeably superior. Both offer excellent viewing angles and sharpness.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer excellent camera systems. The Pixel 7a excels in computational photography, producing consistently impressive images in various lighting conditions. The Galaxy S23 offers more versatility with its multiple lenses and improved zoom capabilities. Video recording is also stronger on the S23.
Performance
The Galaxy S23's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset absolutely dominates the Pixel 7a's Tensor G2. The S23 handles demanding games and multitasking with ease, while the Pixel 7a can occasionally show signs of strain. The S23's CPU architecture is also more efficient.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23 clearly wins in the battery department. Its endurance rating of 101h significantly surpasses the Pixel 7a's 76h. The S23 also charges faster with 25W wired charging and offers wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Pixel 7a.
Buying Guide
The Google Pixel 7a is ideal for photography enthusiasts on a budget who prioritize software experience and clean Android. The Samsung Galaxy S23 is perfect for power users who demand top-tier performance, a vibrant display, and a premium build quality, and don't mind paying a premium.