HTC U12+ vs Samsung Galaxy S23+: A Generational Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ is the clear winner. Its significantly improved Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, vastly superior battery life (111h vs 64h), and faster 45W charging outweigh the U12+'s older strengths. The U12+ remains a viable option for budget-conscious users prioritizing a unique design.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | HTC U12+ | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only) | 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, 20, 28, 32, 38, 39, 49, 41, 66 | 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, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (5CA) Cat18 1200/150 Mbps | HSPA, LTE-A (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2018, May 23 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2018, June 29 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 156.6 x 73.9 x 8.7 mm (6.17 x 2.91 x 0.34 in) | 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm (6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by) |
| Weight | 188 g (6.63 oz) | 196 g (6.91 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) Pressure-sensitive buttons | 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 | 1440 x 2880 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~537 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.0 inches, 92.9 cm2 (~80.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.6 inches, 105.3 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super LCD6, HDR10 | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie), Sense UI | Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| - | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 16 MP (12 MP effective), f/2.6, 1/3.1", 1.0µm, 2x optical zoom, AF | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| 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@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), HDR, 24-bit/96kHz stereo sound rec. | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 8 MP, f/2.0, 1/4", 1.12µm 8 MP, f/2.0, 1/4", 1.12µm | - |
| Features | HDR, panorama | Dual video call, Auto-HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | 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) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, QC3, 50% in 35 min (advertised) | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Talk time | Up to 24 h (3G) | - |
| Type | Li-Ion 3500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4700 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Translucent Blue, Ceramic Black, Flame Red | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | U12, 2Q55100 | SM-S916B, SM-S916B/DS, SM-S916U, SM-S916U1, SM-S916W, SM-S916N, SM-S9160, SM-S916E, SM-S916E/DS |
| Price | About 450 EUR | $ 780.00 / C$ 1,399.99 / £ 919.08 / € 1,185.89 / ₹ 94,999 |
| SAR | - | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.04 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.7dB / Crosstalk -52.7dB | - |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 64h | Endurance rating 111h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 1818:1 (nominal), 3.085 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 77dB / Noise 73dB / Ring 99dB | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 263696 (v7) GeekBench: 9001 (v4.4) GFXBench: 20fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1234077 (v9) GeekBench: 5073 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
HTC U12+
- Unique pressure-sensitive frame
- More affordable price point
- Still a capable daily driver for basic tasks
- Outdated chipset (Snapdragon 845)
- Significantly shorter battery life
- Slower charging speeds
Samsung Galaxy S23+
- Cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 performance
- Exceptional battery life (111h endurance)
- Fast 45W wired and 15W wireless charging
- Higher price tag
- Less distinctive design compared to the U12+
- Samsung's One UI may not appeal to all users
Display Comparison
The Galaxy S23+ boasts a display with an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, suggesting a superior OLED panel capable of deeper blacks and more vibrant colors compared to the U12+'s 1818:1 nominal contrast. While the U12+ achieves a respectable 3.085 contrast ratio in sunlight, the S23+ likely benefits from higher peak brightness, enhancing outdoor visibility. The S23+ almost certainly utilizes an LTPO panel for adaptive refresh rates, conserving battery, a feature absent in the U12+. Bezels are also expected to be significantly slimmer on the S23+, contributing to a more immersive experience.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer photo and video capabilities, but the S23+ likely has a more advanced image processing pipeline. While sensor sizes aren't specified, Samsung typically employs larger sensors in its flagship devices, resulting in better low-light performance. The S23+ benefits from newer image stabilization technologies (OIS) and computational photography features. The U12+'s camera system, while capable in its time, will struggle to match the dynamic range and detail captured by the S23+. We can assume the S23+ has a more versatile camera system overall.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) in the S23+ represents a massive leap over the Snapdragon 845 (10nm) in the U12+. The 4nm process node delivers significantly improved power efficiency, meaning less heat generation and sustained performance during demanding tasks. The S23+'s CPU configuration – with a Cortex-X3 prime core – offers a substantial performance advantage over the U12+'s Kryo 385 cores. The S23+ also benefits from faster LPDDR5X RAM, further boosting responsiveness. The U12+ will handle everyday tasks, but the S23+ will excel in gaming and multitasking.
Battery Life
The endurance rating tells a clear story: 111 hours for the S23+ versus 64 hours for the U12+. This difference is attributable to the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a larger battery (likely), and optimized software. The S23+ also offers significantly faster charging – 45W wired with PD3.0, achieving 65% charge in 30 minutes, compared to the U12+'s 18W QC3, taking 35 minutes for 50%. The addition of 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging on the S23+ further enhances its convenience.
Buying Guide
Buy the HTC U12+ if you prioritize a distinctive, pressure-sensitive design and are on a very tight budget, willing to accept compromises in performance and battery life. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23+ if you demand top-tier performance, all-day battery life, fast charging, and a modern feature set, even at a higher price point.