Huawei Mate 50 vs Samsung Galaxy S23+: Which Snapdragon Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ is the superior choice. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset provides a noticeable performance uplift and improved efficiency, coupled with a more polished software experience and wider 5G band support. However, the Mate 50 remains a strong contender for those prioritizing fast charging and a distinctive design.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 50 | 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 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International | 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, LTE | HSPA, LTE-A (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, September 06 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, September 28 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 161.5 x 76.1 x 8 mm (6.36 x 3.00 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· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by) |
| Weight | 202 g / 206 g (7.13 oz) | 196 g (6.91 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m 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 | Huawei Kunlun Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1224 x 2700 pixels (~442 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.6 inches, 105.3 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 90Hz | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | EMUI 13 (International), HarmonyOS 3.0 (China) | Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide) | - |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.4-f/4.0, 24mm (wide), PDAF 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), PDAF | 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, 1080p@960fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | Dual video call, Auto-HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps | 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 | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, Display Port 1.2 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| BDS Satellite Message (sending only) | 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 | 66W wired 50W wireless 5W reverse wireless | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4460 mAh | Li-Ion 4700 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Silver, Purple, Orange | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | CET-AL00, CET-LX9 | SM-S916B, SM-S916B/DS, SM-S916U, SM-S916U1, SM-S916W, SM-S916N, SM-S9160, SM-S916E, SM-S916E/DS |
| Price | About 720 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 111h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 1234077 (v9) GeekBench: 5073 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Huawei Mate 50
- Significantly faster wired and wireless charging (66W/50W)
- Unique and distinctive design aesthetic
- Potentially competitive camera performance (dependent on sensor details)
- Older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset
- Limited 4G connectivity (no 5G)
- Software experience may lag behind Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S23+
- Latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset for superior performance
- Future-proof 5G connectivity
- Excellent battery life and efficient power management
- Slower wired and wireless charging speeds (45W/15W)
- More conventional design
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
While both devices utilize 4nm chipsets, display details are limited for the Mate 50. The Galaxy S23+ boasts an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, indicating a high-quality OLED panel. The S23+'s display likely features LTPO technology, enabling adaptive refresh rates for improved battery efficiency. Without specific nit brightness figures for the Mate 50, the S23+ likely holds an advantage in outdoor visibility. The S23+'s display benefits from Samsung's extensive display expertise, promising accurate color reproduction and excellent viewing angles.
Camera Comparison
Detailed camera specs for the Mate 50 are needed for a full comparison, but its reputation centers around strong image processing. The S23+ benefits from Samsung’s advanced image processing algorithms and likely features a larger main sensor than the Mate 50. While the Mate 50 may excel in specific scenarios, the S23+ offers a more consistent and versatile camera experience across various lighting conditions. The S23+'s video capabilities are also likely superior, benefiting from the newer chipset's improved image signal processor (ISP).
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets: the Mate 50 uses the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm), while the S23+ features the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm). The 8 Gen 2’s Cortex-X3 prime core, clocked at 3.36 GHz, represents a significant architectural improvement over the X2 in the 8+ Gen 1. The S23+ also benefits from a more efficient CPU configuration (2x A715 + 2x A710 + 3x A510) compared to the Mate 50’s (1x X2 + 3x A710 + 4x A510). This translates to faster application loading, smoother multitasking, and better sustained performance under heavy loads. The S23+’s LPDDR5x RAM further enhances memory bandwidth, contributing to a snappier user experience.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23+ boasts an endurance rating of 111 hours, suggesting excellent battery life. While the Mate 50’s battery capacity is unknown, its 66W wired charging significantly outpaces the S23+'s 45W charging. The Mate 50 also offers 50W wireless charging, a substantial advantage over the S23+'s 15W wireless charging. However, the S23+'s more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset may offset the charging speed difference in real-world usage, providing comparable or even better overall battery endurance.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 50 if you prioritize extremely fast 66W wired and 50W wireless charging, and appreciate a unique, bold design language. It's also a good option if 4G connectivity is sufficient for your needs. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23+ if you demand the latest performance from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a consistently excellent camera system, and future-proof 5G connectivity, alongside a more streamlined software experience.