Motorola ThinkPhone vs Samsung Galaxy S23: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S23 takes the crown overall, offering a more polished experience with a superior camera system, faster charging, and broader software support. However, the ThinkPhone boasts incredible battery life and a powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip at a potentially more attractive price point.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Motorola ThinkPhone | 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 - ROW | 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, 32, 38, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66 - ROW | 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, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - ROW | 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, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - China | 1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, January 05 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, January 29 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), aramid fibre back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 158.8 x 74.4 x 8.3 mm (6.25 x 2.93 x 0.33 in) | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 188.5 g (6.67 oz) | 168 g (5.93 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Drop-to-concrete resistance from up to 1.3m MIL-STD-810H compliant | 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 Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~399 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.6 inches, 105.2 cm2 (~89.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | P-OLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+ | 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 & 4x1.80 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 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 13, upgradable to Android 15 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.5", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm, AF Auxiliary lens | 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 | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 4K@30fps HDR10, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.0", 0.7µm - ROW model 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1.0µm - PRC model | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps | 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 | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-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, compass, barometer (North America only) | 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 | 68W wired 15W wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 3900 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Carbon Black | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | XT2309-2 | SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS |
| Price | € 249.79 | $ 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 116h | Endurance rating 101h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -21.6 LUFS (Excellent) | -27.0 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1081805 (v9) GeekBench: 4207 (v5.1) GFXBench: 90fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Motorola ThinkPhone
- Exceptional battery life
- Powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip
- Potentially more affordable
- Clean Android experience
- Slower charging speeds
- Less refined camera system
- Limited software support compared to Samsung
- Lacks reverse wireless charging
Samsung Galaxy S23
- Superior camera system
- Faster charging (wired & wireless)
- Refined user experience (One UI)
- Strong software support
- Premium build quality
- Higher price
- Battery life slightly shorter than ThinkPhone
- Charging speed not as fast as some competitors
Display Comparison
Both phones feature excellent displays with infinite contrast ratios. The Galaxy S23 edges out the ThinkPhone with a slightly higher peak brightness of 1198 nits versus 1069 nits, resulting in better outdoor visibility. Both utilize AMOLED technology, offering vibrant colors and deep blacks.
Camera Comparison
Samsung's Galaxy S23 consistently delivers superior image quality across various lighting conditions. Its camera system is more versatile, offering better zoom capabilities and more refined image processing. The ThinkPhone's camera is capable, but lacks the polish and features of the S23.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23 provides a noticeable performance advantage over the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the ThinkPhone, particularly in sustained workloads. While the ThinkPhone's chip is still incredibly powerful, the S23's newer architecture and optimizations lead to smoother multitasking and gaming. Both phones handle everyday tasks with ease.
Battery Life
The Motorola ThinkPhone shines in this category, boasting an impressive endurance rating of 116 hours. While the Galaxy S23 offers a respectable 101h endurance rating, the ThinkPhone's battery life is significantly longer. The S23 also supports faster 25W wired charging and reverse wireless charging, which the ThinkPhone lacks.
Buying Guide
The Motorola ThinkPhone is ideal for users prioritizing exceptional battery life, raw processing power, and a potentially lower price tag. The Samsung Galaxy S23 is the better choice for those who value a top-tier camera, faster charging, a refined user experience, and the Samsung ecosystem.