Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Google Pixel 7: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S23 boasts a brighter display, a more powerful chipset, and faster charging. However, the Pixel 7 excels in software experience and computational photography. Ultimately, the S23 is the performance king, while the Pixel 7 prioritizes a clean Android experience and exceptional camera processing.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S23 | Google Pixel 7 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 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, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - GQML3 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - GQML3 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GVU6C | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, February 01 | 2022, October 06 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, February 17 | Available. Released 2022, October 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in) | 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7 mm (6.13 x 2.88 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 168 g (5.93 oz) | 197 g (6.95 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~416 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.3 inches, 96.7 cm2 (~84.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) | AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1400 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (2x2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Google Tensor G2 (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Mali-G710 MP7 |
| OS | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 | Android 13, upgradable to Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF | 10.8 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.22µm |
| 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 | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS, 10-bit HDR |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, HDR10+ | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF | 10.8 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.22µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| 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 | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2 |
| 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, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), 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 | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 20W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 20W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3900 mAh | Li-Ion 4355 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime | Obsidian, Lemongrass, Snow |
| Models | SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS | GVU6C, GQML3, GO3Z5 |
| Price | $ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990 | € 199.00 / $ 179.26 / £ 189.99 / ₹ 28,499 |
| 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 | Endurance rating 96h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.0 LUFS (Good) | -26.2 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 813114 (v9) GeekBench: 3288 (v5.1) GFXBench: 59fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S23
- Superior Performance (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2)
- Brighter Display
- Faster Charging (25W)
- Excellent Battery Life (101h Endurance)
- Versatile Camera System
- Higher Price
- Design can be considered less unique
Google Pixel 7
- Clean Android Experience
- Exceptional Computational Photography
- Timely Software Updates
- Competitive Price
- Unique Design
- Slower Performance (Tensor G2)
- Less Bright Display
- Slower Charging (20W)
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 takes the display crown with a measured peak brightness of 1198 nits, significantly brighter than the Pixel 7's 974 nits. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), but the S23's higher brightness makes it more visible in direct sunlight. Both displays are vibrant and sharp, but Samsung's Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology provides slightly richer colors.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer excellent camera systems, but they approach photography differently. The Pixel 7 leverages Google's computational photography prowess, delivering stunning images with exceptional dynamic range and accurate colors, especially in challenging lighting conditions. The S23 offers versatile camera options and improved low-light performance thanks to the Snapdragon chip, but the Pixel 7's image processing often produces more pleasing results for casual users. Video recording is strong on both, but the S23 has a slight edge in stabilization.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23 is a clear performance winner. It's significantly faster and more efficient than the Google Tensor G2. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance on the S23. The Pixel 7's Tensor G2 is still capable, but it doesn't match the S23's raw power.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23 demonstrates superior battery endurance with an endurance rating of 101 hours compared to the Pixel 7's 96 hours. While both offer all-day battery life for moderate users, the S23 provides a bit more breathing room. The S23 also charges faster with 25W wired charging compared to the Pixel 7's 20W.
Buying Guide
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is ideal for power users, gamers, and those who prioritize raw performance and a vibrant display. The Google Pixel 7 is perfect for photography enthusiasts, those who value a clean and intuitive Android experience, and users seeking timely software updates.