Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Which Android Flagship Wins?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S23 offers a more consistently polished experience. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 delivers superior sustained performance and efficiency, while the Pixel 8 Pro’s Tensor G3, though capable, lags in raw power. The Pixel 8 Pro excels in computational photography, but the S23’s overall package is more balanced.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S23 | Google Pixel 8 Pro |
| 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, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - G1MNW |
| 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, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - G1MNW |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, February 01 | 2023, October 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, February 17 | Available. Released 2023, October 12 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in) | 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm (6.40 x 3.01 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 168 g (5.93 oz) | 213 g (7.51 oz) |
| 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 2 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) | 1344 x 2992 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~489 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 108.7 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) | LTPO OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1600 nits (HBM), 2400 nits (peak) |
| 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) | Nona-core (1x3.0 GHz Cortex-X3 & 4x2.45 GHz Cortex-A715 & 4x2.15 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Google Tensor G3 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Immortalis-G715s MC10 |
| OS | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 | Android 14, upgradable to Android 16, up to 7 major Android upgrades |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Multi-zone Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Ultra-HDR, panorama, Best Take, Zoom Enhance |
| 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 | 50 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/2.8, 113mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.0, 126˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@24/30/60/120/240fps; 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 | 10.5 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.22µm, PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | 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, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), 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/7, 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, thermometer (skin temperature) |
| 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 | 30W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 50% in 30 min 23W wireless Reverse wireless Bypass charging |
| Type | Li-Ion 3900 mAh | Li-Ion 5050 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime | Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, Mint |
| Models | SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS | GC3VE, G1MNW |
| Price | $ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990 | € 362.00 / $ 289.97 / £ 329.95 / ₹ 54,999 |
| 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) | - |
Samsung Galaxy S23
- Superior sustained performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- More compact and pocketable design
- Higher battery endurance rating
- Lower peak display brightness
- Less advanced AI-powered camera features
Google Pixel 8 Pro
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility
- Advanced AI features and software experience
- Faster wireless charging and bypass charging
- Lower raw processing power compared to Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Slightly lower battery endurance
Display Comparison
The Pixel 8 Pro boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1600 nits compared to the S23’s 1198 nits. This translates to superior visibility in direct sunlight. Both displays feature an 'infinite' (nominal) contrast ratio, indicating excellent black levels. While both likely utilize LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates (not explicitly stated in the data, but standard for this class), the Pixel 8 Pro’s higher peak brightness is a clear advantage for outdoor use. The S23’s smaller size (not specified in data, but known) may appeal to users preferring a more pocketable device.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are equipped with advanced camera systems, but their approaches differ. The data doesn’t specify sensor sizes, but the Pixel 8 Pro’s strength lies in its computational photography prowess, leveraging the Tensor G3’s AI capabilities for features like Best Take and Photo Unblur. The S23, while capable in both photo and video, relies more on hardware and optical image stabilization (OIS). The Pixel 8 Pro’s image processing tends towards a more stylized look, while the S23 aims for greater color accuracy. Without detailed sensor information, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner, but the Pixel 8 Pro’s software enhancements give it an edge for casual users.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Galaxy S23’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) utilizes an octa-core configuration with a prime Cortex-X3 core clocked at 3.36 GHz. The Pixel 8 Pro’s Google Tensor G3 (4nm) employs a nona-core setup with a slightly lower clocked Cortex-X3 at 3.0 GHz. While core counts differ, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is widely recognized for its superior GPU performance and thermal efficiency. This means the S23 is likely to maintain higher frame rates for longer during intensive gaming sessions. The Tensor G3 prioritizes AI and machine learning tasks, offering features like Magic Eraser and improved voice recognition, but falls behind in sustained CPU/GPU workloads.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23 achieves an active use score of 11:27h and an endurance rating of 101h, while the Pixel 8 Pro scores 11:14h and 90h respectively. Despite a slightly lower active use score, the S23’s higher endurance rating suggests better overall efficiency. Both phones support 50% charging in 30 minutes with PD3.0, but the Pixel 8 Pro offers 30W wired charging (vs 25W on the S23) and 23W wireless charging (vs 15W on the S23). The Pixel 8 Pro also includes 'bypass charging' which reduces battery degradation, a feature absent on the S23.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 if you need a compact, powerful phone for gaming, demanding apps, and consistent performance throughout the day. It’s the ideal choice for users who prioritize speed and efficiency. Buy the Google Pixel 8 Pro if you prefer a larger display, cutting-edge AI features, and a camera system heavily focused on computational photography and post-processing, even if it means sacrificing some raw processing power.