Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro vs. Galaxy S23: A Head-to-Head Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S23 is the clear winner for most users, offering superior performance, a stunning display, and a top-tier camera system. However, the XCover6 Pro shines for those needing a durable, rugged phone with excellent grip and glove mode, making it ideal for demanding work environments.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 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, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 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, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 78 SA/NSA | 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, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, June 29 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, July 13 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 168.8 x 79.9 x 9.9 mm (6.65 x 3.15 x 0.39 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 | 235 g (8.29 oz) | 168 g (5.93 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 35 min) Drop-to-concrete resistance from up to 1.5m MIL-STD-810H compliant* *does not guarantee ruggedness or use in extreme conditions | 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 2408 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.6 inches, 104.9 cm2 (~77.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | PLS LCD, 120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3x2.2 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G (6 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 642L | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 12, upgradable to Android 15, One UI 7 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | - |
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 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 |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, charging connector pins | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/mc/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Samsung DeX support | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired (USA) 15W wired (International) | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4050 mAh, removable | Li-Ion 3900 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | SM-G736U, SM-G736U1, SM-G736B, SM-G736B/DS | SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS |
| Price | $ 155.92 / C$ 329.97 / £ 249.00 / € 199.99 | $ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990 |
| SAR | 1.03 W/kg (head) 1.08 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.88 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 1.48 W/kg (head) 1.23 W/kg (body) | 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 XCover6 Pro
- Rugged and durable design
- Glove mode support
- Excellent grip
- Water and dust resistant (IP68, MIL-STD-810H)
- Removable battery cover (for battery replacement)
- Lower performance than flagship phones
- Less impressive camera
- Less vibrant display
- Slower charging speeds
Samsung Galaxy S23
- Flagship performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Stunning AMOLED display
- Exceptional camera system
- Fast charging (wired and wireless)
- Premium design and build quality
- More expensive
- Less rugged than the XCover6 Pro
- Non-removable battery
Display Comparison
The Galaxy S23 boasts a significantly brighter and more vibrant display with a peak brightness of 1198 nits and an infinite contrast ratio. Its Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel offers smoother visuals and richer colors. The XCover6 Pro's display is functional and durable, but lacks the same level of visual fidelity. It's a standard AMOLED, adequate for outdoor visibility but not exceptional.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S23's camera system is a major highlight, offering exceptional image quality, versatile zoom capabilities, and impressive video recording. The XCover6 Pro's camera is decent for basic photography, but falls far short of the S23's capabilities in terms of detail, dynamic range, and low-light performance.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S23 delivers vastly superior performance compared to the Snapdragon 778G in the XCover6 Pro. Expect faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and better gaming performance on the S23. The XCover6 Pro is still capable for everyday tasks, but struggles with demanding applications.
Battery Life
Both phones offer respectable battery life, with the S23 demonstrating an active use score of 11:27h and an endurance rating of 101h. The XCover6 Pro's battery capacity is slightly smaller, but its efficiency allows for comparable real-world usage. The S23's faster charging (25W wired, 15W wireless) is a significant advantage.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro? Construction workers, first responders, warehouse staff, or anyone needing a phone that can withstand drops, dust, and water. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S23? Everyday users, photography enthusiasts, and those seeking the latest technology and premium features.