vivo X90 Pro+ vs Samsung Galaxy S23: A Detailed Comparison

The vivo X90 Pro+ and Samsung Galaxy S23 represent the pinnacle of smartphone technology, boasting powerful processors, stunning displays, and impressive camera systems. But which one truly deserves your money? This comprehensive comparison dives deep into every aspect, helping you make an informed decision.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

The vivo X90 Pro+ excels in charging speed and camera versatility, particularly its impressive zoom capabilities. However, the Galaxy S23 offers a more polished software experience, wider availability, and a brighter display. Ultimately, the choice depends on your priorities: camera enthusiasts might lean towards vivo, while those seeking a seamless ecosystem and reliable software will prefer Samsung.

PHONES
Phone Names vivo X90 Pro+ Samsung Galaxy S23
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 661, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE-A, 5GHSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO 1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2022, November 222023, February 01
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, December 06Available. Released 2023, February 17
Body
BuildGlass front, aluminum frame, eco leather backGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
Dimensions164.4 x 75.3 x 9.7 mm (6.47 x 2.96 x 0.38 in)146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in)
SIMDual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight221 g (7.80 oz)168 g (5.93 oz)
 IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m 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-Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Resolution1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~517 ppi density)1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density)
Size6.78 inches, 111.4 cm2 (~90.0% screen-to-body ratio)6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeLTPO4 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1800 nits (peak)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
 -Always-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 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)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
GPUAdreno 740Adreno 740
OSAndroid 13, Funtouch (Global), Origin OS 3 (China)Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM
 UFS 4.0UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0
Main Camera
FeaturesZeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, Pixel Shift, dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panoramaLED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Quad50.3 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 64 MP, f/3.5, 90mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/1.6, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.4", 0.7µm, AF, 2x optical zoom, OIS 48 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, AF-
Single32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm12 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
Video8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, 14-bit RAW video8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR, HDR10+
Single32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video1080p@30/60fps4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jack-No
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 32-bit/192kHz audio32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD5.3, A2DP, LE
Infrared portYes-
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSSGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.2, OTGUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, color spectrumFingerprint (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
Charging80W wired, 100% in 33 min (advertised) 50W wireless Reverse wired25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 4700 mAh, non-removableLi-Ion 3900 mAh
Misc
ColorsBlack, RedPhantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime
ModelsV2227ASM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS
PriceAbout 1030 EUR$ 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 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)

vivo X90 Pro+

  • Exceptional zoom capabilities
  • Faster charging (wired & wireless)
  • Unique camera features
  • Vibrant display

  • Software experience less polished than Samsung
  • Availability may be limited
  • Battery life not as impressive as S23

Samsung Galaxy S23

  • Brighter display
  • Polished software experience
  • Wide availability
  • Excellent battery life
  • Reliable camera performance

  • Slower charging speeds
  • Less impressive zoom compared to vivo
  • Design can be considered less distinctive

Display Comparison

Both phones feature excellent AMOLED displays with adaptive refresh rates. However, the Galaxy S23 boasts a measured peak brightness of 1198 nits, significantly outshining the X90 Pro+. While the X90 Pro+ offers vibrant colors, the S23's brightness provides better visibility in direct sunlight. The S23's contrast ratio is listed as 'Infinite' (nominal), suggesting excellent blacks.

Camera Comparison

The vivo X90 Pro+ shines with its versatile camera system, particularly its periscope telephoto lens offering impressive zoom capabilities. It also features a larger sensor. The Galaxy S23 delivers consistently excellent image quality with its well-tuned software and reliable performance across various lighting conditions. Video recording is strong on both, but vivo's hardware might offer a slight edge in certain scenarios.

Performance

Both devices are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but the Galaxy S23 has a slightly higher clocked prime core (3.36 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). In real-world usage, both phones offer blazing-fast performance, handling demanding games and multitasking with ease. Differences in thermal management might become apparent during extended gaming sessions.

Battery Life

The Galaxy S23 demonstrates impressive battery life, achieving an active use score of 11:27h and an endurance rating of 101h. The vivo X90 Pro+’s battery life is respectable, but not as exceptional as the S23. The X90 Pro+’s 80W wired charging is significantly faster than the S23’s 25W, and its 50W wireless charging is also faster.

Buying Guide

Who should buy the vivo X90 Pro+? Photography enthusiasts and those prioritizing fast charging and unique camera features. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S23? Users deeply invested in the Samsung ecosystem, those seeking a reliable and polished software experience, and those who value a brighter display.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Which phone has better video recording?
Both offer excellent video recording, but the vivo X90 Pro+’s hardware might provide a slight edge in certain scenarios due to its larger sensor and advanced processing.
❓ Is the vivo X90 Pro+ available in my region?
Availability of the vivo X90 Pro+ varies significantly by region. It's typically not as widely available as the Samsung Galaxy S23.