vivo X90s vs Samsung Galaxy S23+: Which Android Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ emerges as the more well-rounded flagship. While the vivo X90s boasts incredibly fast charging, the S23+'s superior thermal management, refined software experience, and longer endurance rating provide a more consistently premium experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo X90s | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (Dual SIM model only) |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 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, 8, 28, 41, 77, 88 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-A (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, June 26 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, June 30 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back or eco leather back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.1 x 74.4 x 8.5 mm or 8.9 mm | 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm (6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by) |
| Weight | 197.5 / 201.5 / 202.2 / 203.5 g (6.98 oz) | 196 g (6.91 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 |
| Resolution | 1260 x 2800 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~453 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.78 inches, 111.0 cm2 (~90.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.6 inches, 105.3 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.35 GHz Cortex-X3 & 3x3.0 GHz Cortex-A715 & 4x2.0 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) |
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 9200+ (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Immortalis-G715 MC11 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 13, OriginOS 3 | Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| - | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, Pixel Shift, dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.49", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, AF, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.0, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, AF | 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@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 35mm jack | No | - |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B2a+B2c), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, tri-band | 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 | 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) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 120W wired, 50% in 8 min Reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | 4810 mAh | Li-Ion 4700 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Red, Green | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | V2241HA | SM-S916B, SM-S916B/DS, SM-S916U, SM-S916U1, SM-S916W, SM-S916N, SM-S9160, SM-S916E, SM-S916E/DS |
| Price | About 510 EUR | $ 780.00 / C$ 1,399.99 / £ 919.08 / € 1,185.89 / ₹ 94,999 |
| SAR | - | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.04 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 111h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 1234077 (v9) GeekBench: 5073 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
vivo X90s
- Incredibly fast 120W wired charging
- Potentially competitive price point
- Powerful Dimensity 9200+ chipset
- Software experience may be less refined than Samsung
- Potential for thermal throttling under sustained load
- Battery life likely shorter than S23+
Samsung Galaxy S23+
- Excellent thermal management with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Refined software experience with One UI
- Longer battery life and endurance
- Slower charging speed compared to vivo X90s
- Higher price point
- Software bloat (though improving)
Display Comparison
The Galaxy S23+ benefits from Samsung’s display expertise, offering an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, implying deep blacks and vibrant colors. While the X90s display specs are not provided, Samsung’s panel is likely superior in peak brightness and color accuracy. The S23+’s adaptive refresh rate (LTPO) dynamically adjusts between 1-120Hz, optimizing battery life, a feature likely present but unconfirmed on the X90s. Bezels are expected to be minimal on both, but Samsung typically leads in this area.
Camera Comparison
Without detailed camera specs for the X90s, a direct comparison is challenging. However, Samsung’s image processing is renowned for its vibrant, shareable photos. The S23+ likely features a larger main sensor and more sophisticated image stabilization (OIS) than the X90s. While the X90s may excel in specific scenarios, the S23+’s consistent performance across various lighting conditions and video recording capabilities give it an advantage. We can assume both phones will offer excellent image quality, but Samsung’s software and hardware integration are likely more refined.
Performance
Both phones utilize a 4nm process, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S23+ is optimized for efficiency and sustained performance. The S23+'s CPU configuration (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3, 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715, 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710, 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) offers a slight edge in multi-core tasks compared to the X90s’ (1x3.35 GHz Cortex-X3, 3x3.0 GHz Cortex-A715, 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510). The S23+’s Adreno GPU is also generally considered more powerful than the Mali-G715 MC11 in the X90s, translating to better gaming performance. Crucially, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s improved thermal efficiency minimizes throttling during extended gaming sessions, a potential concern for the Dimensity 9200+ under sustained load.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23+ boasts an endurance rating of 111 hours, indicating excellent battery life. While the X90s’ battery capacity is unknown, the S23+’s larger battery combined with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s efficiency provides a significant advantage. The X90s’ 120W wired charging is a game-changer, achieving 50% charge in just 8 minutes, far surpassing the S23+'s 45W charging (65% in 30 minutes). However, the S23+ also offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features the X90s matches with reverse wired charging, but lacks wireless capabilities.
Buying Guide
Buy the vivo X90s if you prioritize blazing-fast charging speeds and are comfortable with a potentially less polished software experience. Its 120W charging is unmatched in this class. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23+ if you value a consistently smooth experience, excellent camera performance, and a longer-lasting battery, even if it means sacrificing the absolute fastest charging available.