Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Apple iPhone 14

We’ve compared the Galaxy S23 with the iPhone 14 Pro earlier this year, and now we’ll do the same with the vanilla iPhone 14. In other words, in this article, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Apple iPhone 14. These two phones are the most affordable representatives of their respective lineups, the Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14 series. Their price tags are also not all that different, so this comparison definitely makes sense.

Having said that, the two phones do have a similar shape, and are similar in terms of size. Their in-hand feel is different, and they differ on a number of other levels. We’ll first list their specifications, and will then move to compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. So… let’s get started, shall we?

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Apple iPhone 14: Design

Both of these smartphones are fairly compact, and have rounded edges. The Galaxy S23 is very slightly curved on the sides, while the iPhone 14 has flat sides all around. A display camera hole is centered at the top of the Galaxy S23’s display, while the phone has thin bezels. The iPhone 14 has a display notch at the top, and rather thin bezels too, though thicker than the Galaxy S23.

Both devices do feature flat displays, and their backplates are also flat. The Galaxy S23 includes three cameras on the back. All three are placed in the top-left corner, and vertically-aligned. The iPhone 14 has two cameras on the back, and they’re both a part of the same camera island. The two phones are almost equally tall and thick, while the iPhone 14 is slightly wider.

They also weigh about the same. The Galaxy S23 is 4 grams lighter at 168 grams. That’s not really a difference you’ll notice, though. Both phones do feel like premium products in the hand, and both are made out of metal and glass. Do note that the Galaxy S23 does feel a bit more comfortable to hold, though. Both are rather easy to use with one hand, due to their size, at least compared to their larger counterparts.

Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Apple iPhone 14: Display

There is a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display included on the Galaxy S23. That display has a 120Hz refresh rate, and it supports HDR10+ content. It also gets quite bright at 1,750 nits of peak brightness. That panel has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and it’s flat. Samsung opted for Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection here.

The iPhone 14, on the other hand, features a 6.1-inch 2532 x 1170 Super Retina XDR OLED display. This panel is also flat, and it supports HDR10 content. Dolby Vision is also supported here, while this panel gets up to 1,200 nits of brightness at its peak. We’re looking at a 19.5:9 display aspect ratio here. The Ceramic Shield glass protection has been used by Apple.

So, as you can see, not only are their display sizes identical, but their aspect ratios too. One major advantage that the Galaxy S23’s display has is the refresh rate. It offers a 120Hz refresh rate, compared to 60Hz only on the iPhone 14. That is definitely a difference that you’ll notice. The Galaxy S23’s panel also gets noticeably brighter. They both offer good viewing angles, and good touch response. The colors are quite vivid on both phones, while the blacks are deep, as you’d expect.

Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Apple iPhone 14: Performance

The Samsung Galaxy S23 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. The phone also includes 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 3.1 or 4.0 flash storage. Do note that only its 128GB storage option has UFS 3.1 storage, all other models include faster UFS 4.0 storage. The iPhone 14 is fueled by the Apple A15 Bionic SoC. It also includes 6GB of RAM and NVMe storage, in case you were wondering.

That being said, both of these phones perform admirably. That goes for both regular, day-to-day tasks, and even more demanding tasks, such as gaming. They’re both quite smooth, even though they feel different to use due to differences between Android and iOS, of course. Opening apps, consuming multimedia, browsing, and various other tasks feel great on both phones.

When it comes to gaming, they both shine. You can run basically any game from their respective app stores without a problem, that goes for even the most demanding titles out there. You don’t have to worry about the performance on either phone, at least at the moment.

Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Apple iPhone 14: Battery

Samsung included a 3,900mAh battery inside the Galaxy S23. The iPhone 14, on the flip side, has a 3,279mAh battery. Do note that iPhones need smaller batteries than Android phones, which is why you’re seeing a difference here. In fact, despite the fact it has a smaller battery, the iPhone 14 could easily deliver better battery life. It will, of course, depend on your usage, but we’ve noticed better results from the iPhone 14.

The Galaxy S23 is able to provide around 6 hours of screen-on-time. That was, at least the case for us. That is battery life with regular use, without gaming thrown into the mix. The iPhone 14, on the other hand, did offer better results, crossing the 7-hour screen-on-time mark without a problem. Your mileage may vary, however, of course. It’ll all depend on the apps you have installed, your usage, signal strength, and so on.

When it comes to charging, the Galaxy S23 supports 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 14, on the other hand, supports 20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, and 7.5W Qi wireless charging. One thing to note is that neither phone includes a charger in the box. You’ll need to buy one separately if you don’t already own it.

Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Apple iPhone 14: Cameras

There are three cameras on the back of the Galaxy S23, and two on the back of the iPhone 14. A 50-megapixel main camera sits on the back of the Galaxy S23, in addition to a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (123-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The iPhone 14 includes a 12-megapixel main camera, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV).

Both of these phones do a good job when it comes to taking images, they’re quite reliable, though they’re not the best around. You’ll get detailed images during the day, with well-balanced colors. The iPhone 14 does have a tendency to mess up the highlights from time to time, but for the most part, both are quite good. In low light, the iPhone 14 does its best to keep the scene realistic, while the Galaxy S23 loves to boost up the brightness of low light shots. Both do a good job, but they look different stylistically.

The Galaxy S23 has a more versatile camera, thanks to its telephoto unit on the back. Ultrawide shots are good on both phones, and both devices do a good job of keeping their ultrawide shots close to main camera shots in terms of colors. The iPhone 14 wins the video recording comparison with ease. It offers more stable video recording, which is also better balanced overall.

Audio

There is a set of stereo speakers included on both of these smartphones. The ones on the Galaxy S23 do sound a bit better though. It seems as if there’s a wider sounder stage in play, while you’ll also get a bit more bass from them.

Neither phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you’ll have to rely on their charging ports for wired audio connections. The Galaxy S23 has a Type-C port, while the iPhone 14 includes a Lightning port at the bottom. For wireless audio, they both offer Bluetooth 5.3.