iPhone 15 Pro vs Samsung S23: Which flagship phone should you buy?

The iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung S23 are two of the most anticipated flagship phones of 2023. Both devices offer cutting-edge performance, stunning displays, and impressive cameras. But how do they compare in terms of specs, features, and prices? Here is a detailed overview of the main differences between the iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung S23.

Display

The iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung S23 have similar display sizes, with the iPhone 15 Pro featuring a 6.1-inch OLED screen and the Samsung S23 sporting a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen¹. Both displays have a resolution of 1440 x 3088 pixels, a refresh rate of 120Hz, and support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision¹. However, the Samsung S23 has an adaptive refresh rate that can vary from 1Hz to 120Hz depending on the content, which can save battery life and improve smoothness¹. The Samsung S23 also has a higher peak brightness of 1750 nits, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro’s 850 nits¹. Both displays are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and Ceramic Shield, respectively².

Design

The iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung S23 have different design aesthetics, with the iPhone 15 Pro having a flat-edged titanium frame and a notch for the Face ID system, and the Samsung S23 having a curved-edge stainless steel frame and a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera². The iPhone 15 Pro also has a new action button that can be used to launch Siri, Apple Pay, or other shortcuts³. Both devices have IP68 water and dust resistance ratings, but the Samsung S23 also has an in-display fingerprint scanner and a microSD card slot for expandable storage². The iPhone 15 Pro comes in five colors: silver, graphite, gold, blue, and pink; while the Samsung S23 comes in four colors: black, white, silver, and bronze².

Performance

The iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung S23 are powered by two of the most advanced chipsets in the market: the Apple A17 Bionic and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy². The Apple A17 Bionic is based on a 3nm process technology, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is based on a 4nm process technology². Both chipsets have eight cores and support 5G connectivity, but the Apple A17 Bionic has a higher clock speed of 3.5GHz, compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy’s 3GHz¹. The Apple A17 Bionic also has a more powerful neural engine that can perform up to 30 trillion operations per second, compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy’s AI engine that can perform up to 26 trillion operations per second¹. The iPhone 15 Pro has an unknown amount of RAM and storage options ranging from 128GB to 1TB; while the Samsung S23 has either 8GB or 12GB of RAM and storage options ranging from 256GB to 1TB¹.

Camera

The iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung S23 have impressive camera systems that can capture stunning photos and videos. The iPhone 15 Pro has a triple-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 48-megapixel main camera with an f/1.78 aperture, a 13.4-megapixel ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture and macro mode, and a periscope telephoto camera with up to 10x optical zoom³. The iPhone 15 Pro also supports night mode, portrait mode, cinematic mode, ProRAW format, and spatial audio³. The Samsung S23 has a quad-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 200-megapixel main camera with an f/1.85 aperture, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with up to 3x optical zoom, and another 10-megapixel telephoto camera with up to 10x optical zoom². The Samsung S23 also supports night mode, portrait mode, cinematic mode, RAW format, and Dolby Atmos sound². Both devices have a 12-megapixel selfie camera on the front¹.

Battery life and charging

The iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung S23 have large batteries that can last for a long time. The iPhone 15 Pro has an unknown battery capacity, but it is expected to offer up to two hours more of video playback than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which had a 3,687 mAh battery³. The Samsung S23 has a 5,000 mAh battery that can offer up to 11 hours of web browsing or 10 hours of video playback². Both devices support wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, but the Samsung S23 supports faster wired charging of up to 45W, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro’s 30W². The iPhone 15 Pro also has a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port, which allows for more compatibility with other devices and accessories³.

Price and availability

The iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung S23 have different price points and availability dates. The iPhone 15 Pro is expected to launch on September 24th, with pre-orders starting on September 17th³. The iPhone 15 Pro may cost $1,099 for the base model with 128GB of storage, which is $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro’s starting price of $999³. The Samsung S23 was released on February 1st, with a starting price of $799.99 for the base model with 256GB of storage². However, there are several Galaxy S23 deals that sell the phone at a lower price than when it launched².

Conclusion

The iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung S23 are both excellent flagship phones that offer top-notch performance, display, camera, and battery features. However, they also have some differences that may appeal to different users. The iPhone 15 Pro may have a faster and more efficient chipset, a more durable and lighter titanium body, a new action button, and a USB-C port. The Samsung S23 may have a higher-resolution and brighter display, an in-display fingerprint scanner and a microSD card slot, a higher-megapixel main camera and an extra telephoto camera, and faster wired charging. The iPhone 15 Pro may also be more expensive than the Samsung S23, depending on the storage options. Ultimately, the choice between the iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung S23 depends on personal preference, budget, and ecosystem.