Samsung and Apple are the biggest names in the smartphone world, and their latest flagships are things of beauty.
The new iPhone 14 family features four phones - the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Meanwhile, the new Galaxy S23 family is made up of three phones - Galaxy 23, Galaxy S23 Plus, Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Thinking of making one of these your next mobile? Not sure which to go for? Let’s compare them to help you decide…
Design and display
First, let’s have a quick weigh in, and it’s more or less a perfect match. In fact, each iPhone 14 model is roughly the same weight and size as its S23 counterpart with one exception – the S23 Ultra is bigger and heavier than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Display size is 6.9-inches vs 6.7-inches.
Both phone familes have the same OLED displays, but there’s a real difference in refresh rate. All the S23s boast a super-smooth 120Hz refresh rate, which is only found on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have a 60Hz refresh rate.
The iPhone 14s come out in top when it comes to resolution though. For example, iPhone 14 has 2532 x 1170 pixels compared with the S23’s 2340 x 1080 pixels. Is resolution or refresh rates more important to you? That question might help you decide on which phone to go for.
It’s the same kind of story with ‘always-on’ display tech. All the S23s feature it, while only the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have it on the Apple side.
The S23 Ultra has one more design exclusive up its sleeve (or up its bottom, to be exact) – a built-in S Pen that you can use as an onscreen stylus to sketch, make notes, draw plans, edit photos and loads more.
Cameras
Both types of phones have incredible cameras. Arguably, the best of any smartphone ever. We can’t choose between the two. All we can say is that you’re going to be more than happy sharing your shots on social and upping your ‘gram game.
Read our iPhone 14 and Galaxy S23 launch articles for more details on the specs of each different camera set up. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max come with 48MP main, 12MP ultrawide and 12MP telephoto lenses. The S23 Ultra has a 200MP main, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto lens.
Don’t just focus (no pun intended) on the MP numbers, because lots of megapixels don’t always mean better photos. In fact, with more megapixels the size of the pixel is decreased, and that can affect image quality especially in low light. The iPhone 14s get round that by doing something called ‘pixel binning’ (grouping pixels together, in other words). This improves light and produces better shots, without the need for a huge MP count.
Under the hood
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic chip. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max use the A16 Bionic chip, which is faster and 20% more power-efficient than the A15 Bionic chip.
All of the S23s are powered by the same chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This custom processor makes doing everything from multi-tasking and gaming much faster than on the older S22. Samsung says the new S23 line-up is 41% faster in gaming, and 49% faster in machine learning tasks.
We can’t pick a clear winner between these two types of chips. Both of them give you the smoothest and speediest experience you’ll ever have had on a smartphone. It’s a score draw.
Operating systems
The S23 phones feature the Android 13 operating system, while the iPhone 14s comes with iOS 16. These are the latest versions (as you’d expect) and both are packed with advanced features to make your mobile life easier. The main difference between the two? Well, iOS is famous for being intuitive and user-friendly, while the Android operating system focuses more on customisation and flexibility.
How do I get one of these awesome phones?
You can order the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, Galaxy 23, Galaxy S23 Plus or Galaxy S23 Ultra from iD Mobile right now.
An iD Mobile plan gives you all the flexibility and control you need. You can enjoy ultra-fast 5G coverage, roll over unused data, cap your out-of-plan charges and stay right on top of your expenses using the iD app.
Over to you. What do you think? Are you team Galaxy or iPhone? If you’ve got one of these awesome phones, how are you getting on with it? Best phone ever? Share your comments below, but remember - let’s keep it friendly!
