Apple iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23: Comparison

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S23 – a Showdown of Two Heavyweight Smartphones

The smartphone market is an ever-changing landscape and it is always interesting to see how two of the biggest contenders in this massive industry, Apple and Samsung, compete against one another. In 2021, Apple is set to release their latest model, the iPhone 13 Pro while Samsung will follow suit in 2023 with the Galaxy S23. Which device has the edge?

Design & Materials

Let us start by looking at the design and materials used in both devices. The Apple iPhone 13 Pro uses an OLED screen measuring 6.1 inches, with a resolution of 1170x2532 (FHD+) and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. It also features a maximum brightness of 1000 cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of 2000000:1. As for materials, the device has an aluminium and glass body. Its usable surface is 86.7%.

The Samsung Galaxy S23, on the other hand, has an AMOLED 6.1-inch display, with a resolution of 1080x2340 (FHD+) and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Moreover, it boasts an impressive 1200 cd/m2 max brightness, along with a 3000000:1 contrast ratio and HDR10+ support. Its materials consist of an aluminium body and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Its usable surface is 87.6%.

Hardware

Moving on to hardware, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro is powered by the Apple A15 Bionic processor, which has been designed using a 5 nm process. It has 6GB of RAM and storage options ranging from 128GB to 1TB. AnTuTu benchmark scores put it at 839675.

The Samsung Galaxy S23, meanwhile, is driven by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2 chipset, which is made using 4 nm architecture. It has 8GB of RAM and storage options of up to 512GB. AnTuTu benchmark scores put it at 1148900.

Camera

In terms of camera, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro has a quadruple camera system. It includes a standard Sony IMX703 12 MP sensor, an ultra wide-angle lens with a Sony IMX772 12 MP sensor, a telephoto lens with a Sony IMX713 12MP sensor, and a ToF 3D sensor with a Sony IMX590 12 MP sensor. For selfies, it has a Sony IMX514 12MP shooter. Features include optical stabilization (OIS), 4K video, cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (1080p at 30 fps), HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps, 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, 720p HD video recording at 30 fps, Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video (Wide), 3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 6x optical zoom range, Digital zoom up to 9x, Audio zoom, True Tone flash, QuickTake video, Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps, Time‑lapse video with stabilization, Night mode Time-lapse, Cinematic video stabilization (4K, 1080p, and 720p), Continuous autofocus video, Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video, Playback zoom, Video formats recorded: HEVC and H.264, Stereo recording, Ultra wide angle lens 120º, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Optical Zoom 3x, Zoom range 6x, Digital Zoom 15x, Telephoto with OIS, Lens cover sapphire, and Six‑element lens (Telephoto and Ultra Wide); seven‑element lens (Wide).

The Samsung Galaxy S23, in comparison, has a triple camera setup. It consists of a Samsung GN5 50MP main camera with a f/1.8 aperture, a Sony IMX564 12.2MP ultra wide-angle lens with a f/2.2 aperture, and a 10MP telephoto lens with a f/2.4 aperture. For selfies, it has a Samsung S5K3LU 12 MP shooter. Features include optical stabilization (OIS), 4K video, 8K video, 3X optical zoom, and 30X digital zoom.

Connectivity

As for connectivity, both the Apple iPhone 13 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S23 have Bluetooth 5.x, dual SIM, NFC, and WiFi 6 (802.11ax). The former also has an eSIM, while the latter has USB Host 3.0, GPS (L1+L5), and eSIM.

Battery

Finally, let us discuss the battery capacities. The Apple iPhone 13 Pro comes with a 3125mAh battery and 20.0W fast charging support, plus wireless charging. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S23 packs a 3900mAh battery, with 25.0W fast charging and wireless charging, as well as reverse charging.

Verdict

It is difficult to truly pin down which of the two devices, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S23, has the edge. While the latter has the more attractive design and higher AnTuTu benchmark score, the former has better optics and audio features. Ultimately, it all boils down to personal preference and budget.