Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs iPhone 14 Plus: The Samsung Galaxy S23+ and Apple iPhone 14+ are no doubt one of the best alternatives to expensive premium phones. If you can’t afford to buy the $1,000 Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max, then these two phones offer the closest experience for you. But, which of these two phones is better for you to buy?

I have used both phones for a few weeks and I can tell you that the experience of using both phones is completely different. However, after using these phones for days, I preferred the Galaxy S23+ but the iPhone 14+ offers incredible performance. To be honest, some of my colleagues at work actually preferred the iPhone 14+ and I’ll explain the reason for the controversy in this Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs iPhone 14 Plus article.

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Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs iPhone 14 Plus

Specs	Galaxy S23+	iPhone 14+
Display	6.6-inches, 120Hz	6.7-inches
Display Features	AMOLED, HDR10+	XDR OLED, HDR10+
RAM	8GB	6GB
Storage	up to 512GB	up to 512GB
MicroSD Card	NO	NO
Back Camera	50MP + 10MP + 12MP	12MP + 12MP
Front Camera	12MP	12MP
Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Apple A15 Bionic
Software	Android 13	Apple iOS 16
Battery	4,700mAh (45W)	4,323mAh
Water & DustProof	YES(IP68)	YES(IP68)
eSIM	YES	YES

Apple iPhone 14+ offers better performance

Samsung really stepped things up with the use of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset used in the Galaxy S23+. In fact, compared to last year’s Gaaxy S22+, the performance of the S23+ is incredible. But, the Apple A15 Bionic chipset in the iPhone 14+ is just better on almost every level. I rendered 4K files using both phones and every time, the iPhone 14+ renders these a little faster than the Galaxy S23+.

While also playing games, the iPhone 14+ was able to keep its performance at a higher level than the S23+. From my experience, the iPhone 14+ was pretty consistent but using the Galaxy S23+ in some games was more smooth because of its higher refresh rate. So, going by performance, the iPhone 14+ is definitely the better phone to buy.

See Also: Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Google Pixel 7: Which is better

Galaxy S23+ has a better display

The display of the iPhone 14+ is about 1 inch bigger than that of the Galaxy S23+. The display panel of the iPhone 14 Plus is Retina XDR OLED while that of the Galaxy S23 Plus is Dynamic AMOLED. At first glance, one would think both phones offer the same display quality but as I continue to use both phones, I noticed some extra perks with the display of the Galaxy S23+.

The display of the Galaxy S23+ is brighter and smoother than that of the iPhone 14+. The display of the S23+ supports a 120Hz refresh rate and has a peak brightness of 1750 nits. This difference is most clear when you’re playing graphics-intensive games and using both phones outside. The display of the iPhone 14+ is really good but that of the Galaxy 23+ is more responsive in most circumstances and is brighter for outdoor use.

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Samsung Galaxy S23+ has a better camera system

The Galaxy S23+ has a better camera system than the iPhone 14+. The iPhone 14+ has dual rear cameras and a single front camera while the Galaxy S23+ has triple rear cameras and a single front camera. The quality of photos and videos from both smartphones is great but I prefer the night photos from the Galaxy S23+ because of their clarity.

If you’re also into taking photos of objects from a far distance, then you’ll find the 10MP telephoto camera of the S23+ very useful. The iPhone 14+ does not have a dedicated telephoto camera. However, I prefer the stability and video recording of the iPhone 14+. Let me put it this way, if you love taking photos, the Galaxy S23+ will be the phone for you but if you love recording videos or you’re a vlogger, then the iPhone 14+ is the phone for you here.

See Also: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Google Pixel 7 Pro: Which is better?

Galaxy S23+ has a better design

The design of both phones is good but that of the Galaxy S23+ is better. The Galaxy S23+ has a single punch hole on the front screen that looks neat when compared to the notch of the iPhone 14+. Although both phones have flat edges, the edges of the iPhone 14+ are sharper and leave marks on your palm if you hold it tight enough.

Another reason why 7 of my 10 colleagues preferred the design of Galaxy S23+ is that it’s simple. If you’ve been using an Android phone with a punch-hole design, it’ll definitely take some time for you to get familiar with the notch of the iPhone 14+.

See Also: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Which should you buy

Samsung Galaxy S23+ has a bigger battery

The battery life on both smartphones is decent but the Galaxy S23+ has a bigger battery and offers longer battery use. After using both phones for a day, the iPhone 14+ still had about 23% left while the Galaxy S23+ had about 31% left. This is not so surprising as the Galaxy S23+ is powered by a 4,700mAh battery which is about 400mAh bigger than the 4,323mAh of the Galaxy S23+.

However, it’s important to note that both smartphones will you more than 9 hours of battery use. Both smartphones also support fast wired and wireless charging.

See Also: Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Which is better

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs iPhone 14+: Durability

Both smartphones are very durable thanks to their build materials. I tried bending both phones and there were no cracks, bent, or permanent damage on both phone. The screens of these phones are solid, the back panel is strong, and the aluminum frames are very tough.

The Galaxy S23+ is also made of an Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance. Both smartphones are certified to be IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min). I used both phones underwater without any issues. However, if either of these phones falls from a table height on a rock surface, there will be some cracks on the screen and back panels.

See Also: Apple iPhone 14 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus: Which is better

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs iPhone 14+: Software

The Samsung Galaxy S23+ boots One UI 5.1 based on Android 13 out of the box while the iPhone 14+ boot Apple iOS 16 out of the box. Both smartphones will get five years of software updates. The user experience and navigation on both smartphones are different and both phones give users room for customization.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs iPhone 14 Plus: Price

The price of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (8 + 256GB) is $999 while the price of the Apple iPhone 14 Plus (6 + 128GB) is $899. The base model of the Galaxy S23+ has more RAM and storage and is also $100 more expensive. But which of these two smartphones should you buy? See the verdict of this Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs iPhone 14 Plus below.

Buy Galaxy S23+ and iPhone 14+

Galaxy S23+	Price
Buy on Amazon	$999.99
Buy on Amazon(EUR)	€1,199.00
Buy on Amazon(UK)	£1,049.99

iPhone 14 Plus	Price
Buy on Amazon(UK)	£949.00
Buy on Amazon(EUR)	€1,149.00

Verdict: Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs iPhone 14 Plus

In my time using the Samsung Galaxy S23 is better than the Google Pixel 7. The Galaxy S23 has a smoother display, a brighter display, a better performance, an extra 10MP telephoto camera, and a longer software update. The Pixel on the other hand has a longer battery life and more useful camera features.

People who need a smartphone for graphics-intensive tasks will be better off buying the Samsung Galaxy S23 while users who like small extra features for daily use and are on a budget should buy the Pixel 7. I don’t think the difference between the Galaxy S23 and Pixel 7 is worth $200 but the Galaxy S23 is still better than the Pixel 7.