Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S23 Plus: a tough choice to make

The decision isn’t always easy when looking for a new smartphone, especially when a manufacturer releases strikingly similar phones simultaneously. A case in point is Samsung, which released three top-tier Galaxy handsets earlier this year: the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is Samsung’s top-of-the-line handset and is in a league all its own. It’s a little more challenging to tell the difference between the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. We will break down these two devices for you here so you can see which will better fit your needs.

Galaxy S23 vs. S23 Plus: specs

Galaxy S23 vs. S23 Plus: design

The Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus are pretty much identical in design and look, and the entire lineup is already very similar to the Galaxy S22 series. The biggest difference between the S23 and S23 Plus compared to their predecessors is the camera layout. The curvature around the edges and frame is pretty much the same, and they both have flat displays.

But when it comes to the camera, the S23 and S23 Plus got rid of the camera island design from the previous generation. Instead, the camera lenses are both freely floating on the rear, much like on most other smartphones available today.

The colors for the S23 and S23 Plus are also the same. You get four beautiful, muted hues to choose from: Phantom Black, cream, green, or lavender. Unfortunately, if you’re hoping for a pink shade to return, you’re out of luck this year.

If you prefer smaller phones, the Galaxy S23’s smaller overall size will be more comfortable. But if you’re a large phone lover, the larger S23 Plus will be your cup of tea. Ultimately, this one is a draw.

Winner: Draw

Galaxy S23 vs. S23 Plus: display

The most obvious difference between the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus is the display. Both of them have the Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O FHD+ panel with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 1,750 nits peak outdoor brightness, and 19:5:9 aspect ratio — but it all comes down to the size.

The S23 only has a 6.1-inch display compared to the 6.6-inch screen of the S23 Plus. This also means that the base model S23 has 425 pixels per inch (ppi) versus the 393 ppi on the S23 Plus. By contrast, the newer Google Pixel 8 offers a 6.2-inch display, while the Google Pixel 8 Pro comes in at 6.7 inches.

While the displays on both of these are very similar, with only minor differences in resolution, it comes down to your preferences. Do you want a smaller, more compact size that is manageable with one hand, or do you want more information on the screen at once? You do lose some pixel density with the S23 Plus due to the size, but the difference is negligible. Again, the phones are all tied up.

Winner: Draw

Galaxy S23 vs. S23 Plus: performance and battery

Inside the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus, you’ll find Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip, which powers Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 5.1 interface layered on top. For clarity, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is a specially optimized version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 designed for optimal performance with Galaxy devices. It’s also slightly faster than the regular version in other brands of Android smartphones thanks to faster clock speeds of up to 3.3 GHz.

RAM on both the S23 and S23 Plus starts at 8GB, which is about average. However, the base model S23 starts at 128GB storage and can go up to 256GB, whereas the S23 Plus starts at 256GB and can go up to 512GB.

In terms of battery, the S23 and S23 Plus have about 200mAh more than their predecessors. This puts the Galaxy S23 at 3,900mAh, whereas the Galaxy S23 Plus has 4,700mAh. But that’s not all! Though both are capable of fast charging, the S23 is capped out at 25 watts, while the S23 Plus can handle up to 45W charging speed. Both support fast wireless charging and reversible wireless charging too.

The regular Galaxy S23 isn’t a slouch in this department, but we have to give the edge to the Galaxy S23 Plus. With more storage, a larger battery, and faster charging, it’s the more powerful phone of the two — and the winner of this category.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus

Galaxy S23 vs. S23 Plus: cameras

The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus are identical in terms of camera hardware and software capabilities. Both are equipped with a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) at f/1.8 aperture, a 12MP ultrawide at f/2.2 aperture, and a 10MP telephoto lens at f/2.4 aperture with OIS. Zoom capabilities are tied at 3x optical and 30x Space Zoom, and you can record 8K video at 30 frames per second (fps) or 4K at 60 fps, as well as FHD at 120 fps and 960 fps (super slo-mo).

The front-facing selfie cameras are also the same at 12MP and f/2.2 aperture with dual-pixel autofocus. Recording capabilities with the selfie camera are possible with 4K at 60 fps.

As far as camera features, you have access to Super HDR, Nightography, adaptive pixels, OIS, VDIS, auto framing, and director’s view.

Having as much storage as possible for all your photos/videos will be useful, and the S23 Plus has an advantage there. But looking only at the cameras, there’s no difference between the S23 and S23 Plus — making this a draw (again).

Winner: Draw

Galaxy S23 vs. S23 Plus: software and updates

The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus ship with Android 13 and Samsung’s One UI 5.1 interface. Some new features with One UI 5.1 are the ability to use a video as your lock screen and a new widget system. And since they both use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, you’re bound to have blazing-fast performance on either device.

Samsung typically has several years of support for software updates, and that applies to both the S23 and S23 Plus. You’ll get four years of major Android OS updates, which means the S23 and S23 Plus should be able to go up to Android 17. There will also be five years of security patches.

Samsung has also started rolling out its Android 14 update as of October 2023, and both the S23 and S23 Plus are set to receive the new software.

Winner: Draw

Galaxy S23 vs. S23 Plus: price and availability

Prices for the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus did not change from their predecessors, which is good. That means that the S23 starts at $799 for the 128GB version, and the S23 Plus starts at $999 for 256GB. However, that is U.S. pricing — Samsung did increase the prices in other countries, including Europe and Australia.

You can purchase both the S23 and S23 Plus from the Samsung Store, as well as carrier stores and retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. You could lower the price of either the S23 or S23 Plus by trading in an older device or be on the lookout for special deals.

Considering that the specs for the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus are almost identical aside from a few small differences, if you don’t mind a smaller form factor, you could save a nice chunk of change with the base S23.

Overall winner: draw

When it comes to picking a winner between the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus, it’s pretty much impossible. The phones are virtually the same in terms of specs, with one having a slightly larger display and longer battery life. But looking at the bigger picture, the differences between the S23 and S23 Plus are negligible, and it all really comes down to your own preferences on phone size, storage, and battery.

However, if you want the absolute best, then neither of these phones is what you’re looking for — that’s where the Galaxy S23 Ultra comes in with the 6.8-inch display, 200MP main camera, up to 1TB of storage, a 5,000mAh battery, and more powerful features. Of course, all of that will cost a pretty penny, starting at $1,200.

Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with either phone. Want a compact device that won’t break the bank? The regular S23 is a great buy at $799. If you have extra cash to spend, want a larger screen, and need as much battery as possible, the $999 Galaxy S23 Plus is equally good.