Galaxy S23 Plus Vs. iPhone 14 Plus: Which Big-Screen Smartphone Is Best?

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus is more expensive than Apple’s iPhone 14 Plus, but is the company’s latest big-screen smartphone a better buy?

With the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, prospective buyers now have a new option for a plus-sized smartphone, but how does it compare to the iPhone 14 Plus? In previous years, iPhone users had to upgrade to the iPhone’s ‘Pro Max’ option in order to get the biggest screen. Now, due to the discontinuation of the mini-sized iPhone, the iPhone 14 Plus is back in Apple’s lineup. That means both iPhone and Android users can grab a base-model smartphone with a larger display without having to upgrade to a higher-end — and more expensive — model.

Price is a massive factor for buyers in 2023, as base-model smartphones near thousand-dollar price tags and higher-end models surpass that threshold. At first glance, it might seem like the iPhone 14 Plus‘ $899 price point is a better value. The Galaxy S23+ starts at $999, which is a hundred dollars more than the comparable iPhone. But the iPhone 14 Plus comes with 128GB of storage by default, while the Galaxy S23+ starts at 256GB for the base model. Upgrading the iPhone 14 Plus to a comparable 256GB of storage brings the price up to $999, so the two smartphones provide essentially the same value.

Related: iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Plus: Is Smaller Or Bigger Better?

Galaxy S23+ Vs. iPhone 14 Plus: Display, Performance, & Camera

Both smartphones have comparable displays, but the Galaxy S23+ has the upper hand. The iPhone 14 Plus has a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR screen which uses an OLED panel and has a pixel density of 458 pixels per inch (ppi). In comparison, the Galaxy S23+ has a 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen with a pixel density of 393 ppi. But the Galaxy S23+ impresses thanks to a variable refresh rate display that can adjust between 48Hz and 120Hz, based on the application. The iPhone 14 Plus is limited to 60Hz, so users wanting an iPhone will need to upgrade to the Pro or Pro Max models to get access to a high refresh rate screen. The S23+ is brighter, too — it has a peak brightness of 1,750 nits that blows the iPhone 14 Plus’ 1,200 nits rating out of the water.

Apple designed the iPhone 14 Plus with a dual-sensor camera system that includes a 12MP main and 12MP ultra-wide lens, while Samsung’s Galaxy S23+ has a triple-sensor camera system. The Galaxy S23+ has a 50MP primary camera, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 10MP telephoto lens. That allows the Galaxy S23 to offer 3x optical zoom and 30x Space Zoom, besting the iPhone 14’s 2x optical and 5x digital zoom. Both the iPhone 14 Plus and the Galaxy S23+ have the exact same camera systems as their smaller counterparts, the iPhone 14 and the Galaxy S23.

Like Samsung’s entire S23 lineup, the Galaxy S23+ is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform. The Snapdragon chip is paired with 8GB of RAM. Not only is the modified version of the system-on-a-chip on the Samsung device faster, but it is actually newer than the iPhone’s SoC. Apple made the decision to ship the iPhone 14 Plus with an A15 chip — the same silicon found in last year’s iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini.

The Galaxy S23+ has a 4,700mAh battery that is significantly larger than the iPhone 14 Plus’ 4,323mAh battery. While Apple’s software optimization ensures the iPhone 14 Plus will easily last an entire day with heavy usage, the Galaxy S23+ should offer similar stats. When it comes to fast charging, the iPhone 14 Plus maxes out at 20W wired charging speeds, while the Galaxy S23+ charges over twice as fast at 45W. Both phones support wireless charging too, but the iPhone 14 Plus also comes with MagSafe support. Neither phone comes with a charger. While the Galaxy S23+ has better specs, at least on paper, the final choice between the two phones comes down to whether users want an Android or iOS smartphone.

More: Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S21: Is It Time To Upgrade?

Source: Apple, Samsung