Comparative: Which is the superior middle variant – Galaxy S23 Plus or iPhone 14 Plus?

After making the Galaxy S23 and S23 Ultra duel against their rivals from Apple, we now have a comparison between the Plus versions of each company. Does the S23 Plus deliver a better value for money than the iPhone 14 Plus or is the Apple model more worthwhile? Let’s check.

Those looking for the Plus variant of these devices are usually not concerned about the size. Anyway, it’s worth mentioning that the S23 Plus is the more compact, slim and light of the two. Okay, that’s because its screen is smaller than the rival’s, but the thin edges help.

Samsung has updated the design of its cell phone and now we have the back inspired by the Galaxy S23 Ultra with the three cameras organized separately and no longer in a block as is the case with the iPhone. Apple even updated the more expensive models by reducing the notch and adopting Dynamic Island, but on the iPhone 14 Plus we’ve had the same look for years.

Another improved point in the Korean’s new cell phones are the metal body and glass parts. The new aluminum structure has greater resistance to impacts, as well as the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 that survives more sudden falls. Both have IP68 certification for water and dust resistance, with a small advantage for the Apple cell phone.

There is 5G connectivity, sixth generation Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth 5.3 on both. We support wireless charging, but only on the Galaxy S23 Plus is it possible to recharge accessories on the back of the device or share the battery with other cell phones without the need for a cable.

The first point goes to Galaxy.

The iPhone 14 Plus has the larger screen of the two, with 6.7 inches against the rival’s 6.6 inches. The Apple model is also ahead in resolution, which ensures slightly sharper images. Apple and Samsung adopt OLED technology, even though we have different panels.

The Galaxy stands out for having a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which ensures greater fluidity with system animations and the possibility of running some games at 120 fps. It also excels at maximum brightness and superior contrast when used in direct sunlight. In color it is the iPhone that stands out, while both feature a wide viewing angle.

The iPhone display supports HDR 10 and Dolby Vision standards. Its rival adopts HDR10 +, all of these standards being widely adopted in streaming services.

We give point to the Galaxy on canvas.

There’s stereo sound on both with the iPhone standing out in power. Apple has always taken great care in the speakers of its cell phones and on this point Samsung still needs to improve. This does not mean that the S23 Plus disappoints in terms of sound and even has a good volume without distortion when at maximum. It also reproduces audio with good balance between bass, mids and highs.

The iPhone excels at the lower frequencies, which are most noticeable in music. There’s spatial audio for greater immersion with native support for Apple’s core services. On the side of Samsung, we have Dolby Atmos, which also promises greater immersion with 3D audio and comes with several profiles to choose from, with a dedicated one for games.

In sound, it’s the iPhone that takes the lead.

Android vs iOS, which do you prefer? In Galaxy we have One UI that brings many features in addition to those present in the robot’s system by default. There are more aspects that improve usability and productivity, with the possibility of using several apps at the same time. The system flows well and has been evolving with each generation.

iOS is the same one present in the latest iPhones and comes with a simpler and more functional system that responds and presents some more optimized apps compared to Android. Apple guarantees several years of system updates and as much as Samsung has been expanding its support, it still lags behind its rival, especially in the agile time of releasing new software.

As each system has its advantages, we give each one a point.

The iPhone 14 Plus does not have Apple’s most current chip, which was exclusive to the Pro versions. Here we have the A15 Bionic combined with 6 GB of RAM. In theory, this set seems inferior to the Galaxy’s turbocharged Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that comes with 8 GB to help with multitasking. But in practice we see that iOS is even more agile in opening some applications, especially games, and beat the Korean rival in our speed test.

In benchmarks, we have victory for the Galaxy S23 Plus in some tests, while the iPhone 14 Plus still surpasses it in others, even though its hardware is older. In games we have great performance in both with all tested games running at maximum quality. The Galaxy’s advantage is the 120 Hz screen, which allows you to run games above 60 fps for superior fluidity.

In terms of performance, we have a draw.

The Galaxy S23 Plus has the larger battery of the two with 4,700 mAh against the Apple rival’s 4,323 mAh. In theory, Samsung’s cell phone should deliver superior autonomy, but it is here, once again, that the great iOS optimization makes a difference and they are practically tied in battery life. Both manage to deliver autonomy for more than one day off.

The disappointing part is the recharge time. Apple and Samsung are among the few manufacturers that refuse to adopt fast charging and we have to wait a long time to have a full battery. On the iPhone it is even worse, taking almost 3 hours to go from 0 to 100%, twice as long as the Korean rival.

In this way, we will give the Galaxy a point in battery.

The Galaxy S23 Plus photographic set is more complete with a 50 MP camera, 12 MP ultra-wide and 10 MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. Apple’s has only two cameras with a resolution of 12 MP, one of which has an ultra-wide-angle lens. And which one does better in photos?

Galaxy’s more powerful sensor ensures sharper images especially in places with poor light. On sunny days you will only notice the difference between the two when zooming in on the images. The Korean model also captures sharper images with ultra-wide and suffers less from noise when shooting at night.

Speaking of night mode, Samsung exaggerated a little in saturation and the photos recorded at night have a more artificial aspect, despite being clearer and cleaner images. The iPhone 14 Plus still has an advantage in blur, draws in macros and loses in zoom when it needs to go beyond 2x. Overall, the Galaxy’s photo suite is more flexible.

Point for the Galaxy S23 in camera.

On the front we have a 12 MP camera on both devices. Apple’s has a larger focal aperture, which ensures that more light is captured in dark scenarios. Another advantage for the Apple model is the Face ID sensor that helps with background blur and does a more efficient job, especially in places with poor light.

The Galaxy S23 Plus competes well with its rival for selfies when there’s enough light, but tends to over-soften photos to reduce noise at night. One issue that should be addressed in future software updates is the portrait mode which sometimes ends up blurring the entire photo.

Thus, we will give the iPhone 14 Plus a point in selfie.

The Galaxy’s camcorder is capable of shooting in 8K at 30 fps. Its rival is limited to 4K at 60 fps, while both record at that resolution with the front. We have great quality videos in both, efficient stabilization and agile focus. The S23 Plus can film with HDR and the iPhone 14 Plus takes videos with Dolby Vision, both capturing clear audio with little wind noise. Apple’s cell phone has a cinematic mode and also more convincing background blur.

We close camera with one more point for each.

The iPhone 14 Plus arrived in Brazil at the end of 2022 for R$ 8,599 in its 128 GB version and goes from R$ 11 for the version with 512 GB of storage. The Galaxy S23 Plus hit the national market in February 2023 for R$6,999 with twice the memory of the most affordable version of the iPhone.

Apple’s price is complicated in Brazil and we have to pay more for a cell phone that comes with less storage. Currently, Samsung’s top of the line is much cheaper, which makes its cost-effectiveness unbeatable compared to the rival.

We close the comparison with the last point for the Galaxy.

The Galaxy S23 Plus proves to be a better buy compared to the iPhone 14 Plus. Its design tends to please more people, it brings complete connectivity, it has a screen with superior brightness and a rate of 120 Hz, more complete software, it can run games above 60 fps, it has a shorter recharge time, its photographic set is more advanced and all that. costing less.

The iPhone 14 Plus is also a great top-of-the-line phone that stands out for its more powerful sound with better bass, it is faster to open some apps, it records better selfies and it has a complete camcorder with several interesting features. There is also the fact that it devalues ​​less over time, despite charging more than its rival.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus: 8 POINTS

• Latest design and complete connectivity
• Screen with superior brightness and 120 Hz
• Most feature-rich software
• Runs games above 60 fps
• Shorter recharge time
• Most complete photographic set
• Film in 8K at 30 fps
• Lowest price

Apple iPhone 14 Plus: 6 POINTS

• More powerful sound with more present bass
• Better optimization with apps
• Superior multitasking performance
• best selfies
• most complete camcorder

(updated March 16, 2023 at 6:58 PM)