Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. Google Pixel 7: The best for most

• 

  Source: Samsung

  Samsung Galaxy S23

  $750 $800 Save $50

  The Galaxy S23 offers the best that Samsung has — from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset to a high-class camera system led by an impressive 50MP sensor — just at the right size with a vibrant and “palmable” 6.1-inch display. The phone also brings a larger battery than the S22’s, plus a sector-leading five years of monthly security updates to the table. That’s all for the same price as last year.

• 

  Source: Google

  Google Pixel 7

  Google did not reinvent the wheel with the Pixel 7, but there was no need to. With improved cameras, the next-gen Tensor G2 chipset, and Google’s wonderfully feature-filled software, the Pixel 7 earns its price tag again this year.
   

• 

  Source: Samsung

  Samsung Galaxy S23

  Big on power, small in size

  Built to last you years

  $750 $800 Save $50

  The Galaxy series is synonymous with power, utility, and all-around usability. The Galaxy S23 is its most powerful device yet with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and it is especially enticing to lovers of smaller phones.

  Pros

  • Beautiful display
  • Long software support
  • Great camera system
  • Can easily use with one hand

  Cons

  • Mediocre battery life
  • Expensive compared to some competitors
  • Charging can be slow

• 

  Source: Google

  Google Pixel 7

  Power and value

  Flagship hardware for less

  The Google Pixel 7 offers a fantastic camera setup, great display, solid performance, and decent battery life at a jaw-dropping price. Google outdid itself this year, and will be tough for any phone to beat based on pure value.

  Pros

  • Unique Camera features
  • Takes great pictures
  • AI-powered software enhancements
  • Overall performance for the price

  Cons

  • Battery life is just passable
  • Tensor G2 isn’t as fast as the competition
  • The camera bar can be polarizing

Samsung and Google release some of the best Android phones you can get every year. This duo isn’t afraid to push the Android envelope and, to a large extent, each other to achieve a better phone every year. The Google Pixel 7 launched a few months before the Galaxy S23, but don’t let that fool you. Both devices are beautifully designed and packed with features. The best one for you will come down to what you value most in your device. Let’s find out which of these devices checks all of your boxes.

Price & availability

Source: Samsung

Both the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7 are widely available all over the world. You should be able to find them at a local store near you or online through many different retailers. If you are in the U.S., they are both available from all major carriers and many smaller carriers. The Samsung Galaxy S23 costs $800 for the 128GB model and $850 for the 256GB model. The Google Pixel 7 costs $599 for the 128GB version and $699 for the 256GB version.

Design

Source: Samsung

In recent years, Samsung has gone with iterative improvements and not revolutionary ones with its Galaxy lineup. The Galaxy S23 continues this trend, and while subjective, it features a beautiful and clean design. The front of the device is dominated by the display, barring very thin bezels and a hole-punch selfie camera at the top. The S23 is covered in Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and armor aluminum, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about its durability. The back is flat and clean except for its three protruding camera lenses. You can find the volume rocker and power button on the right side of the device.

The Pixel 7 features a more polarizing design compared to the tried and true Galaxy S23. The display covers much of the front, but the Pixel 7 has a small chin along the bottom bezel. It’s not large, but it breaks the clean lines a bit. It also has a hole-punch camera at the top of its display. Flipping the device over is where the design becomes one-of-a-kind. Beginning with the Pixel 6, Google has implemented a matte aluminum horizontal camera bar in its designs, and the bar works wonders to keep your device stable on a flat surface. Covered in Gorilla Glass Victus and aluminum, the Pixel 7 also includes the volume rocker and power button on the right side.

The Galaxy S23 clocks in at 146.3-by-70.9-by-7.6 mm and weighs 168g. The Pixel 7 is slightly larger and heavier at 155.6-by-73.2-by-8.7mm and 197g. Both devices have an IP 68 rating, so you won’t have to worry too much about water and dust. Color-wise, the Galaxy S23 comes in phantom black, cream, green, and lavender. The Pixel 7 is available in lemongrass, snow, and obsidian.

Display

Regarding their displays, Samsung and Google offer very similar performance. The Galaxy S23 boasts a 6.1-inch display with an FHD+ (2340 x 1080) AMOLED display with a pixel density of 425ppi and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Its display is an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and animations, and you should have no trouble seeing the display in sunlight due to the peak outdoor brightness of 1750 nits.

The Pixel 7 has a 6.30-inch display with an FHD+ (2400 x 1080) OLED display with a pixel density of 416ppi and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It also has a 90Hz display and up to 1400 nits of peak brightness.

Both devices offer in-display fingerprint sensors. Samsung uses an ultrasonic one, while Google uses an optical one. Google optimized the optical sensor for the Pixel 7, which works rather well but not as quickly as the ultrasonic sensor in Samsung’s phone.

Performance and connectivity

Source: Samsung

Samsung went with the latest and greatest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset with some additional tweaks made by Samsung. It comes with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. Its 5G can take advantage of sub 6GHz and mmWave. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will be capable of utilizing the soon-to-be-released Snapdragon satellite connectivity.

The Pixel 7 uses its custom-made Google Tensor G2 chipset coupled with 8GB of RAM. It comes in either 128GB or 256GB storage capacities. The Pixel 7 supports 5G, but only the sub 6GHz variety – which is the one you want.

The Google-made Tensor G2 processor isn’t as fast as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The Tensor G2 was made to complement Google’s heavy usage of various AI (artificial intelligence) elements in its software, so in day-to-day use, it won’t give you any trouble or performance issues. However, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is up to 65% faster in the AnTuTu 9 benchmark, 41% (single-core) and 54% (multi-core) faster in GeekBench 5, and over 100% faster in 3DMark than the Tensor G2.

Both devices support the Wi-Fi 6E standard.

Cameras

The Galaxy S23 has a very capable triple-camera setup consisting of a 50MP f/1.8 primary lens, a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP f/2.4 lens. It can record 8K at 30fps, 4K at 60fps, and 1080p at 120fps. Up-front, you get a 12MP f/2.2 wide selfie lens capable of recording 4k at 60fps.

Not to be outdone, Google has packed one of the most capable cameras into the Pixel 7. The Pixel has a 50MP f/1.85 primary lens and a 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2 lens. It can record 4K and 1080p video up to 60fps. The front camera has a 10.8MP f/2.2 lens capable of recording 4K and 1080p video at up to 60fps.

Both devices offer fantastic camera systems. The triple camera setup of the Galaxy S23 looks better on paper than the dual camera setup of the Pixel 7, but you won’t be left wanting more with either of these in real-world usage. Google’s software processing has always done the heavy lifting for its cameras and that continues here. These two devices will trade blows depending on the type of shot you are trying to get.

Software

The Samsung Galaxy S23 has Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 5.1 onboard. Samsung’s software has gotten a bad rap over the years, but it has grown into one of the most capable skins for Android. Samsung tends to incorporate features into its One UI before Android officially adopts them. In addition, Samsung offers an industry-leading four years of Android OS software updates and a fifth year for critical bug fixes.

The Pixel 7 runs Android 13 and is heavily optimized to take advantage of the Tensor G2 chip and Android as a whole. Google sprinkled AI use all over its version of Android. It has a call screening feature, great voice-to-text abilities, and can even transcribe an entire conversation between people. You would think the Pixel 7 would offer the best software support being made by Google. Unfortunately, Google offers slightly less support at three years of OS upgrades and five years of critical updates.

Battery life and charging

Neither device is well known for its battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S23 has a 3900mAh battery that should last you about a full day of use. Less if you are a particularly heavy user. It is capable of 25W Super-Fast charging and 15W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0. Samsung even has a reverse wireless charging called Wireless PowerShare; essentially, you can charge another device against the Galaxy device’s back.

The Pixel 7 has a slightly larger battery at 4355mAh, which is capable of 30W fast charging through its USB-C port or wireless charging at 20W. The Pixel 7 should routinely get you through a full day and takes the edge in the battery life department.

Which is right for you?

Both phones are excellent and some of the best 5G phones you can get today. The Samsung Galaxy S23 is the entire package. It offers a speedy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a beautiful display, great cameras, and years of support. It suffers a bit in terms of battery life, though. If you like to play the latest and greatest games at the highest settings, you should opt for the Galaxy S23. If you want the best mobile gaming experience, there are better Android phones available for gaming.

The Google Pixel 7 offers a strong Tensor G2 chip, a great display, amazing cameras, and decent battery life; however, it provides slightly fewer software updates than the Galaxy S23, and the overall design can be polarizing. Nevertheless, both phones are amazing and serve different purposes.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 is for the uncompromising individual who wants the best device possible, with all the latest features, in a small package, and isn’t afraid to spend a little extra for it. The $599 Google Pixel 7 is for just about everyone else and just can’t be ignored with its amazing value proposition. It performs similarly in day-to-day use and costs hundreds of dollars less. Just make sure to keep the camera bar safe from inevitable scratches with one of the best Pixel 7 cases.

Source: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S23

$750 $800 Save $50

The Galaxy series is synonymous with power, utility, and all-around usability. The Galaxy S23 is its most powerful device yet with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and will be especially enticing to lovers of smaller phones.

Source: Google

Google Pixel 7

The Google Pixel 7 offers a fantastic camera setup, great display, solid performance, and decent battery life at a jaw-dropping price. Google outdid itself this year and will be tough for any phone to beat based on pure value.