How to choose between Samsung’s small format and its big brother? Is it just a question of screen size or battery? Yes and no, because there are some details to take into account.
When reading the title of this article, you may have thought “Ba, the Plus is bigger, that’s the difference”. Even if this thought may seem like common sense, keep in mind that there are still many minor differences between the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus, which could guide your choice in this new generation of Samsung. If you are more Ultra, we also have a comparison between the Galaxy S23 Ultra and its predecessor.
Screen: the drawback of its advantage for the S23 Plus
We start with the most obvious, the size of course (146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm in the S23 compared to 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm in the S23 Plus) with a screen that goes from a diminutive 6.1-inch format to a generous 6.7-inch slab. . By the way, being the definition the same, we lose a bit in pixel density, going from 425 dpi to 393 dpi. It’s not enough to fundamentally change your experience. The S23 Plus is also slightly heavier than its counterpart, at 195g on the scale vs. 167g.
Good news this year, the maximum brightness is strictly the same on both phones. It’s 1750 nits versus 1300 nits on the Galaxy S22 last year. Likewise, the refresh rate is exactly the same and goes down to 48 Hz to go up to 120 Hz in both cases.
Small differences to take into account
The three cameras, the RAM, the network capabilities, the water resistance… Keep in mind that, for the most part, the specifications of the two phones are strictly the same. Very good news that avoids having to do without interesting functions because we prefer small smartphones.
On the other hand, for the pickiest among us, there are some details to keep in mind. The first, and possibly the most important, is that storage is different. The Galaxy S23 gives you a choice between 128 Go and 256 Go and the S23 Plus between 256 and 512 Go. A difference in space on the phone, therefore, but also in writing speed that can be of great importance on a day-to-day basis. In fact, only the 128 GB configuration uses theUFS 3.1 while the other configurations are based on the more modern standard UFS 4.0, which offers two times faster and 1.6 times faster write and read speeds, respectively. In this little game you will have understood, the Galaxy S23 Plus does not worry at all and benefits from the best standard no matter what. If you go for the classic S23, you’ll have to be careful.
The size of the smartphone requires, inevitably, we end up with the classic differences in the size of the battery. Here, the S23 has 3900 mAh for 22 hours of video playback according to Samsung against 4700 mAh for 27 hours in the S23 Plus, again according to Samsung. Another difference stemming from the format: the Galaxy S23’s vapor chamber looks smaller than its big brother’s, as a GIF shared by ice universe. Since they both have the same chip, there’s plenty to give the S23 Plus a slight edge in performance.
The small detail that can change a lot
Last element, very small in the technical sheets, but very real, the Ultra Wide Band is not available on the Galaxy S23. This means that if you buy a SmartTag+, for example, you won’t be able to take advantage of the tracker’s precise location. All the novelties in augmented reality that the Korean firm has hinted to be preparing should also be based on this technology. If you’re the type who likes future-ready smartphones, the S23 Plus seems like a better option. A pity for lovers of small formats who like to be one step ahead.
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