Samsung Galaxy S23 / Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation, 2022)

Samsung Galaxy S23: Galaxy S23 (2023); 8 GB RAM, 128 or 256 GB (options vary by market). The Galaxy S23+, S23 Ultra and S23 FE are separate models.

Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation, 2022): iPhone SE (3rd generation, 2022): 64, 128 or 256 GB; Midnight, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED. The A13-based iPhone SE (2nd generation, 2020) and the original iPhone SE (2016) are separate models.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S23Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation, 2022)
Release year20232022
Display6.1-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 48–120 Hz Super Smooth refresh; 1750 nits; 240 Hz touch sampling in Game Mode

The refresh rate varies between 48 and 120 Hz depending on content. Vision Booster adjusts the picture to stay readable in bright light. The size is measured as a full rectangle; the visible area is smaller.

Samsung		4.7-inch Retina HD LCD with IPS; 1334 × 750 pixels, 326 ppi; True Tone, wide colour (P3), Haptic Touch

Typical maximum brightness is 625 nits and typical contrast 1400:1. As an LCD, blacks are not as deep as on OLED and the screen runs at 60 Hz; the small size makes one-handed use easy but leaves little room for video and games.

Apple
Cover glassCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2

According to Samsung, the S23 series is the first S series to use Victus 2 glass.

Samsung		—
ProcessorSnapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy

Samsung introduced this version as a Snapdragon optimised for Galaxy and exclusive to the S23 series at launch.

Samsung		—
Memory and storage8 GB RAM; 128 GB or 256 GB

Usable space is lower because of preloaded software.

Samsung		—
Rear cameras50 MP Wide (F1.8, 85°), 12 MP Ultra Wide (F2.2, 120°), 10 MP Telephoto (3x optical, F2.4, 36°)

The telephoto gives 3x optical zoom; zoom beyond that is digital.

Samsung		—
Front camera12 MP (F2.2, 80°) Samsung7MP, ƒ/2.2; Portrait mode, Smart HDR 4; 1080p video at 25/30 fps Apple
Battery3900 mAh (typical); rated minimum 3785 mAh

The typical value is the average from third-party lab tests; the rated value is the minimum capacity across battery samples.

Samsung		—
ChargingWired: about 50% in around 30 minutes with a 25 W adapter and 3 A USB‑C cable; Fast Wireless Charging 2.0; Wireless PowerShare

The adapter is sold separately. Wired charging is compatible with QC2.0 and AFC. PowerShare needs the battery above 30% to charge another device.

Samsung		—
Operating systemAndroid 13 with One UI 5.1 at launch

Samsung promised four Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates for the S23 series; timing varies by model and market.

Samsung		Shipped with iOS 15 Apple
Connectivity5G, LTE, Wi‑Fi 6E, Wi‑Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.3

Wi‑Fi 6E needs a router with 6 GHz support; availability varies by market and provider.

Samsung		5G (sub-6 GHz, 2x2 MIMO), 4G LTE Advanced, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax, 2x2 MIMO), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC with reader mode; GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou

The model on the UK page is A2783; supported 5G and LTE bands vary by model and country.

Apple
Water resistanceIP68 (up to 1.5 m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes)

Samsung does not advise beach or pool use.

Samsung		—
SecuritySamsung Knox and Knox Vault Samsung—
Size and weight70.9 × 146.3 × 7.6 mm; 168 g Samsung138.4 × 67.3 × 7.3 mm; 144 g Apple
Chip—A15 Bionic: 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

It is the same chip as in the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, which is the main reason it handles heavy tasks such as 4K video editing and keeps getting updates for a long time.

Apple
Storage—64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB

Storage cannot be expanded later; 64 GB can fill quickly if you shoot 4K 60 fps video.

Apple
Colours—Midnight, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED Apple
Water and dust resistance—IP67 (IEC 60529; maximum depth of 1 metre up to 30 minutes)

Apple notes this resistance is not permanent and may decrease with normal wear.

Apple
Rear camera—12MP main camera, ƒ/1.8, optical image stabilisation; Smart HDR 4, Deep Fusion, Photographic Styles; Portrait mode; digital zoom up to 5x

There is a single rear camera with no ultra-wide or optical telephoto. Apple’s list does not include Night mode for photos, only Night mode time-lapse video.

Apple
Video—4K at 24/25/30/60 fps; 1080p at 25/30/60 fps; 1080p slo-mo at 120/240 fps; optical stabilisation for video; stereo recording Apple
Authentication—Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the Home button

There is no Face ID; the phone unlocks and approves Apple Pay payments with a fingerprint instead of face recognition.

Apple
Battery and charging—Apple rates up to 15 hours video, up to 10 hours streamed video, up to 50 hours audio; 50% in 30 minutes with a 20 W or higher adapter; Qi wireless charging; Lightning

No adapter is in the box. MagSafe is not supported, but standard Qi chargers work. The port is Lightning, not USB-C.

Apple
Sensors—Touch ID, barometer, three-axis gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor Apple