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If you find the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Pixel 7 Pro to be too big for your liking, luckily they have smaller siblings. In this article, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Google Pixel 7. These are also flagship-grade smartphones, even though they are technically inferior to their larger siblings. To those of you who prefer more compact devices, these may be ideal alternatives, though.
As per usual, we’ll first list the spec sheets of the two smartphones, and will then move on to compare them across a number of categories. We’ll first compare their designs, and will then move on to displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. There is a lot to talk about here, so… let’s get started.
Specs
| Samsung Galaxy S23 | Google Pixel 7 | |
| Screen size | 6.1-inch fullHD+ flat AMOLED display (120Hz refresh rate, 1,750 nits peak brightness) | 6.3-inch fullHD+ flat AMOLED display (90Hz refresh rate, 1,400 nits peak brightness) |
| Screen resolution | 2340 x 1080 | 2400 x 1080 |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Google Tensor G2 |
| RAM | 8GB (LPDDR5X) | 8GB (LPDDR5) |
| Storage | 128GB (UFS 3.1)/256GB (UFS 4.0)/512GB (UFS 4.0), non-expandable | 128GB/256GB, non-expandable (UFS 3.1) |
| Rear cameras | 50MP (f/1.8 aperture, 24mm lens, 1.0um pixel size, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF) 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 13mm lens, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size) 10MP (telephoto, f/2.4 aperture, 70mm lens, 1.0um pixel size, OIS, 3x optical zoom, PDAF) |
50MP (Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor, 1.2um pixel size, f/1.85 aperture, 82-degree FoV, Super Res Zoom up to 8x) 12MP (ultrawide, 1.25um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 114-degree FoV, lens correction) |
| Front cameras | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 26mm lens, Dual Pixel PDAF) | 10.8MP (1.22um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 92.8-degree FoV, Fixed Focus) |
| Battery | 3,900mAh, non-removable, 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging (Qi/PMA), reverse wireless charging Charger not included |
4,355mAh, non-removable, 21W wired charging, 23W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging Charger not included |
| Dimensions | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6mm | 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm |
| Weight | 168 grams | 197 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | In-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic) | Face Unlock In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) |
| OS | Android 13 One UI 5.1 |
Android 13 |
| Price | $799/$849/TBA | $599/$699 |
| Buy | Samsung |
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Google Pixel 7: Design
Both of these phones are made out of aluminum and glass, though they both look and feel different. The Galaxy S23 has more rounded corners, and is actually considerably more compact than the Pixel 7. It is almost 10mm shorter, and over 2mm narrower than the Pixel 7. It’s also about a millimeter thinner. Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy S23 also weighs less at 168 grams, compared to 197 grams. None of that is surprising, as the Pixel 7 does include a noticeably larger display.
Both smartphones have flat displays, and a centered display camera hole. The bezels are quite thin on both phones, but the Galaxy S23 has uniform bezels, unlike Google’s phone. If we flip them around, you’ll notice that their camera modules look considerably different. The Galaxy S23 has three cameras in the top-left corner, which are vertically-aligned. These cameras protrude directly from the backplate. The Pixel 7, on the other hand, has a large camera strip on the back, which is covered by aluminum, and hides two cameras on the inside.
Both of these smartphones are quite slippery, so using a case may be a good idea. They do feel quite premium in the hand, though. The Galaxy S23 is much easier to use with one hand, due to its smaller footprint. Both smartphones do offer IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. That will give you some peace of mind, that’s for sure.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Google Pixel 7: Display
The Samsung Galaxy S23 features a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. That panel is flat, and it offers a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports HDR10+ content, and it also gets quite bright at 1,750 nits of peak brightness. This panel has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and it is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The screen-to-body ratio is higher here than on the Pixel 7.
The Google Pixel 7, on the other hand, has a 6.3-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display. This panel is also flat, and it offers a 90Hz refresh rate. It also supports HDR10+ content, and gets up to 1,400 nits of peak brightness. We’re looking at a 20:9 display aspect ratio here, and the Pixel 7’s panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus.
So, the Galaxy S23’s display does look better on paper, and it actually is in real life. The vast majority of you really won’t care about the differences, though. Both panels do offer great viewing angles, vivid colors, deep blacks, and are more than sharp enough. The Galaxy S23 does have an edge in smoothness, due to its higher refresh rate, and it also gets noticeably brighter in direct sunlight. Those are two of its major advantages. The touch response is really good on both phones.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Google Pixel 7: Performance
The Galaxy S23 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC in all markets. Samsung opted not to use its Exynos chip this time around. The phone includes 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and either UFS 3.1 or 4.0 flash storage. Do note that only the 128GB base storage model has UFS 3.1 storage. The Pixel 7, on the other hand, is fueled by the Google Tensor G2 SoC, Google’s second-gen smartphone chip. The phone comes with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage in both its 128GB and 256GB storage flavors.
When it comes to regular, everyday performance, both phones do a great job. They can open and close apps really fast, the same goes for multitasking. They’re great for browsing, consuming multimedia, and various other actions. They’re buttery smooth in all those aspects. The differences do become obvious when it comes to gaming, though. The Galaxy S23 is the better phone for gaming out of the two. The Pixel 7’s Tensor G2 chip is not made for gaming, and Google never claimed it will. It will do good with most games, but if you fire up the most demanding games you can find, it may struggle.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Google Pixel 7: Battery
The Samsung Galaxy S23 sports a 3,900mAh battery on the inside. The Pixel 7, on the flip side, has a 4,355mAh battery. So, how do they compare, battery-wise? Well, first and foremost, the Galaxy S23 does offer considerably better battery life than the Galaxy S22, which was really bad in that regard. It’s around 25% better, if we had to give you a ballpark improvement. It’s not yet as good as some other flagship phones are, but it will be more than good enough for most people.
You should be able to get over 5 hours of screen-on-time on the Galaxy S23 (maybe even considerably more), though that will all depend on your usage, what apps you have installed, location, and so on. The Pixel 7 does include a larger battery, and combined with its chip and lower screen refresh rate, it does manage to offer more in the battery department. Getting around 6-7 hours of screen-on-time is possible with the Pixel 7. Even more than that, at times. Your mileage may vary, of course.
When charging is concerned, they both offer both wired and wireless charging. The Galaxy S23 supports 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The Pixel 7 supports 20W wired, 20W wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging. Do note that both smartphones come without a charger in the box, though.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Google Pixel 7: Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S23 features three cameras on the back. It includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit, and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera. The Pixel 7 has two cameras on the back, a 50-megapixel main unit, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. A 12-megapixel selfie camera sits on the front side of the Galaxy S23, while a 10.8-megapixel unit can be found on the front side of the Pixel 7.
The camera results these two phones provide are entirely different. The images from the Galaxy S23 are a lot warmer, while the Pixel 7 provides cooler-looking images. The Pixel 7 also offers those contrasty images that we’re used to seeing from Pixel phones in general. Truth be said, the Galaxy S23 camera results are noticeably better than what the Galaxy S22 offered. The images are sharper, and balanced better at the same time. The Pixel 7 is still the king of dynamic range, though.
The same can be said for both daylight and nighttime images, you’ll notice the difference in color temperature, but both phones do a great job. I’d still take the Pixel 7 for still, mainly due to the overall look of Pixel images, excellent dynamic range, and the way the phone makes those sunset photos look. As I said, though, the Galaxy S23 is a considerable improvement over the Galaxy S22. Depending on the scene, it can beat the Pixel 7, especially if you love those warmer tones. Its images even end up being sharper in low light most of the time, though a bit too yellow at times. The telephoto results are better from the Pixel 7, without a doubt, while the ultrawide camera performance tries to be in line with the main cameras, though it’s a step below in both cases.
Selfies do end up looking a bit more lifelike on the Galaxy S23, and also warmer at the same time. The Pixel 7 provides more contrasty selfies, so in line with the rear cameras, actually. The video performance is good on both devices, but also quite different. It all depends on what you prefer, but both provide good, stable shots.
Audio
Both the Galaxy S23 and Pixel 7 include a set of stereo speakers. What they do not have is an audio jack. Those speakers sound good on both phones, as good as you’d expect. There are better speakers out there for sure, but these do get both loud enough and detailed enough. Not many people will have complaints.
When it comes to headphones, you can either hook them up with a Type-C port on either phone, or utilize Bluetooth. The Galaxy S23 is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, while the Pixel 7 includes Bluetooth 5.2 support.