Apple’s 2023 range of iPhones is finally here, but how does the iPhone 15 Pro compare to the similarly-priced Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus?
We’ve tested and compared these two smartphones to help you decide which one is most worth dropping $1000 on. Keep reading to discover how these Apple and Samsung phones compare when it comes to the design, camera, performance, battery life and more.
Pricing and availability
The two phones are very similarly priced with slight differences depending on the region you buy the phone.
Apple launched the iPhone 15 Pro in September 2023, with prices starting at $999/£999/€1229.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus also arrived in 2023, but the phone was released back at the start of the year in February. Prices for the S23 Plus start at $999/£1049/€1219.
Design
The Galaxy S23 Plus is just slightly larger and heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro and the screen is also a bit bigger at 6.4 inches to the iPhone’s 6.1 inches.
Despite its smaller size, the iPhone does have the upper hand in the display department with its 2556 x 1189 resolution, 1-120Hz ProMotion refresh rate and unique take on the notch with the interactive Dynamic Island.
The S23 Plus also has a Full HD+, 120Hz display but the resolution is slightly lower at 2340 x 1080 and the refresh rate can only drop as low as 48Hz. As far as the notch goes, the S23 has a small hole-punch camera in the top centre of the display.
The S23 Plus does, however, come in a wider array of colours, including Lavender, Cream, Phantom Black, Green, Lime and Graphite. The iPhone 15 Pro is limited to four more muted finishes, Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium and Natural Titanium.
Camera
The Galaxy S23 Plus packs a slightly larger 50-megapixel main camera, along with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens that supports up to 3x optical zoom. We found that these cameras produced clear and crisp imagery and that they worked best in well-lit environments.
The iPhone 15 Pro also features a triple camera. In this case, the array consists of a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor with up to 3x optical zoom. We found the 48-megapixel shooter in particular to be capable of capturing detailed and vibrant images in well-lit settings and even producing a natural bokeh on close-up images.
Performance
Both the iPhone 15 Pro and the Galaxy S23 Plus are built on powerful chipsets capable of handling intensive workloads and even running triple-A games.
The iPhone 15 Pro is powered by Apple’s new 3nm A17 Pro chipset, one of the first to be built on the process in the smartphone world. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, meanwhile, sports a custom version of Qualcomm’s top-end chipset dubbed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy.
In our benchmarking tests, the iPhone 15 Pro received a Geekbench 6 single core score of 2855 and a multi-core score of 7149, while the Galaxy S23 Plus received 1541 on Geekbench 5 single core and 4976 on multi-core.
However, the Galaxy S23 Plus beat the iPhone on GFXBench, receiving 71fps to the iPhone’s 60fps on the Aztec Ruins (high) test and 102fps to the iPhone’s 60fps on the Car Chase test.
Battery Life
When it comes to battery life, the Galaxy S23 Plus has a larger battery capacity at 4700 mAh compared to the iPhone’s reported 3274 mAh capacity.
While both phones should get you through a full day’s use, we found that the iPhone 15 Pro lost battery just slightly faster, dropping 7% after 60 minutes of Netflix streaming and 8% following 30 minutes of light gaming. Comparatively, the Galaxy S23 Plus lost 5% of its battery after 60 minutes of Netflix and 6% after 30 minutes of light gaming.
Both handsets support both wireless charging, with the iPhone 15 Pro also supporting Apple’s MagSafe charging technology.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
