Why buy the iPhone 14 when the Samsung Galaxy S23 does better?

Often imitated, never outdone, it’s an easy way to describe the iPhone’s position among smartphones. Obviously to see their impact on The best Android devices At all price levels, providing features like the notch, flat side rails, and square-mounted camera on the front corner as OEMs try to ditch the iPhone. I would argue that no brand has succeeded, at least not yet. Samsung has finally found a way to eat Apple’s lunch by not only taking advantage of but improving on its flagship features. Like it or not, the Samsung Galaxy S23 has become the best iPhone ever.

Apple never had a hardware problem. Oddly placed Magic Mouse charging port aside, everything from the Cupertino company is polished down to the last detail. When you pick up an iPhone, you know you’re getting a fine blend of glass and aluminum that’s carefully orchestrated inside and out. However, we are now in an era when the good simply isn’t good enough. Year-to-year updates mean that the device needs to offer some form of actual improvement to move the needle.

the iPhone 14 Do not do it. Instead, it lands almost perfectly in the shoes of its predecessor, hanging on to a dated, jagged screen, uncomfortable industrial side rails, and ditching the SIM tray in the name of, I don’t know, progress? If Apple shut down the 6.1-inch flagship, we probably wouldn’t have much room to complain, but it’s not like that. the Samsung Galaxy S23 It shows just how good the phone’s small hardware is, and it beats Apple on every detail.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the rear cameras. Samsung Three rear cameras It simply offers more control and flexibility than Apple can smell. Its inclusion of a telephoto shooter lets you punch up to 30x, while the iPhone’s ultra-wide and wide setup calls it stops at just 5x zoom. Are you likely to use 30x zoom all that much? Probably not, but you’ll probably find that you need to go beyond the 5x zoom now and then and you’ll get better looking shots at 3x to 5x as well.

Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and the gently curved side rails also bring a level of polish to the Samsung Galaxy S23 that we’ve been craving. After a few years of growth spurts, curved screens, and the occasional “glass” finish, the Galaxy S23 is premium from top to bottom — and it still includes a SIM tray. It’s hard to overestimate how comfortable the rounded design is. I find myself more willing to hold onto and use the Galaxy S23 for hours than I would the straight-edge iPhone 14.

The Galaxy S23’s screen beats the iPhone 14, too, and we’re not just talking about the ugly notch. Samsung’s small flagship delivers up to 1,750 nits of brightness, far exceeding Apple’s mark of 1,200. Of course, that peak brightness is reserved for specific HDR highlights, but the small screen’s features go a long way. You don’t have to become a pro to get it The refresh rate is 120 Hz In the Galaxy ecosystem too – all three devices have reached that high. Yes, you’ll get more for your money if you buy the Galaxy S23 Plus or Galaxy S23 Ultra, but the base Galaxy S23 can’t seem to settle for less than the iPhone 14.

What I mean is that now you have to pay – at least – $200 more on the iPhone 14 Pro to actually get the best of Apple. The upper cortex moves to Dynamic Islandrocks a telephoto lens (still only 15x as far), and is powered by Apple’s latest A16 Bionic chipset.

Of course, frequent use of the A15 Bionic chipset does not mean that restarting the iPhone 13 is bad. Apple’s 2021 chips continue to put up impressive benchmark numbers that rival all flavors Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 On the Samsung Galaxy S23. However, it does so while emphasizing the double standards within iOS. The base model is no longer good enough to have true flagship specs, forcing many people to wait an extra year for long-awaited upgrades.

I’ve spent enough time as the black sheep of my group of friends to know how much Americans love iMessage. It’s cause for celebration whenever it appears as a blue bubble for a few weeks instead of the usual green one. However, Apple’s flagship Messaging application Don’t really move the needle for the rest of the world. Most people turn to WhatsApp, WeChat, and Telegram to stay in touch, which quickly brightens up the Apple experience. When you look at iOS more broadly, how much is really memorable about Apple’s current software? I will not argue much.

Maybe that’s what people like about it. You can pick up an iPhone — any iPhone — and see exactly where everything is. It makes helping your cousin or grandma with their new phone easy, but it doesn’t make for an exciting experience. Using iOS every few months as I do ironically reminds me of the old Android motto, “Be together, not the same,” if it weren’t for the fact that Apple lands so far in reverse.

Going back to the messaging example, the rest of the world doesn’t care about iMessage. Once you get rid of the blue bubbles and the green bubbles, you can start focusing on what makes the program fun to use. A lot of developers focus on the iOS versions of apps first, but their Android counterparts offer more freedom and flexibility for exploration, self-publishing, and sideloading.

Sure, you can customize your app icons in iOS, but the process is long and tedious, and you might get tired of it halfway through. Apple now has widgets too, though it’s hard to argue that there’s a lot of soul in a series of squares and rectangles. I don’t know Android widgets are more exciting, but at least Google is trying to bring some organic stuff to life material you Shapes.

I would argue that perhaps Samsung’s greatest software strength comes from not having the last minute piece of Android. Instead, the brains at Samsung can tweak and fine-tune the core software, putting their own spin on the camera app, settings menus, and the way you can change the Samsung Galaxy S23’s home screen layout to match the apps and widgets you want. Really need and hide everything away. Sure, you end up with unnecessary complications like Galaxy Internet and a second gallery app, but you’re also free to change launcher And install icon packs in the blink of an eye.

Or, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you can put apps at the bottom of the screen — right there within reach of your thumb. Yes, yes, Apple has its drawer where you can put four favorite apps, but what happens when you need more than four? You have to move it to a height that can be reached with other apps, folders, and tools.

Credit where due, Apple’s control of iOS means it can push software updates long after Samsung has moved on. Samsung’s four years of Android updates and five years of security patches is a lofty promise, but Apple is still the gold standard. This means the iPhone can improve its performance like no other, wringing every last ounce from smaller batteries and less RAM while Samsung tries to fit more of each into shrinking phone bodies. But, at the end of the day, would you rather have a phone that lasts forever or one that feels like it reflects your true personality?

Apple’s walled garden always reminded me of the children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Once you buy an iPhone, you’re already on a slippery slope that includes the Apple Watch, iPad, and MacBook. After all, why pair your iPhone with a Windows laptop when you can get all your notifications all the time by staying within the Apple ecosystem? Some would argue that the iPad is still it The best tabletand the Apple Watch It’s been years since it discovered itself, while Android wearables are still squabbling over a single common software platform.

However, while Apple enjoyed life on top of the platform, sharing notifications back and forth and seamless design across all segments, Samsung underwent something big (get it? Galaxy Pun?). The Samsung Galaxy ecosystem now includes a little – or maybe a lot – of everything. Samsung has many tablets, Chromebooks, Windows laptops, earphones, wearables, and a range of accessories to choose from. That’s without getting into TVs, electronics, and any smart home device imaginable — a world where Apple can’t even begin to compete.

Not only has Samsung immersed itself in nearly every category of Apple’s, but it has found ways to improve many of them. the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro It provides several days of battery life, while all but Apple Watch Ultra Request day trips to the shipper. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab lineup often includes a stylus, but not a stylus that you need to connect with a USB-C to Lightning cable. Even choosing between Windows and Chrome OS brings variety to Samsung, letting you explore what works best for you.

In the end, I think Samsung’s time spent watching Apple build its own iPhone powerhouse and seamless ecosystem has done some good. We’ve learned that bigger isn’t always better, that materials can’t be messed with, and that the experience around a phone is just as important as the phone itself. All of Samsung’s hard-earned lessons have created a Galaxy S23 that beats the iPhone at its own game, and I have a feeling it’ll make the smartphone arms race fun again.