Ok, so till now whatever I have heard, made the following comparison, do let me know your comments/additions !!!
| Area | Google (Pixel 8) | Samsung (S23) | Comments |
| Hardware: | | | |
| Camera | 10 | 5 | This is now known that Pixel has superior camera |
| Processor | 9 | 10 | I guess Samsung do have good processor |
| Repairability | 6 | 10 | Samsung has advantage |
| Value for Money | 6 | 10 | Samsung has advantage |
| Resale value | 6 | 8 | Samsung has advantage |
| Software: | | | |
| Gallery | 10 | 9 | Have been forever user of Google Photos but I think Samsung gallery has also improved a lot in recent times. |
| Notes taking app | 10 | 10 | Again, have been using Google Notes but can move to Samsung Notes |
| Payment Wallet | 5 | 10 | Samsung wallet is a really useful app. Google doesnt have simiilar app for Indian market |
| Overall Features | 8 | 10 | Samsung has advantage and Samsung UI do offers many features |
| Software updates | 10 | 9 | Google has advantage |
| TOTAL | 80 | 91 | |
Wallet would be 1 to Google and 10 for Sammy. Once you have Galaxy Watch + Galaxy phone, you can use your watch to make payments and this is something that even iPhone users don't have in India. Absolute advantage as you just don't have to take your phone out every time.
Software : It has been a while since I used a Sammy and I never used Pixel phone. Those who used both usually vouch for OneUI for its software features (except the purists). This is a very personal choice so rating is not possible here.
Camera: Cannot say that s23 camera is 5. Pixel wins for rear camera and S23 beats in video recording and selfie shots. That telephoto lens on S23 helps a lot as it allows 3x zoom and gives much better detail compared to Pixel's digital zoom. Front cam shots are better on Samsung from what I saw in reviews. Also, selfie camera does not have autofocus on pixel 8 and S23 front cam has autofocuss. Video recording has been a major drawback for Pixels when it is compared with other flagships and it continues with Pixel 8. S23 has better video recording quality. If you want to absolutely control the color and dynamic range, Samsung S23 supports Expert RAW mode.
In short, you can fix saturation in post processing or by using RAW mode but you cannot fix or circumvent hardware limitation. I read that in S23 Ultra, there is option to pick natural colour tone in camera setting that reduces saturation. Don't know if this is available in S23.
Hardware : Samsung 9 Pixel 6
Display: S23 all the way, thanks to LTPO panel.
Fingerprint: Samsung is way better thanks to having ultrasonic FP reader. One major advantage is that it does not blind you in darkness when you need to unlock your phone. Also, it is more accurate and is faster.
Dimensions : S23 is thinner, lighter and smaller than Pixel though the display size is almost the same. Bloody thing is full 20 grams lighter.
DeX: Don't know how many use this but having the ability to use a phone like a laptop definitely is added advantage.
Chip: I would any day pick Snapdragon 8 gen 2 over Exynos (Google Tensor are Exynos+custom chip).
Network: Most reviews won't even talk about the most important spec of phone. Qualcomm's modems are superior to Exynos's. My iPhone 15 Pro Max has the X70 and is bloody good and big big upgrade compared to what I had on iPhone 13. I am having far fewer call drops (both Jio and Airtel), better and faster latching and call now drops much later or in less instances when I am in a lift. I believe this is the same modem on S23.
My suggestion: Go with S23 plus if bigger display is not a concern. The weight is identical to that of Pixel 8 and is only a little bit bigger. The advantage of S23+ is that you get UFS 4.0 storage and 45W fast charging, bloody strong battery life and 6.7" display. Though I love the pure Android (from custom ROM days), the S23/plus trumps Pixels on features that we use the most in day to day work. Pixel is better only and only for rear camera still photos. And do see what surprises S24 series will bring in for camera department and in features.
