Google Pixel 8 vs Samsung Galaxy S23+

Google Pixel 8

Google

8.3

Best compact Google flagship — 7-year updates + AI in a small body

Samsung Galaxy S23+

Samsung

8.3

Best-value Galaxy S23 — same chip + 45W as Ultra, no S Pen

Google Pixel 8

What Reviewers Agree On

Same industry-first 7-year update commitment as the Pixel 8 Pro — through October 2030
Same Magic Editor, Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser AI features as the Pro — entire AI suite trickles down to the cheaper Pixel
Compact 6.2-inch body at 187g — genuinely pocketable, rare in a 6.7"+ flagship market
Tensor G3 + 8GB RAM run the new AI features locally, same chip as Pro
6.2" Actua display at 2000-nit peak, 1-120Hz adaptive — bright enough for sunlight even without LTPO
Cleaner curve-free flat-front design with polished aluminum rails — most refined Pixel design yet

Pros & Cons

Google Pixel 8

Pros

Same industry-first 7-year update commitment as the Pixel 8 Pro — through October 2030
Same Magic Editor, Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser AI features as the Pro — entire AI suite trickles down to the cheaper Pixel
Compact 6.2-inch body at 187g — genuinely pocketable, rare in a 6.7"+ flagship market
Tensor G3 + 8GB RAM run the new AI features locally, same chip as Pro
6.2" Actua display at 2000-nit peak, 1-120Hz adaptive — bright enough for sunlight even without LTPO

Detailed Comparison

Design & Display

Google Pixel 8

Compact 6.2-inch flat-front body in polished aluminum at 187g — genuinely pocketable. Actua display tops at 2000-nit peak with 1-120Hz adaptive refresh.

6.2-inch Actua OLED, 2400×1080, 1-120Hz adaptive refresh, 2000-nit peak HDR — bright enough for sunlight without LTPO.
Flat-front design with subtle curves on the back, polished aluminum rails — most refined Pixel design yet.
187g body in compact 6.2" form — genuinely pocketable, much lighter than iPhone 15 Plus (201g) or S23 (168g).
Display brightness 2000-nit peak vs Pro's 2400-nit LTPO — Pro is meaningfully brighter in direct sunlight side-by-side.

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Samsung Galaxy S23+

What Reviewers Agree On

Same bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (3.36GHz) chip as the S23 Ultra — flagship performance, more efficient than the Exynos S22+
Same 45W wired + 15W wireless charging as the Ultra (only the standard S23 is stuck at 25W)
6.6-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X with 120Hz and 1750-nit peak — beautifully bright in sunlight
Excellent endurance from a 4,700mAh battery and the efficient chip — GSMArena measured ~14h Active Use score and 111h endurance, owners report 12h+ days with 40% left
IP68 + Gorilla Glass Victus 2 + Armor Aluminum frame, redesigned floating-camera look borrowed from the Ultra
4 OS updates / 5 years of security — among the best support in Android

Deal Breakers

'Awkward middle child' — doesn't stand out vs the Ultra (which adds S Pen, 10x periscope, 200MP camera, QHD+) or vs the cheaper standard S23
No S Pen and no periscope telephoto — the two features most reviewers cite as the Ultra's real edge
Only FHD+ display resolution (not QHD+ like the Ultra) — sharp enough but not class-leading
Box cable doesn't trigger 45W charging — must buy a separate 5A PPS cable to hit rated speeds
$999 launch price feels steep next to the OnePlus 11 (80W charging at lower price) and Pixel 7 Pro

Samsung Galaxy S23+

Pros

Same bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (3.36GHz) chip as the S23 Ultra — flagship performance, more efficient than the Exynos S22+
Same 45W wired + 15W wireless charging as the Ultra (only the standard S23 is stuck at 25W)
6.6-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X with 120Hz and 1750-nit peak — beautifully bright in sunlight
Excellent endurance from a 4,700mAh battery and the efficient chip — GSMArena measured ~14h Active Use score and 111h endurance, owners report 12h+ days with 40% left
IP68 + Gorilla Glass Victus 2 + Armor Aluminum frame, redesigned floating-camera look borrowed from the Ultra
4 OS updates / 5 years of security — among the best support in Android

Cons

'Awkward middle child' — doesn't stand out vs the Ultra (which adds S Pen, 10x periscope, 200MP camera, QHD+) or vs the cheaper standard S23
No S Pen and no periscope telephoto — the two features most reviewers cite as the Ultra's real edge
Only FHD+ display resolution (not QHD+ like the Ultra) — sharp enough but not class-leading
Box cable doesn't trigger 45W charging — must buy a separate 5A PPS cable to hit rated speeds
$999 launch price feels steep next to the OnePlus 11 (80W charging at lower price) and Pixel 7 Pro

Samsung Galaxy S23+

Refined floating-camera design borrowed from the Ultra, 6.6-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X at 1750-nit peak. The display is sharp enough and beautifully bright; only the Ultra's QHD+ panel ranks higher inside Samsung's lineup.

6.6-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 1200 nits HBM, 1750 nits peak — same panel quality as the Ultra at lower resolution.
S23 and S23+ adopt the floating-camera look first seen on the Ultra — cohesive trio design without the camera-island contour bump.
Display brightness boosted from 1300 to 1750 nits — easy to use in direct sunlight even with auto brightness off.
Three years on, the body 'still feels premium and modern' and the display 'still feels every bit like a 2026 smartphone'.
After tempered glass install, the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor becomes unreliable — a recurring owner complaint (the cheaper A54's optical sensor works better with a screen protector).

Battery & Charging

Google Pixel 8

4,575mAh battery delivers average all-day life — behind iPhone 15 (3,349mAh) per-mAh due to Tensor G3 inefficiency. 27W wired charging is modest.

4,575mAh battery — bigger than iPhone 15 (3,349mAh) but Tensor G3 inefficiency cancels much of the advantage.
Real-world: ~5-6 hours of screen-on time typical; all-day for moderate use but rarely two-day endurance.
27W wired charging — modest by 2023 standards. 0-50% in ~30 min, full in ~1h30m.
18W Qi wireless via Pixel Stand 2; 12W standard Qi — solid wireless charging story for a $699 phone.

Samsung Galaxy S23+

4,700mAh paired with the efficient chip delivers excellent real-world endurance — owners regularly hit 5-8 hours SOT and full days with 40% to spare. Charging is 45W rated (the standard S23 is only 25W) but caps out at ~1h6m to full and needs the correct PPS cable.

4,700mAh battery (up 200mAh from S22+) and 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy give a measured 14h Active Use score and a 111h GSMArena endurance rating — beating the S22+'s 97h.
Real-world: 5-8 hours of SOT typical, with one owner reporting 12 hours of mixed use (YouTube, gaming, Bluetooth, texting) and still 40% left.
After 2.5 years, moderate use still gets 2 days of battery — long-term efficiency holds up well.
45W wired charging: 21% in 10 min, 39% in 20 min, 55% in 30 min, 79% in 45 min, full in ~1h9m.
ChargerLAB confirmed: peak charging is ~40W (drops to 33W after 6 min); a PPS-capable charger is needed — without it the rate caps at 27W.
15W wireless charging supported (Qi); 4.5W reverse wireless to top up Galaxy Buds or a Watch.
Critical gotcha: the in-box cable doesn't trigger Super Fast Charging 2.0 — must buy a 5A PPS cable separately, same issue as the Ultra.