The base Galaxy S model from Samsung has enjoyed the privilege of being the only compact Android flagship in India for the past few years. However, things are different now as
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7 Pro daylight camera samples. Top: Primary camera, bottom: Ultra-wide camera (tap to see full size)
With the ultra-wide camera, Samsung manages to replicate the colour tone of its primary camera quite well which is good for consistency, but these photos look a bit saturated. Dynamic range is excellent on both smartphones and the same goes for details, which is quite good.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7 Pro low-light camera samples. (Tap to see full size)
In low light, I used each smartphone’s auto-night mode letting each phone’s camera decide whether it needed to fire up Night mode or not. The Samsung Galaxy S23 had the same problems which I noticed when comparing the Galaxy S23 Ultra to the iPhone 14 Pro, where it captures slightly dreamy looking photos in dimly-lit scenes, and with a noticeable halo effect around objects. However, unlike the S23 Ultra, the Galaxy S23 lacks the high resolution sensor, so the resolved details aren’t as good. The Pixel 7 Pro on the other hand has minor problems with bright lights but manages much better photos with better details, colour accuracy and dynamic range than the Galaxy S23.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7 Pro daylight zoom samples (Tap to see full size)
When it came to zoom, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 captured slightly oversharpened photos at 2X magnification, while Google’s Pixel managed photos with better resolved details. At 3X, which is the Galaxy’s optical zoom limit, both phones manage a similar level of quality, which was surprising because the Pixel’s photos are digital crops from the primary camera. At 5X zoom, which is Pixel’s optical limit, it managed better quality photos, while the Galaxy S23’s photos appeared a bit flat with some oversharpening (because they are digitally cropped photos). In low light, the Samsung Galaxy S23’s 3X telephoto camera’s optical zoom performance isn’t impressive and is unable to focus properly. Meanwhile, the Pixel 7 Pro does a much better job at 5X optical zoom.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7 Pro low-light samples (Tap to see full size)
Selfies in Portrait mode from the front camera look great from both smartphones, but Samsung’s Galaxy S23 has an edge thanks to its newer sensor. The Pixel 7 Pro also showcases natural skin tones while the Galaxy S23 produces a slightly reddish appearance. The Galaxy S23 also captures sharper images thanks to its PDAF system, but the Pixel has a much wider field of view, which is useful if you have many people in the frame.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7 Pro daylight and low-light selfie camera samples (Tap to see full size)
Capturing selfies in low light is where the Samsung Galaxy S23 comes out on top, when used with the screen flash switched on. The Pixel’s images look quite messy with the same settings. However, both cameras show similar quality when shooting selfies with their respective Night modes.
When capturing video, I stuck to 4K setting as both smartphones are equally capable of shooting the same. The Galaxy S23 captures slightly sharper looking video while the Pixel 7 Pro has a more realistic look when recording at 4K 60fps. The Pixel also managed more accurate colours while the Galaxy had more cooler tones. Both phones managed a steady bitrate and good stabilisation when panning and moving around.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is also capable of shooting 8K video. While it’s not as detailed as the footage captured from the Galaxy S23 Ultra, it does a good job at it and manages a steady bitrate. However, do keep in mind that 8K recordings take up a lot of storage space.
I also tried HDR video recording on the Samsung Galaxy S23. While the Pixel’s HDR capabilities haven’t improved since my last shootout with the iPhone 14 Pro, Samsung did a much better job, albeit with saturated colours. In low light, both smartphones did a decent job when shooting at 4K 60fps, but Samsung managed to control noise a lot better than the Pixel. However, the Galaxy S23’s aggressive noise reduction comes at the cost of weaker details.
Verdict
Samsung is currently the only smartphone brand in India to offer a truly compact flagship phone, year after year. Most manufacturers withdrew from this form factor in the premium space as display size and battery life became bigger priorities among buyers. This holds true as even a brand as rigid as Apple, announced it’s second XL-sized smartphone in the form of the iPhone 14 Plus (Review) last year.
While last year’s Samsung Galaxy S22 just about cut it when it came to battery life, this year’s Galaxy S23 does a better job. It improves on that one paint point most buyers have with compact flagships and this should surely help it find a lot more takers. If you are in the market for a compact flagship and are willing to live with the compromises these phones are known for (relatively smaller battery and display), then get a Samsung Galaxy S23 by all means, as there’s no competition.
However, when it comes to value, it gets really hard to justify the Galaxy S23’s Rs. 74,999 price. Samsung’s own Galaxy S22 (Review) comes quite close to the S23 in terms of features and performance, including that compact form factor. Since it’s more than a year old, you can now find it for roughly Rs. 57,999 or even lesser in online stores.
If you are comfortable with something slightly larger, Google’s Pixel 7 is a worthy competitor. While it cuts down on the number of rear cameras and is only available in one storage option, it’s also priced a lot lower than the Galaxy S23 at Rs. 59,999. The bigger Pixel 7 Pro (Review) adds a third camera with solid telephoto performance at a price that is similar to the Galaxy S23’s 256GB variant. Google’s Pixel devices are also the first to get software updates and it’s all stock, minus the bloatware that Samsung still loads on its smartphones. Also available at the same price is Vivo’s X80 Pro (Review) which at Rs. 79,999, offers incredible camera capability along with better battery life.
