Samsung Galaxy S23 vs A32 5G
Here we compared two smartphones: the 6.1-inch Samsung Galaxy S23 (with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy) that was released on February 1, 2023, against the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G, which is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 720 5G and came out 25 months before. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S23
- Waterproof body (IP68 classification)
- 3.5x better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (1362K versus 391K)
- The rear camera has a 3x optical zoom
- Higher display refresh rate – 120 Hz
- Delivers 142% higher peak brightness (1209 against 500 nits)
- 57% higher pixel density (425 vs 270 PPI)
- Handles wireless charging up to 10W
- Newer Bluetooth version (v5.3)
- Optical image stabilization
- Slow-motion recording at 960FPS
- The phone is 2-years and 1-month newer
- Compatible with Wi-Fi 6 wireless networks
- Stereo speakers
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
- Comes with 1100 mAh larger battery capacity: 5000 vs 3900 mAh
- Shows 14% longer battery life (39:15 vs 34:29 hours)
- Expandable storage via MicroSD card up to 1024GB
- Has a 0.4 inch larger screen size
- Includes a 3.5 mm headphone audio jack port
Review
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Value for money
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED | TFT LCD |
| Size | 6.1 inches | 6.5 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels | 720 x 1600 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 19.5:9 | 20:9 |
| PPI | 425 ppi | 270 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | Yes | No |
| Max rated brightness | 800 nits | 500 nits |
| Max rated brightness in HDR | 1750 nits | - |
| HDR support | Yes, HDR10+ | No |
| Screen protection | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 88.1% | 81.6% |
| Display features |
- DCI-P3
- Always-On Display |
- |
| RGB color space | 98.9% | 96.1% |
| PWM | 240 Hz | - |
| Response time | 1 ms | 53 ms |
| Contrast | ∞ Infinity | 862:1 |
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 146.3 mm (5.76 inches) | 164.2 mm (6.46 inches) |
| Width | 70.9 mm (2.79 inches) | 76.1 mm (3 inches) |
| Thickness | 7.6 mm (0.3 inches) | 9.1 mm (0.36 inches) |
| Weight | 168 g (5.93 oz) | 205 g (7.23 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP68 | No |
| Advanced cooling | Vapor chamber | - |
| Rear material | Glass | Plastic |
| Frame material | Metal | Plastic |
| Colors | White, Black, Gray, Green, Purple, Yellow | White, Black, Blue, Purple |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, in-display | Yes, in-button |
Screen-to-body ratio
Performance
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy | MediaTek Dimensity 720 5G |
| Max clock | 3360 MHz | 2000 MHz |
| CPU cores | 8 (1 + 2 + 2 + 3) | 8 (2 + 6) |
| Architecture |
- 3 cores at 2 GHz: Cortex-A510
- 2 cores at 2.8 GHz: Cortex-A710 - 2 cores at 2.8 GHz: Cortex-A715 - 1 core at 3.2 GHz: Cortex-X3 |
- 6 cores at 2 GHz: Cortex-A55
- 2 cores at 2 GHz: Cortex-A76 |
| L3 cache | 8 MB | - |
| Lithography process | 4 nanometers | 7 nanometers |
| Graphics | Adreno 740 | Mali-G57 MP3 |
| GPU shading units | 2560 | 192 |
| GPU clock | 719 MHz | 850 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~3481.6 GFLOPS | ~326.4 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
AnTuTu Benchmark 10
| CPU | 366724 | 127273 |
| GPU | 551228 | 84697 |
| Memory | 192220 | 86369 |
| UX | 247673 | 89824 |
| Total score | 1362358 | 391528 |
3DMark Wild Life Performance
| Max surface temperature | 34.3 °C | 37.2 °C |
| Stability | 60% | 97% |
| Graphics test | 72 FPS | 7 FPS |
| Graphics score | 12033 | 1228 |
PCMark 3.0
| Web score | 13647 | 4643 |
| Video editing | 7797 | 5431 |
| Photo editing | 34238 | 12299 |
| Data manipulation | 12529 | 6417 |
| Writing score | 19579 | 7482 |
Memory
| RAM size | 8 GB | 4, 6, 8 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR4X |
| Memory clock | - | 1866 MHz |
| Channels | 4 | 2 |
| Storage size | 128, 256, 512 GB | 64, 128 GB |
| Storage type | UFS 4.0 | UFS 2.1 |
| Memory card | No | MicroSD |
| Memory card max size | - | Up to 1024 GB |
Software
| Operating system | Android 13 | Android 11 (Can be upgraded to Android 13) |
| ROM | One UI 5.1 | One UI 4.1 |
| OS size | 29.7 GB | 22 GB |
Battery
| Capacity | 3900 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Max charge power | 25 W | 15 W |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | Yes (10 W) | No |
| Reverse charging | Yes, (wireless) | No |
| Fast charging | Yes (57% in 30 min) | Yes (23% in 30 min) |
| Full charging time | 1:16 hr | 2:24 hr |
| Web browsing | 12:15 hr | 14:55 hr |
| Watching video | 15:00 hr | 14:29 hr |
| Gaming | 05:56 hr | 06:44 hr |
| Standby | 111 hr | 133 hr |
General battery life
Camera
| Matrix | 50 megapixels | 48 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 8160 x 6120 | 8000 x 6000 |
| Zoom | Optical, 3x | Digital |
| Flash | LED | LED |
| Stabilization | Optical | Digital |
| 8K video recording | Up to 30FPS | No |
| 4K video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 30FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 30FPS |
| Slow motion | 960 FPS (1080p) | 120 FPS (1080p) |
| Angle of widest lens | 120° | 123° |
| Lenses | 3 (50 MP + 10 MP + 12 MP) | 4 (48 MP + 8 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP) |
| Wide (main) lens |
- 50 MP
- Aperture: f/1.8 - Focal length: 23 mm - Pixel size: 1 micron - Sensor: 1/1.57", Samsung S5KGN3 (ISOCELL Plus CMOS) - Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) - Optical stabilization |
- 48 MP
- Aperture: f/1.8 - Pixel size: 0.8 micron - Sensor: 1/2.0" (CMOS) - Phase autofocus |
| Telephoto lens |
- 10 MP
- Aperture: f/2.4 - Focal length: 70 mm - Pixel size: 1 micron - Sensor: 1/3.94", Samsung S5K3K1 (Exmor-RS CMOS) - Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) - Optical stabilization |
- |
| Ultra-wide lens |
- 12 MP
- Aperture: f/2.2 - Focal length: 13 mm - Pixel size: 1.4 micron - Sensor: 1/2.55", Sony IMX564 (Exmor-RS CMOS) - Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) |
- 8 MP
- Aperture: f/2.2 - Focal length: 13 mm - Pixel size: 1.12 micron - Sensor: 1/4.0" (CMOS) |
| Macro lens | - |
- 5 MP
- Aperture: f/2.4 |
| Depth lens | - |
- 2 MP
- Aperture: f/2.4 |
| Camera features |
- Bokeh mode
- Pro mode - RAW support |
- Bokeh mode
- Pro mode |
| Samples | Photo samples of Samsung Galaxy S23 from DxOMark | - |
| Megapixels | 12 megapixels | 13 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4160 x 3120 |
| Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Focal length | 26 mm | - |
| Pixel size | 1.12 microns | - |
| Sensor type | ISOCELL CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/3.24" | - |
| Video resolution | 2160p (4K) at 60 FPS | 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS |
DxOMark camera tests
Photo quality
Video quality
Generic camera score
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) |
| Wi-Fi features |
- Dual Band
- Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Dual Band
- Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5 |
| Bluetooth features | LE | PBAP/PAB, PAN, OPP, MAP, HSP, HID, HFP, DIP, AVRCP, A2DP |
| USB type | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| USB version | 3.2 | 2 |
| USB features |
- Charging
- USB-Storage mode - OTG |
- Charging
- USB-Storage mode - OTG |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo |
| NFC * | Yes | Depends on the region |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM * | 2 | 2 |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | Nano |
| Multi SIM mode | Standby | Standby |
| eSIM support * | Yes | No |
| Hybrid slot | No | Yes |
| LTE Cat * | 20 | 16 |
| 5G support | Yes | Yes |
Sound
| Speakers | Stereo | Mono |
| Headphone audio jack | No | Yes |
| FM radio | No | Yes |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Flagship | Mid-range |
| Announced | February 2023 | January 2021 |
| Release date | February 2023 | February 2021 |
| SAR (head) | 0.96 W/kg | 0.33 W/kg |
| SAR (body) | 1.3 W/kg | 1.08 W/kg |
| Sensors |
- Hall-effect sensor
- Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
- Hall-effect sensor
- Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Compass - Fingerprint |
| Bundled charger | Not included | - |
Further details
Notes on Galaxy S23:
- The 128GB version uses slower UFS 3.1 memory, while the 256GB and 512GB models have UFS 4.0.
*
Disclaimer!
NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
After analyzing all the data, we think that the Samsung Galaxy S23 is definitely a better buy.