Last year, Apple decided to resurrect the "Plus" model (retiring the poor-selling mini), and this created another rivalry in the smartphone world. Yes, we're talking about Samsung, the arch nemesis and main rival, and its long-standing Galaxy S Plus model.
The first new iPhone Plus model fared reasonably well against its Galaxy Plus rival (you can check out that pair in our detailed comparison), but it's time to see how the newly announced iPhone 15 Plus stacks against the now aging Galaxy S23 Plus. Apple officially unveiled the iPhone 15 series on September 12, so we have every bit of information we need for this battle. Let's go!
Verizon-locked iPhone 15 at Walmart: preorder and save $100
The iPhone 15 is also available for preorder with a Verizon subscription. Walmart allows you to save $100 on this device over 36 months. Preorder today for just $21.64/mo.
The iPhone 15 is available for preorder with a carrier subscription for AT&T at Walmart. The device goes for $21.64/mo, saving you a total of $100. Currently, all colors and storage variants are available.
The iPhone 15 Plus can be yours for just $24.42/mo with a Verizon subscription
Walmart allows you to preorder the iPhone 15 Plus with a subscription to Verizon as well. The device goes for just $24.42 a month over 36 months. In total, your savings amount to $100. This is the 128GB configuration.
iPhone 15 Plus: preorder at Walmart and save with a subscription to AT&T
The iPhone 15 Plus is also available for preorder at Walmart, too. This is a locked version of the device. It comes with 128GB of internal storage space. Walmart sells the Apple device for $24.42/mo over 36 installments.
The Galaxy S23 Plus and iPhone 15 Plus, as their names suggest, are larger versions of their respective base models, the S23 and iPhone 15. The Galaxy S23 retains the familiar design of its predecessor but now features no camera island on the back. The iPhone 15 Plus also follows in the footsteps of its father, the iPhone 14 Plus.
Both phones offer flat screens, but the iPhone 15 Plus features a more square design, just like its predecessor, while the Galaxy S23 Plus is just a tad more rounded and easy to hold. There's a difference in dimensions and weight too, the iPhone 15 Plus boasts a 6.7-inch OLED screen, while the Galaxy S23 Plus comes with a 6.6-inch AMOLED display. The iPhone 15 Plus weighs 201 grams, while the Galaxy S23 Plus is a tiny fraction lighter at 196 grams.
Both phones employ the glass sandwich design, the iPhone 15 Plus has a textured matte finish on the back, as opposed to a more traditional glossy back for the S23 Plus. As for the colors involved, check them out below.
Galaxy S23 Plus colors:
Cream
Lavender
Green
Phantom Black
iPhone 15 Plus colors:
Black
Green
Pink
Blue
Yellow
Display Differences
Refresh rate is king
Speaking of the screen, the S23 Plus showcases a 6.6-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. The iPhone 15 Plus, on the other hand, comes with a slightly bigger 6.7-inch OLED screen but only at 60 Hz refresh rate. The resolution of the iPhone 15 Plus is also higher, leading to higher pixel density - 460 pixels per inch, compared to S23's 390 PPI.
When it comes to brightness, the Galaxy S23 Plus is rated at 750 nits nominal brightness and up to 1,500 nits peak HDR, while the iPhone 15 Plus can go up to 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness, and a stunning 2,000 nits peak outdoor brightness.
All in all, both phones have gorgeous displays with the display refresh rate being the biggest difference. If you want a smooth 120Hz display, the S23 Plus is your phone, if you don't care for high refresh rates, you'd be happy with both phones, with a slight advantage for the iPhone when it comes to brightness and detail. Stay tuned for our display lab tests for more information.
Performance
A16 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
The Galaxy S23 Plus sports the latest and greatest Qualcomm has to offer - the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. And while the gap between the A-series Apple chipsets and the Snapdragon flagship processors has shrunk over the years, the advantage for the iPhone 15 Plus is there, at least when we talk about synthetic benchmarks.
We might be tempted to pull up some benchmarks between the A16 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and you could do that, but there's a chance the iPhone 15 Plus benefits from software enhancements and gets different scores altogether. Until we run the tests we can't say for sure which phone takes the crown here.
It's also difficult to compare the hardware between an Android and iOS device, these are different ecosystems, and they are differently optimized. If we want to nitpick, the Galaxy S23 Plus comes with more RAM (8 GB compared to the 6GB on the iPhone 15 Plus), but it really won't make any difference in speed, both have fast LPDDR5 memory.
Now, when it comes to onboard storage, the Galaxy S23 Plus base model starts at 256GB, while the iPhone 15 Plus kicks things off at 128GB, but then again, the iPhone is also expected to be cheaper, so things level out when we factor in the price, memory-wise.
As far as software goes, the iPhone 15 Plus ships with iOS 17 out of the box, and thanks to this year's WWDC event we have an idea about all the new iOS 17 features coming our way. As a matter of fact, you can already download the iOS 17 developer beta and check out some cool new features, such as NameDrop, all the iMessage and Phone updates and more. Check out our detailed iOS 17 coverage, as well as our dedicated iOS 17 preview article to learn everything you need to know about Apple's latest mobile OS, expected to be available for download on September 18.
The Galaxy S23 Plus is running Android 13 but it will get the next version soon after iPhone 15 Plus hits the shelves on September 22. So, be sure to check out our Android 14 hub to see what to expect from Google's next big mobile OS update.
Camera
Pure mathematics
There are three cameras on the back of the Galaxy S23 Plus. Those are a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide one, and a 10-megapixel telephoto with 3x optical zoom.
Three is more than two, that's simple math, and the iPhone 15 Plus features a dual camera setup, just like its predecessor, albeit an upgraded one - the main camera now has a 48MP sensor taken from last year's iPhone Pro models. The ultrawide snapper is the same as the one found on the iPhone 14 Plus, a 12MP sensor with similar aperture and focal length to the ultrawide camera inside the S23 Plus.
Now, obviously, things are not that simple, and we'll have to test both camera systems side by side to draw meaningful conclusions, but on paper, the Galaxy S23 Plus has an advantage. Having a 3X optical zoom is super useful for framing faraway objects, getting better portrait shots, etc. Stay tuned for a detailed camera comparison between these two in the coming days.
Audio Quality
Samsung seems to have made significant improvements to the speakers of the Galaxy S23 Plus compared to its predecessors, although the speaker arrangement remains unchanged, with a bottom-firing speaker working alongside the earpiece to produce a stereo effect while gaming or watching movies in landscape mode.
Moving on to the iPhone 15 Plus, it features the same bottom-firing speaker and an earpiece. We need to hear the phone ourselves but if we look at (or hear) the speaker on the iPhone 14 Plus, we know we should expect a loud, rich sound with noticeable bass from the iPhone 15 Plus as well.
Naturally, neither of these phones include a headphone jack, which is hardly surprising in today's smartphone landscape. Nevertheless, you can still enjoy your favorite Bluetooth headphones or speakers with ease, or alternatively, you can opt for a dongle as a backup solution.
Battery and Charging
Numbers don't tell the whole story
The Galaxy S23 Plus comes with a big 4,700mAh battery and 45W fast charging support. The iPhone 15 Plus, on the other hand, most likely retains the battery capacity of its predecessor, 4,325 mAh (Apple doesn't list battery capacities but judging by the listed hours for different usage scenarios, it's probably the same cell). If we look at the tests between the S23 Plus and last year's iPhone 14 Plus, we'll see that numbers don't tell the whole story. We expect both phones to be pretty close when it comes to battery life but we need to run our battery test on the iPhone 15 to give you some numbers here.
Charging used to be a big unknown due to the new port on the iPhone 15 Plus. Apple was more or less forced to switch from Lightning to USB-C but the irony is that the iPhone 15 Plus uses USB 2.0 and the charging and transfer speeds somehow remained the same. So, the Galaxy S23 Plus has an advantage when it comes to charging speeds but it really shouldn't be a night and day difference (again stay tuned for charging benchmarks soon).
Specs
iPhone 15 Plus
Galaxy S23 Plus
Size, weight
160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8 mm, 201 grams
157.8x76.2x7.6mm, 196
Screen
6.7" OLED 60Hz
6.6" AMOLED 120Hz
Processor
A16 Bionic 4nm
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 4nm
RAM, Storage
6/128GB 6/256GB 6/512GB -
LPDDR5
8/256GB 8/512GB -
LPDDR5
Cameras
48MP main 12MP ultra -
12MP front
50MP main 12MP ultra 10MP telephoto -
12MP front
Battery
4325 mAh*
4,700mAh
Charging
USB-C 20W wired 15W wireless MagSafe
USB-C 45W wired 10W wireless
*iPhone 15 Plus battery capacity not confirmed
Summary
We're looking at two very different devices here, despite their similarity in the naming scheme. For one, there's the Android vs iOS debate, and it's not something to be taken lightly. If you don't want to switch platforms, then you'll be better off staying with what you currently use, so either of these phones will do the job.
If you're looking to switch, the Galaxy S23 Plus offers more on paper, with one extra telephoto camera, a bigger battery, and faster charging. Let's not forget the faster and smoother display refresh rate on the Galaxy S23 Plus as well.
But then again, if you're an Android user looking to dip your toes in Apple's ecosystem, the iPhone 15 Plus could be a great gateway device to do so, especially if you're used to big-screen phones. There's no right or wrong here, and to make things even more difficult, the price tag is also quite similar on both devices.
