Google Pixel 8a / Samsung Galaxy S23+ (SM-S916B)

Google Pixel 8a: 8 GB RAM, 128/256 GB; North America GKV4X, rest of world G6GPR, Japan G576D, mmWave model G8HHN.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ (SM-S916B): Galaxy S23+ SM-S916B (2023, international version); 8 GB RAM with 256 or 512 GB. The Galaxy S23, S23 Ultra and S23 FE are separate models; US versions carry different model codes.

SpecificationGoogle Pixel 8aSamsung Galaxy S23+ (SM-S916B)
Release year20242023
Display6.1-inch Actua OLED; 1080 × 2400, 430 ppi, 20:9; always-on display

The always-on display shows the time, notifications and the song playing nearby (Now Playing) at low power while the phone is locked.

Google
6.6-inch FHD+ (2316 × 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 48–120 Hz Super Smooth refresh; 1,750 nits; 240 Hz touch sampling in Game Mode

The refresh rate varies between 48 and 120 Hz depending on content; the lower rate on static screens saves battery. Vision Booster adjusts contrast and colour to keep the screen readable in bright light. The size is measured as a full rectangle; the viewable area is smaller because of the rounded corners and camera hole.

Samsung
Refresh rateSmooth Display, up to 120 Hz

The upper limit, 90 Hz on earlier A-series phones, rises to 120 Hz on this model; Google notes it is not available in every app.

Google
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Brightness and contrastUp to 1,400 nits (HDR) and up to 2,000 nits peak; >1,000,000:1 contrast

HDR brightness is measured with the whole screen lit and peak brightness with only 5% lit.

Google
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Cover glass and buildCorning Gorilla Glass 3 on the front; matte composite back; matte aluminium frame

The aluminium in the housing and camera bar is 100% recycled; the back cover uses 76% recycled plastic.

Google
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DurabilityIP67 dust and water resistance (IEC 60529)

IP67 means full dust protection and resistance to brief immersion; it is one step below IP68. Protection can diminish over time.

Google
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ProcessorGoogle Tensor G3; Titan M2 security coprocessor

It is the same chip as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Google
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy

Samsung introduced this version as a Snapdragon optimised for Galaxy and exclusive to the S23 series at launch.

Samsung
Memory and storage8 GB LPDDR5X RAM; 128 GB or 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage

There is no card slot; the 256 GB option is not offered in every country.

Google
8 GB RAM; 256 GB or 512 GB

Available storage is lower because of preloaded software; there is no memory card slot.

Samsung
Main camera64 MP Quad PD wide; 0.8 μm pixels, f/1.89, 80° field of view, 1/1.73-inch sensor; optical + electronic stabilisation

Super Res Zoom up to 8x is software magnification; there is no telephoto camera.

Google
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Ultrawide camera13 MP; 1.12 μm pixels, f/2.2, 120° field of view, lens correction Google—
Front camera13 MP; f/2.2, fixed focus, 96.5° ultrawide Google12 MP (F2.2, 80°) Samsung
VideoRear: 4K and 1080p at 30/60 fps, slow motion up to 240 fps, digital zoom up to 5x; front: 4K and 1080p at 30 fps; HEVC and AVC Google—
Battery4,492 mAh typical (minimum 4,404 mAh); 24+ hours, up to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver

According to Google, average battery life in testing was at least 31 hours; figures are based on a median user profile.

Google
4,700 mAh (typical); rated minimum 4,565 mAh

The typical value is the average of battery samples measured by a third-party lab under IEC 61960; the rated value is the minimum capacity.

Samsung
ChargingWired up to 18 W (with the Google 30 W USB-C charger); Qi-certified wireless charging

No charger is included; the box contains a USB-C cable and a Quick Switch adapter for transferring data from an old phone.

Google
Wired: about 65% in around 30 minutes with a 45 W adapter and 5 A USB-C cable; Fast Wireless Charging 2.0; Wireless PowerShare

45 W needs a 5 A cable; the adapter is sold separately. Wired charging is compatible with QC2.0 and AFC, wireless with WPC. PowerShare needs more than 30% battery to charge another device. The S23 is limited to 25 W.

Samsung
WirelessWi-Fi 6E (2.4/5/6 GHz; Wi-Fi 6 in India); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; Google Cast Google—
LocationGPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou (no BeiDou in the US, NavIC added in India) Google—
Cellular and SIM5G Sub-6: North America GKV4X, rest of world G6GPR, Japan G576D (FeliCa); mmWave model G8HHN; single nano-SIM + eSIM Google—
Authentication and sensorsUnder-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock; proximity, ambient light, accelerometer, gyrometer, magnetometer, barometer Google—
USB and audioUSB-C 3.2; stereo speakers, two microphones Google—
Software and updatesLaunched with Android 14; seven years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates

The seven years count from the first sale date on the US Google Store; this was the first A-series phone with the promise.

Google
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Dimensions and weight152.1 × 72.7 × 8.9 mm; 189 g Google—
Colours and warrantyObsidian, Porcelain, Bay, Aloe; one-year warranty in the US, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and India, two years in Europe and Australia Google—
Front and back glass—Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2

According to Samsung, the S23 series was the first S series to use Victus 2.

Samsung
Rear cameras—50 MP Wide (F1.8, 85°), 12 MP Ultra Wide (F2.2, 120°), 10 MP Telephoto (3x optical, F2.4, 36°)

The telephoto gives 3x optical zoom; zoom beyond that is digital. According to Samsung the wide camera records 8K video at 30 fps.

Samsung
Operating system—Android 13 with One UI 5.1 at launch

Samsung promised four Android upgrades and five years of security updates for the S23 series; timing varies by model and market.

Samsung
Connectivity—5G, LTE, Wi‑Fi 6E, Wi‑Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.3

Wi‑Fi 6E needs a router that supports 6 GHz; band availability varies by market and operator.

Samsung
Water resistance—IP68 (up to 1.5 m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes)

Samsung does not advise beach or pool use.

Samsung
Security—Samsung Knox and Knox Vault Samsung
Size and weight—76.2 × 157.8 × 7.6 mm; 196 g Samsung