Samsung's most compact new flagship

The Galaxy S23 is the latest from Samsung and also represents the best that the company has to offer. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU, awesome camera setup, IP68 rating, and gorgeous 6.1-inch display are all highlights, and it comes at a lower price compared to the Z Flip 4.

A step away from the ordinary

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4 is best for those who like to experiment with form factors. The folding display adds a ton of versatility and class, though the camera setup and performance won't match that of the S23. It also costs more, which makes it a harder sell to those who are perfectly happy with a more traditional design.

Samsung's Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 phones represent some of the best Android phones you can buy today, and though they come from the same manufacturer, there are quite a few major differences that might make you lean one way or the other. The Galaxy S23 is the most affordable flagship from the refreshed series, while the Z Flip 4 has a folding design that keeps getting better with each generational refresh. But you only want one of these phones, and we're here to break down all of the similarities and differences to help you get the right hardware.

Samsung Galaxy S23

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Chipset

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1

Display

6.1 inches, FHD+, AMOLED 2X Infinity-O, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 1750 nits peak brightness, Gorilla Glass Victus 2

Primary: 6.7 inches, FHD+, AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 1200 nits peak brightness, Cover: 1.9 inches, Super AMOLED, 260x512 resolution, 60hz refresh rate, Gorilla Glass Victus+

RAM

8GB

8GB

Storage

128GB, 256GB

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Battery

3,900mAh, Super Fast Charging, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare

3,700mAh, Super Fast Charging, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare

Software

Android 13

Android 13

Camera features

Super HDR, Nightography, High Resolution Photo and Video, Adaptive Pixel, OIS, VDIS, Auto Framing, Director's View

HDR, Nightography, Scene Optimizer, OIS, Auto Framing, Director's View

Front camera

12MP f/2.2 (2PD autofocus), 4K@60FPS video

10MP f/2.4, 4K@60FPS video

Rear cameras

50MP f/1.8 wide-angle; 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide; 10MP f/2.4 telephoto w/OIS; 3x optical zoom, 30X Space Zoom

12MP f/1.8 wide-angle; 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, 2PD autofocus, OIS, 10x digital zoom

Connectivity

5G sub6/mmWave, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth, NFC

5G sub6/mmWave, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, NFC

Dimensions

2.79 x 5.76 x 0.3 inches (70.8mm x 146.3mm x 7.6mm)

Folded: 3.3 x 2.8 x 0.6-0.67 inches (84.9 x 71.9 x 15.9-17.1mm) / Unfolded: 6.5 x 2.8 x 0.27 inches (165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9mm)

Weight

5.93oz (168.1g)

6.59oz (187g)

Biometrics

Face unlock, Ultrasonic fingerprint reader

Face unlock, Capacitive fingerprint reader

IP rating

IP68

IPX8

Colors

Standard: Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender / Exclusive: Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, Red

Bora Purple, Graphite, Pink Gold, Blue

The Samsung Galaxy S23 and its larger S23+ and S23 Ultra siblings were unveiled at Samsung's 2023 Unpacked event, and they're now available for preorder ahead of the full February 17 release.

The preoder will run up until February 16, and our guide on where to buy the Galaxy S23 can help you land the right deal in terms of preorder bonuses and trade-ins. The Galaxy S23 starts at about $800 and climbs from there if you decide to add more storage.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has been available since 2022 and starts at about $900 for a model with 128GB of storage and the standard 8GB of RAM. You can reliably find it at Samsung's official website, as well as third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Samsung's high-end Galaxy phones are generally available in a ton of regions and that's no different here, making it easy to get your hands on the preferred hardware.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 gets its name from the folding design that essentially cuts the phone in half when folded. You can tuck it into a pocket quite easily, and the outside of the phone has a secondary cover display that shows important information without having to open the phone. When the phone is open, however, it looks a lot like any other standard device with a 6.7-inch display, albeit with a line along the back where the hinge is installed.

This is Samsung's third generation attempt of the Z Flip (it skipped the Z Flip 2 name), and the hinge has been refined to be less prominent and to have a smoother action. The Z Flip 4 weighs a bit more than the Galaxy S23, and it's also considerably thicker when it's folded over. Unfolded, it's actually thinner than the new S23.

Samsung's Galaxy S23 is more of a classic flagship phone without the extra hinge down the middle. It has a smaller 6.1-inch display, it weighs less than the Z Flip 4, and, to be honest, it looks a lot like the Galaxy S22. In our Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ hands-on, Editor-in-Chief James Peckham noted that "the look and feel of these handsets are more refined in 2023, with a smoother edge to each phone." If you're looking for more information about what has changed between generations, be sure to have a look at our Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. Galaxy S22 comparison.

The Galaxy S23 is the most compact of the refreshed series, and those with smaller hands will likely have an easier time with handling (at least when the Z Flip 4 is unfolded). It also has an IP68 rating that covers water and dust, while the Z Flip 4's IPX8 rating only protects against water. If you're often taking your phone into the field, that extra protection from the S23 will likely come in handy. There are plenty of moving parts in the Z Flip 4, and it's not exactly cut out for a hard life where it's often in contact with dust and detritus. The S23 also uses new Gorilla Glass Victus 2 with extra scratch resistance for its display. We still recommend checking out the best Galaxy S23 cases or the best Galaxy Z Flip 4 cases to save your investment from any damage.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is available in Bora Purple, Graphite, Pink Gold, and Blue colors. A Bespoke Edition also exists, allowing you to mix and match different panel colors. Our guide on which color Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 you should buy has more information.

The Galaxy S23 has more options, including Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender, with exclusive colors like Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Red available as official Samsung store exclusives. Both phones offer facial recognition, and both have fingerprint readers. The Galaxy S23's reader is implemented below the display, while the Z Flip 4 has a reader on the side for easier access when folded.

The Galaxy S23 has a 6.1-inch AMOLED 2X display with FHD+ resolution (425 ppi), adaptive refresh rate that can reach 120Hz, 1,750 nits of peak brightness, and a flat design without curved edges. It's a beautiful screen that's free of creases or other artifacts of a folding design. As mentioned, new Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is included for the best protection possible. It's the best option out of the three new S23 phones if your hands are on the smaller size.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a primary 6.7-inch AMOLED 2X display with also with FHD+ resolution (426 ppi) and 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, though its peak brightness reaches only up to 1,200 nits. It's a gorgeous screen, though it might not work as well with smaller hands. It also won't work as well on extremely bright days, and you'll notice a crease through the screen where the hinge lies. It's almost invisible if you're using a dark background, but appears more if you go with a light background. This crease will undoubtedly annoy some people, but most users get over it.

There's also a cover AMOLED screen on the outside of the Z Flip 4 that lets you check notifications or look through your camera without opening the phone. It's sized at 1.9 inches with a 260x512 resolution. It's a nice addition that makes using the phone easier, but it's also an extra drain on the battery.

The Galaxy S23 was upgraded to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor for a nice boost to speed. Compared to the Z Flip 4's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, you get more performance cores with higher clock rates, as well as a boosted Adreno 740 GPU with better gaming performance. That's not to say the Z Flip 4 isn't quite snappy in its own right; it just won't quite measure up to the S23.

You can get the Z Flip 4 with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage, while the S23 comes with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage space. That extra room for data is a win for the Z Flip 4, as you'll have to upgrade to the S23+ or S23 Ultra if you'd like 512GB or 1TB of maximum storage, respectively.

Both phones run on Android 13 -- the Z Flip 4 picked it up after launch -- and both use a version of Samsung's One UI for smooth operation. The S23 is set to get One UI 5.1 when it launches, while the Z Flip 4 is expected to receive the update later this year. This adds a ton of neat features exclusive to Samsung phones, and you'll notice it the most on the Z Flip 4 with its split-screen capabilities that make the most of the folding design.

We haven't had a chance to really test the Galaxy S23's 3,900mAh battery, so giving a concrete answer here isn't yet possible. However, we have tested the Z Flip 4's battery. In our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 review, Managing Editor Stephen Schenck was able to go a full day of relatively light use (minimal gaming and video streaming) with about 30% remaining battery at the end of the day. The Galaxy S23's larger 3,900mAh should be able to meet that and even best it, especially considering it has just one display. Heavy users will likely have to find a charge in the late afternoon or evening.

The Z Flip 4 received 25W Fast Charging support, which significantly reduces charging time. And while the Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 Ultra received Super Fast Charging 2.0 with up to 45W support, the S23 uses the same 1.0 implementation as the Z Flip 4. Both phones also support Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 and Wireless PowerShare. Be sure to check out the best Samsung Galaxy S23 PPS chargers for the quickest charging solutions.

The Z Flip 4's folding design doesn't leave as much space for cameras, and those who love shooting photos with their phone will no doubt appreciate what the Galaxy S23 has to offer. Starting with the Z Flip 4, it has two rear-facing cameras installed next to the cover display. The ultra-wide it set at 12MP with f/2,2 aperture and 123-degree FOV, while the wide-angle camera is set at 12MP with dual-pixel autofocus, f/1,8 aperture, and optical image stabilization (OIS). The selfie camera is set at 10MP with f/2.4 aperture and 80-degree FOV.

The Galaxy S23 has a 50MP ultra-wide camera with f/1.8 aperture and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide with f/2.2 aperture, and a 10MP telephoto cam with f/2.4 aperture and OIS. Its 3x optical zoom is accompanied by a 30x Space Zoom for serious magnification, whereas the Z Flip 4 tops out at a 10x digital zoom. Many of the extra features surrounding the camera are the same due to them coming from the Galaxy family. You can expect HDR (or Super HDR in the case of the S23), Nightography, Director's View, and more in both phones; however, the S23 is the phone that will shoot the best photos possible.

The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 are some of the best Samsung phones — and indeed the best 5G phones — on the market today, but you only want one. Overall, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is much better suited for those who want to experiment with form factors and don't mind paying more for the folding mechanism. The Z Flip 4 isn't for everyone, but those who can look past the small display crease and don't mind having an inferior camera will no doubt love the versatility and overall design.

The fact that it costs more than the Galaxy S23 unfortunately doesn't do it any favors, and most people who just want a great phone with all the latest goodies from Samsung will be happy with the new flagship. The S23 is also more compact and lightweight, making it a better choice for those with small hands. Add on the fact that the S23 has a newer and faster processor, larger battery capacity, and fewer moving parts that might fail, and you have a phone that should appeal to a ton of people.

Samsung's Galaxy S23 is best for those who want the best performance, best camera setup, excellent battery life, and non-folding design. It costs less than the Z Flip 4 and should be the right choice for most people.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is an outstanding phone, but not everyone will want to sacrifice performance and camera quality for the folding display. It has a smaller battery than the S23 and also costs more, no doubt making it less of a must-have than the new Samsung flagship.