As we move into the second half of 2024, Indian consumers prepare to purchase their dream smartphone during the festive season. With the largest e-commerce platforms in India — Flipkart and Amazon — hosting their respective sales sometime before Dushera, potential buyers have started comparing the spec sheets and features of their favorite smartphones. While the Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale and Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale offer some deals and discounts on new smartphones, the price cuts on one-year-old flagships are simply unbeatable.
While there are a couple of models to consider, and users might be inclined toward their favorite smartphone brand, this year, two hot handsets will be available at an unbelievable price. We’re talking about Apple’s iPhone 15 and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra. Released in 2023, these smartphones hold well against the new flagships, even in 2024. In fact, both the iPhone 15 and the Galaxy S23 Ultra should receive new software updates for several years, and with top-tier performance, the phones will last buyers another two to three years.
Hence, in this article, we’ll compare the iPhone 15 with the Galaxy S23 Ultra (review) and find the right smartphone for you at the most affordable price these phones have been available since their launch. As always, you can track the prices using the SmartPrix price history tool, both for the iPhone and the Galaxy smartphone. That said, here’s a detailed comparison between the iPhone 15 and the Galaxy S23 Ultra and which one you should purchase during the upcoming Big Billion Days or Great Indian Festival sale.
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iPhone 15 Vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Design
Given that the smartphone giants have stopped making drastic cosmetic changes in every new generation, the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S23 adhere to their signature design philosophies while maintaining their distinctive design ethos.
The iPhone 15, for instance, ships with a Dynamic Island on the front, symmetrical bezels all around, and a diagonal camera module on the rear giving the handset a contemporary look. While the company uses glass on the front and the back (with a matte finish), the side panels are aluminum. In terms of colors, the iPhone 15 is available in subtler shades: Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink, and, obviously, Black. Regarding thickness, the phone measures just 7.8mm.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the company’s top-tier flagship. It ships with a larger chassis, which allows for a lot more hardware than the iPhone 15 (which we’ll talk about in a bit). The phone has a punch-hole screen on the front, with very minimal bezels (and a slightly thicker chin), and a flushed four-camera setup on the rear. With a glass back/front and an aluminum frame, the S23 Ultra is a lot heavier (234 grams) than the iPhone 15 (171 grams). In terms of colors, you have a lot more options with Samsung, including Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Lime, Sky Blue, Graphite, and Red.
Hence, if you’re looking for a more compact, easy-to-carry smartphone that fits in tight pockets, the iPhone 15 is the way to go. However, if you enjoy using a smartphone with a large screen and two-handed usage is your thing, the Galaxy S23 Ultra would be the right thing.
iPhone 15 Vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Screen
As mentioned earlier, the iPhone 15 has a compact form factor thanks to the 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, which has a 60Hz refresh rate and supports a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. The resolution you get here is 461 pixels per inch. With regards to protection, the phone ships with Ceramic Shield Glass.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is a multimedia junkie’s heaven. With a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen that supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,750 nits, the phone provides a more immersive experience. Even though the phone has a larger screen, it packs in more pixels (500 pixels per inch). The screen is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 2.
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iPhone 15 Vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Performance
When it comes to performance, the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S23 Ultra run on processors that can outdo the majority of chipsets in the market in a second (even though they are a year old). The iPhone 15, on the one hand, features the A16 Bionic processor that can virtually handle everything you throw at it, whether gaming, video editing, multitasking, etc. The same goes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, which is currently the fastest processor on Android phones. So both the phones offer excellent performance.
However, to list a few differences, the iPhone 15 features 6GB of RAM, whereas the Galaxy S23 Ultra ships with either 8 or 12GB of RAM, depending on the storage model you get. Further, the iPhone comes with up to 512GB of storage, while the Galaxy smartphone ships with 1TB of storage.
iPhone 15 Vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Cameras
When it comes to cameras, the iPhone 15 struggles to hold its ground against the S23 Ultra. Apple’s 2023 iPhone provides a 48MP (f/1.6, OIS) primary sensor, with 2x lossless zoom ability, and a 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide sensor, both of which can shoot 4K videos at up to 60 fps. You can also record a Cinematic video in 4K at 30 fps. Even the 12MP (f/1.9) front camera is extremely capable.
The S23 Ultra, on the other hand, completely obliterates the regular iPhone. It has a 200MP (f/1.7, OIS) primary sensor, a 10MP (f/2.4, 70mm) telephoto lens for 3x optical zoom, a 10MP (f/4.9, 230mm) periscope lens for 10x optical zoom, and a 12MP (f/2.2, 120-degree) ultrawide sensor. While the primary sensor is capable of recording videos in 8K resolution at 30 fps, the 12MP (f/2.2) selfie shooter is capped at 4K at 60 fps.
Hence, if you’re a photography enthusiast who likes to capture memories from different angles and perspectives, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the way to go.
iPhone 15 Vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Operating System
This is perhaps the most excruciating aspect of this comparison, as different users would have different opinions about it. While the iPhone 15 runs on iOS, the Galaxy S23 Ultra runs on One UI based on Android. While transferring data between these operating systems has become easier over the years. Even so, buyers often have a bias, for lack of a better word, toward one operating system or the other.
With time, Apple has added enough personalization options in iOS, so much so that iOS 18 could be called the most customizable operating system by Apple. Given that the oldest iPhones to receive the iOS 18 update are from 2018, the iPhone 15 should get another four to five years of upgrades, making it an excellent investment, even in 2024.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the other hand, runs on Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1 and has access to most of the Galaxy AI features that debuted with the Galaxy S24 series. Sideloading and availability of more apps aside, the AI-based features are extremely useful in day-to-day tasks, such as drafting emails, messages, editing pictures, etc. Hence, purely from the software experience’s perspective, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has an edge over the iPhone 15.
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iPhone 15 Vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Battery Life
Comparing the battery capacities of an iPhone and an Android phone isn’t correct. Hence, we’ll have a look at the rated usage times.
The iPhone 15 is rated to last for up to 20 hours of video playback (offline) and up to 16 hours of video playback (online). Further, the phone also supports MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W and Q1 wireless charging up to 15W. The wired charging speed is capped at 20W with Apple’s power adapter.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the other hand, is rated to provide up to 26 hours of video playback (offline) and up to 25 hours of online streaming. Further, the smartphone supports 45W wireless charging and 15W wireless charging. Clearly, the S23 Ultra performs better in this particular aspect as well.
iPhone 15 Vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Sale Price
Having observed the previous sales, the iPhone 15 is most likely to be available at a discount on Flipkart’s Big Billion Days Sale, whereas the Galaxy S23 Ultra could be available at a discount on Amazon’s Great Indian Festival Sale.
Given that the current price of the iPhone 15 fluctuates between Rs. 65,000 and Rs. 70,000, it could be available for around Rs. 55,000 to Rs. 60,000 (for the 128GB variant) during the Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale 2024. This could also include card offers (such as instant discounts, cashback, etc.). Hence, if you own an older iPhone and wish to continue using iOS, getting the iPhone 15 during the Big Billion Days sale would be the best decision.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra should be available for around Rs. 70,000 during the Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale 2024. We’re basing this speculation on the fact that the smartphone was available for around Rs. 75,000 during the Amazon Prime Days sale. Yes, the price is significantly higher than that of the iPhone 15, but you get a bigger screen, better battery, a versatile camera system, and, most importantly, 256GB of base storage.
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