The Samsung Galaxy S23 is among the most capable Android flagships of 2023, but how does it compare to the Galaxy S20 released in 2020? The Galaxy S23 is joined by the Galaxy S23 Plus and the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and like the Galaxy S20, is the base model in the lineup. While Samsung has packed several upgrades with the Galaxy S23, are they enough to warrant a switch for Galaxy S20 users?
Out of the box, the Galaxy S23 comes with a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 panels on the front and back. The screen is slightly smaller than the Galaxy S20’s 6.2-inch AMOLED display, but offers more protection than the Gorilla Glass 6 panels on the Galaxy S20. While the displays of both phones come with 120Hz refresh rates, the Galaxy S23 supports an adaptive refresh rate between 48Hz and 120Hz, while the Galaxy S20 has only two modes: 120Hz at FHD resolution and 60Hz at QHD resolution. Both phones can handle HDR10+ content, but the Galaxy S23 has a peak brightness of 1,750, much higher than the 1,200 nits on the Galaxy S20. However, the Galaxy S20’s display has a resolution of 563 ppi, more than 425 ppi on the Galaxy S23.
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Galaxy S23 Vs. Galaxy S20: Processor & Cameras
Android smartphones don’t age as well as iPhones, which means anyone upgrading from the Galaxy S20 to the Galaxy S23 will experience a huge difference in day-to-day performance. The Samsung Galaxy S23 runs on a custom version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm), a 3.2GHz octa-core chipset, which is almost twice as fast as the Exynos 990 (7nm), or the Snapdragon 865 (7nm) on the Galaxy S20. The difference doesn’t just reflect in benchmark scores, but also in real-life use cases like multitasking, editing videos, or even playing games.
In terms of onboard storage, the Galaxy S23 comes with 128GB or 256GB, while the Galaxy S20 goes up to 128GB, which may not be enough for some users. The Galaxy S23 has a 50MP (f/1.8, OIS) primary camera, an upgrade over the 12MP (f/1.8, OIS) sensor on the Galaxy S20. The S23 not only has a higher resolution but also comes with the latest pixel-binning technology, which adapts to ambient lighting conditions to generate an evenly lit image.
The secondary camera on the Galaxy S23 is a 10MP (f/2.4, OIS) telephoto sensor that provides up to 3x optical zoom, similar to the 1.1x optical zoom users get with the 64MP (f/2.0, OIS) sensor on the Galaxy S20. A 12MP (f/2.2) sensor for shooting ultra-wide images is present on both phones. For selfies, the Galaxy S23 has a 12MP (f/2.2, AF) shooter, while the S20 has a 10MP (f/2.2, AF) camera. As for video recording, the Galaxy S23 can record in 8K at 30fps, while the Galaxy S20 supports up to 8K at 24fps. The front cameras on both phones can shoot in 4K at 60fps.
Galaxy S23 Vs. Galaxy S20: Battery & Software
The Galaxy S23 has a 3,900mAh battery which is slightly smaller than the Galaxy S20’s 4,000mAh unit. This doesn’t make much of a difference though, since the Galaxy S23 is more power-efficient than the Galaxy S20, and can deliver the same, if not better battery life with a slightly smaller battery. Both phones support 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging at up to 4.5W.
The Galaxy S23 supports the latest standards of wireless connectivity as well, including Wi-Fi 6E and mmWave 5G, while an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is standard on both devices. The S23 also comes with a slew of new software features and much longer support, while the S20 received its last major OS update with Android 13. Taking everything into consideration, it might be the right time for Galaxy S20 users to switch Galaxy S23.
Should Galaxy S20 Users Wait For The Galaxy S24?
There are plenty of reasons to upgrade from the Galaxy S20 to the Galaxy S23, including a better display, faster performance, and improved cameras. However, the most important factor to take into consideration here is the software. The Galaxy S20 has already received the Android 13 update, and won’t be upgraded to Android 14. This means users won’t get access to any new Android and One UI features going forward.
That said, the Galaxy S20 will continue to get security updates until 2024. Samsung is among the best in the industry when it comes to timely Android and security updates, and this applies to its older devices too. This means that Galaxy S20 users can use their devices without worry until 2024, and upgrade to the Galaxy S24 once they stop receiving security updates. To sum up – Galaxy S20 users who want to upgrade to the Galaxy S23 will get a host of upgrades, but those who are happy with how their phone is functioning can wait until Samsung releases the Galaxy S24.
