OnePlus 12 vs Galaxy S23: Which should you buy?

The OnePlus 12 is here. After debuting in China in late 2023, it’s ready to compete with the Galaxy S23 series and newer phones on the global stage. But how does OnePlus’s latest attempt at a flagship compete against Samsung’s tried-and-tested formula for the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus? We pitch the OnePlus 12 vs Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus to find out which phone is better and which one you should finally buy.

OnePlus 12 vs Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus: Specs

The OnePlus 12 is part of the next generation of flagships with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. OnePlus has also incorporated a year’s worth of extra research and development into the phone. The phone made its global debut on January 23, 2024.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus are flagships from early 2023. They come with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. While it is still an excellent SoC, there is much to look forward to on the new 8 Gen 3 chip. So, the OnePlus 12 has a good edge here for performance and the likes.

The OnePlus 12 offers two storage options, 256GB and 512GB. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 comes in 128GB and 256GB storage options, while the Plus comes in 256GB and 512GB options.

The OnePlus 12 is a bigger flagship with a bigger and better display. The 6.8-inch display is curved and has a QHD+ resolution, which is better than the FHD+ resolution on the Samsung phones. The Galaxy S23 is suited for people who want smaller phones, thanks to its 6.1-inch display, while the Galaxy S23 Plus has a bigger 6.6-inch flat display. Both Samsung phones also miss out on technology, such as the “rainwater touch” technology that lets users operate the OnePlus 12’s display in rain.

While the OnePlus 12 can be used in the rain, it probably isn’t a great idea to do so. The phone comes with IP65 dust and water resistance, which means the phone can handle light jets of water. In contrast, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus come with IP68 water resistance, letting the phones handle freshwater submersion up to 1.5m for up to 30 minutes.

Another point of differentiation between the phones is that in the US, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus on Verizon support mmWave 5G. Unlocked versions of the Galaxy S23 series and those from T-Mobile and AT&T stick to Sub-6GHz 5G, though. The OnePlus 12 also does the same in China, as there is no mmWave support on the phone, and the situation is unlikely to change on this end when the phone launches in the US.

The OnePlus 12 comes with an IR Blaster, which the other two phones miss out on. The Galaxy S23 Plus comes with Ultra-Wide Band tech for precise positioning, which Samsung has not added to the Galaxy S23, and OnePlus has also skipped on the OnePlus 12.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus launched with One UI 5.1 based on Android 13 and have since been updated to One UI 6 based on Android 14. The OnePlus 12 is a newer device, and it has launched with Oxygen OS 14 based on Android 14.

Both sets of phones come with an update promise of four Android platform updates and five years of security updates. However, since the OnePlus 12 is a newer device, it will be updated to Android 18, while the Galaxy S23 series will only be updated to Android 17.

OnePlus 12 vs Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus: Size comparison

The OnePlus 12 is a large phone, even taller and thicker than the Galaxy S23 Plus.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 is the smallest phone in the lot, and it’s small enough to be comfortably held in most people’s hands.

The OnePlus 12 measures 164.3 x 75.8 x 9.15mm, compared to the Galaxy S23 Plus’s 157.7 x 76.2 x 7.6mm and the smaller Galaxy S23’s 146.3 x 70.8 x 7.6mm. You will notice the taller aspect ratio on the OnePlus 12 as it isn’t as wide to hold in the hand.

In terms of weight, the OnePlus 12’s 220g is heavier than the Galaxy S23 Plus’s 196g, while the Galaxy S23 is the lightest at 168g.

OnePlus 12 vs Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus: Camera

As far as the cameras are concerned, there are two opposing philosophies at play. Samsung has stuck to the tried-and-tested setup on the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus, foregoing big numbers and newer tech in the process. On the other hand, OnePlus isn’t afraid to stand on the bleeding edge of hardware and back it up with a continued collaboration with Hasselblad.

The primary camera on the OnePlus 12 is the new 50MP Sony Lytia LYT-808, which is similar to the LYT-T808 sensor seen on the OnePlus Open. The OnePlus Open had great results with its sensor, though we will have to test the OnePlus 12 extensively to arrive at a conclusion for this phone.

On the other hand, Samsung does not even properly disclose the 50MP S5KGN3 primary sensor on the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. The results speak for themselves, though, as the camera gets good results across scenarios for average users.

Galaxy S23 Plus: Primary camera

The OnePlus 12 has a 48MP ultrawide angle camera, while the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus stick with a 12MP ultrawide angle camera. The OnePlus 12 extends its lead with the telephoto camera, as it uses a 64MP periscope zoom lens for 3x optical zoom and 6x in-sensor zoom. The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus have a modest 10MP telephoto camera for 3x optical zoom.

Galaxy S23 Plus: Secondary cameras

The OnePlus 12 also has a 32MP selfie camera. The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus come with a 12MP selfie camera.

Galaxy S23 Plus: Selfie camera

OnePlus 12 vs Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus: Battery life and charging

Samsung lags behind the competition regarding battery and charging, and the differences are even more accentuated with the OnePlus 12, which is towards the front of the pack.

The OnePlus 12 comes with a sizeable 5,400mAh battery. This puts the Galaxy S23 Plus’ 4,700mAh battery to shame. The vanilla Galaxy S23 is a smaller phone, so we won’t judge it as harshly for its smaller 3,900mAh battery.

We’ll have to use the OnePlus 12 to determine how good its battery life translates out of the spec sheet. On the Galaxy S23 Plus, we could get about an easy full day’s worth of life, and even two days would have been possible with some care. On the smaller Galaxy S23, a full day is doable, and you could push it to a day and a half if you tried.

As for charging, the OnePlus 12 leads the pack once again. The 80W charging spec faces no competition from the Galaxy S23 Plus’s 45W and Galaxy S23’s 25W charging spec. On the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, a full charge takes about an hour, while the Galaxy S23 takes an hour and 20 minutes for the same, despite the smaller battery.

The OnePlus 12 comes with a compatible charger in the box. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus do not have any charger in the box, so you must buy a charger separately.

The wins continue for the OnePlus 12 for wireless charging. It supports up to 50W wireless charging through its proprietary charger and 10W reverse wireless charging. On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus only support 15W wireless charging through Samsung’s proprietary charger and 5W reverse wireless charging.

OnePlus 12 vs Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus: Price and availability

The OnePlus 12 launched in the US and Canada on January 23, 2024. Pre-orders went live the same day, while open sales commence on February 7, 2024. The phone is offered in two configurations. The 12GB/256GB version starts at $799.99, with the 16GB/512GB model demanding $899.99. A trade-in offer allows users to trade in any phone in any condition for an additional $100 off that list price.

In contrast, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus have been on sale in the USA for almost a year. The phones had a starting price of $799 and $999, respectively, but you can easily spot them for significantly lower during sales and with trade-ins. Samsung has also cut the Galaxy S23 pricing in response to the Galaxy S24 launch. You can now find it for $699.

OnePlus 12 vs Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus: Which should you buy?

It’s abundantly clear so far that the OnePlus 12 is superior to the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. And it should be, for it has launched about a year after these Samsung phones.

As for what phone you should buy, the answer depends on what you want. The OnePlus 12 offers a list of bleeding-edge hardware, so it’s optimal for power users. However, it’s larger, heavier, and less durable than the Samsung duo.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is not the latest line from Korea. The Galaxy S24 series is now available and brings plenty of worthwhile improvements to the outgoing models, including a seven-year software support period, larger displays, upgraded chipsets, and bigger batteries. However, Samsung has discounted the Galaxy S23, so you can now grab one for $100 less. This makes it slightly more attractive, but it’s not enticing enough, given the OnePlus 12’s already low starting price.

If your need is immediate and urgent and you’re on a tighter budget, you can go with the Galaxy S23. Alternatively, we’d recommend the Galaxy S24 Plus if you don’t mind a larger flagship. But, for those who put hardware first, OnePlus has won this battle.