which smartphone is right for you in 2023?

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Smartphones - Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Google Pixel 7 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Shopping for a new smartphone or looking to replace your existing one? Hmm..but which one to buy? Which one offers the best value for your money? With so many different smartphone options in the market these days, its hard to know which to choose.

But don't worry, we got you cover. In this article, we'll take a look at 3 quality smartphones in the market. These smartphones are super nice, but not so particularly nice for our wallets. Because they are expensive, it's a good idea to know what exactly you're paying for when you decide to buy one of these bad boys.

We will be taking at look Apple's iPhone 14, Google's Pixel 7, and Samsung's Galaxy S23. But in particular, we will be focusing on the best versions of each of these models, which is, Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max, Google's Pixel 7 Pro, and Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra. These smartphones are among the best of the best in the market. High quality smartphones and high price tag. So let's take a look at why they are super awesome and super expensive.

let's start with apple's iphone 14 pro max

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Every year, Apple reveals their latest-generation iPhone at their annual event in September and releases the new iPhones a couple weeks after their announcment. Their latest iPhone (year 2022-2023) is iPhone 14. There are 4 variants of iPhone 14 (Regular, Plus, Pro, and the Max).

In terms of their screen size, the iPhone 14 (Regular) has a 6.1-inch display, the iPhone 14 Plus has a 6.7-inch display, the iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1 inch-display, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display.

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are similar in terms of their specs, features and functionality but with different screen sizes. Likewise, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are also similar in terms of their specs, features and functionality but with different screen sizes. Given that, there's not a lot of differences switching from an iPhone 14 to a iPhone 14 Plus, or from a iPhone 14 Pro to an iPhone 14 Pro Max. But, switching from iPhone 14/iPhone 14 Plus to an iPhone 14 Pro/iPhone Pro Max is a significant leap, in terms of specs, features, functionality and price.

However in this article, we will be focusing on iPhone 14 Pro Max, if you decided to get one of the other versions of iPhone 14, be sure to check out its spec on Apple's website to see what features are missing from the phone.

Next Up, google's pixel 7 pro

Google Pixel 7 Pro

Google typically announces their latest-generation flagship Pixel phones at its Google I/O event and releases their phones in the fall. Their latest Pixel phone is Pixel 7 (year 2022-2023). However, unlike Apple's iPhone 14, there are only 3 variants of the Pixel 7 (Regular, Pro, 7a).

In terms of their displays, the Pixel 7a has a 6.1-inch OLED display, the Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch OLED display, and the Pixel 7 Pro has a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display. With LTPO, the Pixel 7 Pro, in theory, offers a sharper display and smoother scrolling. In addition, the Pixel 7 Pro also has a slightly curved display while both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7a have flat displays. But all 3 models have HDR support.

As for their hardware and specs, all 3 models run on Google's next generation Tensor chip (or Google Tensor G2 chip) and Tital M2 security chip. The Google Tensor G2 chip offers more power for photos, video, security, and speech recognition. All 3 models offer five years of security updates.

One main difference in their hardware is the phone's memory (RAM). The Pixel 7 Pro comes with 12GB of RAM, while both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7a comes with only 8GB.

Another difference is their cameras. The Pixel 7 Pro has a triple rear camera consists of a 48MP telephoto lens (f/3.5,0.7mm) with a 5x optical zoom capability, a 50MP main sensor (f/1.85, 1.2mm) with a 82-degree field of view, and a 12MP ultra wide sensor (f/2.2,1.25mm) with a 125.8 degree field of view. The Pixel 7 camera offers the same main sensor and ultra wide sensor but doesn't have the telephoto lens. The Pixel 7a has a 64MP main camera sensor a 13MP ultra-wide sensor. Keep in mind that while the Pixel 7a's camera offers more MP (megapixels), that doesn't necessary mean it's better than the Pixel 7's or Pixel 7 Pro's camera.

If camera is an important feature for you in a smartphone, be sure to check out the comparative chart below to see how Google's Pixel 7 camera compares to the one on Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max and Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra. And if you decided to get Google's Pixel 7, be sure to check out their full details and specs at google.com.

finally, samsung's galaxy s23 ultra

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Like Google, Samsung usually unveils their brand-new flagship Galaxy smartphones at their Galaxy Unpacked event. The Galaxy S series models marks their high-end Andriod-based smartphones. Their latest Galaxy S series model is the S23 (year 2023). Similar to Google's Pixel 7, Samsung's Galaxy S23 has 3 variants (Regular, Plus, and Ultra).

In terms of their displays, the Galaxy S23 has a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED Flat display that offers FHD+ (2,340 x 1,080) resolution, the Galaxy S23 Plus has a 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED Flat display that offers FHD+ (2,340 x 1,080) resolution, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 6.8 Dynamic AMOLED Edge display (curved edges) that offers QHD+ (3,088 x 1,440) resolution.

As for their hardwares and specs, all 3 models run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. All 3 Galaxy S23 models come standard with 8GB of RAM but the S23 Ultra has the option of upgrading the RAM to 12GB. As for storage, the S23 has the 128GB/256GB option, the S23 Plus has the 256GB/512GB option, and the S23 Ultra has a 256GB/512GB/1TB option. However, all 3 models do not have microSD card support.

As for cameras, the S23 and S23 Plus both have an identical camera setup featuring 50MP primary + 12MP ultrawide + 10MP telephoto. The S23 Ultra camera features a 200MP ISOCELL HP2 sensor. It has 200 million 0.6-micrometer pixels in a 1/1.3-inch optical format. The sensor can shoot 12.5MP, 50MP, or even full 200MP images. if you decided to get Samsung's Galaxy S23, be sure to check out their full details and specs at samsung.com.

iphone 14 pro max vs pixel 7 pro vs galaxy s23 ultra

Now let's take a look at some of the specs of Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max, Google's Pixel 7, and Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra and see how they compare to one another side by side. Remember, for a more detail and complete list of specs on each of these smartphone, please visit their maker's website (i.e, apple.com/iPhone14ProMax. google.com, samsung.com).

iPhone 14 Pro MaxPixel 7 ProGalaxy S23 Ultra
Pricestarts at $1099$899, $699 save $200
Colors438
Deep PurpleHazelPhantom Black
GoldSnowGreen
SilverObsidian (sorta like black)Cream
Space BlackLavender
Graphite
Sky Blue
Lime
Red
BMW M Edition
Display6.7" (diagonal) all-screen OLED6.7" (diagonal) QHD+ LTPO OLED 6.8" QHD+, Edge Screen
2796-by-1290 pixel resolution at 460 ppi1440x3120 at 512 ppi1440 x 3088 pixels, (~500 ppi density)
19.5:9 ratio19.5:9 aspect ratio19.3:9 ratio
HDR displayHDR supportHDR10+
Always-On displayAlways-on display with At a Glance and Now PlayingAlways-on display
1000 nits max brightness (typical); 1600 nits peak brightness (HDR); 2000 nits peak brightness (outdoor)up to 1000 nits (HDR) and up to 1500 nits (peak brightness)1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rates up to 120HzSmooth Display (up to 120 Hz)120Hz
Front CameraSingleSingleSingle
12MP camera10.8 MP12MP
23mm (wide)1.22 μm pixel width26mm (wide)
ƒ/1.9 apertureƒ/2.2 aperturef/2.2
Rear CameraTripleTripleQuad
48MP Main50 MP Octa PD Quad Bayer wide camera200MP
1.22µm1.2 μm pixel width24mm (wide)
ƒ/1.78 apertureƒ/1.85 aperturef/1.7
12MP Ultra Wide12 MP ultrawide camera with autofocus12MP
1.4µm1.25 μm pixel width13mm
ƒ/2.2 apertureƒ/2.2 aperturef/2.2
120° field of view125.8° field of view120˚ (ultrawide)
12MP Telephoto48 MP Quad Bayer PD telephoto camera10MP
0.7 μm pixel width70mm (telephoto)
ƒ/2.8 apertureƒ/3.5 aperturef/2.4
3x optical zoom5x optical zoom3x optical zoom
10MP
230mm (periscope telephoto)
f/4.9
BatteryLi-Ion 4323 mAh, non-removable (16.68 Wh)Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removableLi-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable
Fast chargingFast chargingFast charging
Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutesup to 50% charge in about 30 minutes65% in 30 min
with 20W adapter or higherwith Google 30W USB-C Charger with USB-PD 3.0 (PPS)
MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W
Qi wireless charging up to 7.5WQi-certified15W wireless
Reverse wireless4.5W reverse wireless
Wireless ChargingYesYesYes
Video
Rear Camera4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps,4K video recording at 30 FPS, 60 FPS7680x4320 (8K UHD) (30 fps)
1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps1080p video recording at 30 FPS, 60 FPS4K@30/60fps
1080p@30/60/240fps
1920x1080 (Full HD) (960 fps)
Front Camera4K@24/25/30/60fps4K video recording at 30 FPS, 60 FPS3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps)
1080p@25/30/60/120fps1080p@30fps
Features10-bit HDR10-bit HDR videoHDR10+
Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps)Cinematic Pan
Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (up to 4K HDR at 30 fps)Cinematic Blur
gyro-EISSlo-mo video support up to 240 FPSgyro-EIS
HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps4K timelapse with stabilizationstereo sound rec
ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128GB capacity)Astrophotography timelapse
Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fpsOptical image stabilization
3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom outFused video stabilization
Digital zoom up to 9x4K Cinematic Pan video stabilization
4K locked video stabilization
1080p active video stabilization
Digital zoom up to 20x
Video formats: HEVC (H.265) and AVC (H.264)
ChipsetApple A16 Bionic (4 nm) (16‑core Neural Engine)Google Tensor G2 (5 nm)Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
CPU6‑core CPU with 2 performance (3.46 GHz Everest) and 4 efficiency cores (2.02 GHz Sawtooth)Octa-core (2x2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
GPUApple GPU (5-core graphics)Mali-G710 MP7Adreno 740
Operating SystemiOS 16Android 13Android 13, One UI 5.1
Internal Memory / Storage128GB / 6GB RAM128GB / 8 GB RAM
256GB / 6GB RAM256GB / 8 GB RAM256GB / 8 GB RAM
512GB / 6GB RAM
1TB / 6GB RAM128GB / 12 GB RAM
256GB / 12 GB RAM256GB / 12 GB RAM
512GB / 12 GB RAM512GB / 12 GB RAM
1TB / 12 GB RAM
NVMeUFS 3.1 storageUFS 4.0 storage
12 GB LPDDR5 RAM
Expandable MemoryNoNoNo
SensorsBarometerBarometerbarometer
Proximity sensorProximity sensorproximity
High dynamic range gyroGyrometergyro
High-g accelerometerAccelerometeraccelerometer
Dual ambient light sensorsAmbient light sensorAmbient light sensor
LiDAR ScannerMagnetometercompass
Height6.33 inches6.4 inches6.43 inches
Width3.05 inches3.0 inches3.07 inches
Depth0.31 inches0.3 inches0.35 inches
Weight8.47 ounces (240 grams)7.5 ounces (212 grams)8.25 ounces (234 grams)
AuthenticationFace IDFace Unlock2D Face unlock
Fingerprint Unlock with under-display fingerprint sensorFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic)
Pattern, PIN, password
NetworkGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
Cellular and Wireless5G (sub‑6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO95G mmWave + Sub 6GHz
5G NR (Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n14, n20, n25, n26, n28, n29, n30, n38, n40, n41, n48, n53, n66, n70, n71, n77, n78 n79)5G Sub-620: Bands n1/2/3/5/7/8/12/14/20/25/28/30/38/40/41/48/66/71/77/78
5G NR mmWave (Bands n258, n260, n261)5G mmWave20: Bands n257/n258/n260/n261
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71)
TD-LTE (Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 53)LTE: Bands B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/42/46/48/66/71
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)UMTS/HSPA+/HSDPA: Bands 1,2,4,5,6,8,19
Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO and LAA9
NFC with reader mode
Express Cards with power reserve
Connectivity and LocationWi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMOWi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) with 2.4GHz+5GHz+6GHz, HE160, MIMOWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth 5.3,A2DP, LEBluetooth® v5.2 with dual antennas for enhanced quality and connection,A2DP, LE, aptX HD5.3, A2DP, LE
Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness10Ultra-Wideband chip for accurate ranging and spatial orientation18
Precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou)GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSSGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
NFCNFCNFC
LightningUSB Type-C 3.2USB Type-C 3.2, OTG
USB 2.0Google Cast
Digital compassDual Band GNSS
Cellular
iBeacon microlocation
SIM CardDual eSIM18 (two active eSIMs, stores eight or more eSIMs)Dual SIM (Single Nano SIM and eSIM)Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by)
Splash, Water, and Dust ResistantRated IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes) under IEC standard 60529IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)
Media and AudioBuilt‑in stereo speakerStereo speakersStereo speakers
Built‑in microphone3 microphones
Noise suppressionNoise cancellation
Sound
3.5 mm JackNoNoNo
32-bit/384kHz audio
Tuned by AKG
cell1cell2
cell3

Choosing the right smartphone that suits your needs can be challenging sometimes with so many choices in the market. But we hope this article helped you out a little bit and if you decide to buy one of these high quality smartphones, be sure to check out the maker's website for full specs and details on the phone.

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