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This time around, we’re comparing some high-end offerings from OnePlus and Samsung. We’ll compare the OnePlus 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S23+. Truth be said, the Galaxy S23+ is not the most powerful phone Samsung has to offer, but it’s not far from it. We’ve already covered the OnePlus 11 vs Galaxy S23 Ultra comparison. That being said, the Galaxy S23+ is a compelling phone in its own right, so this should be interesting.
We’ll first list the specs of both devices, and will then move to compare them across a number of categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. If you’re in the market for a high-end device, these two should be considered, that’s for sure. So, let’s get started, shall we?
Specs
| OnePlus 11 | Samsung Galaxy S23+ | |
| Screen size | 6.7-inch QHD+ LTPO3 Fluid AMOLED display (120Hz refresh rate, curved, 1,300 nits peak brightness, LTPO down to 1Hz) | 6.6-inch fullHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (curved, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, LTPO, 1,750 nits peak brightness) |
| Screen resolution | 3216 x 1440 | 2340 x 1080 |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
| RAM | 8GB/16GB (LPDDR5X) | 8GB (LPDDR5X) |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB, non-expandable (UFS 4.0) | 256GB/512GB, non-expandable (UFS 4.0) |
| Rear cameras | 50MP (f/1.8 aperture, 1.0um pixel size, OIS, multi-directional PDAF) 48MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 115-degree FoV, AF) 32MP (telephoto, f/2.0 aperture, 2x optical zoom, PDAF) |
50MP (f/1.8 aperture, 24mm lens, 1.0um pixel size, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF) 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 13mm lens, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size) 10MP (telephoto, f/2.4 aperture, 70mm lens, 1.0um pixel size, OIS, 3x optical zoom, PDAF) |
| Front cameras | 16MP (f/2.5 aperture, 25mm lens, 1.0um pixel size) | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 26mm lens, Dual Pixel PDAF) |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, non-removable, 100W wired (80W in the US) charging Charger included |
4,700mAh, non-removable, 45W wired charging, 15W Qi wireless charging, 4.5W Wireless PowerShare Charger not included |
| Dimensions | 163.1 x 74.1 x 8.5mm | 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6mm |
| Weight | 205 grams | 196 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | Face scanning (front camera) In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) |
In-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic) |
| OS | Android 13 OxygenOS 13 |
Android 13 One UI 5.1 |
| Price | $699/$799 | $999.99/$1,119.99 |
| Buy | OnePlus | Samsung |
OnePlus 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S23+: Design
Both devices are made out of metal and glass, and both feature rounded corners. The in-hand feel is a bit different, though. The OnePlus 11 is noticeably taller and wider than the Galaxy S23+. It’s also thicker than Samsung’s offering. On top of everything, the OnePlus 11 is the lighter of the two phones. It weighs 205 grams, compared to 196 grams of the Samsung Galaxy S23+.
Both devices utilize aluminum for their frames. The OnePlus 11 has Gorilla Glass 5 on the back, while the Galaxy S23+ features Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The bezels are quite thin on both devices. The OnePlus 11 has a display camera hole in the top-left corner, and a curved display. The Galaxy S23+ has a centered display camera hole at the top, and it also includes a flat display.
They do look different from the back too, even more so. The OnePlus 11 has a round camera island, with three cameras inside it. The Galaxy S23+, on the other hand, has three separate camera islands, each of which packs in a single camera. The Galaxy S23+’s backplate is flatter than the one on the OnePlus 11. Both phones come with IP certification, but the Galaxy S23+ offers more in that regard. It has IP68 certification for water and dust resistance, while the OnePlus 11 is limited to IP64 certification.
OnePlus 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S23+: Display
The OnePlus 11 features a 6.7-inch QHD+ (3216 x 1440) LTPO3 Fluid AMOLED display. That panel is curved, and it can project up to 1 billion colors. It has Dolby Vision and HDR10+ content support, while it also supports a 120Hz refresh rate. This display has a 20:9 aspect ratio, and it can go up to 1,300 nits of brightness at its peak. The Gorilla Glass Victus is applied on top of the display, for protection purposes.
The Galaxy S23+, on the flip side, includes a 6.6-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. This display is flat, and it offers a 120Hz refresh rate. HDR10+ content is supported, and the display goes up to 1,750 nits of brightness at its peak. The display aspect ratio here is 19.5:9, while the Galaxy S23+’s panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2, in case you were wondering.
Both of these displays are great, actually. They both have great viewing angles, and both offer vivid colors with deep blacks. The OnePlus 11’s panel is sharper, but not many of you will notice the difference. The Galaxy S23+’s panel does get brighter, and you may notice that if you use your phone outdoors in direct sunlight, it is noticeable. The touch response is great on both displays, and a 120Hz refresh rate is well-optimized in both cases.
OnePlus 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S23+: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 fuels both of these smartphones. Well, the Galaxy S23+ does come with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, which is clocked a bit higher. The OnePlus 11 includes up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 flash storage. Do note that only the 128GB storage model has UFS 3.1 storage. The Galaxy S23+ comes with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage.
Both smartphones offer outstanding performance. They’re extremely smooth, we did not notice any lag or anything of the sort. Considering their specs, chances are it will stay that way for a while, but we’ll see. They do a great job with regular, everyday tasks, and even with demanding stuff, such as gaming. Neither phone gets too hot during gaming, or anything of the sort, and both can handle even the most demanding titles for Android. They’re basically on the same level in terms of performance.
OnePlus 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S23+: Battery
The OnePlus 11 includes a 5,000mAh battery on the inside. The Galaxy S23+, on the flip side, has a 4,700mAh battery inside its shell. The battery life is not exactly comparable, though. We’ve been able to get outstanding battery life with the OnePlus 11, not so much with the Galaxy S23+. Don’t get me wrong, the Galaxy S23+ battery life is good, but it’s nowhere near the OnePlus 11 level.
We’ve been able to cross the 10-hour screen-on-time mark with the OnePlus 11 a number of times. That phone truly shines when it comes to battery life. You can expect something closer to 7-7.5 hours of screen-on-time with the Galaxy S23+, that’s still great, though. We’re only sharing our experiences here, of course, your mileage may vary. You’ll use your devices differently, with different apps, and different signal strengths.
The OnePlus 11 blows away the Galaxy S23+ in terms of charging speed, but the Galaxy S23+ is more versatile. OnePlus’ flagship supports 100W wired (80W in the US) charging, and that’s it. The Galaxy S23+ supports 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Another thing to note is that the OnePlus 11 does include a charger in the box, unlike the Galaxy S23+.
OnePlus 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S23+: Cameras
The OnePlus 11 boasts a 50-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (115-degree FoV), and a 32-megapixel telephoto camera (2x optical zoom). The Galaxy S23+, on the other hand, has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (120-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). It’s worth noting that Hasselblad is also a part of the OnePlus 11 offering, mainly in regards to color tuning.
Both of these phones do a great job when it comes to photography. During the day, both phones provide vivid, and sharp images, with plenty of detail. They also do a great job when it comes to HDR shots. The images do look a bit different, but both results end up looking rich and nice. We preferred the ultrawide camera of the OnePlus 11 in all conditions, and the telephoto camera on the Galaxy S23+, mainly due to the optical zoom benefit.
In low light, both phones handle themselves nicely. They both tend to light up the scene quite a bit, which is a look most people prefer. They’re doing their best to capture the best photo, not necessarily the most realistic one. Neither phone shines in the video recording department, but they’re both more than good enough. Both companies issued a number of camera updates since launch, and fixed some issues they faced early on. These cameras are easy to recommend.
Audio
There is a set of stereo speakers included on both the OnePlus 11 and Samsung Galaxy S23+. Those speakers are good on both devices, though they’re a bit louder on the OnePlus 11. We did prefer the sound coming from the Galaxy S23+, as it seemed to be a bit more detailed, though the difference is not big at all.
What you won’t find on either phone is an audio jack. You will have to resort to their Type-C ports for wired audio connections. If you prefer wireless audio, on the other hand, both phones offer support for Bluetooth 5.3.