Galaxy S23 vs Zenfone 9: which is the best compact top of the line? | Comparative

Here we have a duel of compact cell phones for those who are looking for a powerful device, but don’t want to carry a big brick in their pocket. The dispute this time is between the Galaxy S23 and the Zenfone 9, the most recent bets by Samsung and Asus in the most advanced smartphone market.

• design and connectivity
• multimedia and software
• Performance
• Battery
• cameras
• Price
• Conclusion

Samsung Galaxy S23

Asus Zenfone 9

The two cell phones in our comparison are very different, despite having the same size. The Galaxy brings a more premium finish with a reinforced aluminum body and glass back with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. The Zenfone has a plastic finish, which gives a feeling of inferior product.

The Asus cell phone is chubby because of the bigger battery, but that doesn’t interfere with the weight. At the rear, we have larger cameras on the Zenfone that differ from the compact body of the device, while on the front there are wider edges and a hole in the left corner, instead of the more traditional one in the central part as we have in the Galaxy.

Both have IP68 certification, which guarantees water resistance with the possibility of submerging the cell phone in up to 1.5 meters for a maximum of 30 minutes. Zenfone has the differential of coming with a standard headphone jack, something that Samsung abolished a while ago from its intermediate and advanced cell phones.

Zenfone brings the biometric reader integrated into the power button on the right side and has support for gestures that improve usability. Samsung decided to bet on a more traditional solution with a sensor underneath the screen. Both work well and quickly recognize the user’s identity.

In terms of connectivity, we have an advantage over the Galaxy, which features Wi-Fi with triple-band support for high-speed browsing and the latest version of Bluetooth. In addition, there is support for wireless charging, which the rival lacks.

We start with a point for the Galaxy S23.

Screen

Despite being the same size, the Galaxy S23 has the largest screen due to the thinner edges. The Korean model also stands out in the maximum brightness achieved, in addition to coming with technology that boosts the contrast by detecting sunlight hitting the screen directly. This makes him ensure the best visibility of the two away from home.

Another highlight is the refresh rate. Despite being 120 Hz at most in both, in Galaxy it is possible to have a lower frequency in static content, which helps to reduce battery consumption. The colors displayed on the S23’s screen are also more accurate and closer to reality.

Point for the Galaxy S23 on screen.

Sound

Both have two sound outputs when using the call speaker as a secondary channel. In terms of sound power we can declare a tie. In sound quality, we have well-balanced audio in both, but the Zenfone 9 stands out in the bass because of its dedicated amplifier optimized by the Swedish company Dirac specializing in audio.

Another advantage for the Asus top is the headphone jack on the top of the device, which allows you to use any conventional headphones.

We will give the Zenfone 9 a point in audio.

Software

The Zenfone 9 was launched with Android 12 and recently received the update to version 13. Asus has promised two updates for its top of the line, which guarantees that it will receive Android 14 in the future. In terms of security packages, the company does not release patches monthly, so don’t expect to have protection up to date.

The Galaxy S23 arrived with Android 13 and will receive twice as many updates as the rival, which makes its longevity much greater, in addition to having five years of guaranteed security updates.

In terms of resources, the Galaxy is the one that brings the most function-packed software with the right to Samsung Dex to transform the cell phone into a PC. The Zenfone 9 goes for a simpler approach with an interface closer to the standard Android and some functional extras.

Point for the Galaxy in software.

The Zenfone 9 hit the market at the end of 2022 and the Galaxy S23 at the beginning of 2023. This small time difference was enough to guarantee the top of Samsung a more current hardware from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. uses an exclusive turbocharged version that brings a faster processor.

And how does that translate to performance? The Galaxy is the faster of the two and did better in our multitasking-focused speed test even with the rival coming with up to twice the RAM. It also performed better in synthetic tests with higher scores due to the more powerful hardware.

And games? Here, the more powerful hardware of the Galaxy doesn’t make much difference and both can run any current game for Android at maximum quality without any hiccups.

So, one more point for the Galaxy S23.

The Zenfone 9 has the largest battery, with 4,300 mAh against 3,900 mAh. In theory it may indicate that the Asus cell phone is the one that delivers the greatest autonomy, but in practice it was the Galaxy that won by rendering three hours more in our standardized test.

This shows that the S23’s latest hardware is more economical as well as more powerful. And the recharge time? The Zenfone 9 features a 30W charger against just the rival’s 25W, but due to the larger battery it takes a few minutes longer to reach 100%.

And with that, another win for the Galaxy S23.

The Galaxy brings a more complete photographic set with three cameras at the rear. While both bet on a 50 MP and 12 MP ultra-wide sensor, the Korean model still features a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.

In photo quality it is the S23 that stands out. It has more efficient HDR that handles too much background light well. Its night mode is more efficient and highlights details that are lost in Zenfone photos, despite saturating the colors more, giving a slightly artificial look.

The ultra-wide has a wider field of view on the Galaxy and thus manages to record more of the scenarios. The telephoto lens allows you to shoot with superior clarity what is far away compared to the rival’s digital-only zoom.

Here victory is easy for the Galaxy S23.

Photos captured with the Galaxy S23

On the front we have a 12 MP camera on both. The Galaxy S23 stands out for having lenses with a larger focal aperture, which allows more light to be captured in dark places. Both have autofocus with Dual Pixel technology for greater precision, which is not always common to see in advanced cell phones.

In the quality of selfies, we have victory for the Galaxy. Although the Zenfone 9 takes good pictures, the Galaxy captures more details and presents better contrast and colors at night.

Point for the Galaxy S23 in selfies.

Photos captured with Zenfone 9

And finally the camcorder. Both record in 8K with the advantage of the Galaxy filming at 30 frames per second. The Zenfone 9 has more advanced stabilization that handles shake better, while both have snappy focus and capture stereo sound with little wind noise. The Galaxy S23 is slightly better for shooting with the front end at night.

As each has its advantages, we will draw.

The Zenfone 9 was launched in Europe in October 2022 for R$ 4 thousand. The Galaxy S23 arrived in February this year for R$ 6 thousand. Currently, the Asus model is the cheapest of the two with a difference of more than R$500. If you only care which one is cheaper, then you already know which one to buy.

We close the comparison with the last point for Zenfone.

In our previous duel of the Zenfone 9 against the Galaxy S22 we had a closer dispute, despite Samsung’s victory. Now against the S23 the difference was even greater with the Galaxy crushing its competitor. It features a better design with thinner bezels, a brighter display with better colors, faster performance, support for software updates for more years, longer battery life, and better cameras.

The Zenfone 9 is cheaper, delivers superior sound with a headphone jack, and its camcorder has more advanced stabilization. Despite being a great top-of-the-line model, it’s more worth paying a little more for the Galaxy S23 and having a more complete cell phone.

RESULT

Samsung Galaxy S23: 8 POINTS

• Better design and more complete
• Superior display in color and brightness
• More complete software with greater longevity
• superior performance
• Superior battery life
• best cameras
• best selfies
• best night footage

Asus Zenfone 9: 3 POINTS

• Better audio and P2 input
• More advanced stabilization
• Lowest price

• The Samsung Galaxy S23 is available at Extra for BRL 3,869. The cost-benefit is average and this is the best model in this price range.
• The Asus Zenfone 9 is available at Magazine Luiza for BRL 3,509. The cost-benefit is average and this is the best model in this price range.