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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 16, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerSamsung Galaxy S23 FE vs Apple iPhone 16
Choosing between Samsung Galaxy S23 FE and Apple iPhone 16 can be tricky. Both are excellent, but they serve different priorities. This guide highlights what matters for US shoppers.
Ratings: 4.8★ vs 4.8★
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Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
★4.8
(13)•Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:4 generations of OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm) — *Note: US/Canada model specific*
Graphics:Adreno 730
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Apple iPhone 16
★4.8
(219)•Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
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Comparison: Samsung Galaxy S23 FE vs Apple iPhone 16
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
★4.8(13)Best Buy
Apple iPhone 16
★4.8(219)Best Buy
| Criterion | Samsung Galaxy S23 FE | Apple iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.8(13)Best Buy | ★4.8(219)Best Buy |
Operating System | Android | iOS |
Software Support | 4 generations of OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates | Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm) — *Note: US/Canada model specific* | Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine) |
Graphics | Adreno 730 | Apple 5-core GPU (A18) |
RAM | 8GB | 8 GB |
Storage | 128GB / 256GB (No microSD expansion) | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe) |
Display Size | 6.4" | 6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less) |
Screen Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 1,450 nits (Peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED |
Resolution | 2340 x 1080 (FHD+) | 2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi) |
Refresh Rate | 60Hz / 120Hz (Adaptive) | 60 Hz |
Peak Brightness | 1,450 nits (Peak) | 1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum |
Main Camera | 50MP, f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF | 48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) |
Ultra-Wide Camera | 12MP, f/2.2, 123-degree FOV | 12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support |
Telephoto Camera | 8MP, f/2.4, OIS, 3x Optical Zoom | No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS |
Optical Zoom | 3x Optical Zoom | 0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range) |
Digital Zoom | Up to 30x | Up to 10x |
Video Recording | 8K @ 24fps; 4K @ 30/60fps | 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps |
Front Camera | 10MP, f/2.4 | 12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps |
Battery | 4,500mAh (Typical) | 3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback |
Wired Charging | 25W Super Fast Charging (Adapter sold separately) | USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher |
Wireless Charging | 15W Fast Wireless Charging; Wireless PowerShare (Reverse) | MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W |
Connectivity | 5G (Sub-6/mmWave), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode |
USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 | USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output |
Durability | IP68 (Water/Dust Resistant); Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (Front & Back) | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back |
Dimensions | 6.22 x 3.01 x 0.32 in (158.0 x 76.5 x 8.2 mm) | 5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm) |
Weight | 7.37 oz (209 g) | 6.00 oz (170 g) |
Biometrics | Optical under-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock | Face ID |
Extras | Samsung DeX, Stereo speakers, Samsung Knox | Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite |
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Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
Rating:★4.8(13)Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:4 generations of OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm) — *Note: US/Canada model specific*
Graphics:Adreno 730
RAM:8GB
Storage:128GB / 256GB (No microSD expansion)
Display Size:6.4"
Screen Type:Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 1,450 nits (Peak)
Resolution:2340 x 1080 (FHD+)
Refresh Rate:60Hz / 120Hz (Adaptive)
Peak Brightness:1,450 nits (Peak)
Main Camera:50MP, f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP, f/2.2, 123-degree FOV
Telephoto Camera:8MP, f/2.4, OIS, 3x Optical Zoom
Optical Zoom:3x Optical Zoom
Digital Zoom:Up to 30x
Video Recording:8K @ 24fps; 4K @ 30/60fps
Front Camera:10MP, f/2.4
Battery:4,500mAh (Typical)
Wired Charging:25W Super Fast Charging (Adapter sold separately)
Wireless Charging:15W Fast Wireless Charging; Wireless PowerShare (Reverse)
Connectivity:5G (Sub-6/mmWave), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC
USB:USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1
Durability:IP68 (Water/Dust Resistant); Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (Front & Back)
Dimensions:6.22 x 3.01 x 0.32 in (158.0 x 76.5 x 8.2 mm)
Weight:7.37 oz (209 g)
Biometrics:Optical under-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
Extras:Samsung DeX, Stereo speakers, Samsung Knox
✓ Pros:
- • Dedicated 3x optical telephoto lens (rare in this price bracket)
- • Premium build with IP68 rating and aluminum frame
- • Bright 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (1,450 nits)
- • Full flagship software experience including Samsung DeX
- • Guaranteed long-term software support (4 OS updates)
✗ Cons:
- • Significantly thicker bezels compared to standard S23
- • Uses older Gorilla Glass 5 (vs. Victus 2 on S23)
- • Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset can be less power-efficient than Gen 2
- • Optical fingerprint sensor is slower than the Ultrasonic sensor on S23
- • Charging speed capped at 25W
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Apple iPhone 16
Rating:★4.8(219)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
RAM:8 GB
Storage:128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe)
Display Size:6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate:60 Hz
Peak Brightness:1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum
Main Camera:48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP)
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support
Telephoto Camera:No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS
Optical Zoom:0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range)
Digital Zoom:Up to 10x
Video Recording:4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
Front Camera:12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps
Battery:3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback
Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher
Wireless Charging:MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W
Connectivity:5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode
USB:USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output
Durability:IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back
Dimensions:5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm)
Weight:6.00 oz (170 g)
Biometrics:Face ID
Extras:Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite
✓ Pros:
- • A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence
- • 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop
- • Added Macro photography support to the non-Pro lineup
- • MagSafe charging speed increased to 25W (requires 30W adapter)
- • New physical Camera Control and Action buttons added
✗ Cons:
- • Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
- • USB-C port limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds (480 Mb/s)
- • No dedicated telephoto lens (zoom beyond 2x is digital)
- • Always-On display feature is omitted
- • No physical SIM tray in US models (eSIM only)
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Which one is better?
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is stronger in specific features, but Apple iPhone 16 could still be the better pick if you value its unique advantages.
Who should buy each?
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE excels at: Dedicated 3x optical telephoto lens (rare in this price bracket), Premium build with IP68 rating and aluminum frame
Watch for: Significantly thicker bezels compared to standard S23
Apple iPhone 16 excels at: A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence, 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop
Watch for: Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
Conclusion
With the key differences outlined, the decision should be clearer. Both options deliver quality—choose the one that fits your priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE excels if you value dedicated 3x optical telephoto lens (rare in this price bracket). Apple iPhone 16 is better if you prioritize a18 chip with 8gb ram specifically optimized for apple intelligence. Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
Affiliate disclosure
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