Apple iPhone Air vs Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
The Verdict
The Apple iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S23 FE sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is the cheaper of the two at $599 versus $1,199, a difference of about $600. The Apple iPhone Air is the newer release, which usually means a faster chipset and longer software support. Apple iPhone Air stands out for thinnest iphone ever at 5.6mm, while Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is praised for flagship features like 120hz amoled and ip68 at a lower price. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone Air if…
- →Thinnest iPhone ever at 5.6mm
- →Only 165g with titanium frame
- →A19 Pro chip in ultra-slim design
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE if…
- →Flagship features like 120Hz AMOLED and IP68 at a lower price
- →Bright 1450-nit display for good outdoor visibility
- →3x optical zoom telephoto is rare in this price range
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone Air
Pros
- Thinnest iPhone ever at 5.6mm
- Only 165g with titanium frame
- A19 Pro chip in ultra-slim design
- 3x more scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield 2
Cons
- Smaller 3149 mAh battery limits endurance
- Only 2x telephoto (no periscope)
- No ultrawide camera
- $1199 for fewer cameras than Pro
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
Pros
- Flagship features like 120Hz AMOLED and IP68 at a lower price
- Bright 1450-nit display for good outdoor visibility
- 3x optical zoom telephoto is rare in this price range
- Four years of OS updates guaranteed
- Wireless charging with reverse wireless PowerShare
Cons
- Exynos 2200 variant has weaker performance and efficiency
- Only 25W wired charging is slow for 2023
- Gorilla Glass 5 is older protection than Victus 2
- 8 MP telephoto resolution is low
- Heavier at 209 g due to older processor thermals
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone Air | Samsung Galaxy S23 FE |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 19 | Android 13 (One UI 5.1) |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 165 g | 209 g |
| Material | Titanium frame, Ceramic Shield 2 | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 5 |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 155 x 73 x 5.6 mm | 158 x 76.5 x 8.2 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 48 MP, f/1.6, OIS | 50 MP, f/1.8, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Front camera | 24 MP, f/1.9, Center Stage | 10 MP, f/2.4 |
| Video | 4K@60fps, Dual Capture | 4K@60fps |
| Telephoto | 12 MP, f/2.8, 2x optical zoom | 8 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, OIS |
| Ultrawide | — | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 12 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 3149 mAh | 4500 mAh |
| Charging | 27W wired | 25W wired |
| Wireless charging | 15W MagSafe | 15W, Wireless PowerShare |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.5 inches | 6.4 inches |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 1290 x 2796 | 2340 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 2000 | 1450 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | 6-core | Octa-core |
| GPU | 6-core GPU | Xclipse 920 / Adreno 730 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Samsung Exynos 2200 / Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
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