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iPhone 14, Pixel 7 & Samsung S23: Which one has the Best Screen

November 02, 2022

Can you imagine watching The Infinity War in UHD on your phone 10 years ago? Well, not anymore. Browsing through Instagram, YouTube, or even watching Netflix on the phone has become something quite normal these days.

Naturally, those who spend a lot of time on their phones, either out of pleasure or necessity, will want phones with great displays that will be bright, colorful, and responsive. But which ones are the best today? Here is a quick comparison between the top three selling phones of today – iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy S series.

iPhone 14

Out of the three, the iPhone 14 is the oldest one, not two months old. The screen size of a new iPhone generation is 6.1 inches diagonal, at least for a regular model. If we talk about the basic line, this iPhone 14 integrates a 6.1-inch Retina OLED panel with a resolution of 2,532 x 1,170 pixels, which has a density of 460 pixels per inch (dpi). The ratio is 19.5:9, it has automatic True Tone adjustment (for screen temperature) and the maximum refresh rate is a disappointing 60 Hz.

With some exceptions, Apple (finally) settled on densities above 450 dpi since the iPhone XS (2019), a parameter that gives us more definition. In this case, both the resolution and the density translate to a good experience in terms of sharpness, seeing the elements well-defined, and reading the text correctly.

The factory calibration seems balanced, so it comes with slightly cool whites but is close to the midpoint. In addition, True Tone works well and continues to compensate for having it activated, since this way the temperature adapts according to the environment (and it does it very well and quickly).

Good contrast is practically inherent in an OLED panel, and this one is no exception. The dose of contrast is good and the maximum brightness too (which has increased compared to its predecessor), being also balanced at the saturation level, without missing any adjustment.

Because, well, speaking of screen adjustments, things get a little fun in iOS 16, but not exactly more complete or easier. We must also take into account that in this iPhone we do not have an Always-On Display or ambient screen. Why? Because of potatoes, probably.

In any case, the experience with the screen is good, in line with what the manufacturer usually accustoms us to. If we are not especially sensitive to the refresh rate and do not envy the island of dynamic, it is a totally solvent and valid screen, although not strictly up to date.

Pixel 7

The Pixel 7 is not only visually more premium than the Pixel 6, but it also feels like one. It is more robust than last year's model, and its materials are of higher quality, as expected in mobile phones of its price. It is, unfortunately, something that we could not say about the Pixel 6, whose manufacture is more similar to that of a mid-range mobile. Therefore, it is appreciated that Google has improved this point.

There is also another area where Google has put its hand to improve it compared to its predecessor: the front, and more specifically, the screen frames. These are now a bit thinner, and make the Pixel 7 a bit more compact. Its screen, yes, is slightly – very slightly – smaller than that of the Pixel 6.

This terminal, in particular, has a 6.3-inch OLED panel. It maintains the Full HD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 90 Hz, which is not as high as many hoped it would be – the best flagships, even mid-range phones on the market today have a 120 Hz display. With this, the company clearly wanted to draw a thick line between the regular and the Pro model. Be that as it may, according to the company, the display is up to 25% brighter, which is something that all Google fans waited for.

The truth is that the screen of the Google Pixel 7 is very good in terms of interpretation of colors and brightness. Its resolution also offers excellent sharpness, and its refresh rate, despite not being as high as that of its competition (but being higher than what iPhone 14 offers), provides that extra fluidity that is so much appreciated when navigating the interface.

Galaxy S23

Although it hasn’t come out yet, we already know what the Galaxy S23 will bring when it comes to screen power. It will be the same display as is the case with the S22. Is this a bad thing? Definitely not.

It is a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X flat screen with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels. They will be the same characteristics as the Galaxy S23+, but having a smaller diagonal, it leaves a density of 425 dpi, which makes everything even sharper than its older brothers, which is already enough.

It does not dispense with the variable refresh rate of 120 Hz, varying between 24 fps and maximum values of 60 and 120 Hz when the Adaptive mode is activated from the Screen section.

The screen calibration tends to saturate the colors somewhat, which is almost a hallmark of South Koreans, but it offers a good representation of the Intense (sRGB) and Natural (DCI-P3) color spaces, allowing adjustment of the color temperature.

The display does not falter in terms of brightness either, looking face to face at the larger diagonal with an average brightness of 861 nits and a deviation of only 5.87 nits, which reveals a very light distribution across the screen.

The brightness peak is at 1,737 nits leaving no doubt about its good visibility outdoors in full sun. It is a screen that proportionally throws a little less brightness than its older brothers due to its size, but in real use, it offers the same user experience.

Which one is the best?

While Pixel 7 is a good upgrade from the previous series, the display still lags behind what Samsung and Apple have to offer. It’s still a very good screen but somewhere between mid-range and flagship, definitely closer to the flagship.

It is quite disappointing to see a 60 Hz display in the year 2022 (no less than the fall of the year 2022), and although having a crystal clear image, the iPhone 14 definitely let tech enthusiasts down. Still, it is a great display worthy of being among the best on the market.

Samsung will definitely come on top when it comes out. It has a great refresh rate, resolution, brightness, and everything. The best screen of the three.