With the launch of the Galaxy S23 series by Samsung Electronics, the full-scale competition between Samsung and Apple has begun.

Samsung Electronics announced that the 'Galaxy S23' series, which was available for pre-order from the 7th to the 13th, will be released in major countries around the world starting on the 17th. It will be released sequentially in a total of 130 countries, starting with 55 countries including Korea, the US, the UK, France, Australia, and Dubai.

The Galaxy S23 series was released in three models: S23 Ultra, S23+, and S23. The 'Ultra' model has improved performance by being equipped with a 200 million pixel camera, and is equipped with a 'nightography' function that combines AI with the sensor to enable shooting day and night. Additionally, all models are equipped with the ‘Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy.’

Samsung Electronics announced that in Korea, it recorded pre-sales of 1.09 million units over a total of 7 days, surpassing the record of 1.017 million units for the Galaxy S22 series.

■ Galaxy S23 Ultra, ‘perceivable’ performance improvement The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers improved performance over its predecessor.

The biggest feature is the camera performance and AP. Although the design and display are only different in the edge compared to the S22, the camera shows a difference of two times from 100 million pixels to 200 million pixels. First, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has an image sensor with 200 million pixels and an aperture module of f1. 7 on the rear camera.

In particular, the Adaptive Pixel has been improved to make it easier to switch pixels, allowing adjustment in dark environments. The OIS angle for hand shake correction has also been doubled.

Additionally, it is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8Gen2, providing 40% higher battery efficiency, 25% upgraded performance, and AI, providing an overall better user experience than its predecessor.

Actual S23 users reported, “Compared to the S22, the S23 has reduced afterimages and vibrations, and the image quality has been significantly improved.”

■ Galaxy camera pixels 'win', benchmark results still 'insufficient'
The Galaxy S23's key weapons are its upgraded performance compared to its predecessor and the increased number of pixels in the main camera of the Ultra product. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 boasts of improved overall performance and the image of the brand itself.

The basic features of the Apple iPhone 14 Pro, released in September last year, include: △Dynamic Island and always-on display, △A16 Bionic, and △Photonic Engine, which enables emergency rescue request and collision detection functions. It has become popular among many consumers due to its innovative new functions.

Compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is slightly larger than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and its battery capacity is also slightly larger. The camera is about 200 million pixels, which is about four times that of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. It is also equipped with a 10x optical zoom, so the photo will not break up even when greatly enlarged. The display brightness of the iPhone 14 Pro Max is 2000 nits, which is brighter than the Galaxy S23's 1750 nits. Also, while the iPhone supports 4K, the S23 supports up to 8K.

While Apple A Bionic maintains its advantage with its optimization features, Samsung's Qualcomm Snapdragon has attracted attention as it provides consumers with improved performance. It is evaluated that Samsung has boldly achieved optimization by installing Qualcomm's Snapdragon instead of Exynos.

On the other hand, the benchmark results posted on the US mobile community Phone Arena showed that the Galaxy S23 Ultra received a lower score than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The iPhone 14 Pro Max received a higher multi-core score than the Galaxy S23 series, but its overall size is not large. In the single core sector, it shows similar results to the iPhone 12 series.

Meanwhile, consumers cited the Galaxy S23's advantages as being equipped with Android, which provides a wider range of apps than Apple's iOS, and the fact that it can be purchased at a lower price through pre-orders and various telecommunications company events.

■ Apple Pay, iPhone 15 Ultra preview, etc… What’s next?
Both the Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14 offer high performance. The Galaxy has significantly enhanced its camera performance, targeting young people who value image quality when shooting videos. The iPhone has expanded convenience, such as dynamic islands, and is using its unique sensibility as a major marketing tool.

Some say that competition in the smartphone market is now based on brand image and convenience rather than differences in performance. The AP performance of the latest devices is already satisfactory enough for consumers, and the camera quality is also as clear as what you see in real life.

In an era where smartphones cost 2 million won, numbers indicating improved performance compared to the previous model may have a positive effect on some consumers, but they inevitably have limitations after reaching a certain performance level. In fact, smartphone shipments are expected to drop by -11% compared to the previous year in 2022, falling to less than 1.2 billion units.

Due to factors such as the skyrocketing price of smartphones and the increased replacement cycle due to improved performance, consumers' choices are largely influenced by the actual usability of smartphones.

The controversy over whether to introduce Apple Pay in Korea, which has been going back and forth since November of last year, was settled on the 8th when Apple and Hyundai Card officially announced the domestic launch. Hyundai Card had attempted to launch it exclusively, but the Financial Services Commission gave up its exclusive usage rights during the review process, allowing other card companies to launch it as well.

As consumers who choose the Galaxy S23 cite call recording and Samsung Pay as the main advantages of Samsung smartphones, Apple users are welcoming the introduction of a simple payment service in Korea. Some consumers also expect that Samsung Pay, which has been monopolizing Samsung Pay, will improve various services in the future to prevent the influx of Apple Pay.

Also, according to foreign media, Apple is considering whether to release the 'iPhone Ultra' next year. It is being considered whether the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which will be released later, will be rebranded as the Ultra, but the price is expected to be more expensive. Tim Cook has told investors that consumers are willing to pay for the best iPhone they can get.

However, it seems clear to consumers what the top-of-the-line model is differentiating itself from the current level. It is unclear how consumers will be persuaded when it is unclear how much further improvements in camera performance, AP, display, and convenience will be provided.

In the end, performance and systems are continuously 'jumping up', but what moves the hearts of consumers is ultimately the unique value of smartphones. Especially in high value-added products, the brand image becomes the main competitive edge, so the future direction of smartphone market competition is expected to be determined by how to provide consumers with the functions they actually need and present them so that they feel that they have obtained better value through this.