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Smartphone comparison

iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished

Compare cameras, battery, screen and everyday features.

Compared products
01Selected
iPhone 12 Pro Max

iPhone 12 Pro Max

  • 228 g.
  • About 6.7 inch screen.
  • Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) processor.
  • 6 GB RAM in this version.
  • Storage: NVMe.
KSh 52,500In Stock
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02
Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished

Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished

  • 168 g.
  • About 6.1 inch screen.
  • Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) processor.
  • 8 GB RAM in this version.
  • 256 GB storage in this version.
KSh 50,000In Stock
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2 of 4 products

Our quick verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished runs Android and has more RAM (8 GB), a higher-resolution main camera (50 MP), 8K video recording and a brighter screen for outdoor use, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max runs iOS and has a larger 6.7-inch screen.

Weight

iPhone 12 Pro Max
228 g
Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
168 g

Display

iPhone 12 Pro Max
About 6.7 inch screen
Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
About 6.1 inch screen

Performance

iPhone 12 Pro Max
Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) processor
Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) processor

Memory

iPhone 12 Pro Max
6 GB RAM in this version
Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
8 GB RAM in this version

Storage

iPhone 12 Pro Max
NVMe
Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0

Key differences

The main differences to help you choose.

iPhone 12 Pro Max

  • Larger 6.7-inch screen (vs 6.1-inch).

Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished

  • More memory: 8 GB RAM (vs 6 GB).
  • Higher-resolution main camera: 50 MP (vs 12 MP).
  • Brighter display: up to 1,750 nits (vs 1,200).
  • Newer Wi-Fi 6E (vs Wi-Fi 6).
  • Newer Bluetooth 5.3 (vs 5.0).
  • Lighter: 168 g (vs 228 g).

What matters most to you?

Choose any priorities

How each product answers the questions buyers ask most. Tick a topic to add it, untick one to hide it.

More topicsFewer topics
6 priorities selected.
How each product answers the selected priorities
PriorityiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Display6.7-inch OLED display, 458 ppi6.1-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 425 ppi
Camera12 MP main camera with OIS, plus a 2.5x telephoto camera50 MP main camera with OIS, plus a 3x telephoto camera
PerformanceApple A14 Bionic processorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
StorageUp to 512 GB storage256 GB storage
Battery capacity3,687 mAh battery3,900 mAh battery
ChargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min25 W wired, 15 W wireless charging

Detailed comparison

Explore the full specifications, section by section.

General

General specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
BrandAppleSamsung
ModelApple iPhone 12 Pro MaxGalaxy S23
Announced2020, October 132023, February 01
Device type / form familySmartphoneSmartphone
Release statusAvailable. Released 2020, November 13Available. Released 2023, February 17
Model numbersA2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS
SAR (EU)0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body)—
Performance benchmarksAnTuTu: 638584 (v8); GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1); GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)—
Measured display brightness822 nits max brightness (measured)—
Tested cameraPhoto / Video—
Measured loudspeaker loudness-23.8 LUFS (Very good)—
Tested battery (old)Endurance rating 95h—

Design

Design specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Dimensions160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in)146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in)
Weight228 g (8.04 oz)168 g (5.93 oz)
Build materialsGlass front, glass back, stainless steel frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
Form factor—Touchscreen smartphone

Display

Display specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
DisplaySuper Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak); 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak); 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Screen resolution1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density)
Display protectionCeramic Shield glassCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Display featuresHDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
Display technologySuper Retina XDR OLEDDynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
Display size6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Brightness800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)—
HDR formatsHDR10, Dolby Vision—
Pixel density~458 ppi—
Aspect ratio19.5:9 ratio—
Screen-to-body ratio~87.4% screen-to-body ratio—
Refresh rate—120Hz

Performance

Performance specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
ProcessorApple A14 Bionic (5 nm)Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
CPUHexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm)Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
GPUApple GPU (4-core graphics)Adreno 740
Process node5 nm—

Memory & Storage

Memory & Storage specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
RAM6GB8GB
Storage128GB, 256GB, 512GB256GB
Storage technologyNVMeUFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0
Expandable storageNoNo
Memory configurations128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM—

Cameras

Cameras specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Rear camera12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS; 12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm; TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
Front camera12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm; SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Rear camera featuresDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Rear camera video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec.8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Front camera featuresHDRHDR, HDR10+
Front camera video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Wide camera12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS—
Telephoto camera12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom—
Ultra-wide camera12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm—
Additional rear camerasTOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)—

Battery & Charging

Battery & Charging specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
BatteryLi-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh)Li-Ion 3900 mAh
ChargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min; 15W wireless (MagSafe); 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
Battery technologyLi-Ion—
Wireless charging15W wireless (MagSafe); 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update—

Software

Software specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Operating systemiOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 27Android 13, up to 4 major OS updates, One UI 8.5

Network

Network specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
NetworkGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM; · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China)· Nano-SIM + eSIM · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900; CDMA 800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100; CDMA2000 1xEV-DOHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2342; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2411, A2412; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A24101, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - USA
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2342; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2410, A2411, A24121, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International 1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Network speedHSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 MbpsHSPA, LTE (CA), 5G

Connectivity

Connectivity specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
NFCYesYes
Bluetooth5.0, A2DP, LE5.3, A2DP, LE
Wi-FiWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSSGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBLightning, USB 2.0USB Type-C 3.2, OTG
Ultra Wideband (UWB)Ultra Wideband (UWB) support—

Durability

Durability specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Water resistanceIP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min)—

Features

Features specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
SensorsFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
ColorsSilver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue—
Desktop mode—Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support)

Audio

Audio specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
LoudspeakersYes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
3.5 mm headphone jackNoNo
Audio features—High-bitrate audio support

Refurbished unit information

Refurbished unit information specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 12 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Condition—Refurbished / EX-UK

Similarities

  • Both have optical image stabilisation.
  • Both have NFC.
  • Both have stereo speakers.
  • Both have OLED displays.
  • Both support wireless charging.
  • Both support 5G networks.

In summary

For most buyers the Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished is the better buy; the iPhone 12 Pro Max makes sense if you want iOS.

Back to compared products ↑

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