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Smartphone comparison

Google Pixel 9a vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished

Compare cameras, battery, screen and everyday features.

Compared products
01Selected
Google Pixel 9a

Google Pixel 9a

  • 186 g.
  • About 120 Hz display refresh rate.
  • About 6.3 inch screen.
  • Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) processor.
  • 8 GB RAM in this version.
KSh 53,500In 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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Google Pixel 8KSh 54,000
Google Pixel 8aKSh 50,000
Nothing Phone 4aKSh 53,000
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE 5GKSh 57,500
POCO X8 Pro 5GKSh 53,500
Vivo V70 FE 5GKSh 53,500
iPhone 12 Pro MaxKSh 52,500
2 of 4 products

Our quick verdict

The Google Pixel 9a has a bigger battery (5,100 mAh), runs newer Android 15 and has 7 promised OS upgrades and a larger 6.3-inch, brighter screen, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished has optical zoom and 8K video recording, charges faster wirelessly (15 W) and has a sturdier aluminium build with a glass back.

Weight

Google Pixel 9a
186 g
Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
168 g

Display

Google Pixel 9a
About 6.3 inch screen
Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
About 6.1 inch screen

Performance

Google Pixel 9a
Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) processor
Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) processor

Storage

Google Pixel 9a
UFS 3.1
Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0

Battery capacity

Google Pixel 9a
5,100 mAh battery capacity
Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
3,900 mAh battery capacity

Key differences

The main differences to help you choose.

Google Pixel 9a

  • Bigger battery: 5,100 mAh (vs 3,900 mAh).
  • Larger 6.3-inch screen (vs 6.1-inch).
  • Newer Android 15 (vs Android 13).
  • More promised OS upgrades: 7 (vs 4).
  • Brighter display: up to 2,700 nits (vs 1,750).
  • Newer model: released in 2025 (vs 2023).

Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished

  • Telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.
  • Faster wireless charging: 15 W (vs 7.5 W).
  • Aluminium frame and glass back (vs aluminium frame and plastic back).
  • Lighter: 168 g (vs 186 g).
  • Slimmer: 7.6 mm thick (vs 8.9 mm).
  • 8K video recording (vs 4K).

What matters most to you?

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

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6 priorities selected.
How each product answers the selected priorities
PriorityGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Display6.3-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 422 ppi6.1-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 425 ppi
Camera48 MP main camera with OIS50 MP main camera with OIS, plus a 3x telephoto camera
PerformanceGoogle Tensor G4 processorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
StorageUp to 256 GB storage256 GB storage
Battery capacity5,100 mAh battery3,900 mAh battery
Charging23 W wired, 7.5 W wireless charging25 W wired, 15 W wireless charging

Detailed comparison

Explore the full specifications, section by section.

General

General specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
BrandGoogleSamsung
ModelPixel 9aGalaxy S23
Announced2025, March 192023, February 01
Release statusAvailable. Released 2025, April 10Available. Released 2023, February 17
Model numbersGXQ96, GTF7P, G3Y12SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS
Device type / form family—Smartphone

Design

Design specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Dimensions154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm (6.09 x 2.89 x 0.35 in)146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in)
Weight186 g (6.56 oz)168 g (5.93 oz)
Build materialsGlass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, plastic backGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
Form factor—Touchscreen smartphone

Display

Display specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Display6.3 inches, 94.7 cm2 (~83.5% screen-to-body ratio); P-OLED, HDR, 120Hz, 1800 nits (HBM), 2700 nits (peak)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak); 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Screen resolution1080 x 2424 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~422 ppi density)1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density)
Display protectionCorning Gorilla Glass 3Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Display featuresP-OLED, HDR, 120Hz, 1800 nits (HBM), 2700 nits (peak)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
Display technology—Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
Display size—6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Refresh rate—120Hz

Performance

Performance specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
ProcessorGoogle Tensor G4 (4 nm)Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
CPUOcta-core (1x3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x2.6 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A520)Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
GPUMali-G715 MP7Adreno 740

Memory & Storage

Memory & Storage specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
RAM8GB8GB
Storage128GB / 256GB256GB
Storage technologyUFS 3.1UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0
Expandable storageNoNo
Memory configurations128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM—

Cameras

Cameras specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Rear camera48 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm50 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 camera13 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Rear camera featuresDual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Ultra HDR, panorama, Best TakeLED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Rear camera video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS, OIS8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Front camera featuresHDR, panoramaHDR, HDR10+
Front camera video4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps

Battery & Charging

Battery & Charging specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
BatteryLi-Po 5100 mAhLi-Ion 3900 mAh
Charging23W wired, PD3.0 7.5W wireless Bypass charging25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless

Software

Software specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Operating systemAndroid 15, upgradable to Android 16, up to 7 major OS updatesAndroid 13, up to 4 major OS updates, One UI 8.5

Network

Network specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
NetworkGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
SIMNano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 66, 75 - International; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 41, 48, 66, 71 - USA1, 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, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 41, 48, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - USA1, 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, 5GHSPA, LTE (CA), 5G

Connectivity

Connectivity specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
NFCYesYes
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE5.3, A2DP, LE
Wi-FiWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual/tri-band (market/region dependent)Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEOGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.2USB Type-C 3.2, OTG

Durability

Durability specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Water resistanceIP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min)—

Features

Features specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
ColorsObsidian, Porcelain, Iris, Peony—
Desktop mode—Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support)

Audio

Audio specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
LoudspeakersYes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
3.5 mm headphone jackNoNo
Audio features—High-bitrate audio support

Regulatory

Regulatory specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
SAR (EU)0.99 W/kg (head)     1.39 W/kg (body)—

Tests

Tests specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Performance benchmarksAnTuTu: 1254417 (v10) GeekBench: 4527 (v6) 3DMark: 2630 (Wild Life Extreme)—
Measured display brightness1930 nits max brightness (measured)—
Measured loudspeaker loudness-27.2 LUFS (Good)—
Active use battery scoreActive use score 12:42h—

EU label

EU label specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
EnergyClass B—
Battery52:19h endurance, 1000 cycles—
Free fallClass A (270 falls)—
RepairabilityClass B—

Refurbished unit information

Refurbished unit information specifications comparison
SpecificationGoogle Pixel 9aSamsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished
Condition—Refurbished / EX-UK

Similarities

  • Both have 8 GB RAM.
  • Both have 120 Hz displays.
  • Both have optical image stabilisation.
  • Both support Wi-Fi 6E.
  • Both use Bluetooth 5.3.
  • Both have NFC.

In summary

Get the Google Pixel 9a if you want a bigger battery and newer Android 15, or the Samsung Galaxy S23 Refurbished if you would rather have optical zoom and 8K video recording.

Back to compared products ↑

In-stock alternatives

Google Pixel 8For Google Pixel 9aGoogle Pixel 8View product ↗Nothing Phone 4aFor Google Pixel 9aNothing Phone 4aView product ↗Google Pixel 8aFor Samsung Galaxy S23 RefurbishedGoogle Pixel 8aView product ↗

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