Huawei nova 16 SE vs Samsung Galaxy S23
28.9Performance50.8
78.4Display53.3
34.1Camera47.3
77Battery47.9
60Features78.7
7 spec wins — Huawei nova 16 SE5 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S23
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: Huawei nova 16 SE scores 52.6 against 52.8 for Samsung Galaxy S23. Pick by the categories that matter to you — Samsung Galaxy S23 edges ahead in performance and features, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Huawei nova 16 SE
- Stronger display score: 78 vs 53
- Stronger battery score: 77 vs 48
- 357% higher Peak brightness: 8,000 nits vs 1,750 nits
- 167% higher Front camera: 32 MP vs 12 MP
- 164% higher Wired charging: 66 W vs 25 W
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S23
- Stronger performance score: 51 vs 29
- Stronger camera score: 47 vs 34
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 60
- 27% lower weight: 168 g vs 229 g
- Has OIS — the other doesn't
Display
| Spec | Huawei nova 16 SE | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.84 ″+12% | 6.1 ″ |
| Panel type | OLED | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 1272x2756 | 1080x2340 |
| Pixel density | 444 ppi+4% | 425 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 8,000 nits+357% | 1,750 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 90.2 %+4% | 87.1 % |
Performance
| Spec | Huawei nova 16 SE | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Kirin 8020 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
| AnTuTu | — | 1,658,175Bottom 35% |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | — | 552,625Bottom 39% |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | — | 410,856Bottom 32% |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | — | 273,971Bottom 39% |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | — | 420,723Bottom 41% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | — | 1,950Top 44% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | — | 5,100Top 45% |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 128GB/256GB/512GB | 128/256/512GB |
| Storage type | — | UFS 4.0 |
Camera
| Spec | Huawei nova 16 SE | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.9 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | — | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | — | 10 MP |
| Optical zoom | — | 3 x |
| Max video | 4K | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 32 MP+167% | 12 MP |
| OIS | No | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Huawei nova 16 SE | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 8,500 mAh+118% | 3,900 mAh |
| Wired charging | 66 W+164% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | — | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | — | 11 h |
Design
| Spec | Huawei nova 16 SE | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 229 g | 168 g+27% |
| Thickness | 8 mm | 7.6 mm+5% |
| IP rating | IP65 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Plastic | Armor Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Huawei nova 16 SE | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.3 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | No | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Huawei nova 16 SE | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | HarmonyOS 6.1 | Android 13 (One UI 5.1) |
| OS update pledge | — | 4 years |
Audio
| Spec | Huawei nova 16 SE | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |