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Samsung galaxy S23 and S23 ultra
- Thread starter The Game 161
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Received an email from Samsung uk this evening saying my 512 GB delivery is being moved forward and will be delivered from tomorrow. No DPD email yet so doubt it will be that quick and tbh I’m in the office for the next 2 days so can’t take delivery but really hoping it’ll be here by Friday!
Mine is showing as delivered here in NZ, along with accessories. 👍
Just got my DPD notification through. No option to leave with neighbour so have changed delivery to Friday when I’ll be at home during the day. Not long to go now!
The thing is you will regret it at first. It is kind of a psychological thing. You grow attached to the iPhone and how it feels and how it is made. The build quality is better. The stainless steel feels more expensive. The ecosystem is better and the software is more polished.
However it is not all perfect either. While the software is more polished it is limited and constrained on purpose. Features and hardware advances are purposely withheld in everything but the most expensive options. And there are some design choices in the hardware and software that just make you go why?
This is why a lot of people use both. Because they can have the best of both worlds.
But you can go all in Android. It will be fun. You will regret your decision at first and feel the Samsung is too light and cheap. The iMessage and airdrop and Facetime limitations will pop up and you will think it is more trouble than it is worth.
But if you give it enough time you will find a solution to almost every limitation. You will enjoy the extra customization in Samsung devices. Samsung generally has very stable software so that will be nice. You will have more features on your phone. Better hardware in some areas.
The thing is that in terms of features and apps iOS and Android have pretty much reached parity. There really isn't anything you can't do with one you can't do on the other. Updates are still better on iOS in terms of longevity but very few people keep phones more than 5 years IMHO and those that do don't care about speed or latest features and even when a Samsung device reaches EOL support it will still work for at least a couple more years with minimal issues. And besides security updates and cell bands and Android deprecating you can still use the phone just not all of the features.
And what some people say feels cheap I find to be a better design choice in terms of usability. Sure stainless steel looks nice and feels nice but it is heavy and aluminum may not feel as "Premium" but if I am holding a large phone for a long time weight matter's. After owning a couple Pro Max Phones for a few years it was shocking to me how much lighter my Samsung s22 plus was and to me that was a good thing.
But ultimately you are the only one to know what works best for you. What made me finally take the plunge was the feeling of regret or fear of losing compatibility with others. This is forced by Apple. They could make it easier for Android users to get data off an iPhone, make iMessage cross platform, Facetime and so on but they purposely make it as painful as possible for people to switch. To me that says something about Apple. It is also anti consumer and anti choice. If you make the best product in the world then back it up by making choice easy for people. If your product is better then you don't need to lock your customers in. They will naturally keep using your products. I almost feel like I am being bullied into staying with Apple and I really don't like that. That feeling is what pushed me over the edge. I don't like making choices based on fear of losing. I have done it way too much in my life. I want to make choices based on what I am going to get and excitement of using it. iOS while adding more android features has felt less exciting to me and more buggy. So in the end I made my choice and I don't regret it. Apple will always be there if I want to go back.
Sometimes you just need to switch things up for a while if for no other reason to see what you were missing when it was gone so you appreciate it more.
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Great perspective and I appreciate you taking the time to type these thoughts out. It makes a ton of sense and yeah, it does really make my blood boil on how anti choice Apple is.
The next few weeks should be a fun ride! Thankfully a quick 4 day stop in Cancun will help ease any tension, haha!
PS. That’s also great to hear about the app support. That was my biggest gripe a few years ago. If they’ve closed that gap, that’s huge!
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Just picked up my S23 U from the post office, first thing i noticed is there is no free silicone case in the box, just a tiny usb c cable wtf! Charging it up now and will set it up later tonight. The Dark green Colour is very nice, understated but looks good. The Cameras are so big compared to my Note 10 +
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Well Samsung tries to emulate the Apple ecosystem as best it can. I guess they feel it is better for people to have an option than not have the feature at all. It also is a business opportunity for them. But you can use Google apps instead. To me the Samsung apps are the bane of my existence and at the same time can be useful. I hate having to have duplicate apps that can't be disabled or uninstalled. But if you get an Android phone by Samsung this is part of the deal.
You can also use something called adb bridge and remove any app you want from your phone when hooked up to a PC. So you have the option of removing the bloatware. There are guides on how to do this on XDA forums. You can search up debloat Samsung s22 ultra or whatever model you are going to get. Until the s23 is released I don't think you will find forums on s23 yet but the guide should work the same.
I used to complain about the amount of storage the OS takes on Samsung and I still do but at least with the plus and Ultra they start at 256gb.
In terms of ecosystem I pretty much use Google apps as much as I can because of cross platform compatibility.
The thing that is nice is if you have a Windows PC and/or a Samsung tablet. The integration between them is very close to Apple.
There is another point to ponder. Who gets your data? If you use Samsung apps then Samsung gets your data to a degree and if you use Google then Google does. For me I trust Google in terms of security more than I do with Samsung. Although I have less privacy with Google they have a pretty rock solid approach to security.
Beyond that the Google apps work just as well as Samsung and I have Google one cloud so I would rather use that.
My suggestion is to try both and see what you like best. As long as you have any Samsung phone you will have access to the data and I am sure there are ways of getting it from a browser.
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excellent summary thanks!
I do like the idea of google because even if I mess with my iphone I'll still have access + easy to get on windows too.
I always use the Samsung browser its amazing, however i use Google photos as i store all my photos on my google drive so i don't need a large capacity phone. I use Samsung notes as it intergrates with the S Pen.
interesting indeed! what do you think is better about the samsung browser v say google chrome?
I find it is better optimised for the phone compared to chrome. It loads pages faster and has smoother scrolling in my opinion.
It’s been fluctuating between most of the colors all day today. I’ve been checking LOL. But the delivery dates are like Mar 8-16 so I didn’t go through with the order. Ugh.
Yes that is the estimate. And it may hold out to be true but something tells me that the phones will arrive sooner.
Both Samsung and Google Fi has a financial incentive to get you the phone as quickly as possible.
The advantage to ordering through Google Fi is they don't require a trade in so you can sell your phone or trade in on top of getting the discount. Most other carriers are giving $800 to $1000 credit with a trade in plus a 2-3 year pay off with monthly credits and a locked phone. While Fi is asking only for four months of active service and it is unlocked. There are no sign up or activation fees that I saw either.
So you pay $650 with tax and can trade or sell your phone and use the service for four months and you are done. No 36 months, No 24 months. You get the 512gb model with 12gb ram for $599. What other phone with those specs can you get for such a price?
I figured worse comes to worse it is worth a few extra weeks.
Also if you cancel the order before shipping the funds go back pretty quickly into your account 😉
Does anyone here use Duck Duck Go browser? That’s what I use on iOS and Android. It kills a lot of tracking and ads.
I used to use Samsung browser but then the ad blocker I had for it was discontinued or not updated or something, sorry I don’t remember, so I just went with DDG. Sometimes it does block too much and I can’t see some content like on Amazon so I switch to Safari or Chrome. I don’t usually use Chrome though.
Before I got Duck Duck Go my iPhone in particular would overheat badly on some sites including this one.
I used to use Samsung browser but then the ad blocker I had for it was discontinued or not updated or something, sorry I don’t remember, so I just went with DDG. Sometimes it does block too much and I can’t see some content like on Amazon so I switch to Safari or Chrome. I don’t usually use Chrome though.
Before I got Duck Duck Go my iPhone in particular would overheat badly on some sites including this one.
There are many things with the collaboration between Samsung and MS that the Apple ECO fails to better or deliver given recent changes in Apple silicon should have been accomplished
Samsung DEX on it's own is an accomplishment that Apple Eco can't compete with
The secure work profiles keeps things separated from personal and the safe secure area allows extra security and further segregation of dual apps and banking from dailies etc
Bloat is very subjective and on my Iphone 14 Pro I have a folder called Apple bloat with 32 apps that come bundled that I have mostly 0 use for
On the odd occasion I go out with just my Iphone I get that funny feeling that I have left something behind and for all its sophisticated apparent simplicity of use I just do not feel empowered to tackle my mobile needs whatever may occur compared to my Fold 4
Perhaps the average use does not need or appreciate the level of sophistication and options available on Samsung flagships but its there waiting for all when push comes to shove and when the Apple Eco prohibits something.
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Finally got my Ultra all setup. Great phone but it really confirmed what ive been thinking the past few years, my Note 10+ really did everything this New ultra can do, sure the Ultra has a better Camera, and 120hz refresh rate but outside of that its not really a huge difference imo.
So, sold my Note 20 Ultra locally for $450. Paid $650 ( tax included ) for the S23 Ultra + 4 months of Fi service (~$150 w/taxes ) Net cost for the upgrade ( as it appears right now ) ~$350ish.. Not bad at all!
I use DDG on my Android for its whole system app tracking blocker. As for actual internet browsing, I use Brave with its built in ad blocker. On my iPhone, I use Safari with ad-guard extension. I avoid Chrome like a plaque. I even disable it on my Android. So far I never have any of my phones overheating due to internet browsing.
The thing I don't like the most, Android phones seem to devalue less than iPhones. The only reason I can get £620 for my S22 Ultra is because Samsung are offering that as a trade in deal.
I agree to a point with a lot of what people have been saying about using 2 phones, can it be an issue, most definitely. It will depend on how you use your devices tho, I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max and Apple Watch Ultra which I use for fitness (running and training for marathons) I just find the Apple Watch a lot better for fitness. Over the past week I have also been using my Apple Watch Ultra to track my sleep, it's just another handy feature.
The S22 Ultra is a great phone, I call it the fun do all phone 😂 it's much more open than my iPhone, I can customise the hell out of it and I think it takes better photos (especially zooming). The biggest issue for me is battery life, while it is a lot better than the Note 20, it doesn't last as long as my iPhone 14 Pro Max which seems to chug through a whole day and still have around 20% left by the time I go to bed.
All in all I would say that BOTH systems have their merit, oh I forgot to say that the Samsung Watch 4 classic is also in my collection. I wear the Watch 4 Classic as more of a going out watch, dress up type of Watch, I've even managed to fool people into thinking that it's a normal watch and not a smart watch 🤣
Anyone who is peeking over the fence, I say go for it, buy the S23 Ultra, test it in your daily life. If it doesn't suit you or you don't like it, return it. Samsung are really good at returns.
I agree to a point with a lot of what people have been saying about using 2 phones, can it be an issue, most definitely. It will depend on how you use your devices tho, I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max and Apple Watch Ultra which I use for fitness (running and training for marathons) I just find the Apple Watch a lot better for fitness. Over the past week I have also been using my Apple Watch Ultra to track my sleep, it's just another handy feature.
The S22 Ultra is a great phone, I call it the fun do all phone 😂 it's much more open than my iPhone, I can customise the hell out of it and I think it takes better photos (especially zooming). The biggest issue for me is battery life, while it is a lot better than the Note 20, it doesn't last as long as my iPhone 14 Pro Max which seems to chug through a whole day and still have around 20% left by the time I go to bed.
All in all I would say that BOTH systems have their merit, oh I forgot to say that the Samsung Watch 4 classic is also in my collection. I wear the Watch 4 Classic as more of a going out watch, dress up type of Watch, I've even managed to fool people into thinking that it's a normal watch and not a smart watch 🤣
Anyone who is peeking over the fence, I say go for it, buy the S23 Ultra, test it in your daily life. If it doesn't suit you or you don't like it, return it. Samsung are really good at returns.
Guys, unbelievable!!!!!!!!
1. 600 nits of LG P-OLED is much much brighter than S23 Ultra 1750 nits, outdoors are equal.
2. LG V60 UFS 2.1 storage has the same speed as S23 Ultra UFS 4.0 storage. Tested with genuine USBC cable, my laptop has USBC 3.2 - 10 Gbps speed, win 11 PRO, all drivers installed.
3. Selfie, Ultra-Wide and main cameras are better on V60 in photos and in videos, stabilization a little better on S23 U
4. HDR10+ on LG FHD display and on cameras is much better and pleasing to the eyes compared to QHD S23. BTW V60 is the first phone that can do 4k 60 fps HDR10+ on all lenses, selfie included.
5. Battery better in v60, but thats 60Hz only.
6. One UI 5.1 also inferior compared to LG UI.
7. Sound and also in speakers is much much better on LG
Im very sad atm, but going to keep them both. If you live in the US, get yourself an v60. youll be amazed. 3 years old device ... 😔
1. 600 nits of LG P-OLED is much much brighter than S23 Ultra 1750 nits, outdoors are equal.
2. LG V60 UFS 2.1 storage has the same speed as S23 Ultra UFS 4.0 storage. Tested with genuine USBC cable, my laptop has USBC 3.2 - 10 Gbps speed, win 11 PRO, all drivers installed.
3. Selfie, Ultra-Wide and main cameras are better on V60 in photos and in videos, stabilization a little better on S23 U
4. HDR10+ on LG FHD display and on cameras is much better and pleasing to the eyes compared to QHD S23. BTW V60 is the first phone that can do 4k 60 fps HDR10+ on all lenses, selfie included.
5. Battery better in v60, but thats 60Hz only.
6. One UI 5.1 also inferior compared to LG UI.
7. Sound and also in speakers is much much better on LG
Im very sad atm, but going to keep them both. If you live in the US, get yourself an v60. youll be amazed. 3 years old device ... 😔
Right now i can get fold4 1tb+watch5 44mm+buds2 pro for 1850 usd… hard to resist, just for info, that is approx price of ip 14 pro 512gb alone (not max one, regular one) here in Czechia😂
Mine has arrived! Samsung and DPD. Have done me proud!