Samsung galaxy S23 and S23 ultra

[Berries-A-Million]

So I got on that deal for the s23 ultra with Google fi for $600. Waiting for it to ship. 4 months later turn the line off. I’ll pop my SIM card in from TMobile as soon as I get it activated on Google fi and be golden.

Getting rid of the ultra and 14 pro max. Had to quit my job so consolidating to a cheaper way of paying a device off for a while.

 

[HouseLannister]

Ok, day one is done and I am happy to be back on Android. I got over 7 hrs SoT on the base s23 (6.1”) on day one with 39% remaining, which was hitting the system hard with a lot of app installs and tinkering to get it dialed in the way I like. I am very impressed. Really enjoying the new split-screen Android Auto, which is miles above CarPlay in usefulness and customization. And the labs split-screen two finger gesture on the phone makes split screen there so much easier that I will probably actually use it now. Bitwarden autofill in Firefox is just like being on a PC, with no more constant FaceID animations, so much faster to use. Phone Link works great too. Love Niagara launcher, which is just chef’s kiss! I can sign into my work email without leaving the app due to Okta having an interactive notification so I don’t have to swipe back to a prior app. I got BOTH face and fingerprint biometrics! And it fits comfortably in jeans without being too big. So much good stuff to say.

a couple things I could use a hand with:

1) Google Pay, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet and why?
2) what’s a good calendar app for dark mode? Using Tiny Calendar now, but open to suggestions.
3) any recommendations for a clipboard manager? Used to using Yoink on iOS
4) what do you like for Reddit app? Sync, Relay, Joey?

 

[keithop]

Bitwarden autofill in Firefox is just like being on a PC, with no more constant FaceID animations, so much faster to use. Phone Link works great too. Love Niagara launcher, which is just chef’s kiss!

a couple things I could use a hand with:

1) Google Pay, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet and why?
2) what’s a good calendar app for dark mode? Using Tiny Calendar now, but open to suggestions.
3) any recommendations for a clipboard manager? Used to using Yoink on iOS
4) what do you like for Reddit app? Sync, Relay, Joey?

Don't know the answers to any of your questions but will be reading other more knowledgeable replies with interest!

definitely going to try the niagra launcher!

In a way, this is both my hope and my frustration with android. There are so many bits that I need to change and so many opportunities TO change, but it's knowing which launcher, which notification apps, which good lock apps, which other apps will get me there.

I'm ALMOST satisfied with it..... but perhaps a different launcher/notification app would complete it for me....

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

1) Google Pay, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet and why?

Samsung Pay/Wallet has been more reliable for me. And ironically, it's more available at more checkout places in my experience. 99% of the time, anywhere that accept Apple Pay also accepts Samsung Pay. With Google, it's more like 75% of the time.

Google Pay has been less reliable for me. Having to tap multiple times, and sometimes switch cards. But I haven't used Google pay in over a year, so maybe it's better now, but I doubt it.

 

[aggie99]

but no you're misrepresenting my opinion @aggie99 who took the photo said that the IRL white balance was more as the IP14 saw and that the S23u had a more yellow tint. I wasn't there so I'm going with what the photographer said was IRL.



but you say "wrong" but in this case the person who was there seems to be saying that the IP14 was right and the S23u was wrong?

I mean I've no bias towards one or the other! I'm just enjoying the comparisons

Again I come to this from the world of film and then DSLRs. There's a nikon look, a canon look, a sony look.... much of which is around saturation. Sony most saturated, canon middle, nikon cooler.... but generally nowadays they get the white balance correct unless it's a particularly difficult scene in which case I go old school, hold up a neutral white card and set white balance based on that.

So you could be right that the iPhone WB is ALWAYS cooler and the S23u is ALWAYS warmer..... but in the photos we're talking about, unless I've misread (which is entirely possible!) Aggie99 is saying that the iphone got the WB right and the S23U wrong although more detail was present.

You are correct. The S23U was way warmer and made my granite and wood almost have a yellow hue whereas the P7P and iphone had the colors right. That said I think I prefer the S23U because more detail and if you look at the wall next to the gate it's kind of a mess on the iphone as well as the cabinet doors. That said if any of the three devices was my only phone I wouldn't be unhappy with the photo output of any of them in this scenario.

 

[swarlos]

It's been a few days since I've had my S23 Ultra, I've been getting more comfortable and settling it. It's overwhelming but I'm really liking a lot of it. Here's my homescreen. Default One UI launcher with the Delta icon pack and San Francisco Pro as the system font! Love this!

That looks dope! Where did you find the San Francisco font?

 

[torana355]

1. S23U night mode
2. iPhone 14 PM night mode
3. Pixel 7 Pro night sight
4. S23U without night mode for reference

Which looks better to y'all? I'm conflicted. I like the amount of light the S23U brings in but it adds a yellowish hue to the wood and granite that's not there.

View attachment 2160256 View attachment 2160257 View attachment 2160259 View attachment 2160260

IPhone looks best, I don't like the yellow cast on the s23u

 

[hockeyfan81]

After a week of owning the S23 Ultra, I'm definitely going to try and sell my Fold 4.

 

[drinkingtea]

I love my new S23U. The battery is crazy. I also love the flatter sides. I'll post pictures when I have time.

 

[sunking101]

After a week of owning the S23 Ultra, I'm definitely going to try and sell my Fold 4.

What do you prefer about the S23U?

 

[drinkingtea]

Also, I hope y'all like! I always like clean and minimal.

 

[hockeyfan81]

What do you prefer about the S23U?

Just like having a regular slab phone and I use my laptop for most of my media watching and web browsing. Plus, I don't usually need a bigger screen when I'm not at home and the S23 Ultra is suffice enough for that.

 

[lyunmac]

Ok, day one is done and I am happy to be back on Android. I got over 7 hrs SoT on the base s23 (6.1”) on day one with 39% remaining, which was hitting the system hard with a lot of app installs and tinkering to get it dialed in the way I like. I am very impressed. Really enjoying the new split-screen Android Auto, which is miles above CarPlay in usefulness and customization. And the labs split-screen two finger gesture on the phone makes split screen there so much easier that I will probably actually use it now. Bitwarden autofill in Firefox is just like being on a PC, with no more constant FaceID animations, so much faster to use. Phone Link works great too. Love Niagara launcher, which is just chef’s kiss! I can sign into my work email without leaving the app due to Okta having an interactive notification so I don’t have to swipe back to a prior app. I got BOTH face and fingerprint biometrics! And it fits comfortably in jeans without being too big. So much good stuff to say.

a couple things I could use a hand with:

1) Google Pay, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet and why?
2) what’s a good calendar app for dark mode? Using Tiny Calendar now, but open to suggestions.
3) any recommendations for a clipboard manager? Used to using Yoink on iOS
4) what do you like for Reddit app? Sync, Relay, Joey?

I use Samsung pay for transit and Google wallet for game tickets. I recommend trying Boost for reddit. I like it's dark amoled theme.

 

[5105973]

I used to use Samsung Pay a lot when I first started out on the S7 Edge. I loved it. It was easier to use than Apple Pay back then. But now I use Apple Pay more. I never used Google. I set it up but never tried it.

 

[drinkingtea]

I like that we're a weird family here who understands one another when it comes to our tech obsession and hobby. My friend said I was absolutely crazy for having a second phone when I told her about my S23U. I don't tell anyone else because I don't want to be judged.

I like that I don't have to explain myself here. I've been talking (and fighting) with some of y'all here for years. I'm still in law school, and I'll still be here when I am finally an attorney. Talking and fighting.

 

[Technerd108]

I like that we're a weird family here who understands one another when it comes to our tech obsession and hobby. My friend said I was absolutely crazy for having a second phone when I told her about my S23U. I don't tell anyone else because I don't want to be judged.

I like that I don't have to explain myself here. I've been talking (and fighting) with some of y'all here for years. I'm still in law school, and I'll still be here when I am finally an attorney. Talking and fighting.

I can't speak for anyone else but I know I am a bit neurotic. That being said, being "normal" is boring and if we're crazy for having two phones I am sure it could be worse. Lol

Besides a law student certainly needs a phone with a stylus! Good luck with your studies! When you start charging attorneys fees you will be able to afford 3 phones 😉.

With some of the threads on here I bet the discussions are good practice for being a lawyer and winning a debate. Lol

 

[aggie99]

I like that we're a weird family here who understands one another when it comes to our tech obsession and hobby. My friend said I was absolutely crazy for having a second phone when I told her about my S23U. I don't tell anyone else because I don't want to be judged.

I like that I don't have to explain myself here. I've been talking (and fighting) with some of y'all here for years. I'm still in law school, and I'll still be here when I am finally an attorney. Talking and fighting.

Good to know we have an attorney amongst us. I may need a divorce attorney soon if I don't slow down on my tech buying habits. 😂

 

[5105973]

I made it to Best Buy. The S23 Ultra on display had a display identical to mine. So it’s not a bad production run. That’s just the way they are now. If you’re not sensitive to it you’re probably looking at your gorgeous displays and wondering what the heck I’m blathering about.

To my absolute surprise, the S23+ display was very different! There was a much more moderate off axis color shift and it just looked so much more uniform and crisp and clear from top to bottom and side to side.

This particular phone was lavender and so beautiful. I fell in love. Sigh. But what’s the point? It’s very similar in features to my 14 Pro Max. Oh but that camera! It took gorgeous photos with the lenses it had.

I’m still not sure I wouldn’t suffer from pwm eye strain. I can’t buy a phone just because it’s beautiful. I already have too many stunning phones I can’t or don’t use. Purple 12 mini, Pixel 6 Pro, HTC 10.

(HTC 10 got used plenty…it’s just retired).

 

[aggie99]

I made it to Best Buy. The S23 Ultra on display had a display identical to mine. So it’s not a bad production run. That’s just the way they are now. If you’re not sensitive to it you’re probably looking at your gorgeous displays and wondering what the heck I’m blathering about.

To my absolute surprise, the S23+ display was very different! There was a much more moderate off axis color shift and it just looked so much more uniform and crisp and clear from top to bottom and side to side.

This particular phone was lavender and so beautiful. I fell in love. Sigh. But what’s the point? It’s very similar in features to my 14 Pro Max. Oh but that camera! It took gorgeous photos with the lenses it had.

I’m still not sure I wouldn’t suffer from pwm eye strain. I can’t buy a phone just because it’s beautiful. I already have too many stunning phones I can’t or don’t use. Purple 12 mini, Pixel 6 Pro, HTC 10.

(HTC 10 got used plenty…it’s just retired).

Can you like drink whiskey all the time to balance things out? Maybe the blurred vision could offset the PWM? Worth a try. 🤷‍♂️

Hate you are having problems with it. While the camera isn't quite what they have hyped it up to be in my opinion (I'm spoiled by the pixel) they've evolved the last couple years from the S21U to the S23U and really nearly perfected the device.

 

[5105973]

I like that we're a weird family here who understands one another when it comes to our tech obsession and hobby. My friend said I was absolutely crazy for having a second phone when I told her about my S23U. I don't tell anyone else because I don't want to be judged.

I like that I don't have to explain myself here. I've been talking (and fighting) with some of y'all here for years. I'm still in law school, and I'll still be here when I am finally an attorney. Talking and fighting.

People’s reactions can be really strong. I can only imagine what you’ve been through to make you cautious. You have my sympathy and empathy on the matter.

I’m going to have to borrow a British term because it’s the only one that really fits how I feel about one incident: gobsmacked.

I think I told this story before. I may have not gone into detail to soften how egregious it really was, but this time I’ll elaborate on the circumstances. And they were awful. I’d just completed an all night emergency road trip to the hospital to sit vigil on a dying family member.

At one point I was in the corridor waiting my turn to be let into the room.

I had a Samsung and an iPhone with me. My sister-in-law (brother-in-law’s wife) saw me holding them both for a second while I rummaged around in my handbag for something. She put her hand out and said “Give me one.” I clarified that she meant she wanted me to actually give one over to keep, not that she forgot her phone and needed to make a call. Gobsmacked feeling ensued.

She explained that her phone was old and she needed a newer one and I have two and nobody should have two phones so she repeated her demand to hand one over.

🤯🤬😡🤣😂

 

[5105973]

Deleted accidental quote.

 

[keithop]

She explained that her phone was old and she needed a newer one and I have two and nobody should have two phones so she repeated her demand to hand one over.

🤯🤬😡🤣😂

OMG!!!!!

 

[keithop]

Can you like drink whiskey all the time to balance things out? Maybe the blurred vision could offset the PWM? Worth a try. 🤷‍♂️

this may indeed be why I'm not seeing the PWM LOL

Hate you are having problems with it. While the camera isn't quite what they have hyped it up to be in my opinion (I'm spoiled by the pixel) they've evolved the last couple years from the S21U to the S23U and really nearly perfected the device.

yeah the pixel is amazing.... even though the tech specs don't seem incredible, the AI takes it to another level. Some of my pixel test shots are just incredible, look like theyve been taken with my much more expensive dslr.

BUT I have to give credit to samsung like you say, for them to improve video so much from the s22, + astrophotography, + 200MB, + expert raw and all the other stuff that's in there

 

[torana355]

I made it to Best Buy. The S23 Ultra on display had a display identical to mine. So it’s not a bad production run. That’s just the way they are now. If you’re not sensitive to it you’re probably looking at your gorgeous displays and wondering what the heck I’m blathering about.

To my absolute surprise, the S23+ display was very different! There was a much more moderate off axis color shift and it just looked so much more uniform and crisp and clear from top to bottom and side to side.

This particular phone was lavender and so beautiful. I fell in love. Sigh. But what’s the point? It’s very similar in features to my 14 Pro Max. Oh but that camera! It took gorgeous photos with the lenses it had.

I’m still not sure I wouldn’t suffer from pwm eye strain. I can’t buy a phone just because it’s beautiful. I already have too many stunning phones I can’t or don’t use. Purple 12 mini, Pixel 6 Pro, HTC 10.

(HTC 10 got used plenty…it’s just retired).

That's a real bummer that you are restricted to which phone you can buy due to the screen giving you headaches, that being said I think it's a good thing at least for your bank account , the S22U is a fantastic phone and will easily last for years to come.

 

[aggie99]

this may indeed be why I'm not seeing the PWM LOL



yeah the pixel is amazing.... even though the tech specs don't seem incredible, the AI takes it to another level. Some of my pixel test shots are just incredible, look like theyve been taken with my much more expensive dslr.

BUT I have to give credit to samsung like you say, for them to improve video so much from the s22, + astrophotography, + 200MB, + expert raw and all the other stuff that's in there

Yeah the camera is definitely great I just don't see it as a huge step up from the S22U. If you tinker with all the settings I don't doubt you can get better pics from it than any other camera. Just as an auto point and shoot guy with kids and dogs and not a professional photographer the pixel works best for me in most situations but there are times the insane zoom capabilities come in handy. It's definitely the most versatile camera on any device and a keeper to me for sure.