Samsung galaxy S23 and S23 ultra

[5105973]

It is always complicated when something goes wrong on an expensive device. Add in that it was a pre order and that complicates things even further.

It is too bad Samsung is letting you just do an exchange for the phone. Seems like they are trying to disincentive you from making a return. Kind of a crap thing for them to do.

Your posts are great and we all have lives and can't be on MacRumors all the time.

Your mental and physical health come first.

Whatever happens I hope you find the best solution for you even if it is just a straight return and you keep your s22 ultra. I am sure during the summer they will have a sale and might offer the free bump in storage or something like that and discount the device. So at this point that might be your best bet. Who knows, they might even give you a better trade in value at that time too.

I like your posts and understand that you and a lot of us have a lot going on outside of this forum. Hope the assisted living situation and feral cat situation have positive outcomes and you have a great day!

Thanks! I caught the kitty and all is well. She got her insulin on schedule. I’m supposed to test her blood for her glucose levels but we are both at our limit right now. She’s feral trying to adjust living indoors and it’s hard. She had enough and went out into a rain storm to reconsider our friendship. I brought pieces of a very expensive steak filet so I am conditionally tolerated…for now.

I’m going to go tend to other matters next.

So as luck would have it the $100 gift card offer on Amazon is not there today. I missed it.

Oh well I’ll figure it all out when I can actually sit down and apply serious thought to everything.

 

[aggie99]

Those who have the S23 Ultra, how often do you use the s-pen?

I mostly use it to sign pdfs or mark up/highlight items on construction drawings on my projects. I think they can also be useful in creating gifs and editing photos but I don't really do much of that. I've rarely used the remote actions like swiping to change songs or click to take a picture although I can see how the last one can come in handy. My main use is just work related tasks which it really comes in handy for whether on my S23U or my Fold.

 

[Dave245]

Those who have the S23 Ultra, how often do you use the s-pen?

Daily, I use it to sign stuff and to draw using the Pen Up app. The S Pen is one of the reasons I own a S23 Ultra, I would love it if Apple didn't something similar with the iPhone (maybe the Pro Max version with the bigger screen)

 

[5105973]

Those who have the S23 Ultra, how often do you use the s-pen?

Well lol I have the S22 Ultra. I use it several times a week. It’s useful for jotting down notes of things my mom asks me for when I visit her. And to sign docs from school like permission slips.

 

[keithop]

Those who have the S23 Ultra, how often do you use the s-pen?

this is gonna sound stupid ;-) but I keep putting sparkly show off text on photos and sending it to people with iphones so they can ask "how did you do that!!!??" LOL

but more than that, I use it to edit photos, choose highlights, sign docs and send them back and take notes

 

[Klyster]

The s-pen camera trigger is undervalued, I noticed in photo demos on youtube, people using the timer to take photos to avoid shake, just use the s-pen ffs..

 

[DaveOZ]

Those who have the S23 Ultra, how often do you use the s-pen?

I love the S pen and it’s what’s attracted me to Note phones since they launched. Now I switch between Fold 4 and iPhone/iPad. I’m an architect and I use the pen for sketches and marking up pdf drawings. Obv the bigger the screen the better but there is a clear advantage in having a notepad with you always.

BTW I mainly use a vector drawing application called Concepts - it’s excellent for my needs. My favourite sketching device is the Tab S8 Ultra. Also Samsung Notes is an excellent app for general sketches and notes. I love the fountain pen nib.

 

[jamezr]

The Galaxy S23 Ultra just overtook iPhone 14 Pro Max as our best phone

The Galaxy S23 Ultra just overtook iPhone 14 Pro Max as our best phone

Here's 5 reasons why Samsung beats Apple

www.tomsguide.com

 

[mjschabow]

Curious, do you all still prefer Google Pay or is Samsung Pay better?

 

[jamezr]

Curious, do you all still prefer Google Pay or is Samsung Pay better?

I prefer GPay myself

 

[hockeyfan81]

Curious, do you all still prefer Google Pay or is Samsung Pay better?

Since my bank doesn't support Samsung Pay, I have to use Google Pay. Both do the same nowadays anyways.

 

[5105973]

The Galaxy S23 Ultra just overtook iPhone 14 Pro Max as our best phone

The Galaxy S23 Ultra just overtook iPhone 14 Pro Max as our best phone

Here's 5 reasons why Samsung beats Apple

www.tomsguide.com

Well done!

For people who don’t need iMessages to keep their friends and family from complaining, I really can’t see why 14 Pro Max would be preferable at this point. For a phone with the same length and width and lesser weight you get a more versatile camera and an S Pen that somehow manages to be completely unobtrusive. If you don’t want to use it you never need think about it being there.


My weird neurological issues aside, if I could break away from iMessages, I would at this point have put my main sim in the S23 Ultra (again, neurological issues aside) because the S23 Ultra functioned just fine inside one of our favorite restaurants and the iPhones were entirely out of commission unless we would agree to invasive marketing to use the provided Wi-Fi.

I’ve always had better functioning as an actual phone with Android than with iPhones. I don’t understand it. Is Apple bad at designing antennas?

Also, Samsung did a fantastic job upgrading the external speakers. I thought they matched or surpassed my 14 Pro Max speakers. Sadly my S22 Ultra speakers don’t sound quite as good. Another reason I was looking forward to the upgrade.

I do think the 14 Pro Max makes a more formidable self defense weapon. I saw a video of a woman successfully bludgeoning her attacker with her phone which was probably an iPhone. I do like having it handy for that.

But aside from that weird use case scenario, with the S23 Ultra also now getting much better battery life, I can see it winning against the 14 Pro Max.

 

[SteveJUAE]

The Galaxy S23 Ultra just overtook iPhone 14 Pro Max as our best phone

The Galaxy S23 Ultra just overtook iPhone 14 Pro Max as our best phone

Here's 5 reasons why Samsung beats Apple

www.tomsguide.com

Glad to see they noted my own recent observations on IP14P turning what would be a warm low light atmosphere in to a jewelry shop window display cool light LOL

Given we now mainly use our flash to get shots behind the kitchen sink leaks many shots are taken in low light situations and getting the colour temperature right in these conditions can be important

It seems Apple algorithms are triggered by selecting a higher ISO with a lower aperture and shutter speed to get so called better depth of field but it ends up as over sharpening and turning more cool IMO

 

[SteveJUAE]

My weird neurological issues aside, if I could break away from iMessages, I would at this point have put my main sim in the S23 Ultra (again, neurological issues aside) because the S23 Ultra functioned just fine inside one of our favorite restaurants and the iPhones were entirely out of commission unless we would agree to invasive marketing to use the provided Wi-Fi.

Just a thought if you have not tried (Now on your Hubbies phone) but perhaps by using a selection on bixby routines you can force the display to not be adaptive with a set intensity etc etc. It maybe the case bixby setting act difrently to normal menu selections.

I am hoping its a select frequency mixed with intensity that may trigger your issues and you can pick an optimal setting to avoid the ones that trigger you along with the normal colour shift adjustments

 

[Mark316]

iMessage must be really big in the US cause even here in Canada not once has anyone ever complained about my messages coming through as a green bubble lol

My white S23+ has been awesome and I'm loving the size of it. I'm sure when it's time to upgrade again I'll be more interested in the Ultra now that I'm warming up to bigger phones lol. The phone looks great too compared to my Pixel 2 this thing is like a piece of jewellery haha

 

[5105973]

iMessage must be really big in the US cause even here in Canada not once has anyone ever complained about my messages coming through as a green bubble lol

My white S23+ has been awesome and I'm loving the size of it. I'm sure when it's time to upgrade again I'll be more interested in the Ultra now that I'm warming up to bigger phones lol. The phone looks great too compared to my Pixel 2 this thing is like a piece of jewellery haha

Discord seems to be what the teenagers around me are using. But with their parents and when the kids text me, we use iMessages especially because photo and video sharing seems easier.

 

[mjschabow]

Very pleased with night pictures on this phone. Snapped this on my back porch in the middle of a snowstorm tonight!

 

[5105973]

I'm fine on my husband's phone as-is, at least as far as I could tell from borrowing it for short periods of time. I wasn't fine at all on the one I'm shipping back tomorrow.

For me, apparently it's a matter of playing the screen lottery. I've been looking up people's comments online and a few here and there got wonky displays like mine. I'm too discouraged to try right now. I want to at least get this failure back to Samsung.

 

[torana355]

Very pleased with night pictures on this phone. Snapped this on my back porch in the middle of a snowstorm tonight!


View attachment 2163103

Thats an awesome photo!!!

 

[The Game 161]

Well done!

For people who don’t need iMessages to keep their friends and family from complaining, I really can’t see why 14 Pro Max would be preferable at this point. For a phone with the same length and width and lesser weight you get a more versatile camera and an S Pen that somehow manages to be completely unobtrusive. If you don’t want to use it you never need think about it being there.


My weird neurological issues aside, if I could break away from iMessages, I would at this point have put my main sim in the S23 Ultra (again, neurological issues aside) because the S23 Ultra functioned just fine inside one of our favorite restaurants and the iPhones were entirely out of commission unless we would agree to invasive marketing to use the provided Wi-Fi.

I’ve always had better functioning as an actual phone with Android than with iPhones. I don’t understand it. Is Apple bad at designing antennas?

Also, Samsung did a fantastic job upgrading the external speakers. I thought they matched or surpassed my 14 Pro Max speakers. Sadly my S22 Ultra speakers don’t sound quite as good. Another reason I was looking forward to the upgrade.

I do think the 14 Pro Max makes a more formidable self defense weapon. I saw a video of a woman successfully bludgeoning her attacker with her phone which was probably an iPhone. I do like having it handy for that.

But aside from that weird use case scenario, with the S23 Ultra also now getting much better battery life, I can see it winning against the 14 Pro Max.

All comes down to to software you prefer really.
Samsung certainly knocked it out of the park with the S23 ultra this year. That said I think the iphone will still be the preferred option for many who are on IOS. No doubt you will see plenty of switching posts from youtubers only to go back to the iphone. A lot of the reasonings is video but from my testing video is very close this year. Performance and battery life is a massive improvement though which is why it’s getting the praise.

Camera wise I think the ultra does need some tuning and updates as it tends to get many anyway. It’s still ahead of the iphone’s camera though certainly for landscape shots.

Ultra's strength is it really is an unlimited phone in what it can do. All samsung needed to do was fix the performance and battery life issues.

It's going to be hard for any phone to match this for 2023.

 

[daveathall]

I have had my S23 Ultra for nearly a week now, I must admit, I haven't missed my iPhone at all and will be selling it shortly, I really can't afford to keep 2 phones. I will also sell my Apple Watches and get a Garmin Epix 2. I know there are those that say "you'll be back" but, I won't, I have had many Samsung, Pixel and Nexus phones so am comfortable with the system, albeit, it takes awhile after being with Apple for a couple of years. I honestly believe this to be the best phone I have owned.

In the future I may revert back to iOS but that is for the future, my next phone? Z Fold 5 or 6, I find it exciting for it to fold flat and with no crease, we shall see. My Mac Book Air and iPads? I will keep, I still think they are the best around and I don't find much difficulty mixing both eco systems, it's easier than some make out or others imagine. iMessages? Never bothered me, or anyone I know, most people I converse with use WhatsApp anyway, most of my family are iPhone users but for the family group we have always used WhatsApp.

 

[Dave245]

So far I'm impressed with my S23 Ultra, I can already tell that battery life is better. I'm very impressed with the camera, taking a 200mp photo of our dog at home, when zooming in I can see individual hairs, they are not pizelqted or anytging. That's crazy

 

[keithop]

Glad to see they noted my own recent observations on IP14P turning what would be a warm low light atmosphere in to a jewelry shop window display cool light LOL

Im still working on testing this out but so far, unscientifically, my tests back up your theory

Given we now mainly use our flash to get shots behind the kitchen sink leaks many shots are taken in low light situations and getting the colour temperature right in these conditions can be important

well it kinda should always be right if you're using a flash surely because the camera knows the WB it's gonna get with a flash (although with the adaptive flash iphones now use who knows what theyre doing)

It seems Apple algorithms are triggered by selecting a higher ISO with a lower aperture and shutter speed to get so called better depth of field but it ends up as over sharpening and turning more cool IMO

hmmmm see Im not sure about that, mostly I see the samsung with a slower shutter speed (although we need to make sure we're both talking about the same when we say slower/lower.... so I mean the iphone may choose 1/250th and the s23u may choose 1/100th (slower) on the same scene. (both changing ISO and/or aperture to compensate).

Anyway, clear that the algorithms are quite different and this year, I'm preferring samsungs.

but I'm still testing so I can understand what I'm going to get without having to overthink it at the time. I know for most people it's just a click, but the camera is probably the most important bit for me

 

[keithop]

Very pleased with night pictures on this phone. Snapped this on my back porch in the middle of a snowstorm tonight!


View attachment 2163103

ok as a bit of a photographer myself can I just say, damn I wish I'd taken that! bloody brilliant

 

[keithop]

Camera wise I think the ultra does need some tuning and updates as it tends to get many anyway. It’s still ahead of the iphone’s camera though certainly for landscape shots.

Ultra's strength is it really is an unlimited phone in what it can do. All samsung needed to do was fix the performance and battery life issues.

It's going to be hard for any phone to match this for 2023.

yeah agreed!

I think this year, if we look at the basics that each phone does, it's a wash. Both brilliant at the core functions and not much to choose between them. Not the case last year when the samsung video was pretty dire IMHO. Amazing that theyve improved it so much.

But then you throw in the samsung extras like the spen, the 10x zoom, the longer exposure astrophotography, the additional camera settings/pro and to me, the samsung s23u is now the phone to beat.

What can we see the iphone doing in 23 ? well guessing the new sony sensor, probably a better zoom although rumor of 5* rather than 10*.... are they going to flesh out their AI and try to rival google/samsung? I truly hate siri so I kinda doubt it but they do need to try.