Samsung galaxy S23 and S23 ultra

[keithop]

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.

I've had some kickback from people including 1 saying he just won't message if I'm not on imessage because he hates whatsapp so much. Well ok bud your choice mate

BUT when I look at it, although I live in imessage on my iphone, most of the messages in were actually sms/texts! from multi factor auth, from websites, from credit card companies sending verification texts and so on. So there aren't actually THAT many pure blue bubble conversations and most of those are already on my whatsapp.

 

[The Game 161]

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.

I'm sure many will call iphone 15 pro max phone of the year if it nails down

pericope zoom up to 6x
3nm chip
better image processing tuning with big sensors
USB C

I think this year needs to be a big year for the iphone given the great improvements we have seen so far with SD gen 2 for example.

 

[keithop]

I'm sure many will call iphone 15 pro max phone of the year if it nails down

pericope zoom up to 6x
3nm chip
better image processing tuning with big sensors
USB C

I think this year needs to be a big year for the iphone given the great improvements we have seen so far with SD gen 2 for example.

definitely going to be interesting! I think this is perhaps the first year samsung has REALLY taken it to apple and said "come on then, wanna fight?"

to me PERSONALLY, 3nm doesnt matter as nowadays that's more marketing than tech but of course if the end user results are even longer battery life and less heat leading to longer available camera exposures then sure yep!
usbC - well it has to happen because of all the EU stuff but it's not an actual advantage over anything other than older apple kit and will require a bunch of new chargers for apple folks to buy. So about time, and hurray and a kick at the same time.

periscope zoom.... 5* is a VERY useful range, far more so for me than 3* . Seen that on the pixel 7 pro.... BUT 5* is closer to 3* in the sense of you use it in the same way on the same scenes. it's not a game changer like 10x is.

A larger sensor could REALLY swing things and given they actually went back on the amount of light gathering (IMHO) on the 14 v the 13, a larger sensor could pull them out of that ditch and REALLY make a huge difference to this years iphones.

Wait and see I guess

 

[The Game 161]

definitely going to be interesting! I think this is perhaps the first year samsung has REALLY taken it to apple and said "come on then, wanna fight?"

to me PERSONALLY, 3nm doesnt matter as nowadays that's more marketing than tech but of course if the end user results are even longer battery life and less heat leading to longer available camera exposures then sure yep!
usbC - well it has to happen because of all the EU stuff but it's not an actual advantage over anything other than older apple kit and will require a bunch of new chargers for apple folks to buy. So about time, and hurray and a kick at the same time.

periscope zoom.... 5* is a VERY useful range, far more so for me than 3* . Seen that on the pixel 7 pro.... BUT 5* is closer to 3* in the sense of you use it in the same way on the same scenes. it's not a game changer like 10x is.

A larger sensor could REALLY swing things and given they actually went back on the amount of light gathering (IMHO) on the 14 v the 13, a larger sensor could pull them out of that ditch and REALLY make a huge difference to this years iphones.

Wait and see I guess

I hope we see a viable zoom so go from 3x to 6x. I'm interested how apple will do things as if they are sticking with 3 lens not sure how they do things unless they crop 2x and 3x. As not having 3x and 6x would be a mistake.

 

[5105973]

Deleted. Resolved.

 

[Dave245]

Wow I've just found that using the Expert Raw feature on the camera makes even the 50PM setting look amazing. I'm not sure how Samsung are doing this but the S23 Ultra is very close to a DSLR camera, especially within the Expert Raw setting.

 

[Dave245]

I'm sure many will call iphone 15 pro max phone of the year if it nails down

pericope zoom up to 6x
3nm chip
better image processing tuning with big sensors
USB C

I think this year needs to be a big year for the iphone given the great improvements we have seen so far with SD gen 2 for example.

Apple need to do something, I feel like Samsung have not only caught up to iPhone but with the S23 Ultra they have surpassed it by am mile. The camera is better for photos (I haven't tried video yet), the OS is smooth and bug free, the design is great and the battery life so far is impressive. Apple need to step up their game come September with the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro range.

 

[keithop]

Wow I've just found that using the Expert Raw feature on the camera makes even the 50PM setting look amazing. I'm not sure how Samsung are doing this but the S23 Ultra is very close to a DSLR camera, especially within the Expert Raw setting.

yeah I've been living in expert raw since I found it! REALLY loving it.

For me, the pixel 7 pro perhaps still takes it in terms of "DSLR look" which is incredible AI work from google, BUT in terms of a balanced image and plenty of detail, expert raw on the s23u is amazing

 

[Kobs]

https://www.dxomark.com/smartphones/Samsung/Galaxy-S23-Ultra

What do you think?

 

[keithop]

https://www.dxomark.com/smartphones/Samsung/Galaxy-S23-Ultra

What do you think?

I guess I feel the same as I always do with the dxomarks. I wouldn't like to argue with them since I assume they've done their science, but end of the day, as I worked out many years ago, what makes an image great is highly subjective and the numbers don't always tell the story ;-) this is why a great photographer can pick up a rubbish disposable camera from a party table and take an image that somehow tells a story, looks great and everyone loves whereas I can take my Leica SL2 with thousands of quid lenses and somehow produce a flat boring image that no one looks twice at LOL.

 

[mjschabow]

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

Thanks! And I haven't even broken out Expert Raw yet. That was just point and shoot.

 

[keithop]

Thanks! And I haven't even broken out Expert Raw yet. That was just point and shoot.

see now you're just rubbing it in ;-)

 

[The Game 161]

Apple need to do something, I feel like Samsung have not only caught up to iPhone but with the S23 Ultra they have surpassed it by am mile. The camera is better for photos (I haven't tried video yet), the OS is smooth and bug free, the design is great and the battery life so far is impressive. Apple need to step up their game come September with the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro range.

Apple does certainly need to have a good launch but I wouldn't say they are miles behind really. There are mainly Issues in software that they need to add while improving the image processing. Performance, animations, video, battery life they should have the edge just by updating the phone really. Ultra will always be more of a productivity device with the S pen though so will always have the edge which others can’t really claim to have.

Regarding the S23 ultra I would say SD gen 2 has helped a lot in notifications coming through better than my other android devices. I don’t get the android doze issue as much and most things come through fairly quickly. Not iphone level but certainly better.

Even though 1750 nits of brightness has stayed the same the display is a noticeable difference in bright sunlight.

 

[aggie99]

If I don't get another S23 Ultra now because of missing the preorder deals, when is the next big sale period likely? Lol I've never not had a preorder Samsung phone before, aside from my S7. I'm preferring unlocked. I hate buying from AT&T and my husband won't let me try any other carriers.

I may have missed it but if his device isn't giving you problems, can't y'all just switch devices and maybe put a dbrand skin on if you need to change the color?

 

[The Game 161]

https://www.dxomark.com/smartphones/Samsung/Galaxy-S23-Ultra

What do you think?

my honest opinion is i think the camera software has some tuning to do which will be fixed at some point with software. generally I'm getting better photos out of my pixel 7 pro. Still the camera overall is great just the odd issue with consistency which i think some reviewers have also mentioned

 

[Dave245]

Apple does certainly need to have a good launch but I wouldn't say they are miles behind really. There are mainly Issues in software that they need to add while improving the image processing. Performance, animations, video, battery life they should have the edge just by updating the phone really. Ultra will always be more of a productivity device with the S pen though so will always have the edge which others can’t really claim to have.

Regarding the S23 ultra I would say SD gen 2 has helped a lot in notifications coming through better than my other android devices. I don’t get the android doze issue as much and most things come through fairly quickly. Not iphone level but certainly better.

Even though 1750 nits of brightness has stayed the same the display is a noticeable difference in bright sunlight.

Miles behind is probably an exaggeration, but I do feel like Apple need to do something fresh with the iPhone. My S23 Ultra can multitask with 2 apps open at once, use the S Pen and all that. My iPhone 14 Pro Max is more polished and the OS looks good, but it can’t even split screen multitask. It would be amazing if Apple made a small Apple Pencil and allowed it to work with the iPhone Pro Max version.

I also feel like Samsung have caught up now in battery life. But also the camera on the S23 Ultra seems better. Who knows maybe Apple will come along in September and beat it. I just think Apple need to innovate more and think outside the box rather than playing it safe and boring.

 

[keithop]

Miles behind is probably an exaggeration, but I do feel like Apple need to do something fresh with the iPhone. My S23 Ultra can multitask with 2 apps open at once, use the S Pen and all that. My iPhone 14 Pro Max is more polished and the OS looks good, but it can’t even split screen multitask. It would be amazing if Apple made a small Apple Pencil and allowed it to work with the iPhone Pro Max version.

I also feel like Samsung have caught up now in battery life. But also the camera on the S23 Ultra seems better. Who knows maybe Apple will come along in September and beat it. I just think Apple need to innovate more and think outside the box rather than playing it safe and boring.

completely agree with all that!

I had a chat with a blue bubble person last night and he said well if everything has caught up and theyre basically the same, why dont you stick with apple because of imessage?

yeah fair enough but then I watched a youtube review in which the guy said at the end, sure you can do more or less the same with both but somehow I just have more fun with the samsung!

...and that's true for me at the moment. Somehow I just enjoy using it, especially the camera system, more than I do on the apple this year. I think a lot is all the filters, the silly little modes, the ability to do whatever I want to mess with the camera etc. heck even food mode made me smile

 

[The Game 161]

Miles behind is probably an exaggeration, but I do feel like Apple need to do something fresh with the iPhone. My S23 Ultra can multitask with 2 apps open at once, use the S Pen and all that. My iPhone 14 Pro Max is more polished and the OS looks good, but it can’t even split screen multitask. It would be amazing if Apple made a small Apple Pencil and allowed it to work with the iPhone Pro Max version.

I also feel like Samsung have caught up now in battery life. But also the camera on the S23 Ultra seems better. Who knows maybe Apple will come along in September and beat it. I just think Apple need to innovate more and think outside the box rather than playing it safe and boring.

I have kind of lost hope apple will ever add spilt screen multitasking on the iphone. I do think it should be there but seems the way apple seem to think it's pointless on a small phone screen. Basically they want you to buy an ipad if you want to do such tasks. Certainly not the right mindset but i think thats why we still don't have it. Maybe they surprise us in IOS 17 but i have my doubts.

If apple improves the charging, more ram, 256GB base storage, thinner bezels (as rumoured) pericope zoom lens, better battery life then for me thats some big improvements to take back their crown to many people.

That said S23 ultra won't stop being great even when 15 pro max is released.

 

[keithop]

I have kind of lost hope apple will ever add spilt screen multitasking on the iphone. I do think it should be there but seems the way apple seem to think it's pointless on a small phone screen. Basically they want you to buy an ipad if you want to do such tasks. Certainly not the right mindset but i think thats why we still don't have it. Maybe they surprise us in IOS 17 but i have my doubts.

it's like the apple pencil right? I've kept thinking they'll add support for that each year but nope...

Took out the spen the other evening at a restaurant to jot down a recipe ... took a photo, annotated it with the pen, drew some stuff on it then shared it.... three or four people with iphones said OMG I didnt know you could do that

 

[The Game 161]

completely agree with all that!

I had a chat with a blue bubble person last night and he said well if everything has caught up and theyre basically the same, why dont you stick with apple because of imessage?

yeah fair enough but then I watched a youtube review in which the guy said at the end, sure you can do more or less the same with both but somehow I just have more fun with the samsung!

...and that's true for me at the moment. Somehow I just enjoy using it, especially the camera system, more than I do on the apple this year. I think a lot is all the filters, the silly little modes, the ability to do whatever I want to mess with the camera etc. heck even food mode made me smile

do you like the food mode on s23 ultra? I'm very much 50/50 on it. It no doubt brightens the scene and makes the food stand out but dunno think maybe it overdoes it and I might just shoot standard mode.

 

[The Game 161]

it's like the apple pencil right? I've kept thinking they'll add support for that each year but nope...

Took out the spen the other evening at a restaurant to jot down a recipe ... took a photo, annotated it with the pen, drew some stuff on it then shared it.... three or four people with iphones said OMG I didnt know you could do that

Yeah I do like having the option for S pen, not sure we will see apple pencil work on anything but a larger display.

 

[keithop]

do you like the food mode on s23 ultra? I'm very much 50/50 on it. It no doubt brightens the scene and makes the food stand out but dunno think maybe it overdoes it and I might just shoot standard mode.

I think it's a total full on out there overly saturated overly brightened social media ready in your face mode LOL

....would I use it if I was going to publish the photos somewhere? not without carefully tuning it no, BUT in fairness, you CAN mess with the saturation etc whilst in food mode very easily and the focus/bokeh is quite well done too.

So again I guess I come back to .... "it's fun! I enjoy it!" ;-)

 

[The Game 161]

I think it's a total full on out there overly saturated overly brightened social media ready in your face mode LOL

....would I use it if I was going to publish the photos somewhere? not without carefully tuning it no, BUT in fairness, you CAN mess with the saturation etc whilst in food mode very easily and the focus/bokeh is quite well done too.

So again I guess I come back to .... "it's fun! I enjoy it!" ;-)

I tend to take one in normal mode and one in food mode

 

[keithop]

I tend to take one in normal mode and one in food mode

yeah makes sense! I've been doing S23U normal, Food mode, "messed with" food mode, iphone on every dish myself and my wife have ordered since I got the phone... I've got hundreds of food photos now to play with and compare LOL (oh and one very very fed up wife and several "what the hell is he doing" restaurant owners)

 

[The Game 161]

yeah makes sense! I've been doing S23U normal, Food mode, "messed with" food mode, iphone on every dish myself and my wife have ordered since I got the phone... I've got hundreds of food photos now to play with and compare LOL (oh and one very very fed up wife and several "what the hell is he doing" restaurant owners)

Ha wife and I went somewhere for valentines day and here I was taking photos on 3 phones lol she was pretty much just shaking her head