S23 Ultra Flagship Phone, . . . . Owners Club . . . The Good, Bad, and Ugly. . Thoughts ????

[Zuzzz]

Yes folks I got one !!!! Any other owners want to share their thoughts, opinions or otherwise?? Comparisons?? IMHO best phone Samasung ever made.... Please discuss..

Z

 

[c627627]

Does it have a microSD card slot?

 

[Zuzzz]

Sadly it has room for one, and as I understand there may be models sold in other countries that do use it. The US model while no SD card slot will allow 2 SIM to be used. Therefore being able to use more than 1 number with said phone. I will agree that one would think adding extra storage on a flagship would be a no brainer but alas I degress. In fact it is the only thing about this phone I do not like. You cannot add extra storage. The premium they charge to get a phone with say 1TB of storage makes things way more expensive than if one could simply add storage.

Z

 

[c627627]

When inserted into a PC, a microSD card can be synchronized in a fraction of a time, literally a fraction of a time it takes to synchronize internal phone storage.

Without a microSD card, It would take so long to sync my personal 25GB folder with an identical folder I have on my phone, that it's virtually impossible to wait just for files to be compared.

Whereas,

my Galaxy S10e pops out a microSD card which can be synchronized ultra fast on a PC then simply be popped back in. So a multi TB internal storage would not address this, only removable microSD card can sync files quick.


I have an extra Galaxy S10e in my drawer, which will be my replacement phone should anything ever happen to my current S10e, as Samsung or anyone else have no plans to include microSD cards on American market phones.


Note to anyone reading this: 2024 or earlier 5.8" International versions with microSD cards perform worse (often much worse) than American market Galaxy S10e manufactured in 2018.



So waiting half a decade was not enough. Maybe waiting ten years will finally see the release of an International version with microSD card that can outperform Galaxy S10e?
Because American market will not likely see a microSD card slot. Only international market will, but they need five to ten years to catch up with American market phones.
Incredible, but true. At least for 5.8" phones.

 

[Zuzzz]

See, that's what I used to do was to pull the SD card snyc what I needed and then put the SD back in said phone. While I will confess this S23Ultra had very fast speed when copying files from and to it(using USB-C). I however must concure I do not think its near as fast as if I could pull the SD etc. Again it IS the only real issue I have with these. I do hope in the coming years they allow user replaceable batteries and of course allow added storage. I do not store anything in the 'cloud'. I simply do not trust it.


Z

 

[c627627]

Yeah.

In the grand scheme of things, you still have one of the best phones around today!


I get service through a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) - a company that does not own a mobile spectrum license but sells mobile services under its brand name using the network of a licensed mobile operator. In my case T-Mobile for flat $20 for 15GB of data and unlimited text and talk.

So I would have to buy a new phone outright, which stops me from getting the newest-latest, but there are plenty of things to enjoy about the latest tech!

 

[Zuzzz]

Indeed, in the end it is a really extrordinary device. Perhaps we are getting spoiled a bit with this fine new tech. After all with what these new phones are, we still manage to find things we don't agree with. What would happen if they made the perfect phone? What is a perfect phone? How far can these phones go ? I guess only time will tell us.

I have T-Mobile as well and I have no complaints. Pay as you go and call it a day. $30/mo and no strings. Yes, I did purchase my device outright. No payments or contracts. Just like the cloud I don't trust contract phones locked to providers.

Z

 

[c627627]

Out of interest I tried to look iPhone vs S23 and every review reads like the reviewer got free phones from both Apple and Samsung and doesn't want to piss off either of them.


"They're both good" and I'm like surely there are differences? My favorite is when their concluding advice is to tell people to go Apple if they've owned Apple before and Android if they're used to Android. Heck of a review there, Sherlock.


Not one review lists clear overall easy to read differences, there must be differences between Apple and Samsung's flagship phones?

I have never owned an Apple product in my life but I hear they may have caught up in some aspects?
They're still way too restrictive though. I mean if you are technically oriented and like to customize your personal tech... Android is your only option.

 

[Nebulous]

I'm cheap so I got the A32 5G. 2 carriers and it's still bulletproof. Helluva phone.

 

[Zuzzz]

I have never owned an Apple product. I have played with them here and there but nothing of any length of time. I'm not a fan of Apple's gated community etc. I am an Android fan for sure. My brother has the A32 and he seems happy with it. The pictures he sends me are all of decent quality, so yeah no complaints there.

The reviews for Apple vs Android are abysmal at best. Nothing that really compares them spec for spec and/or directly. And again as stated they all seem to say if you like one or the other just go for it. If I had no experience with either system the reviews wouldnt help me to decide on which phone to buy.

Z

 

[Zuzzz]

SAMSUNG GALAXY S23 ULTRA VS IPHONE 14 PRO MAX: SPECS​

	Galaxy S23 Ultra	iPhone 14 Pro Max
Price	$1,199 / £1,249 / AU$1,949	$1,099 / £1,199 / AU$1,899
Display	6.8-inch AMOLED (3088 x 1440)	6.7-inch OLED (2796 x 1290)
Refresh rate	1 - 120Hz adaptive	1 - 120Hz adaptive
Rear cameras	200MP main (f/1.7), 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2), 10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4), 10MP 10x telephoto (f/4.9)	48MP main (f/1.78), 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2), 12MP telephoto (f/2.8) with 3x optical zoom
Front camera	12MP (f/2.2)	12MP (f/1.9)
Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy	A16 Bionic
RAM	8GB/12GB	6GB
Storage	256GB, 512GB, 1TB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Battery	5,000 mAh	4,323 mAh
Charging	45W wired/10W wireless	25W wired/15W MagSafe
Water/dust resistance	IP68	IP68
Size	163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm (6.4 x 3.0 x 0.35 inches)	160.7 x 77.6 x 7.85 mm (6.3 x 3.1 x 0.31 inches)
Weight	233g (8.2 ounces)	240g (8.5 ounces)
Colors	Phantom Black, Cotton Flower, Botanic Green and Mystic Lilac	Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple

OK, so for fun I looked up just the general specs of both flagship phones.

Z

 

[EarthDog]

I have never owned an Apple product. I have played with them here and there but nothing of any length of time. I'm not a fan of Apple's gated community etc.

Same. I only handled one because I was on-call, and our company rocked Apple. I had no idea how to use the thing outside of emails, texts, and phone calls.

"They're both good" and I'm like surely there are differences? My favorite is when their concluding advice is to tell people to go Apple if they've owned Apple before and Android if they're used to Android. Heck of a review there, Sherlock.


Not one review lists clear overall easy to read differences, there must be differences between Apple and Samsung's flagship phones?

What differences are you looking for? There are specs lists you can compare... Zuzz was kind enough to put it in the thread.

Outside of that, to me, it does come down to personal preference outside of benchmarks and specs. A phone is a truly personal item as there are so many different uses for it. Unless one of them has a specific function, another doesn't that you require, it really can be 'they are both good'. They can both be good and have differences, too...surely in the body of w/e review(s) you're referencing, they made distinctions and comparisons.

... just not sure what you're specifically looking for. Why ISN'T that an acceptable answer to stick with Android-based or Apple based? What that says to me is neither are compelling enough to switch ecosystems (cause that's not easy, especially if you're balls deep in Apple's world).....................and good information.

 

[c627627]

Well all right, let's just look at what Zuzzz posted.
I see RAM is as much as doubled on Android ; Battery specs listed for Android are higher by 15%.

I mean, right there, those are major things in favor of Android, how can that be ignored and say they're the same?


P. S.
Look at the charging. Charging is 45W Android vs 25W Apple. That is enough to seriously notice the difference in charging time from mostly empty to mostly full. In favor of Android.

 

[EarthDog]

I mean, right there, those are major things in favor of Android, how can that be ignored and say they're the same?

The reviews for Apple vs Android are abysmal at best. Nothing that really compares them spec for spec and/or directly. And again as stated they all seem to say if you like one or the other just go for it. If I had no experience with either system the reviews wouldnt help me to decide on which phone to buy.

Are they though?

Isn't Apple's OS 'better' and more efficient? Why Apple products perform as well as they do with 'lesser' hardware specs? You also have to consider how you use it and if the extra RAM is necessary, or just larger for little use (and more expense). Comparing the a16 to the snapdragon 8, even with less RAM, Apple wins. So is RAM capacity a concern or are we wooed by marketing and bigger numbers?

RE: battery.... again, specs are one thing, but bow long does it take to each to charge? How long does a single charge last? IIRC, s23 max vs 14 max, the apple ran notably longer in the same battery test, but charging does take a bit more time, indeed.

....run time and charge time are things a quality review already covers too.

Find better reviews if the ones you guys are reading aren't sharing the info you mentioned. Something like this (first non video review result for me, lol) appears to cover those things(?) - https://www.pcmag.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s23-vs-apple-iphone-14

Specs and h2h comparisons are everywhere.

 

[c627627]

Are they though? ...how you use it and if the extra RAM is necessary

RE: battery.... again, specs are one thing, but how long does it take to each to charge?

Wut!?

What are you doing?


We're talking flagship models for people who are not buying the most price-reasonable options available. We're talking tech comparisons. RAM is frickin' doubled, man.

When your phone is on 1% because of 'insert explanation', and all you have time for is to quick shower before work, you best believe a 45W charger will make a big difference by the time you're ready to leave your house.


I mean, without even looking at Androids, the road you're on, the "is it really worth it" road, the starting point on that road is that iPhone 14 is so astronomically more expensive than iPhone 13 with so few arguments for it to be worth it - that only a fool would spend that much money on iPhone 14 flagship instead of iPhone 13. That's not the topic though. It's actual specs all other things being equal.

 

[EarthDog]

What am I doing.... playing along... what are you doing? You both mentioned a lack of H2H comparisons/missing this and that. I just brought the one (of several) up, the first one for me, that has the info and comparisons you're looking for, I thought.

We're talking flagship models for people who are not buying the most price-reasonable options available. We're talking tech comparisons. RAM is frickin' doubled, man.

And so am I...

To what end, though? Unused RAM is a waste. Playing a game on my s22+ (8GB), leaving a browser open with multiple tabs and w/e default background stuff is on there, and I don't seem to get close (~75%) when I check. YMMV (perhaps.. what more is there to do on a phone at the same time, lol).

When your phone is on 1% because of 'insert explanation', and all you have time for is to quick shower before work, you best believe a 45W charger will make a big difference by the time you're ready to leave your house.

Agreed. Another tested thing I've seen around. Charges XX% in XX minutes..

But is that enough to switch ecosystems?? Id rather have better charging habits (for your example, who doesn't have a charger in the car to charge on the way to work if needed), than go to Android (said Apple users, lol). But everyone has a different way of doing things. I hear the next iPhone will get 45w charging, too... type-c(?) So that takes care of that point, eventually.

All I'm saying is that there are plenty of reviews out there comparing specs and performance. To me, choosing the ecosystem isn't a function of comparing phones as for all intents and purposes, these flagships won't hold anyone back in any configuration. So it's up to you if you like the closed-off Apple ecosystem or prefer the flexibility of Android.

 

[c627627]

So it's up to you if you like the closed-off Apple ecosystem or prefer the flexibility of Android.

Yeah. We've kind of established that long ago.

What we are doing now, is GEEKING OUT on hardware specs on the best computer hardware forum in the world. Not Eco-systems.
Jump from 6GB to 12GB of RAM means something when geeking out on hardware in 2023.


When you say "I hear the next iPhone will get 45w charging, too... So that takes care of that point, eventually."
That's a heck of a contribution to the discussion of comparing current flagships.

Takes care?!? H-i-mean... Unreleased future next generation specs? Takes care?


Kindly consider posting about current flagship phone specs instead, otherwise the discussion is being derailed.

 

[c627627]

Fun fact: I ran CPU-Z on my li'l Galaxy S10e.

It is several generations behind Zuzzz's S23, and it has 8GB of RAM:

 

[EarthDog]

Yeah. We've kind of established that long ago.

What we are doing now, is GEEKING OUT on hardware specs on the best computer hardware forum in the world. Not Eco-systems.
Jump from 6GB to 12GB of RAM means something when geeking out on hardware in 2023.


When you say "I hear the next iPhone will get 45w charging, too... So that takes care of that point, eventually."
That's a heck of a contribution to the discussion of comparing current flagships.

Takes care?!? H-i-mean... Unreleased future next generation specs? Takes care?


Kindly consider posting about current flagship phone specs instead, otherwise the discussion is being derailed.

Yes folks I got one !!!! Any other owners want to share their thoughts, opinions or otherwise?? Comparisons?? IMHO best phone Samasung ever made.... Please discuss..

Apologies. I thought "comparisons" opened up the world to discussion........ or the fact that this is a forum in the first place leads things naturally to it.

We're discussing the flagship phones, no? Where to find that type of information (I gave a link) was off topic? The merits/demerits of the RAM amounts BETWEEN FLAGSHIPS, capacity and charging time (BETWEEN FLAGSHIPS), and performance (BETWEEN FLAGSHIPS)? Zuzz mentioned the ecosystems, bud.

Go throw your tantrum elsewhere (Mod Hotline). Stick to the subject. Anything else from you bitching about me in this thread will have consequences. If you think you were done wrong, report the post and the staff handles it. Don't sully the dude's thread further, please.



Anyhoo, an S10's RAM tells me that more wasn't needed for generations. The s21 ultra offered 12gb, iirc. So while it's exciting to see a bigger number, I'd expect someone 'geeking out' should wonder if that's a necessary item or just marketing. To want to hear another point of why this spec is worth it or not and not just take a spec at face value.

Here's a great read...https://www.androidauthority.com/how-much-ram-do-i-need-phone-3086661/

Based on the results, our recommendation is to aim for a minimum of 6GB of RAM when buying a budget smartphone. For upper-mid-range or high-end devices, 8GB will provide a good multitasking experience plus some future-proofing. What became clear in our testing, though, is that the 12GB RAM on the Galaxy S21 Ultra is clearly useful and should provide a great overall experience to even the most demanding power users.

If you want to have 15 games sit in memory (will someone explain how thats useful?) , 12GB is the way. But is the price premium worth it (is there a difference?)? Which model did you get, Z?

 

[Zuzzz]

I picked up the S23 Ultra 256/8GB. Please forgive me, I was not trying to stir up a battle. I was merely excited that I managed to get a really nice flagship phone. I simply wondered what others thought about it and how they thought it compares to other phones. I wasnt trying to start an Apple vs. Android thing however I do realize I mentioned the ecosystems. Nonetheless I had hoped for some interesting information here. This is THE best hardware forum on earth.

Thank you
Z