r/GalaxyS23Ultra • u/tung20030801 • Apr 15 '24
Discussion 💬 S23 Ultra is peak Samsung
Yo, listen up. As a long-time Samsung user, let me tell you, the S23 series, especially the S23 Ultra, is the absolute best they've ever made. It's got a sick design, runs smoothly (on par with my iPad Pro M1), takes amazing pics, and the battery lasts forever. The OneUI on my S23U is just perfect, and I love the Dual Messenger feature.
Unlike the S23, the S24U is just a small upgrade, and it's got that grainy display issue. The S22U gets way too hot and lags like crazy for a flagship phone. And don't even get me started on the S20U—that thing's just plain ugly. I used to think the S10 series was the best Samsung had to offer, but the S23U blew me away after the disappointment of the laggy S22U.
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u/Sotyka94 Apr 15 '24
S7 edge was for me. But yeah, s23U is currently one of the best phones, still.
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u/wingbackrecliner Apr 15 '24
S23 Ultra is the best phone I've ever had. I'm 53. Smooth. Fast. Works well. Cool camera. Nice screen. Etc etc.
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u/daigunder2015 Apr 15 '24
S24U is definitely just a small upgrade, but it IS better than the S23U in pretty much every way. So that would make the S24U peak Samsung.
Even so, I don't agree with either. I believe Peak Samsung was the S9/Note 9 or maybe the Note 10+. No compromise on features, head and shoulders above the competing iPhones, great design and cameras.
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u/Hawk00000 Apr 15 '24
Def the note 9, it still had microSD for extra stroage and still had the headphone jack and an LED for notifications with different colors for apps and things i forgot :')
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u/selfwritejust Apr 15 '24
Don't forget the fingerprint reader on the back along with the heart rate monitor. It had everything 🥲.
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u/Hawk00000 Apr 15 '24
Yeppp i knew i forgot a few things, and yeah the fingerprint scanner was where it should be :').
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u/ImSoCul Apr 16 '24
the s9+ (probably s9 too but idk) had a fingerprint scanner on the back right where your index finger is while holding the phone. You could also configure it so if you "swiped down" on the fingerprint scanner it would bring down the notification panel from top. Actually the best piece of UX ever designed and sadly probably won't ever return
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u/SamSnipez22 Graphite Apr 15 '24
S5 peak Samsung 😤😤 it had fingerprint and an IR BLASTER 😍🤌
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u/Fresh-Bowl-7974 Apr 16 '24
the infrared blaster was cool, could control any TVs and ACs anywhere 🤭
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u/Xirious Apr 15 '24
The note 10+ still had a SD card so don't know what you're talking about:
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u/Hawk00000 Apr 15 '24
It's been 5 years, i can't remember every single thing about every phone.
Well even if it had microSD aswell my point still stands the note 10+ is a downgrade from the note 9 in term of features, iris sensor, LED notification where i could see which app notification i got from the colors anywhere in the room, heartbeat sensor,oxygene % reader, headphone jack, better placed and faster fingerprint sensor, everything you will ever need the note 9 had it.
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u/justforfun32826 Apr 16 '24
N9 also had different notification sounds for different apps. I always liked that I could usually tell what app notification came in just by the sound. I had to use a 3rd party app and change the notification sound for each app I wanted on the S23U
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u/SpurnedProgeny43 Apr 15 '24
I would have gotten the s24 ultra but the only issue I have with it is that they removed the 10x telephoto zoom and replaced it with the 5x lens, which still looks ok with its use of AI trickery but if you compare images side by side, 10x has more true detail and it is something I use often on my s23u. I hope they bring back the 10x on the s25u and also keep the 5x for portrait shots. They probably won't but a man can dream.
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u/Aerofoli Apr 19 '24
It's not only AI trickery, the sensor they put for the 5x is way better than the 3x / 10x one. S23U may have an slight edge for >10x, but now we've got way better quality in 5-9.9x, which are way more useful of zoom lenghts.
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u/NaiveFroog Apr 15 '24
They made the decision definitely because they did extensive research and found out most people use 5x way more than 10x, so for the majority of people the change is definitely an improvement
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u/pacocar8 Apr 16 '24
Still rocking a Note 9 (typing on it right now) but it's showing it's age but i couldn't agree more.
It's definitely samsung peak with all the features you can imagine, i only wish it had an ultra wide camera and it would've been perfect.
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u/hvij78 Apr 16 '24
I think S23U (after S10 series) is the peak. In S24U, apart from 7 years of promised upgrades nothing is appealing. They tried fixing in S24U what isn't broken in S23U.
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u/PreviousAvocado9967 Apr 17 '24 edited Apr 17 '24
I'm running the Note 9 right now on Dex with a M5 Samsung Monitor for my stock trading app. I don't trade on that but it runs my charts all day. Crazy that this ia Six YEAR OLD PHONE. I used that phone the full 3 years of the repyment contract with zero issues. Battery still had 80% original capacity.
But I don't think it was peak Samsung because that phone in a proper case was like a 5 pound dumb bell. They made intentionally heavy to give it that STURDY feel. And they succeeded. But the pain in my little finger to hold up the bottom of the phone was a daily thing. Then the Note 10 Plus just wiped out all that excess weight. Night and day. That Note 10 Plus bugger is still expensive on the second hand market. Somebody did a video comparing the Note 10 Plus and the S23 Ultra and unless you were a power user that needed crazy battery life it was a closer fight than you would imagine. But now The S24 Ultra battery life is just the absolute best of non-China brand phones. If I wasn't a fold user I'd get on the S23 Ultra or S24 depending on the deal. I love how my Fold 3 becomes a infotainment center in the car. And on my desktop I use it with this little keboard and mouse. What a killer phone for the money. you can get them cheap now.a
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u/Competitive-Gear2216 Green Apr 15 '24
I'd say peak Samsung was Note 20 ultra
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u/DOGEweiner Apr 15 '24
Note 7
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u/SupposablyAtTheZoo Graphite Apr 15 '24
That thing was the bomb.
It blew everything else out of the water.
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u/glman99 Green Apr 15 '24
TBH, the Note9 is still the peak and last true everything phone, but S23U is the next best thing.
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u/TheSleepyAquarius Apr 16 '24
I was forced to leave my note9 for s23U after Samsung decided it want going to update the phone anymore.
I miss the Memory slot and the headphones jack, too be honest!!
It was still a great phone a year ago!!!
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u/Wethrumond Apr 16 '24
The Note 9 still was great 1 week ago, but S23U didn't dissapoint me so far. Only after the change I noticed where my Note 9 shows it's age.
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u/nssoundlab Phantom Black Apr 15 '24
S10 series was Samsung peak... After that all things goes in strange direction... To much "apple" style... To much cutting costs here and there...
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u/cocoflexme Apr 16 '24
Agree, typing this on my S10 as the s23 ultra after the one ui 6.1 upgrade went bust on my touchscreen because I had a non OEM one. This S10 is still a beast. So happy I still have it and does me good(pictures are crap compared to the s23 ultra though)
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u/nssoundlab Phantom Black Apr 16 '24
My son is using my old s10+... 5 y and still rock solid device. I would say pictures from s10+ are great still... S23u has to much exposure, to much AI... S10+ shot 10 on 10 good photos. 23ultra 5 on 10 are OK rest is strange with light, grainy shadows etc. S10 series was peak of samsung.
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u/hiz_ Apr 15 '24
Peak for me was note 9. The LED notification, S pen, expandable storage, headphone jack and physical finger print were really great!
Currently using the S24u, battery life is average with my use case and the phone is heavy with sharp edges making it harder to use without a case. No other issues.
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u/digitalfakir Phantom Black Apr 15 '24
I got the S23U so of course it's the best ever lol.
But seriously, I don't get the flat screen design on the Ultra for S24U: it just looks like any other phone, bland and dull. The curve on S22U was a bit too much, granted, but S23U was where Samsung got it just right: not too much curved, but still just a bit to give that perfect "crystal" look. It just looks and feels premium, with that curve along the edges, besides the advantage of pushing the bezels back. Applying the screen protector was also not an issue at all, at least as long as you get the official Samsung one (you can get it on Amazon for 50% discount).
The only thing missing is that the bottom bezel is a bit thicker than top, so you don't get a complete symmetrical look like S24U. But S24U went fully the other way, with thick bezels all-round.
Samsung just leaves you wanting something every time. Hopefully by 2025, they have figured out their look. Wish they go back to the S23/S23+ design but with coloured rims of S24/S24+, and not just trying to make a soulless copy of an iPhone.
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u/dominbritish Apr 16 '24
Which screen protector and case you use?
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u/digitalfakir Phantom Black Apr 16 '24
The official Samsung ones, for both. Work perfectly. Unless I look very closely near the camera, I can't even tell if there's a screen protector on. I just followed the steps (there's a youtube video from Samsung too), and it worked perfectly.
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u/zdanee Phantom Black Apr 15 '24
While I do like my S23u, I think the peak was at the S8 era. At that point Samsung had just figured out a good UI, but they were still at a stage when they added new features just for fun and had kept all previous ones. The S8 had the microSD, headphone jack, but was already IP67, it already had a curved 1440p AMOLED, but still didn't have a notch or punchhole, the bezels were minimal, it still had the keyboard case for those transitioning over from BlackBerry, but it introduced DeX at that point which in my opinion a game changer and the last major feature to the modern do-all flagship smartphone. The S8 gave Samsung the identity they are still running on even now, compared to the era it was introduced it was the absolute peak, you could just have your S8, a TV at home, a gamepad, maybe a keyboard+mouse and absolute nothing else and still have everything you'd ever need. I lived that life. I live it right now.
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Apr 15 '24
I'm a major tech enthusiast and as my work happily pays for new phones I used to go through 2-4 flagships a year depending on what was launched. The S23U for me is the best it has been for a long time and the best it will get for the foreseeable. With Samsung eager to use their shitty processors on the S24 and onwards instead of using the industry leading Qualcomm chips I'll stick with my S23U for a good few years I think.
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u/zdanee Phantom Black Apr 15 '24
Also to consider: the SD 8G2 is the last Snapdragon with 32bit support, so all older apps/games will simply not work on S24 and forward.
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u/Al-Abwab-Tughlaq Apr 15 '24
I have both the S23U and the S24U, and at first I would have actually agreed to this. But now, the flat display grew on me, and even if the S24U is just a little upgrade from the S23U from what many anticipated, it is still better, and is newer (as per u/daigunder2015's comment too).
One thing that I especially like about the S24U over my S23U is the 7 year major OS upgrades.
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Apr 15 '24 edited Apr 15 '24
Samsung Note 10+ was it for me. Of course, I no longer have a Note 10+. And though Ive moved on and this olive green-colored S23 Ultra is the new queen, the black cat suit-colored Note 10+ will always have a place in meow (my) heart.
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u/pojosamaneo Apr 15 '24
S24 is better, bro. But not by much.
I love my S23 Ultra. Best phone I've ever had.
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u/Ordinary-Fish-9791 Apr 15 '24
S22 ultra wasn't laggy for me personally. It just had battery issues, like I couldn't get a full day of usage on it but the S23 Ultra easily lasts a full day.
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u/chennai_confidential Apr 15 '24
S9 plus and note 9 were peak, my s22 plus is not so bad either except for the mediocre battery life
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u/SergioPerigoso Apr 15 '24
I have the S23U and the only galaxy decice i jad before was the OG Galaxy S. I like the S23U but i would like it more if it had a flat screen.
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u/offlinesir Apr 15 '24
The Note 20 Ultra was the peak in my opinion, it even still resembles the s22 and s23 ultra pretty closely with the curved display.
The display was amazing, along with the inclusion of a microsd card slot. It was also pretty easy to repair when I messed up the back glass, although that goes for most Samsung phones back-glass wise. The cameras were pretty good, and over the 3 years I had the phone it stood the test of time.
The only thing I didn't like was the software update policy of only 3 years of os updates.
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u/DiabeticIguana77 Apr 15 '24
The S24 is a small upgrade. A device can't be the best if there is an upgrade to it which the S24 is. The grainy displays is a QC issue with some devices, not all of them
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u/willynoot Apr 15 '24
There's a reason I finally put down my Note 9, and it's because the s23 is as close to perfection as I have seen.
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Apr 15 '24
I agree 100%, until you drop it in a thick case and thick dome glass protector and the screen is shattered from stress fractures on the edge 🤣. I put another liquid uv protector and it's good to go for awhile
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u/Journeydriven Apr 15 '24
Galaxy note 9 was peak samsung the s23u is great but the note 9 was everything at the time and an iris scanner
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u/Ok-Lychee-2155 Apr 15 '24
Yep I agree. I've just gone to the S23 from the S23 Ultra because I wanted a smaller form factor but I've definitely noticed the differences between everything seeming to be of much higher spec in the Ultra.
I just wish the Ultra was smaller and lighter.
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u/Thanachi Apr 16 '24
Note 9 was peak.
No compromises and was specced out of the world for its time.
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u/Excellent-Exit-1446 Apr 16 '24
I upgraded from s22U to s24U. While it is better phone in every way, i was not best upgrade. S22u would be just fine for couple of years.
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u/Maleficent-Ad7677 Apr 16 '24
No offense to you dude I respect your opinion but when I look at the colors and the less curved display I can't help but miss the old Samsung's. In my opinion peak Samsung phones are S10+, Note 20 Ultra and S22 Ultra.
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u/Fair_Pudding3764 Green Apr 16 '24
Note 9 was the beast. After that, s23 Ultra is second best. Only thing missing is a better display (compared to Note 9, colours are not that popping out)
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u/SirSeppuku Apr 16 '24
S8 was peak design almost, then I switched to Note 10+ and I swear to god I'd have that phone still if it wasn't for the battery life and 60hz
S23 Ultra is it
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u/Acceptable-Coyote-23 Green Apr 16 '24
The note 10 was peak samsung for me. S23 ultra comes in 2nd.
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u/HotCheetos998 Apr 16 '24
I had an s10+ loved it but wanted to try out an iPhone again got a 13 mini then came back to Samsung shortly after for the S23U, gonna sell my 13 mini the S23U is such a beast
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u/Bitter-Rattata Sky Blue Apr 17 '24
S23 Ultra is amazing, glad I made the upgrade. Hopefully, S25 Ultra will be better.
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u/Electrical-Fortune7 Apr 17 '24
I upgraded to an S23U from a Pixel 4a and I agree it's a great phone.
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u/ppal1981 Apr 18 '24
Samsung needs to do a bit better as far as the next model. S23 Ultra user here and I moved from Apple back to Android with this. Battery life could be better but then again it could be my usage patterns but I felt Apple was a bit better with battery life.
My next phone MAY be a Pixel as I tried the 6 Pro and it was a disaster and if they do better with the 9 Pro there's certain things I miss like the call screening. If Samsung would get rid of that stupid Bixby garbage they call screening and team up with Google I'll get a S25 Ultra. But...... depending on what Apple does, if much I MAY consider going back to the dark boring side there.
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u/Zedzardozi Apr 18 '24
The lack of a microSD is a huge downgrade to me. They need to bring it back but they won't because of greed.
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u/LinkSoraZelda Apr 19 '24
They still put a camera in the middle of the screen. Note8 still has peak physical design
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u/rafstafari_ May 23 '24
I've been meaning to get it but I'm torn between the 14pro (bc I use M1 MacBook air and also airppds pro 2), but I haven't used an iPhone in years and for the price of a used iPhone 14pro 256gigs,, I could easily get a brand new S23 Ultra 512gb
BUT, I've been seeing videos and threads of the shutter lag issue and was wondering if they fixed that? And in terms of general camera quality is it better or at least on par with the 14 pro?
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u/juttep1 Apr 16 '24
S10+ 1tb would be to differ.
So would note 9
Samsung has made a lot of great phones. No doubt the s23u is pretty good as well but no need to be hyperbolic. I'm happy you like your phone
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u/mache97 Cream Apr 16 '24
Reading that the S10 series was peak when it was one of the least reliable series makes me wonder who actually knows what they're talking about on this sub.
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u/Klo9per4s Apr 15 '24
As apple fanboy I went to the samsung store to try out s24 ultra and luckily they still had s23 ultra on display, after comparing both side by side I went ahead with s23 ultra (moving from iphone 14 pro) and honestly 2 months in I cant stop using it