Things about the Galaxy S23 Ultra that I wish I had known before I purchased it

If there’s one thing you need to understand about me, it’s that I’m probably one of the most undecided people you’ll ever come across in your life. To put it another way, at least in terms of the technology that I employ on a daily basis.

Every time I leave the house, I have at least two phones on me, and the workspace at my home office is outfitted with three different kinds of computer systems. My custom-built Windows desktop, a docked MacBook Pro, and a Chromebook are what I use at any one time, but which one I use depends on how I’m feeling at the time.

But despite the fact that Samsung spent the better part of the Galaxy S23 launch event discussing its improved cameras, I still came away from the event with a somewhat indifferent attitude. Even though reading all of the subsequent reviews didn’t really make that much of a difference in my decision, I still felt the need to get the Galaxy S23 Ultra because I make my living writing about technology.

Since the release of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, that model has served as the primary device in which I store my SIM card. The challenges that arise while attempting to migrate an eSIM to a different device are mostly responsible for this situation. In fact, that’s where my SIM card has been and will continue to be stored.

But ever since I got the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra a couple of weeks ago, the amount of time I spend on my iPhone has significantly decreased. Instead of reaching for my laptop or desktop computer when I need to respond to an email or look for something, I now grab my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

I even did something one night that I hadn’t done in who knows how long; that’s how long it’s been. I browsed through the Play Store and started installing a number of new Android apps that I had never used or even seen before. These apps were completely new to me. It was something that I did at least once a week, but recently I’ve had the urge to look into the many applications that are available.

Because of F-Droid and the never-ending list of cool apps available on GitHub, this has spread into the realm of free and open-source software (FOSS) or open-source applications. My Android device, in contrast to my iPhone, does not require me to wait for a Testflight release to become available before I am allowed to download the APK file directly to it. And with the support of F-Droid, this gives me an interface comparable to that of the Play Store, which I can browse whenever I want.

When it operates properly, the camera is quite good.

When I go back to the Galaxy Unpacked presentation, the fact that Samsung spent so much time discussing the cameras completely blows my mind. I was under the impression that the Galaxy S23 Ultra would be the first smartphone that would free me from the need to carry around my reliable Canon 70D. Even the iPhone, with its improved camera hardware and support for the ProRAW format, has not yet produced photographs that I find appealing to look at.

The combination of a 200-megapixel camera, Samsung’s Expert RAW app, and the enhancements made possible by One UI 5.1 gave the impression of being a match made in heaven. It is the case in a great number of situations and cases. You have access to every granular control you could ever desire, and working in RAW mode enables you to get superior editing outcomes.

But if you move even slightly, or if you’re trying to take a picture of your nephew, who can’t stay still for more than five seconds, you’re out of luck. The so-called “fix” that Samsung implemented for the terrible shutter lag did not improve the experience in any way, nor did it improve anything else.

I absolutely adore the fact that I have a smartphone that is capable of taking a breathtaking photo of the night sky and using some kind of wizardry to zoom in on the moon in the picture. I despise the fact that if there is anything that is moving, I am unable to capture a good picture with the same phone that I have been using.