I’m one of the most undecided persons you’ll ever meet, if there’s one thing you need to know about me. That is, 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 with me, and at my home office, I have three different systems. My current setup consists of a custom-built Windows desktop, a docked MacBook Pro, and a Chromebook, all of which I switch between when the urge strikes.
However, after spending the better part of the Galaxy S23 launch event listening to Samsung promote its improved cameras, I walked away feeling fairly indifferent. Reading the subsequent reviews didn’t sway my decision to purchase the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but I do make my livelihood writing about technology.
I’ve been using the iPhone 14 Pro Max as my primary phone ever since it came out. The difficulties of transferring an eSIM to a new smartphone are likely to blame for most of this. In fact, I still have my SIM card there.
But after a few weeks with the Galaxy S23 Ultra, I find myself using my iPhone much less frequently. I now use my Galaxy S23 Ultra whenever I need to quickly react to an email or conduct a web search.
It reignited my infatuation with Android
There was even a night when I did something I haven’t done in a very long time. I browsed the Play Store and randomly downloaded a number of Android programs that I had never used before. It used to be something I did at least once a week, but I recently lost interest in doing so because of curiosity about new software releases.
Thanks to F-Droid and GitHub’s never-ending supply of cool apps, this has spread into the realm of free and open-source software. Unlike the iPhone, I can immediately download the APK and install it without waiting for a Testflight release. Together with F-Droid, this gives me access to a Play Store-like interface whenever I wish.
When I think back on Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event, I’m shocked by how much time was devoted to the cameras. The Galaxy S23 Ultra was supposed to be the first phone that would replace my Canon 70D. The iPhone 7 Plus, with its improved camera and ProRAW format, has still not allowed me to take photos that I find aesthetically pleasing.
The camera is great, when it works
It seemed like a marriage made in heaven: a 200MP camera, Samsung’s Expert RAW software, and enhancements made possible by One UI 5.1. It is in many cases and situations. You have all the fine-grained control you could desire, including the superior editing results that come from shooting in RAW.
But if you so much as twitch, or if you try to photograph your hyperactive 5-second-old nephew, you can forget it. As with the terrible shutter latency, Samsung’s “fix” doesn’t improve anything.
Need a tripod to get the most out of it but lol, zoom on the Samsung Galaxy S23 is absolutely crazy. #GalaxyS23Ultra pic.twitter.com/nLvqoHh7B9
— Jez 💀 (@JezCorden) March 1, 2023
Give me the Galaxy Z Fold 5 already
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy blew me away thanks to whatever sorcery Qualcomm and Samsung had worked. Despite having an overly lengthy moniker, the S23 Ultra’s battery life has been excellent.
I don’t use it constantly (my home office is for that), but it replaces my iPhone in all of my daily activities. And instead of plugging in my S23 Ultra every night as I do with my 14 Pro Max, I’ll just set it on my bedside and charge it when it drops below 15% the next day.
It’s no secret that the Galaxy S III is one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year.
If the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s battery life is as fantastic as it seems to be, then I can’t wait to get my hands on a Galaxy Z Fold 5. No longer do I worry about having a S Pen built into the chassis. Regarding a larger Cover Screen, I’m on the fence.
When it comes to folding smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 may be the “end-game” for someone like me. Samsung is progressively returning to the practice of debuting new features and hardware on the Galaxy S line before rolling them out to the Galaxy Z series.
I’m looking forward to seeing what the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold brings to the table come its scheduled release at the end of the summer.