I recently upgraded my phone from the Samsung Galaxy S10 to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and I must say that the experience has been nothing short of amazing. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has exceeded my expectations, and I am extremely satisfied with my purchase. So much so, I wanted to write a short review on the upgrade.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 was starting to feel a little long in the tooth. The USB post was giving issues, and the battery life was beginning to diminish. A full charge was not lasting a day, and with heavy use would only last a couple of hours so I decided it was time to upgrade. This blog post will look to introduce the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, provide some basic information on the phone and my thoughts in comparison to the older model, and my level of satisfaction in 4 key areas: Performance, Camera, Battery life and overall satisfaction. A longer review of the phone will be provided in a follow up post.
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| Spec Comparison |
First and foremost, the battery life of this phone is exceptional. I no longer have to worry about my phone dying halfway through the day as the battery life lasts me a full day with heavy usage. I can go on with my day without constantly checking if my phone needs to be charged. The quick charging feature is also highly convenient and ensures that my phone is ready to go in no time. It's an absolute lifesaver when I'm in a hurry and need to charge my phone quickly. I have started the day on 100% charge, and kept it in a bag whilst not using it, pulling it out to take a handful of photos and a short video, briefly checking some messages, and between 9am when I took it off charge and 5pm, I had dropped to 97% charge. With heavy use (my definition: watching You Tube, and jumping between a few apps whilst having conversations with people on chat apps) it is only dropping about 5% an hour.
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| Readout of my usage and phone batter life expectancy. |
The image above was taken a moment ago, I gave the phone a couple of brief top up charges whilst driving to and from work (where I listened to spotify and tinkered with the Investing 212 app in breaks) but with 48% remaining, it is expected to last another 18 hours. I actually trust this phone to last that long. Longer if I don't make much use of it. Since the last charge I have been watching lots of youtube, browsing the web and Instagram. If I plug it in now to a decent USB C charger for half an hour, I would be at near capacity and good to go for near two days. It's nuts, I love it.
Another aspect that I absolutely love about this phone is its camera. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 108-megapixel camera that captures stunning photos with sharp detail and vibrant colors. The zooming capabilities of the camera are also remarkable and allow me to capture distant objects with great clarity. I don't have to carry around a separate camera when I'm traveling or attending events. The camera is more than enough to capture all my precious moments. Below is a couple of quick snaps from re-enactment training I participated in at the weekend (where I used 3% over the course of the bulk of the day)
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| Taken using 10x optical zoom. That blur is an arrow ricocheting off a helmet, and it still got captured. |
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| Slightly blurry, but full moon shot with image stabilizing at 100x zoom. (Almost as good as my specialised SLR camera, but able to snap on a dog walk) |
The overall performance of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is incredibly fast and responsive, allowing me to multitask with ease. I can switch between apps and run them simultaneously without experiencing any lag or delay, including using the split screen function. The phone's design is also very attractive and feels great in my hand. The large screen and slim form factor make it easy to hold and use with one hand - albheit with a slight stretch to reach the opposite edges. The Stylus is also quite simple to use and allows for quick note-taking or making notes over screen-shots.
The phone's security features are also top-notch. The fingerprint sensor is very responsive, and I can unlock my phone quickly and easily. The phone also has facial recognition, thought I tend not to use it but allows for additional customised access.
In conclusion, I am extremely satisfied with my decision to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Its excellent battery life, exceptional camera, and sleek performance have exceeded my expectations. The phone has everything I need, and more, making it the perfect device for me. I highly recommend this phone to anyone looking for a high-quality smartphone.
