Hey guys,
I started to experience a few issues on my S9 about a month ago such as battery life and a green and white screen bug when turning it on unless I use the Always On function to bypass it, but it’s not perfect. So I thought maybe it’s time to finally retire my device after 5+ years of service.
There is currently a Black Friday sale going on with the S23 lineup here in Norway and I thought this would be a good time as any to replace my S9.
I’m not exactly a power user, most of my use case is reading, watching videos and browsing apps and websites, a lot of the times browsing social media is accompanied by watching a video minimized in the corner. I do like to get a lot of mileage out of my devices however and I might be tempted to try out some of the more demanding games now that phones have more processing power.
Pricing (after tax):
- S23+ 8/256 GB | 9,490 NOK ($885 / £811)
- S23 Ultra 8/256 GB | 11,490 NOK ($1,072 / £982)
- S23 Ultra 12/512 GB | 13,490 NOK ($1,258 / £1,153)
Over the 5 years I’ve only used 60/64 GB on my S9 which is why I set my eyes on the 256 GB models. I don’t particularly care about the cameras and I don’t know how much I will be using the S Pen but what I am a little annoyed with the idea of having to downgrade the screen resolution despite getting a brand new phone.
Normally I’d be fine with spending 2,000 extra on the Ultra 256 GB variant but the fact that it comes with less RAM than the other variants is a bit frustrating. It’s very petty but I would feel a bit ripped off by getting a phone and then have it be not quite the actual phone.
I could still go for the 512 GB as despite not using a lot of storage up until now, I am still planning to keep my new phone for a very long time so I don’t mind spending a bit extra for a device I want to use daily for about 5 years. But a 12/256 GB variant would have been perfect.
TL;DR:
I’m debating between the S23+ 256 GB and S23 Ultra 512 GB as my next phone for ideally another 5 years. The price difference is 4,000 NOK ($373 / £341) after tax. The S23 Ultra 8/256 GB could work as a middle ground even if the RAM should have been 12 GB but I would like to hear some of your opinions about the differences between these and how it affects your use cases.
I had the same choices in mind while I was hunting for Black Friday sales to upgrade from my iPhone.
In the end I ordered the S23+. It arrived yesterday so I’m still in the phone honeymoon phase.
For me personally, the S23+ was the better choice. I had phones and tablets with pens but never seemed to use them. (Not on Android tablet, Surface or iPad)
I’m convinced the S23 Ultra camera system will be superior to the S23(+) camera setup if you try to get the best camera result. But that’s not how I roll. I’m just trying to snap a nice picture on the go. Never take the time to fiddle with camera settings… (Yeah yeah I’m a buffoon with a camera)
I really wanted DEX and a decent size phone with a powerful chip and decent batterylife. So basically Ultra or Plus could both offer this. I got to hold the 2 models in the store. And the size and feel of the S23+ was more suited for me. The above mentioned perks of the pen and camera setup just weren’t enough to make me pay more for a S23 Ultra.
Of course this is entirety my opinion and this may very well not apply to your use case.
I also prefer the rounded edges of the S23+ more. I think logically the S23+ is more reasonable and realistically going from WQHD+ to FHD+ isn’t that noticeable on a phone even if it is annoying that they just stopped making them for the non-Ultras.
I also prefer the feel (with the rounded edges) of the s23+. And the phone can blend in everywhere.
The screen is beautiful and sharp imo. But then again I need reading glasses. So maybe not really the one to judge the quality. 😀 And I never owned a WQHD+ phone.