Samsung Galaxy S23 5G Dual SIM Android Mobile Phone, 128GB, SIM Free Smartphone, Black, 3Y Extended Manufacturer Warranty (UK Version) : Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo (original) (raw)

5.0 out of 5 stars Great phone
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 May 2023

I've read a few of these reviews before doing my own to see what points were being made and what was not. I can't speak as a former samsung owner as I never went through the exynos period of mobiles where battery seemed to be lacking but I did come from the nothingphone (1) which is considered a midtier mobile and I can see differences between the two.

I'll start of with my previous phone, the nothing phone (1) which was the gimmick phone with the clear back and lights released july 2022 and actually it's been a decent phone. The battery life was really good and would typically last about a day and often longer so seemed to pair well with the seven series chip that it was using, It was a good phone but NOTHING much more to say. The Thing I didn't like about the phone was the quality control, I spoted dust underneath the near glass panel meaning it was either there on purchase or over time slipped in and was there to stay, there are other reports of this as well as screen issues and with glyph lights. The overall feel of the phone in the hand was ok but there was something hollow about it and a sense that it was going to fall apart eventually.

Although unnecessary I decided I wanted something a bit smaller from a more reputible brand with quality products. I've had samsung devices in the past such as the Tab S7+ and was very impressed with the quality then so I made the plunge to buy the S23. The first thing I notice on arrival is the quality difference between nothing and the S23 just by holding it. There were no sharp edges (those complaining of such have never experienced a sharp edge clearly), the weight although heavy for some is appreciated by myself as it's typically a sign of quality, the frame feels far more sturdy and grippy and the glass backing repells fingerprinters well and doesn't feel cheap, so far so good.

The software/GUI, One UI 5.1 is really enjoyable to use and looks neat with everything easily accessible and customizable (Except playstore icons! argh!) aside from that really nice to use. The one problem I do have however is out of the box bloatware, I don't know why typically asian brands load their devices with unwanted apps, (Xiaomi does it as well) fortunately it isn't hard to uninstall them and I appreciate that they don't force us to have these perminately.

I want to be fair on the phone in regards to the battery because I understand the type of device i've come from and moved onto and it's my own choice in doing so. If i'm comparing battery with the nothing phone it does lose as I will typically get over a day of use from nothing and maybe 10hrs+ from the S23. It all comes down to my typical use case but that is what happens when you go from a phone with 4500mAh with a midtier processor to 3900mAh with a toptier processor. I wanted the smaller phone and will need to put up with the smaller battery, something I will adapt and get used to. Considering the phones nice size however I am happy with the use I get from it and the software seems well optimized.

The S23 cameras are really nice, will they be the best? no of course not there will always be better cameras out there, The S23 ultra for example will have better cameras because it's even more of a premium phone with better goodies built in. That said the S23 takes some really nice clear imagery without a ridiculous amount of processing, I can tell there's some slight sharpening but not terrible levels. In the end it makes great photo's in both lighter and darker enviornments. (Photo's taken using 3:4 50MP, scene optimizer off, effects off)

I'm sure there are other points I can make but as a conclusion I would recommend the S23 to anyone who can afford it and is typically used to small phones. You will be paying a premium but in return you are getting a quality, well developed product that will likely last you years.

Edit: I've had the phone for about a month now and it's still running well. The battery seems to learn your usage patterns and adapts based on that. I now get a day or more (based on usage).

Some reviews complain of very minor problems which is simply put, part of being an android user and not likely down to the phone itself. If you want a very simple easy to use phone without a gram of faff, go to iPhone.