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Thinking of switching to a Galaxy phone? Try this …
- Thread starter The Cockney Rebel
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So close to buying one of these.
Can get student discount.
All I will say is that the next person who mentions “Apple Tax” to me will be told to look at Samsung’s prices.
The S23 is more expensive than the 14 Pro Max.
Can get student discount.
All I will say is that the next person who mentions “Apple Tax” to me will be told to look at Samsung’s prices.
The S23 is more expensive than the 14 Pro Max.
Yep, the RRP of the flagship android devices are identical if not more than Apple charge, yet it’s always mentioned that Apple are overpriced, which just isn’t true all things being equal.
My S23 cost £60 than an Iphone 14 yet has Pro specs (steel/alu sides aside). And that's before Samsung gave me £200 trade in for an old phone I paid £45 for back in 2016 as a cheap burner for a music festival.
So I'll bite..... I think flagship phones are all overpriced to be honest.
I have the iPhone 14 PM and S23 Ultra and Pixel 7 pro. My 14 PM is my daily driver and use it more than anything else.
But the term Apple tax is not about phone prices per se.
It is about the total cost of ownership. There are things like cables that only work on iphones that have to be "certified" and cost more that regular cables.
Then the rumored iPhone 15 will have will finally have USB C but will be limited to "apple certified" USB C cables.
So the USB C cable is i use on my iPad Pro 12.9 might not work on a new iPhone 15? buuuuuut if i buy the more expensive "apple certified" cable then it is all good. That is just one example there are a lot more of products that cost more to have the apple certified label. When others work just as well.
How do you rate the S23 to the 14 Pro Max?
How do you rate iOS to Android in general?
I have two M2 MacBooks, AppleTV 4K, 14 Pro Max, iPad Pro, Apple Watch S8 which are all great devices, but I’m getting kind of bored with Apple.
The Samsung phone really interests me, but I don’t know how it will fit in with my current devices?
I guess it really comes down to how you use your apple devices? Do you text and take calls on your IPP or Macbooks? If you use all of the intergration between your Apple devices...then you will find switching to Android a little disappointing.
There is just nothing out there that provides the ecosystem that Apple does.
The s23 Ultra is an awesome phone! I like bigger phones so it suits me and it has the best zoom on a smart phone.
Overall the S23 Ultra is like having a mini laptop in your pocket.
Android (like IOS) has eveoled a great deal that last few years. I love love the customizations with Android. Sometimes you can make it like a whole new and different phone ands user experince.
It is funny how both platforms copy from each other and seem to be very similar. Except IOS is a lot more a closed system if that makes sense. Like c'mon Apple let me rearrange all my icons anyway I want on my homescreen. Its time to release the reigns so to speak.
I really like both platforms. that is why i always have a Android phone and iPhone and switch back and forth all the time.
Just that some of my friends hate the green bubbles when texting LOL
Thanks for the advice.
I suppose I could buy an S23 and have both phones, but I don’t know if I really need or want that?
I assume your iPhone is your main phone? If that is so, when do you get to use your S23?
I like the cream colour Samsung. What colour did you get?
This is not true depending on what Samsung Galaxy s23 you are talking about and for each level of phone Apple makes Samsung offers more features.
For example, the regular s23 has 120hz display vs iphone 14 60hz display. Samsung s23 also has the latest processor not a year old chip in the iPhone 14. Also the s23 has the same design hole punch cutout and camera design and not a not vs pill cut out in iphone 14 vs 14 pro max.
If you are comparing the iPhone 14 pro max to the s23 ultra then yes the MSRP on the ULtra is higher BUT you will find better preorder deals than Apple ever gives. For that extra $100 for the Ultra you get a slightly larger screen that because of it's squared corners gives you a lot more usable space vs the Pro Max. You get an spen which you can use to sign documents and draw and take notes as well as use it as a remote control and remote camera shutter. You get a MUCH better 10x optical zoom on the camera system and better camera overall. Android vs iOS both have their strengths and weaknesses but the S23 ultra is far more customizable and you have DEX to use with monitor and use your phone like a computer.
The s23 plus also has more features than the iPhone 14 MAX with 120hz display and latest chip.
Also when you compare prices on the face you are correct Samsung feels a bit over priced but on the street there are always deals where as Apple devices rarely get the same discounts and pre order promotion.
For example I bought the s23 ultra pre order from Google Fi. It is an unlocked phone out the box. I had to switch to Google Fi and use any data phone plan for four months and port my number but I paid $599 plus tax with NO trade in on $599 not full MSRP and because it was the preorder I got bumped up to the 512gb model for free with 12gb ram.
With Apple you can find trade in deals with carriers but those deals are generally on 3 year contract and only with a trade in. I was looking to buy an iPhone 14 Pro Max and Apple was only going to give me $650 for my iPhone 13 Pro Max that was in perfect condition which meant I had to come up with close to $1000 with my trade in on the base model 128gb.
On my Google Fi deal since they didn't require a trade I was able to sell my s22 plus on the private market for almost the same price as I paid for the Fi promotion. For under $100 I got a new s23 ultra. Granted I have to use Google Fi for four months but that was not a problem and their plan price was much lower than comparable plans from T mobile, Verizon or AT&T.
So in my real world experience Apple phones are expensive and depending on the model I would even say over priced but I think Apple still delivers a solid product at any price point if you are willing to make a lot of sacrifices. The Pro Max is generally always the best iPhone and once you go past base model it gets really expensive.
Technically its not true eg the Samsung system is bigger simply as they produce more products and so the ECO is larger plus collaboration with MS and others makes it more available across platforms etc however Apple do have a way of making it simpler to setup on there more limited range, for the average user
When you start to use Android with Win 11 you realize how powerful and comprehensive it is compared to Apple, You can even run Android apps natively on Win 11 without owning an Android phone
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Both platforms are fabulous, there's just no getting away from that fact. What is disappointing is that users from both sides for some reason unbeknown to me tout the phone they are using as the best.
If you want to see and have an unbiased view of both, then one needs to use a flagship phone exclusively for 2 or 3 weeks and then use the equivalent one for the same time. Once you have done this (like I have) you will see that they both work flawlessly, the words "lag, ecosystem etc" will hold no meaning any more.
It is very difficult to swap systems without thinking Apple/Android doesn't do it this way so it must be wrong, thats just not true, they do it differently.
ATM I am using and prefer a Galaxy S23 Ultra, will that change in the future? You can bet your house on it, of course it will. What I don't do is be blind to the fabulous offerings in one company just because I own a device from its competitor.
If you want to see and have an unbiased view of both, then one needs to use a flagship phone exclusively for 2 or 3 weeks and then use the equivalent one for the same time. Once you have done this (like I have) you will see that they both work flawlessly, the words "lag, ecosystem etc" will hold no meaning any more.
It is very difficult to swap systems without thinking Apple/Android doesn't do it this way so it must be wrong, thats just not true, they do it differently.
ATM I am using and prefer a Galaxy S23 Ultra, will that change in the future? You can bet your house on it, of course it will. What I don't do is be blind to the fabulous offerings in one company just because I own a device from its competitor.
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I have tried both ecosystems and device and appllication intergration. For me the Apple experince was far above what Samsung and MS had to offer. The device and software intergration and data sharing and overall user experince was better in the Apple ecosystem.Technically its not true eg the Samsung system is bigger simply as they produce more products and so the ECO is larger plus collaboration with MS and others makes it more available across platforms etc however Apple do have a way of making it simpler to setup on there more limited range, for the average user
When you start to use Android with Win 11 you realize how powerful and comprehensive it is compared to Apple, You can even run Android apps natively on Win 11 without owning an Android phone
Not that there is aren't somethings Samsung and MS does better mind you. Because Apple has control over the device and software and how they interact there is a more seamless experince IMHO.
Far above what Samsung and MS has to offer? In what way... exactly?
I find both ecosystems on par... its more of an aesthetic feel to what a user prefers. Granted there is continuity among Apple ecosystem, but as @SteveJUAE pointed out on Windows I can plug in my phone and access those apps. There's the "Your Phone" feature to interact with any notification that shows up along with answering phone calls directly on Windows.
Exactly, MS and Samsung offer so much more than the Apple Eco and that's even excluding Dex
AS failed to deliver the interaction most expected between their Macs and IOS devices
Yeah, it's just the narrative has favored Apple with how they control the hardware and software which I completely understand... that's important. But Microsoft, Samsung and Google are not some indie companies... they are all contributing into having the same seamless experience Apple provides for their user base.
I don't have to plug my phone in to get an intergrated ecosystem.
I can use a native messaging application like imessage on 4 to 5 different devices and it is exactly the same. I can start a message on one device and pickup where i left off on another with history and context and attachements. Not a web version mind you but a native application that is on all of my devices...mobile phone, ipad, notebook and desktop.
it is not just the narrative. I am not putting down or denigrating anything Samsung or MS has to offer. As those products work really well. But they cannot reproduce the synergy Apple has with controlling the end to end device and software experince Have you tried Continuity?
Use an AW to control the camera on a mac desktop or notebook? Then you cannot beat AirDrop for easily sharing data between apple devcies.
Apple Handoff to start work on one device and continue on another seamlessly.
Universal Control to use the keyboard, mouse, or trackpad of your Mac to control up to two other nearby Mac or iPad devices, and work seamlessly between them.
there is more here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204681
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Well, it works on wifi as well.. so I don't necessarily have to plug in my phone.
Good point.
The point I'm making is... Windows+Android features may not be the same as Apple, but features like the Phone Link on Android & Windows provides a seamless user experience. I can interact with apps that's on my Samsung Galaxy on a Microsoft Windows PC.
I was just referring to what you posted as far as plugging the phone in...
They are similar but not close to the same user experince to be honest. Then most of the functionality I listed for Continuity does not exist from a Samsung phone to a Windows PC or tablet.
Well, I guess I need to rephrase my initial statement... similar, but not the same.
Yes, I have.. lol. Have you tried plugging your Galaxy phone and experiencing a desktop environment like DeX? Which doesn't exist for the iPhone.
I'm glad you mention this I believe Samsung is attempting to match this with their multi-control feature... it's currently out now, but it's limited... might be heavily marketed when OneUI 6.0 comes out.
As others have said it is different. Samsung does have a air drop clone that works in the same way for all Samsung devices and PC's.
Can you use an s pen to use as a remote shutter on your phone camera or to navigate the UI? Can you write notes or draw? Can you sign documents on your iPhone in a pinch if needed? Can you screen spam calls like you can with Bixby? How is Siri vs Android Assistant in speech to text or other applications? Do you have 10x zoom?
There are a lot of advantages to Android and Samsung Galaxy devices over iOS and iPhone. Features that have existed on Android even on lower cost phones are still not on the iPhone 14 like 120hz display.
I like iPhone and iOS but the lack of AI optimization is going to be a bigger problem as time goes on. The availability of customization and hardware choices on Android is an advantage. Sure their might not be as much optimization but Samsung and Pixel phones are pretty well optimized for the hardware.
So in most cases there is feature parity on both platforms but Samsung and Pixel offer some features yet to be seen on iOS while the opposite is not true. Sure Apple might make things more seamless and easier to set up but you can get the same functionality with both.
Using a Samsung s23 ultra for work and honestly it isn't TERRIBLE. I actually like the pphone hardware and the camera is actually halfway decent but android Os still to this day feels like an inferior knock off of Ios.