I’m upgrading my phone soon, I have an S21 ultra that is suffering from moderate battery drain, is overheating a lot, and is just too big for me, it’s a giant phone I can never one hand.
I went to a physical store for once (I usually check things out online and on YouTube). Here’s what I found out after actually touching and using all the models in person:
The Z fold 5: this is my first time ever touching a fold in real life and WOWWW that cover screen is so narrow, everything felt like it was squished from the sides into a super narrow screen, my eyes felt uncomfortable just looking at it, Samsung should seriously do what OPPO did with the Find n fold or One plus Open, their cover screens are naturally sized proportions. But on the other hand the big display on the inside of that Z fold 5 is AMAZING! if I had the courage to spend $1300 I’d definitely get the fold 5 purely for that inner display, but I still have grudges against that cover screen. Way too narrow in my opinion.
Z flip 5; amazing cover screen, I’ve seen people do so many cool stuff with it, even make custom GIFs and wallpapers for it. You can check your notifications and do some quick checks and swipes without ever opening the phone. But personally I’m not a fan of a flip smartphone because when you open it, it’s way too tall. Yeah it’s compact in my pocket sure but when using it, one handed usage is impossible.
S23 ultra: the ultra is far too big and boxy for me and I’m never gonna use the S-pen so no point in buying that.
S23 plus: this one actually felt very good, like it’s not so big it’s uncomfortable but it’s not small enough to my liking either but if I ever bought an S23 plus, I wouldn’t mind it, one handed use was quite good but just not perfect. Everything else about the phone is amazing. It’s a safe phone you can never go wrong with.
Base S23; this is the one I TRULY wanted to see and touch but unfortunately they didn’t have a display model, I’m very curious about how 6’1 inch phone actually looks and feels in my hands, one day I’ll find a display model somewhere to determine if I should get base 23 or s23 plus, those are my best options.
A54: very cool phone for that price you get SO MUCH! I’d almost have gotten an A54 if the performance was a little better. I’m someone that truly hates strutters and app lag in my phones, I don’t game but I hate it when apps slow down or don’t respond properly due to a mediocre SoC so maybe I’ll see what chip they put in the A55.
Overall, the 2023 lineup is very good, they’re all upgrades from their last year versions obviously so not a major design change but I like them. I just wish they had a base S23 in display so I could see it. No one buys it in my country so stores don’t stock them much.
But honestly, what phone you buy is purely up to your priorities. Power user or heavy gamer? S23 Ultra. Want a cheap flagship? S23. Want the absolute rock bottom cheap phone? A54. Heavy multitasker? Z fold 5. Want a cool yet compact device? Z flip 5.
But remember to do your research before buying a new phone do see which one suits your needs.
You can also trade-in your S21 Ultra for some discounts.
P.S. I think you should wait for the S24 lineup as it will be coming in a few months time.