I’ve said before in a different post - iOS is great for tablet-sized devices. It’s super easy to use - UI is on point. And naturally apps work really well on it like they do whenever anyone compares iOS to Android equivalent apps.
It’s too basic and boring (in my view) for iPhones, and definitely not for full size PC / laptop screens.
I have an iPhone12 as a work phone and Flip5 as a personal phone.
I’d never use my Flip5 for a work stuff - too messy, doesn’t feel as fast and slick to use, corporate apps aren’t as good. iPhone is perfect for work but boring for personal use.
Look and feel: iOS is still the same grid of apps pretty much from what I used to see when I had a personal iPhone4, and unless I’m missing something - the widgets are super basic. At least on Samsung I have a full home page just for my calendar, or e-mails right there on the home screen so I don’t even need to open an app to see things I need quickly. Performance is the same. iOS looks cleaner though - far more consistent design language throughout.
Apps: iOS versions of the same app are usually better in my experience - optimised, nicer UI etc. This is also why I like it for work use - I can live with some jank in a personal phone but for work-use I need it to work perfectly and consistently, and that’s where iOS wins.
Basic Phone stuff: Apart from iMessage (and I use WhatsApp anyway) - no difference.
Notifications: I think Samsung just edges it here based on being able to do more with notifications but not really explored the full potential of iOS here.
General flexibility: Obviously OneUI - split screening apps and so on. Very easy to do on a Flip as well since it’s a physical movement that triggers it to use “flex mode” - letting you run one app in the top half and one in the bottom. Sounds like a gimmick but honestly I’m using it more and more, especially if I’m researching something to buy + looking up where I can buy it. In fact I even hook up a bluetooth mouse to use it as a laptop, and sometimes a keyboard so it’s even easier to search. It’s a brilliant combo of hardware and software.
Fundamentally though it’s down to what I use each OS for. The disappointment is obvious with iOS for personal use - if I slapped down £1000s on a new iPhone, do all the fancy setup process etc. And then it says “Welcome” before presenting me the usual grid of apps - it’s the moment of “wow this is coo…oh, same old”. It needs a big change. Like when Windows 8 introduced that controversial new touch-based start-menu rather than the usual desktop and taskbar UI - something like that. It needs Apple to push boundaries again.
I’d get the 23U - it’s a beast. I was deciding between it and the Flip5 - very different spec-wise obviously but not much different in price. I went Flip5 as I wanted something different, but can’t deny that the S23U is just a great ‘traditional’ phone that will serve you perfectly for years. The Flip5 is fun but I do miss the convenience of a big lovely glass screen.
I can’t go back to 60hz - maybe it varies from person to person but I can definitely tell. And even if the display is 4K with amazing contrast and brightness blah blah, it feels outdated as soon as I see that juddering. I can’t say I notice much difference at higher rates - 90+ I’d say it’s hard to spot unless you side-by-side it with a 120hz or higher panel. And I see no difference (given the relatively small phone screen) from 120hz onwards.
I don’t have a 23U (went for a Flip5 in the end) but I did get the Buds2 Pro with it for free so I can comment on that. They’re really good in my view, and not just because they were free.
I had Sony WF-1000XM4s which I bought and had for about 1.5yrs - eventually had some battery problems which caused me to return them and I ended up using the B2P that I was planning to sell. I had a brief couple of days using them side-by-side and they were essentially the same.
However I did need to purchase some better earbud silicone tips for the B2P as the ones they came with weren’t a nice solid fit - felt loose. I bought the “Azla SednaEarfit” tips for them and they transformed the fit to make them have even better noise cancelling.
The only thing I’ve noticed recently is they’re not as good as the Sonys at cutting out wind noise - but that’s not a major issue for me.
I have both a work iPhone12 and Flip5 personal phone. I love my iPhone for work-use - it’s just easy to use, good keyboard, corporate apps work great.
My Flip5 (and any previous Samsung personal phone I’ve had - S20+, S10, S9, S6 etc.), I’d never want to use for work. Something about it feels clunkier and messier - just the UI and customisability options making it like that.
On the Flip-side (haha) - I’d never want an iPhone for personal use. It’s boring - grid of apps, useless widgets, hardware and cameras are on-par but that’s it. Samsung / OneUI is way more interesting to use. I don’t think I’ve ever needed to split screen apps on my work iPhone since I use it for something specific like an e-mail or Teams meeting, and my laptop for anything heavier - but I do it all time on my Flip. Wouldn’t change that setup.
You would infer that us Samsung / Android users are critical thinkers and are objective in our opinions - so we are less biased and therefore more honest. And the truth is though - an iPad is a better tablet (in my view). I think iOS is perfect for that form factor.
On smartphone screens I find it too non-functional, and very boring to look at and use (grid of square apps and occasionally a bigger widget square) - yes it’s got some clever design touches but so does Android / OneUI. It’s not unique like it was a decade ago. I have an iPhone12 work phone and a Flip5 personal phone. My work phone experience is I tap an app, I use the app, I go back to the grid of apps, and then I tap on another app. Nothing in-between that flow - unlike my Flip5 (I’ve had Samsung phones for about 8 years now) which has a full size calendar on the home screen, e-mail widgets, Bixby routines and dual screen apps etc.
On a big desktop screen iOS wouldn’t work with a keyboard and mouse etc. I think that’s obvious.
On a tablet though - it’s perfect. It’s hard to explain but that 8" to 12" screen works the best with it. And when I’m using a big slab of screen with touch-input only, I want the OS to be simple so it’s not annoying to operate quickly. And the cleaner look of iOS fits better with a tablet somehow better than it does on the iPhone - you can actually see more of the design language of iOS on that bigger screen, and it makes it way more impressive to look at. I wouldn’t unhappy at all with a nice Samsung tablet and S-Pen, but I’d be happier if I was given an iPad and Apple Pencil.
They’re good at going to sleep?
I’d wait personally. Worst that’ll happen is the S24 isn’t worth it, but the S23 range will be discounted as it’s no longer the latest. You’ll either end up with the latest and best phone with the 24, or a good value 23.
More incentive for people to upgrade to the Ultra. I guess the thinking is people who buy the Ultra probably know more than normal about the specs of it.
If Samsung put their processor in their top of the line spec-monster smartphone you can imagine the Tech website headlines…but those same sites won’t care if it’s in the base or Plus versions since they’re not aimed at being spec monsters.