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Why so quiet here?

Isn't it strange?
The S10e has highly favourable reviews and is supposed to become one of the best selling phones, maybe it could sell even better than the S10.
But it's very quiet around here with not much discussion compared to other phones.
And personally I've never seen an S10e in person even though I've seen plenty of S10 & S10+.
The S10+ Q&A forum has thousands of posts already, and there's 341 here.
So what's happening?

I would say s10e people go see s10 or s10+ forums as there is not much difference.

The S10e is ultimately the third tier device in the S10 line. Enthusiasts are more likely to be the ones to develop for devices in general, and enthusiasts are more likely to go for the first or second tier options.
We may get a small amount of development ported over from the other devices, but odds are this is about the amount of participation we're going to see here.

Maybe because people are satisfied with it. I honestly have no complaint about this device

Because it's locked down... Not much we can do really.
I'm very happy with this phone tho. Don't even need root anymore really....custom kernel would be nice but not likely to see that for long time if ever.
Good old locked af Sammy phones.

wywywywy said:
Isn't it strange?
The S10e has highly favourable reviews and is supposed to become one of the best selling phones, maybe it could sell even better than the S10.
But it's very quiet around here with not much discussion compared to other phones.
And personally I've never seen an S10e in person even though I've seen plenty of S10 & S10+.
The S10+ Q&A forum has thousands of posts already, and there's 341 here.
So what's happening?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right, brother.
I've been a oneplus user for the past three devices, and this s10E really got my attention.
I ordered a G9700 version from ebay, should come next week
Surprised though there's little talk about it here.
What about TWRP? hmm
Could even survive without magisk nowadays as long as I use themes such as swift installer or even substratum ones.
This device seems unique for what it can offer, almost the same as their big brothers. With such a compact design,
Let's rock it!

jasons1004 said:
Because it's locked down... Not much we can do really.
I'm very happy with this phone tho. Don't even need root anymore really....custom kernel would be nice but not likely to see that for long time if ever.
Good old locked af Sammy phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not if you have the Exynos version ...

You guys have got valid points, however, even the Accessories section (which has nothing to do with being locked down) is super quiet.
The S10 and S10+ are locked down too, yet they still have big communities.
My worry is that the S10e is selling maybe nowhere near as well as people were expecting, possibly even a flop. This will be a problem for future official or non-official support.

No idea.
Major weirdness.

wywywywy said:
You guys have got valid points, however, even the Accessories section (which has nothing to do with being locked down) is super quiet.
The S10 and S10+ are locked down too, yet they still have big communities.
My worry is that the S10e is selling maybe nowhere near as well as people were expecting, possibly even a flop. This will be a problem for future official or non-official support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't remember where I read the news but I saw that S10+ and S10e both are outsellIing S10. I think this forum just needs more time

I typically get the highest model available when I purchase phones but there was a few things that made me get my s10e. The main thing is that I despised curved screen phones. That's why I've been away from Samsung for years now. Finally is that I do not want to deal with the experimental in screen finger print sensor.
After getting the s10e, The only downside is the absurdly narrow screen. While the screen size is actually larger than my older LG V20 actual usable screen space is less and I feel it when playing puzzle games. Other than that I never thought that I'd be so happy on a non rooted phone. I pretty much destroyed my LG V20 on sprint by installing the best rom that was available and which got rid of lots of things like visual voicemail and many other features.

esqueue said:
I typically get the highest model available when I purchase phones but there was a few things that made me get my s10e. The main thing is that I despised curved screen phones. That's why I've been away from Samsung for years now. Finally is that I do not want to deal with the experimental in screen finger print sensor.
After getting the s10e, The only downside is the absurdly narrow screen. While the screen size is actually larger than my older LG V20 actual usable screen space is less and I feel it when playing puzzle games. Other than that I never thought that I'd be so happy on a non rooted phone. I pretty much destroyed my LG V20 on sprint by installing the best rom that was available and which got rid of lots of things like visual voicemail and many other features. I mainly root to have access to free wifi hotspot and to my surprise, my s10e has no problems getting. There is absolutely no reason to root this device anymore.
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One word: ads. After being pushed onto an S8 when my OP6 broke, I couldn't believe how many ads there are spamming all over the place. It felt unusable. Adaway really spoiled me. At that point I rooted my S8 with Nougat.
There are still some drawbacks to rooting an SD S8 (random crashes and 80 percent battery), but it's still worth it IMO. Enough so that I didn't upgrade to the 10e, even though I like my wife's overall.
Oh, and Titanium Backup too.

I agree root was not necessarily so far. I am using Adguard VPN ad blocking, used ADB to remove bloatware and add some 3rd apps for gestures and other improvements. All ok for now.

root is no longer needed for blocking advertisements. you can use, Blokada, adhell3, Disconnect Pro and private Dns. I use Disconnect Pro in combination with Adguard dns. Dns over tls. perfect combination for adblocking with 0% battery drain

Xda isnt Poppin like it used to and the phone is so good, there's really nothing to complain about or anything. Ppl are just enjoying their phone
Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

I really wish I could use a custom ROM on this. I don't like using stock ROMs and haven't on a single smartphone I've owned... including my first, the Samsung Captivate. I'm currently in love with Resurrection Remix.

Not much to complain about so far. I was getting a bit fed up with the increasingly large screens and weight, so I decided to go for the 10e and so far it is a great phone.

Phh just ordered an s10e, that's great news for any aosp lovers.

There's not much to do having the Snap SoC(ks)
Still waiting for the promised supper-dupper night mode update, 4 months since purchasing my unlocked S10e and that's too long. Samsung is bombarding the market with so many cheap "A" models now, that they're forgetting their obligations to the owners of top priced galaxy 'battleships' or 'flagships',... whatever.
I like the S10e, but I'm beginning to regret not waiting for the OP7 Pro, they seem to be on top of updates/upgrades. I think I'll give OP7T Pro a try when it gets released in the fall.

mzsquared said:
There's not much to do having the Snap SoC(ks)
Still waiting for the promised supper-dupper night mode update, 4 months since purchasing my unlocked S10e and that's too long. Samsung is bombarding the market with so many cheap "A" models now, that they're forgetting their obligations to the owners of top priced galaxy 'battleships' or 'flagships',... whatever.
I like the S10e, but I'm beginning to regret not waiting for the OP7 Pro, they seem to be on top of updates/upgrades. I think I'll give OP7T Pro a try when it gets released in the fall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got around the night mode thing by installing a dark theme and using night mode for all my Google apps. Gives me about 85% night mode for everything.
Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Question Get a 5/5S Pro?

Hey all, I am on the hunt for a new phone after four years with a Huawei Mate 10 Pro... still stuck on Android 8 but otherwise going strong.
I am having trouble narrowing this down, but Rog 5/5S Pro is ticking a fair few of my boxes. I like the flat screen, the good specs etc. On the other hand there are strong competitors like Pixel 6 Pro and S21 Ultra, or even Note 20 Ultra (snapdragon version).
I can get a 5S Pro (18GB/512GB) locally here in Australia for $1899 AUD, or pay a fair bit less for a CN version shipped from Hong Kong or China.
I have always had root on my Android phones and will probably want root on the new one.
So a few questions...
1. Do you recommend this phone?
2. Does it matter whether I get CN or WW version?
3. I have read some stuff about problems unlocking the bootloader, or unlocking the bootloader twice, etc. Basically I am usually content with a stock ROM plus root, is this going to be a problem for me?
I am not much of a mobile gamer, but I use my phone fairly heavily in general.
I am having a bit of trouble making a decision here....

1: Yes, I use 5sp, it's really nice phone to have aside from the lack of waterproofing.
2: DO NOT get the CN version, you'll have issues unlocking your phone and / or getting a network connection. Also the device will likely come with a Chinese fw if you buy it without modifications done by seller.
3: if you unlocked your phone then why lock it back.... And yes, you will sometimes have trouble getting the phone to unlock the second time after relock. But there's a guide here on how to fix it.
Stock + root is currently the only option anyway.... There's no ROM available atm. You can find patched boot images in one of my thread, flash it after unlocking, and just enjoy. You won't even need TWRP for anything... For now

Thanks Yurishouse, good info.
I think I'm content to pay a bit more for a local version. Much better for warranty etc apart from anything else.
This has been a hard choice, but 5S Pro is my front runner, having looked hard at Pixel 6 Pro, S21 Ultra, Xperia 1 iii, Oneplus 9 Pro, and a lot else.
I am a bit worried about the low level of activity on this forum but that seems to be how it is for every device compared to three or four years ago, i guess things are different now.

anthropoidape said:
Thanks Yurishouse, good info.
I think I'm content to pay a bit more for a local version. Much better for warranty etc apart from anything else.
This has been a hard choice, but 5S Pro is my front runner, having looked hard at Pixel 6 Pro, S21 Ultra, Xperia 1 iii, Oneplus 9 Pro, and a lot else.
I am a bit worried about the low level of activity on this forum but that seems to be how it is for every device compared to three or four years ago, i guess things are different now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Low activity is likely the cost and how difficult it is to get one. I've been trying to get a 5s pro from a non-scalper for months, was finally successful and ordered one off the asus store yesterday.

Well, I ended up giving up on the current crop of flagships and bought a second hand Samsung Note 10 Plus 5g, 512gb. It even has an sd slot. It cost me a bit over 300USD. It will do me for a year or two so I can stop thinking about options for a while.

yurishouse said:
2: DO NOT get the CN version, you'll have issues unlocking your phone and / or getting a network connection. Also the device will likely come with a Chinese fw if you buy it without modifications done by seller.
Stock + root is currently the only option anyway.... There's no ROM available atm. You can find patched boot images in one of my thread, flash it after unlocking, and just enjoy. You won't even need TWRP for anything... For now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are Tencent versions that come with WW firmware (stock), but still have the lower price. Most sellers are unclear, so it's a lottery trying to find them.
TWRP is a niche software. Some can't live without, but most new phones make it take more time keeping it installed than will be spent using it.

1. Do you recommend this phone?
Nope. Get the ROG 3 with the highest memory specs. ROG 3 is still the ASUS king if you ask me. I switched from ROG 5 to 3 and loving it. Solid built device with a cooler running chipset and mamoth battery life (a properly lean set up ROG 3 has eye popping battery life). - You can still find a few out there if you're quick and do some online hunting.
2. Does it matter whether I get CN or WW version?
Yes. If you go for it, get a genuine ASUS factory WW version that hasn't been converted or touched by a dealer or anyone else.
3. I have read some stuff about problems unlocking the bootloader, or unlocking the bootloader twice, etc. Basically I am usually content with a stock ROM plus root, is this going to be a problem for me?
If you follow the advice and make sure you get a genuine WW version, you should be fine.
At this point in the cycle, another question is whether you want to wait for the next device however..

Probably best to wait after just getting a Note 10.

Question If you're dumping the Ultra what's replacing it?

Curious which device users are going to run to. If you're happy with the S22 Ultra's performance you're fortunate since there's not much out there that's comparable. With that being shared it's apparent a number of users are moving on. Besides the iPhone which smartphone compares most favorably to the S22 Ultra? I'm inquiring since I've skipped the S22 and will be looking to replace my S21 Ultra soon.

varcor said:
Curious which device users are going to run to. If you're happy with the S22 Ultra's performance you're fortunate since there's not much out there that's comparable. With that being shared it's apparent a number of users are moving on. Besides the iPhone which smartphone compares most favorably to the S22 Ultra? I'm inquiring since I've skipped the S22 and will be looking to replace my S21 Ultra soon.
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Click to collapse
And why exactly would you replace a perfectly fine working S21 Ultra? Just for the sake of having a new phone? I love my S22 Ultra because it's Snap Dragon and no Issues other than video recording jerkiness but fixed that by turning off image stabilization. I haven't even got that 1.5 gig April Update yet. But if I did have a problem and was looking for another phone I would be trying to find an S21 Ultra.

Only the iPhone 13 pro max is comparable in the high spec big storage category.
And I'm not going down that iOS rabbit hole ever again.

Paul_Deemer said:
And why exactly would you replace a perfectly fine working S21 Ultra? Just for the sake of having a new phone? I love my S22 Ultra because it's Snap Dragon and no Issues other than video recording jerkiness but fixed that by turning off image stabilization. I haven't even got that 1.5 gig April Update yet. But if I did have a problem and was looking for another phone I would be trying to find an S21 Ultra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S21 Ultra is a good device, better than the S22 Ultra IMHO but to answer your question I typically upgrade every year. I also use an S10+ and when I switch back to the S21 Ultra it feels so bulky and heavy, ready for a change. As far as the 1.5 Gb update goes, I might pass on it. A number of users with the S22 and the S21 have experienced new issues after updating. I'm on Android 11 OneUI 3.1 and it works perfect, won't risk having the device corrupted by Android 12.

hand-filer said:
Only the iPhone 13 pro max is comparable in the high spec big storage category.
And I'm not going down that iOS rabbit hole ever again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do that most years for a bit. Get tempted by marketing promises, get excited when I manage to order the model and color i want, then get disappointed when I use it to find it's basically EXACTLY the same experience as the model I used 5 years ago, and go back to android... so I can complain about the battery life!

varcor said:
Curious which device users are going to run to. If you're happy with the S22 Ultra's performance you're fortunate since there's not much out there that's comparable. With that being shared it's apparent a number of users are moving on. Besides the iPhone which smartphone compares most favorably to the S22 Ultra? I'm inquiring since I've skipped the S22 and will be looking to replace my S21 Ultra soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I´m was waiting for xiaomi 12ultra mix5, but they take long to comme, maybi not now....

Keeping my Zfold3. It has issues like poor battery life and I have doubts about the durability of the inner display but there's nothing really else on the market I like at the moment and it's performance is way ahead of the s22u Exynos. May wait for the Zf4.

varcor said:
Curious which device users are going to run to. If you're happy with the S22 Ultra's performance you're fortunate since there's not much out there that's comparable. With that being shared it's apparent a number of users are moving on. Besides the iPhone which smartphone compares most favorably to the S22 Ultra? I'm inquiring since I've skipped the S22 and will be looking to replace my S21 Ultra soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think that Oppo Find X5 Pro is a very intriguing device

iPhone 14 Pro Max. Apple I loathe to admit has been on a tear lately hardware wise improving its flagship and with the upcoming 14 Pro Max finally getting rid of that hideous notch and possibly a slightly bigger battery it'll be hard to beat. The days have gone when android manufacturers used to be hardware kings and now have seceded everything to Apple while trying to be Apple ironically.

dj24 said:
iPhone 14 Pro Max. Apple I loathe to admit has been on a tear lately hardware wise improving its flagship and with the upcoming 14 Pro Max finally getting rid of that hideous notch and possibly a slightly bigger battery it'll be hard to beat. The days have gone when android manufacturers used to be hardware kings and now have seceded everything to Apple while trying to be Apple ironically.
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I just wish they would update the software experience, especially the home screen which feels straight out of 2008.

ekerbuddyeker said:
I just wish they would update the software experience, especially the home screen which feels straight out of 2008.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in an Apple store last weekend (one of my kids wanted to check it out), and so I played with an iPhone 13 pro max. Not gonna lie, I didn't hate it. It now has sort of an app drawer if you swipe to the left a couple pages. I didn't try to move the apps that were on the home screens, but I *think* you can just use that. The left from home screen is not bad, has weather, news, stuff like that. However, the settings screens are pretty much still the same as they were when I had the 3Gs though (seriously...). Also, barely any widgets, and almost zero customization. I won't buy one, probably ever, but it's come a long way since I last had one. Not quite as boring.
If Android and their phones could just figure out how to be super responsive like iPhones, I would like them sooo much better. Battery life too. Apple is killing it with those two things.

For now I'm still unsure wether I'll keep my S22 Ultra with all the problems the phone's got. It got better with updates, so I'll decide in a few updates if I keep it or not, to see if all the problems are fixed or not.
I kept my iPhone 12 Pro Max just in case, so I would go back to it.
For me the choice is simple: Note experience or iPhone experience, but I do prefer the Note experience thanks to the S Pen.

I think users can relate to the review of the S22 Ultra by arsTechnica. It gets to the meat of issues with the device which most reviewers gloss over. The reviewer makes an honest assessment of Samsung's approach to it's skin and software, a no holds look at the problems a number of users are currently experiencing.
Redirect Notice

varcor said:
Curious which device users are going to run to. If you're happy with the S22 Ultra's performance you're fortunate since there's not much out there that's comparable. With that being shared it's apparent a number of users are moving on. Besides the iPhone which smartphone compares most favorably to the S22 Ultra? I'm inquiring since I've skipped the S22 and will be looking to replace my S21 Ultra soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went back to my Fold 3 after returning my 22 ultra still have an s21 ultra and Note 20 ultra as well but hard to stay away from the fold lol

varcor said:
I think users can relate to the review of the S22 Ultra by arsTechnica. It gets to the meat of issues with the device which most reviewers gloss over. The reviewer makes an honest assessment of Samsung's approach to it's skin and software, a no holds look at the problems a number of users are currently experiencing.
Redirect Notice
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Interesting review but it is hard to take it seriously when they say the Pixel 6 pro is the better phone, it just isn’t.

arsenal74 said:
Interesting review but it is hard to take it seriously when they say the Pixel 6 pro is the better phone, it just isn’t.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
6 Pro felt like a prototype device.

ekerbuddyeker said:
6 Pro felt like a prototype device.
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Click to collapse
Agree. I had it for 3 months before I sold it and wasn't impressed at all.

ekerbuddyeker said:
6 Pro felt like a prototype device.
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Click to collapse
Indeed. For a phone that Google made to try to jump into the mainstream flagship market, they sure screwed this one up. The fpr on the one I had never worked worth a sh$t. That plus constant network dropouts made that phone an epic fail IMO. I traded it for the ultra as soon as it was announced. I think using a two year old modem, as well as a garbage fpr was a total cheap out move. Also, did I mention the phone is ugly as hell?

I am not changing mine since Ive had 0 issues with it and April's update improved battery quite a bit. However the only phone I would consider replacing it with would be the Oppo X5 Pro.

iOS is out of the question because I can't tolerate iOS. The other Chinese phones are out as they have minimal presence in Canada. Google is a no go because as mentioned it's more of an experimental device at this point.
Thankfully my S22U has been working flawlessly. If this were not the case I guess I'd dig my faithful old LG G7 out of the drawer and use it until something better came along.

Question Pixel 7 pro to replace my S22U , am I crazy?

Hello I received a confirmation from my usual shop that the S23U will be "at least" 200$ more than the S22U when it was released, which is way too much for me. So now I am contemplating (again) the Pixel 7 Pro . Am I crazy to be willing to replace my 1 year old S22U with a Pixel 7 pro ? Anyone here did the same and is happy or regret the move ? Also some practical question: can you see briefly a message when receiving one on the AOD like on Samsung

I like my 7 Pro very much for the Pixel ONLY features like call screening. I really don't care about cameras. I do NOT like how Samsung forces its native apps and BIXBY down a persons throat. However, you are asking about a good powerful phone that I imagine you like and that is ONLY one year old! Now if it was 3 or more years old I would say to get the 7 Pro. But at one year old I am not sure what you might gain? In fact you might lose a few things you like while gaining a few you don't have now. So YMMV.

Depends on what you need out of a phone. If you didn't use any of the s22u features like 10x optical zoom, the pen, the ability to connect to more than one Bluetooth device/speaker simultaneously ,multi window multitasking, screen mirroring, the far superior game playability..... then the 7pro is an awesome alternative. Once all the bugs were ironed out that is. It does all the little things better than any other android phone. The voice recognition on it is unbelievable. Much less bloatware. I can't imagine wanting another home outside of the galaxy ultra phines. And I went from an s22 ultra to a z fold 4 (which I had for maybe a month) to the 7 pro. Obviously I'm getting the S23u but that just cause I've got some weird mental condition.

vegetaleb said:
Also some practical question: can you see briefly a message when receiving one on the AOD like on Samsung
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Click to collapse
No. This was annoying coming from OnePlus where they integrated full screen message previews into the AOD. The Pixel just takes you to the lock screen when you get a message. I got a Galaxy Watch 4 Classic a week ago and I'm loving it for the ability to preview my messages without having to touch my phone. Didn't realize how much I missed that from the OnePlus.

chetly968 said:
I've got some weird sickness.
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Click to collapse
Lol I think many of us here can relate to that sickness. I'm fighting with myself about the S23U too.

EtherealRemnant said:
No. This was annoying coming from OnePlus where they integrated full screen message previews into the AOD. The Pixel just takes you to the lock screen when you get a message. I got a Galaxy Watch 4 Classic a week ago and I'm loving it for the ability to preview my messages without having to touch my phone. Didn't realize how much I missed that from the OnePlus.
Click to expand...
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Did you try custom roms?
I wonder if they add this option

vegetaleb said:
Did you try custom roms?
I wonder if they add this option
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I haven't tried them yet. Honestly have been pretty happy with my Pixel and I hate the idea of having to wipe my phone since I'm on the beta.

Why won't you just skip the S23 and save your money for the S24?

heinhuiz said:
Why won't you just skip the S23 and save your money for the S24?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like someone else said , it's a sickness to change a phone every year
I am a bit tired of samsung OneOs , it does have negatives and the Ultra body is beginning to be very weighty.

I have had this dude but replacing note 10+ with Pixel 6 pro , I believe I would badly miss the SPen ... Apart from the pen as lo g as I am able to connect my Galaxy watch to the pixel I dont see any other inconvenience...

yurais said:
to connect my Galaxy watch to the pixel
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You can definitely do this. There is even a modded Samsung Health Monitor APK to get all those features if you use them.

EtherealRemnant said:
You can definitely do this. There is even a modded Samsung Health Monitor APK to get all those features if you use them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still will miss the SPen and its air gestures and onScreen functions, use it daily...
I have both phones... Just can't switch to the pixel. Even though it is damn good, fast and running Android 13.
I will probably sell both and get S22U

yurais said:
Still will miss the SPen and its air gestures and onScreen functions, use it daily...
I have both phones... Just can't switch to the pixel. Even though it is damn good, fast and running Android 13.
I will probably sell both and get S22U
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm doubtful I'll even use the S-Pen if I get the S23U. Note 5 was the last Samsung I had and I used the S-Pen hardly ever.
I wanted the S23U to have a modem with updated bands that the Pixel 7 Pro doesn't support (lower 3.45GHz n77 for AT&T as well as n26 and n70 for Dish) but word is the S23U doesn't support n70 either so I'll probably just keep my Pixel unless Samsung offers a really attractive price or trade in (seems unlikely).

yurais said:
Still will miss the SPen and its air gestures and onScreen functions, use it daily...
I have both phones... Just can't switch to the pixel. Even though it is damn good, fast and running Android 13.
I will probably sell both and get S22U
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm doubtful that I'll even use the S-Pen if I get the S23U. Note 5 was the last Samsung I had and I used the S-Pen hardly ever.
I wanted the S23U to have a modem with updated bands that the Pixel 7 Pro doesn't support (lower 3.45GHz n77 for AT&T as well as n26 and n70 for Dish) but word is the S23U doesn't support n70 either so I'll probably just keep my Pixel unless Samsung offers a really attractive price or trade in (seems unlikely).

vegetaleb said:
Hello I received a confirmation from my usual shop that the S23U will be "at least" 200$ more than the S22U when it was released, which is way too much for me. So now I am contemplating (again) the Pixel 7 Pro . Am I crazy to be willing to replace my 1 year old S22U with a Pixel 7 pro ? Anyone here did the same and is happy or regret the move ? Also some practical question: can you see briefly a message when receiving one on the AOD like on Samsung
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi. I made the same change that you indicate and very happy.
For me this Pixel 7 pro is a great phone.

vegetaleb said:
Like someone else said , it's a sickness to change a phone every year
I am a bit tired of samsung OneOs , it does have negatives and the Ultra body is beginning to be very weighty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why I went with the 7 Pro. I had the 22 Ultra for almost two weeks and just could not get used to the boxy feeling and overly curved screen. I had a 21 Ultra before that for almost two years and a Note before that so I was getting really tired of OneUi as well. I'm very happy with the 7 Pro and what I paid for it. The 23 Ultra is too much like the 22 so that's off the board for me.

I don't have an ultra but I do have an s22 plus. I also have the Pixel 7 Pro. Between the two I use the Pixel now almost excellent and I don't miss the Samsung or it's gimmick features.
Everyone has a different opinion and use case. The s pen is an advantage in certain situations if you don't have a tablet and need to sign legal documents. Otherwise on a small screen I don't see any real use for it.
The edge panels and Dex are things I will never use because I have other devices that fill in the gap.
I really hate all the bloatware on Samsung devices since time immemorial. Apps that you can't disable or uninstall, 3rd party apps preinstalled and of course the numerous duplicate apps. Then there is Bixby. Completely unnecessary and useless but you don't have a choice to get rid of it.
Despite all of the hate I have towards those things I like Samsung and the integration between PC, tablet, phone and watch. Very similar to Apple. I like Samsung back ups. I like some Samsung apps. I like the hardware on Samsung probably the best of any Android device out there.
So I am always torn on Samsung devices.
Considering the price of the Pixel 7 Pro and features it has everything I need and nothing I don't. Sure, there are a few Google apps I could live without but in general it is as close to software perfection that you can get on Android. Although the hardware is not as good as the Ultra it is really good for the cost. I also like the direction Google is taking with Tensor. Less about maximum performance that most phones throttle anyway and more about sustained performance and AI.
I have felt the 7 Pro is really good in terms of stability and reliability compared to previous Pixels which is a huge factor for me. The cameras are some of the best, certainly the best I have used on a smartphone, the screen is calibrated perfectly and just an absolute pleasure. The battery life is good enough and performance has been seamless. The UI and animations super smooth and pleasing. The modem to my surprise has been excellent.
I got this phone on sale and at less than the cost of the regular s22 MSRP it is simply hard to beat. Add Pixel exclusive features and feature updates and fast updates and it is one of the best phones out there.
Samsung s23 ultra will have better hardware for sure but does that translate into a better user experience is something only each of us can decide. I too, am extremely tempted by the s23 ultra but the cost of that phone is pretty crazy to me. Almost double what I paid for my Pixel 7 Pro and I can say with certainty that it is not double the phone!

robbbzilla said:
I really hate all the bloatware on Samsung devices since time immemorial. Apps that you can't disable or uninstall, 3rd party apps preinstalled and of course the numerous duplicate apps. Then there is Bixby. Completely unnecessary and useless but you don't have a choice to get rid of it.
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So do I but that can be dealt with using by using ADBAppControl.
Can't remove bloatware is no longer a thing.

hand-filer said:
So do I but that can be dealt with using by using ADBAppControl.
Can't remove bloatware is no longer a thing.
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Well it is hard to know what can be removed and what will mess up the OS. Can you remove Bixby or some other Samsung software without causing issues? I have seen lists that say what is safe to remove and they conflict each other.
It would be nicer if Samsung simply allowed you to choose at setup what apps you want installed and what you don't without forcing your hand or hacking the OS. Just my opinion.

S22U to P7P would be more like moving sideways. Definitely not an upgrade, but not necessarily a downgrade either.
If i were you, i would just see what world offer in next 6 months instead of spending the money now.

Should I buy in 2023?

Trying to figure out if I should buy this phone or not. I love the form factor, mainly how tall the phone is but, compared to the S22 Ultra and the current S23 Ultra, the Note 20 Ultra still looks better. I know the phone isnt getting updates anymore but, is there a custom rom that would be recommended to go with or did I just completely miss the train on this one?

Phaze1585 said:
Note 20 Ultra still looks better
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This is a good attitude for buying strawberries but not for phones, eh?
Wouldn't you have proper features that you want or need?