It's 2023, and I've spent well over the past six months with a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Now that
I've had the Google Pixel 8 Pro for a bit, I'm going to break down what really differentiates
these phones and which one I think is the best choice for most people. First,
let's look at the S23 Ultra and its advantages. The first of which is One UI, Samsung's customized
version of the Android operating system. One UI has a ton of unique features not found on
most other Android devices, like multitasking window management, edge panels, S Pen features,
which include writing on your phone screen when it's off, converting handwritten notes to text,
using it as a remote to take photos. Also, in One UI, you have Samsung DeX, which can turn
your Galaxy phone into a computer when hooked up to a desktop monitor, and Link to Windows,
where you can access your phone's notifications, messages, and photos from a PC. Plus, you can
mirror your phone screen to your PC there as well. One of the only downsides I've really found
with One UI is its app drawer implementation. I prefer Pixel's implementation of their app drawer;
it just feels faster to get to your apps versus scrolling through One UI's pages, though you can
change it to a similar app list with the Samsung Good Lock app. And that demonstrates one thing
I really like about One UI overall, and that is it's extremely customizable, and Samsung really
embraces that. One downside of One UI, though, is there are parts of the OS where you'll run
into ads for a third-party service, like under device protection, for example, there's a McAfee
ad for one of their products. The phone also comes pre-loaded with apps like Facebook and Microsoft
apps too, which isn't necessarily bad, but it does contribute to this feeling like you just dropped a
ton of money on this phone, but its OS is filled with a bunch of stuff you didn't ask for or need.
The next benefit of going with the S23 Ultra is the 10x optical camera;
the Pixel 8 Pro only has a 5x optical. The 10x on the S23 Ultra is surprisingly usable, and one I've
really enjoyed using, especially on my trip to Hawaii this year, taking close-ups of waterfalls
and cute little geckos. The only thing I wish the S23 Ultra had was also a 5x. Oddly, when comparing
it with the new iPhone and Pixel this year, I like the 5x telephoto a bit better compared to
the S23 Ultra's 3x. Overall, though, if you love taking photos of cool things in nature,
you'll love the 10x camera and camera system in general on the S23 Ultra. The next benefit of the
S23 Ultra is video quality. Overall, while the Pixel 8 Pro video is quite respectable, I found
the S23 Ultra's video to generally be ahead of the Pixel 8 Pro's in terms of image sensor noise,
especially in low light. Though we haven't seen Google's new video boost mode on the Pixel 8 yet,
which is supposed to improve low-light scenarios. That feature is supposed to roll out later this
year in a software update. The Pixel 8 Pro does seem to handle HDR processing and color science
a bit better. Another camera feature that's a plus with the S23 Ultra is portrait mode;
overall, it does a slightly better job than the Pixel in my experience.
The next benefit you get with the S23 Ultra is the S Pen, which is housed at the bottom of the
phone and enables some of the features I talked about earlier with One UI. It's a really unique
part of this phone, and it's one of the only phones you can buy today with a stylus. The S23
Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor also beats Google's new Tensor 3 chip in Geekbench scores,
so that's another benefit you get with the S23 Ultra. However, both phones run really smooth
in my experience so far, and even though the Geekbench scores for the S23 Ultra are better,
it's not like Samsung markets the phone with new AI features tied to that chip like Google
does with Tensor. So, even though you are getting better performance feature-wise,
it doesn't necessarily get you more new stuff compared to the Pixel 8 Pro.
Alright, the last and very important advantage of the S23 Ultra over the 8 Pro is battery life. Now,
while both phones have lasted me all day with their battery life,
there's just no denying the S23 Ultra's battery life has been better than the 8 Pro's so far.
Even though the 8 Pro has a slightly larger battery, I'll typically end my day of use
with the 8 Pro somewhere in the 40 to 35% range, and the S23 Ultra is closer to 50%.
Alright, so that's everything I like about the S23 Ultra. Now, before we get to the Pixel 8 Pro,
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Alright, now let's look at the Pixel 8 Pro and what advantages it offers. The first advantage
is Pixel Call Assist, which is actually a feature suite of calling features like Call Screen, where
the Google Assistant will converse with whoever's calling you to see if the call is legit or not,
and then there's Hold for Me, where you can let the assistant stay on hold for you while
you can go do other things. Then there's Direct My Call, which will show you a visualization of
menus when you dial certain customer support numbers, and lastly, you get Clear Calling,
where the phone removes background sounds and makes your voice easier to hear to the person
you're talking to. The next advantage of the Pixel 8 Pro is Pro Photo controls. While Samsung
does have similar controls, the thing Google did that was smart here is to place them right within
the main camera UI, so you don't have to swipe several times to get to them like you do on the
S23 Ultra. The next advantage of the Pixel 8 Pro is the cutting-edge on-device Google Assistant,
as well as other features powered by Google's Tensor G3 processor. You get features like the
ability to read aloud web pages and translate them to other languages, Pixel Speech,
where you can switch between multiple languages while talking to the on-device Google Assistant,
Audio Magic Eraser, which allows you to reduce certain types of background noise like wind or
people in a video that you took, the new Best Take feature, which allows you to automatically
Photoshop in different faces from different takes so you can finally get that photo where
no one is blinking, and of course, in general, Tensor powers Google's excellent camera system.
Comparing these camera systems is a bit of a toss-up; both are pretty good,
but there are differences you do notice. Often, I find the Pixel's color science for photos to be a
bit better, less punchy with the saturation, and especially highlights. The S23 Ultra, in certain
situations, still has a habit of over-processing the look of some photos, especially in more
challenging situations where you want more dynamic range. Overall, I find the Pixel does a better job
capturing everything you want without blowouts. Another advantage you get with the 8 Pro over the
S23 Ultra is cutting-edge software features from Google. Some of these Pixel-exclusive
features have stayed exclusive, like call screening, while others, like the Magic Eraser,
which first debuted on the Pixel, eventually moved to Google Photos, and then you could use
it on other devices like the S23 Ultra. But if you want the latest and greatest stuff from Google,
you definitely want to go with a Pixel. Also, Google's version of Android, while it doesn't
have as many features as One UI, does feel just very slick. There's not a ton of extra stuff
auto-downloaded to your phone that you didn't ask for, plus you get newer versions of Android first,
and you get feature drops throughout the year as well. This year, one new cutting-edge feature you
get with the Pixel that I haven't mentioned yet is the Magic Editor. The Magic Editor uses the
power of AI and machine learning to reimagine your photos, allowing you not only to erase
things in your photo but you can select items, resize them, and move them around your photo.
It basically is doing in 10 to 15 seconds what it would take me 10 to 15 minutes to do in Photoshop.
The next benefit the Pixel 8 Pro has over the S23 Ultra is weight and overall exterior
design. There's just no getting around it: the S23 Ultra is a heavy phone at 234g,
compared to the 213g the Pixel 8 Pro weighs. Also, the Pixel 8 Pro has a flat screen,
making it easier to put a screen protector on, and more rounded edges, which makes it
nicer to hold in your hand. Ergonomics, for something you hold in your hand potentially
at least an hour every day, matter quite a bit, and the Pixel 8 wins hands down in that category.
Now, the last two advantages of the 8 Pro over the S23 Ultra are price and 7 years of software
updates. Google's Pixel devices are now an outlier in the industry with their promise of 7 years of
software updates, compared to Samsung's promise of four years of OS updates and Apple's five,
which is pretty impressive and definitely makes a stronger case for going with a Pixel if you
want to keep your phone as long as possible. The Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999, whereas the S23 Ultra
retails for $1,200, though you can often find the S23 Ultra for the same price as the Pixel 8 Pro,
as retailers discount it before the holidays and before the S24 Ultra goes on sale early next year.
So, which one of these phones do I think you should get? Well, this year,
it really is a toss-up between these two, but if I had to pick one, it would be the Pixel 8 Pro
for its lower starting price, better ergonomics, 7 years of promised software updates, and better
phone calling features. The camera systems of each phone both have their pluses and minuses,
but there's not a clear winner to me. And while, yes, the S23 Ultra definitely has
better battery life for a day of moderate use, the Pixel 8 Pro has been fine for me so far.
So, those are my thoughts on these two phones. If you think I got it right,
or you think I got something wrong, let me know down in the comments. I've left purchase links
in the description and comments below in case you want to learn more about these devices or check
their current price. Consider giving this video a thumbs up if you liked it and found it helpful,
and subscribe for more. And to see more content I've made on both of these phones, you can get
to that by clicking on the videos above. For 6 Months Later, I'm Josh Teder. Thanks for watching.