Nothing’s public post featured a detailed look at the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, with the company’s CEO Carl Pei taking to the brand’s YouTube channel to critique the device, especially the S Pen which Pebbled as a feature that doesn’t land for him after hands-on use.
Pei has roots with Samsung, admitting he once admired the brand during the early Galaxy era of 2011 and 2012, particularly the S2 and S3 models. In his assessment, the Galaxy S23 Ultra packs a strong hardware story, yet the S Pen—exclusive to the Ultra line—felt over-promised once tested in real life and proved impractical for his daily workflow.
“On paper it looked compelling,” he remarked, “but in practice it didn’t suit my needs.” When Pei needed to capture ideas or record content, the process felt awkward and the outcome didn’t reflect the effort, underscoring a mismatch between the stylus’s theoretical benefits and its real-world utility for him.
Pei also highlighted Samsung’s camera ambitions, noting the 200-megapixel sensor is a bold choice that comes with a size and weight that may not align with everyone’s preferences. He described a simple rule of thumb for judging image quality: a larger sensor generally yields more light capture, which translates into better performance in challenging lighting and finer detail in every shot.
Beyond hardware, the discussion covered software experience. He pointed to an ecosystem that felt dated in certain respects and noted a sizable preinstalled app footprint, which some users might find cluttered and repetitive. The critique was not about the device’s potential, but about how the software experience could be streamlined to feel more modern and cohesive out of the box.
Despite these questions about utility and software, Pei did not dismiss the Galaxy S23 Ultra outright. He acknowledged that, when viewed through the broader lens of Android leadership, Samsung remains a cornerstone of the platform. He respects Samsung’s early role in shaping the Android landscape and its ongoing contributions to the ecosystem, recognizing the company’s influence and persistent innovation.
In closing, the conversation reflected a balanced perspective: the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a formidable Android flagship with compelling hardware and ambitious camera capabilities, yet some design and software choices may not resonate with every user or align with every workflow. The overall verdict suggested by the review is one of admiration tempered by practical critique, underscoring that even top-tier devices can have elements that spark debate among enthusiasts and executives alike.