Just got this phone, already want to return.

[kadulee]

Just upgraded from the s10e to the s23. It's definitely a downgrade in some areas (lack of headphone jack, no SD card for storage expansion, etc) but I thought hey, it's a small phone like I need, decent camera, no AI like the new s24-s25 right? 

Right.... until the phone did a system update and now my s23 is riddled with all the generative AI b.s.

Does anyone know if you can completely remove it? Or am I stuck with "disabling" and hoping to forget the huge Galaxy AI tab now in my settings? Will I have to "disable" the AI with every new update?

Does anyone know if android will eventually make an update where AI isn't forced on us? Can they not create an update where AI is optional / an additional download for those that want it? 

I seriously am thinking about returning this phone and just using my wonky s10e until it completely dies. I have never been more disappointed in samsung/android than I am right now. Ridiculous.

(Editing to add: I've made this post using my s10e. I will use the s23 as little as possible because of this situation.)

UPDATE: couldnt return the phone due to the system update that happened, which canceled out the return policy. I have reactivated my s10e for now and will use it until it dies out. the s23 will be kept as an unfortunate last-resort backup for when the s10e dies, unless i can find someone to sell it to. Out of $350, no closer to a genuine upgrade, and beyond frustrated. Yay samsung. 🙄 the s23 is a serious downgrade on multiple levels and I will not make this mistake again.

UPDATE 8/6: writing the update on my s10e still, but I switched over to Apple for the time being. Still without a headphone jack and SD card, but my iPhone 15 is small, has 0 generative AI (even with system updates), better storage. Maybe I'll come back to android in a few years, but for now I'm vibing with the change. Using my old s10e as a browsing phone currently. The s23 has been gifted to my mom; she also immediately wanted the AI turned off.

Hopefully in the future samsung will create a phone that 1) has a good baseline for internal storage (start at 256gb minimum, since the system and undelete-able apps take up so much space), and 2) have 0 generative AI features (make the AI a separate download if needed for the small percentage that wants it). Bonus points if they can bring smaller models back.

Until then, see yall on the flipside. 

[kadulee]

I absolutely will complain to Google lmao. It's BS.

I guess I was happily unaware of all the AI on phones with my little s10e. I knew the s24 and s25 had it already integrated, which is why I avoided those phones.

Unfortunately the A series phones are way too big for me to use (hence me buying the s23), and I'm afraid any update to ui6.1 or ui.7 would add AI to any android at this point.

Disappointed all around.

[realaud]

My S10Lite is marginally longer than my A54 and the same width.  The S10Lite is marginally slimmer front to back, though, thus a  little more hand happier.  I've gotten used to the "thickness", although, every time I hold my S10Lite (I've kept it as a backup), I miss the feel of it.  I am not unhappy with the A54, it suits my needs. I chose it very purposefully to insure I wasn't paying for features I didn't need and wouldn't use - yes, and for the SD card.

[kadulee]

Yeah the s10 lite is way too big for me, also. I looked up the a54 - it's still considerably bigger than the s10e (and the s23). Thickness of the phone doesn't bother me, it's the length and width that hurt my hands. It's an accessibility issue (I have medical conditions that make my hands lock up during flare ups).

Replacing my s10e has been a nightmare - all the phones nowadays are too big, riddled with AI, lacking what I need. I made a compromise with the s23, and was trying to tell myself I'd like the phone and then the ai update happened which sent me back to ground one with the nightmare phone replacing adventure.

I love my s10e. It's the best phone I've had, and I will be very shocked if I find another phone like it in the future.

(Editing: literally every response I've made here has been on the s10e. I'm hoping I can continue to use this phone for browsing. If I could buy another s10e I would, but the lack of security patches would get worse over time.)

[realaud]

As was stated, you are not forced to use AI.  If you don't want to use the features either just ignore them or toggle them off and ignore them.  The S10s were the last S series phones with SD slots and headphone jacks.  Phones come with larger storage capacity now, so the expandable storage is not necessary, and if one needs to, they can attach a flash drive to their USB C port and offload/backup data/photos/music.  If you want an SD card, you have to buy an A series phone.  As far as wired headphones, you will either need to get a new pair with a USB connector or buy and adapter to use your current pair in the USB port.

[kadulee]

I'm not forced to use the AI, but it has been forced onto my phone. The features are off, but the little Gemini icon is still everywhere on the phone. The "try gemini" prompts are still popping up everywhere. My issue is that we were not given an option until *after* the AI is added. Samsung/android should make it an optional download to begin with.

Sad to hear that the Samsung phones got rid of the headphone jacks and SD slots for the newer models, but I appreciate the info! the A series phones were too big for me to comfortably use, s23 is as close to the s10e size I could find currently.

I guess at this point I'm just gonna use the phone as minimally as possible, buy an adapter for my headphones, and bring my actual camera everywhere with me like I use to so I don't use up storage on the phone.

[realaud]

AI was not "forced" onto your phone.  Samsung and Google own the phone's software and the TOS says they get to modify it in any way they see fit, and you agreed to the TOS when you activated your phone.  You also bought a phone with a 5 year update cycle, so expect more "intrusions". As I said above, if you don't want the AI, downgrade to an A series phone.

It would take an awful lot of  photographs to fill up the storage on your phone.  If I'm not mistaken, the minimum storage capacity on an S23 is 128GB.  One does not need to archive every photograph they've ever taken on their phones. Occasionally, it's a good thing to move them off the phone onto removable media or a computer for backup and preservation.  The nature of electronics is that stuff happens that is not always anticipated.  The headphone jacks and SD cards have been gone for at least 5 years.  You can still find other branded phones with them, but most are also moving to the USB port as the headphone jack.  The connector for the headphone jack in a phone takes up precious space that can be utilized for more advanced hardware. 

[kadulee]

Personally, if AI was added under the premise of a security patch, with 0 information on the AI features being added (which is what happened) - that is force to me. I'm already mentally preparing myself for more crummy updates for the next 5 years. I'm going to hold onto some hope that there will be a phone without the generative AI in the future. I might try to switch this phone for a different brand entirely, but it's hard to find smaller phones.

A series is still way too big for my hands, so that's a no-go.

You're correct on the photos not needing to be archived forever on the phone. I upload my photos to my computer and back it up that way. I like the option of additional SD storage, though.

I have the minimum storage, 128gb - not even a full 24 hours of use and my phone is already saying I've used 40gb of the 128gb storage... I haven't taken any photos, this is just with like 3 apps added from my old phone + contacts, and all the extra apps that I cannot uninstall on my phone. Having a SD slot would've allowed me to store photos and videos there; and keep the original internal 128gb for apps, notes, etc.

It's definitely a downgrade and I'm feeling it.

[realaud]

The security updates come from Google, as part of the Android system.  So, again, it is them you should be protesting to. Asus makes some small phones, at least they used to.  I actually like Asus products very much and I only came to Samsung when I broke the screen on my Asus and it was Black Friday and the Samsung sale prices couldn't be beat.

[kadulee]

That's good to know, I'm gonna try to avoid Google like the plague.

I wanted an asus phone! But they're sold out literally everywhere and i needed a new phone asap (can't text / call on s10e anymore - couldn't figure out it if was a service issue, a phone issue, system issue, or what). Asus zenfones still have AI (ugh) but it seemed like it'd be easier to disable, granted I didn't look that deep into it after realizing the phones were all sold out.

[realaud]

Good luck with that. Google owns Android, so any Android phone you get will get Google security and play system updates.  Asus phones are sold out on the Asus website?