I have the S23 Ultra and I am happy with the phone. In my opinion it's the best device on the market at the monent
I would never buy an apple device due to the way the company works and iPhones are more restrictive than android so you can't do as much on an iphone
I think all smartphones are too expensive but in terms of comparing with other models it is priced in line so I suppose you get what you pay for
If you shop around you can get some good deals, discounts and vouchers from various retailers and carriers etc
If your ready to upgrade then go for it and I don't think you will be disappointed
Hope this helps