I didn’t want to risk damaging it as I needed it for work. It was much safer to upgrade and then try to experiment with the S8. There’s also the fact they stopped giving the S8 security updates, so that’s a big concern, too.
After having used the S23, I couldn’t go back anymore. It’s significantly better in most ways. I always keep battery saver mode on which stops charging at 85%. With how much I use my phone, the charge rarely goes below 40%.

I did try Sony’s 5 IV before the S23. I really wanted to love it, but as a photographer, there were some fatal flaws with the camera apps. It had so much going for it, too: 5000 mAh battery (S23’s is 3900 mAh, S8’s is 3000), audio jack, microSD card slot, removable SIM card, 4k OLED screen, a dedicated shutter button for the cameras, and can record 4k 120Hz video, if only for a literal minute.
If you don’t plan on using your phone for more professional photos (even though that’s kind of what they market it for…), I would recommend checking out their lineup.
Edit: Oh, and Sony only officially supports their phones for two years. Compare that with Samsung’s 5. So that’s another thing to consider.