A new year means a new flagship from Samsung, and this time, they've surprised fans all over the world, giving everyone the best of both worlds. We're talking about Samsung's latest flagship phone yet - Galaxy S22 Ultra.
For the first time ever, the S22 lineup is the first series to include exclusive features from the Galaxy Note, particularly the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Yes, you guessed it right; S Pen is also now built into the body of the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
We're keen on this mash-up as we can see how Samsung has given much thought to the S22 Ultra flagship, seemingly and carefully done to create a compelling gadget that's one of a kind.
What you can look out for (and we will cover) in our review today on the S22 Ultra is a powerful low-light, high tech camera, improved S Pen capabilities, improved display and more.
Check out our video editor's perspective on the new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra below.
This review is made in collaboration with our video editor - Umar
Editor
Jodee Tan chevron_right
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Specifications
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm), Octa-core; Adreno 730 GPU
- Display: 6.8 inches, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits
- Memory: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB ROM + 8GB/12GB RAM
- Rear Camera: Quad - 108MP (f/1.8) + 10MP (f/4.9) + 10MP (f/2.4) + 12MP (f/2.2)
- Front/Selfie Camera: Single - 40MP (f/2.2); up to 4K@30/60fps
- Video: Up to 8K@24fps; HDR10+; stereo sound supported
- Battery: Li-Ion 5000 mAh, fast charging 45W; Fast Qi/PMA wireless 15W; Reverse wireless 4.5W
- Connectivity: USB Type-C 3.2, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, 5G
- Audio: Stereo speakers, 32-bit/384kHz audio, Tuned by AKG
- OS: Android 12, One UI 4.1
- Features: Built-in S Pen (2.8ms), Samsung DeX, Ultrasonic fingerprint, Bixby (language command & dictation)
- Built with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
- IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins)
Build & Design
Without a doubt, we are fans of the clean sleek look. You have probably noticed, but Samsung has done away with the camera housing/bump at the front in order to cancel out any disturbance to the elegant silhouette of the S22 Ultra.
What's left are the cameras being exposed, protruding out of the body which didn't really cause any annoyance to us. Though, this causes a slight wobble (at the bottom right of the phone) when you're having the phone's screen facing up.
Compared to the S21 Ultra, the S22 Ultra now sports a boxier body with slightly sharper edges. In our experience, due to the sharper edges, it can tire out those with small hands when it comes to certain activities like gaming. Nevertheless, the S22 Ultra is comfortable and smooth to hold, with the finish feeling polished and premium.
At the bottom of the phone is the built-in slot for the S Pen, the loudspeaker, a Type C charging port and the SIM card slot.
Display
The display is something everyone always looks forward to. It is a signature for Samsung to produce some of the nicest displays out there. Given that the brand always tops itself for every generation of S series display, we were pleased with the subtle yet huge improvements to the S22 Ultra's 6.8-inch display.
For starters, the display has a peak brightness at 1,750nits. In our view, the display is as crisp and clear just like how it is indoors. Factors like the HDR10+ as well as being able to set the display's refresh rate anywhere from 1Hz to 120Hz is a big bonus to better optimizing battery life.
All in all, the display of the Galaxy S22 Ultra is easily one of our top favourites about
Another quick mention is the under-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner which is quite responsive in our tests so far.
Camera
A huge upgrade and highlight to the S22 lineup (not just the S22 Ultra) is Samsung's optimisation in perfecting the camera optimisation and technology to perfect night photography, aka Nightography.
In order to ensure fast Nightographies, the entire Galaxy S22 series have larger individual pixel sizes, larger sensors and advanced image processing. Part of what makes up the advanced photography system is Samsung's Multi-Frame Processing. It basically utilises an AI that combines 20 captured images, then picks out the best photos among them and get rid of the blurry, grainy ones.
Oh yes, the juicy part is that Nightography is available for selfies too!
For us, our favourite upgrade has to be the camera sensor's object and background separation capabilities. This is probably thanks to Samsung's AI Stereo Depth Map, specifically for Portrait modes, to identify and process small or thin objects (like a straw) more accurately. That results in being able to bring the entire item forward with accuracy. The best part is that it works in low-light too.
And, if you ever need it, the details picked up by the sensors when in zoom mode were much more detailed than ever.
Battery
The battery upgrade we are seeing in this generation of the S Ultra is the 5000 mAh battery life which supports up to 45W for fast charging. There's also wireless and reverse charging support at up to 15W and 4.5W respectively.
Note that due to Samsung's eco-vision in reducing waste, the charger is not included with the phone.
Hardware-wise, the S22 Ultra seems great. But what we are interested in, however, is the battery optimisation on this powerful phone.
As mentioned earlier under our "Display" section, you can now dial the refresh rate down to as low as 1Hz. This helps to minimize and rid of any excess battery drainage. Another interesting feature is supported by the AI in the phone which learns your usage patterns in order to increase power efficiency.
For us, we experienced at least 8 hours of active screentime (minus idle time).
S Pen
If you're used a Galaxy Note series before, you'll understand (and be overjoyed) how the built-in S Pen and S22 Ultra duo feels. With a reduced latency of 2.8ms down from 9ms on previous Ultra generations, writing and doodling on the S22 Ultra will give you an actual pen-to-paper experience.
Our experience with the S Pen is a comfortable one as well. It feels lightweight with a good enough pressure sensitivity on the screen. And of course, with the S Pen, you're able to relive the Galaxy Note experience once more without any sacrifices affecting the build, battery and performance of the smartphone.
Performance
Samsung has released the Galaxy S22 Ultra for Malaysians with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 that's 4 nm in its thickness. The thickness of the chipset means an increase in performance to the smartphone overall, with boost percentages at 5% for CPU, 30% for GPU and 73% for NPU. Not only that, but you either get an 8GB or 12GB RAM which is plenty to run multiple apps at once.
According to our benchmark tests, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra scores high in performance compared to others by a long shot.
In our tests, we were able to dish out smooth graphics and performance with hardly any problems when playing a session of Call of Duty at max graphics settings.
Not only that but temperature optimisation was handled well, with the temperature range usually feeling only slightly warm to the touch (comfortably). When using certain apps like TikTok however, the phone's temperature displays a slight erratic behaviour, either fluctuating suddenly or just non-existent.
Conclusion
- Our Rating: 9/10
- Pros: Great screen and built overall; very good camera system; smooth performance all around
- Cons: Pricey; Can be too big for small hands
- Who is it for? Any consumers will enjoy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, especially regular and power users!
If you're looking for the best smartphone out there at the moment, this is it. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra feels and acts great, with minimal issues on our part.
To recap, the unit may be slightly uncomfortable to handle for long hours when it comes to specific handheld positions like gaming, or have small unpleasant use experiences (wobbling on flat surfaces due to the camera housing being non-existent), it is still an easy recommendation from us for any type of users, especially for demanding consumers.
Aside from its performance, the camera and display are easily the best features we love. At least, we have a contender here that all smartphones to be released this year will have to compete with.
Buy or learn more about the Galaxy S22 Ultra below:
