Geek Review: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

After 12 years, 13 iterations and dozens of variants along the way, it’s easy to dismiss Samsung’s latest Galaxy S22 Ultra, the premium flagship model of its 2022’s Galaxy S22 range, as a smartphone release that adds marginal improvements, and nothing more.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra isn’t just the best Galaxy S phone ever made, it also has the distinction of being the best Samsung Galaxy Note device out there. For all of its similarities with the Galaxy S series, the defunct Note series stood out with its S Pen stylus tool, and the Galaxy S22 impresses in a big way, as it officially combines the best of both devices into one.

The S Pen tool is primarily a productivity tool, and while it was available as an accessory on last year’s Galaxy S21 Ultra, there wasn’t a slot in the device to store it. The S22 Ultra completes the merger, with a slot for the writing instrument, for those who need the bump on features.

Out of the box, it’s incredibly smooth performing, with its 6.8-inch Edge QHD+ screening shining brighter that previous models, offering smooth performance with its latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, regardless of which variant you get, from the 12GB RAM + 512GB ($1,998) capacity model, the 12GB RAM + 256GB ($1,858) capacity model, or the entry-level 8GB RAM + 128GB ($1,718) capacity one, available in Burgundy, Green, Phantom Black and Phantom White in stores, and online exclusive colours of Graphite, Sky Blue and Red.

The standout S Pen now offers a smoother interface, providing a more delicate writing and drawing experience. Samsung says it has incorporated AI into the device, allowing for a level of predictability when it comes to what folks are writing, and while this claim seems rather far fetched, since everyone has different writing styles, there is no longer that slight lag where you seen the “ink” trail following your pen. That said, there wasn’t much of a discernible improvement in terms of writing, but drawing is much smoother with the S Pen.

Still, here’s hoping that Samsung retains some consistency with where the S Pen is housed, moving forward. Previously on the Note 10+, and several models preceding it, the S Pen was kept in a slot located at the bottom right corner of the device. On the S22 Ultra, it’s on the left edge and if you’re a right hand user, it means you’re holding the phone with your left hand, and your palm is likely embracing the left edge of the device when in use, which interferes with the S Pen’s removal somewhat. It’s a small quirk that only long-time Note users will have, but it would have been nice to have some consistency across devices from the same manufacturer.

Design wise, the S22 Ultra follows the curved designs of its predecessor, but this time with a more symmetrical aesthetic. The rounded edges on the S21 Ultra weren’t uniform, with a middle chassis that was joined by back and front plates. The S22 Ultra has the same, but it’s presented in a more polished manner. The device also houses several camera modules – a 12MP Ultra-Wide, 108MP Wide Camera, 10MP Telephoto Camera with 3X optical zoom, and a 10MP Telephoto Camera with 10X optical zoom, as well as a 40MP Front Camera. Part of the reason why the chassis can be symmetrical is because instead of housing the four rear lenses and sensor on one protruding segment on the rear, as on the S21 Ultra, it separates them all by simply having each camera lens stick out.

The segmented protrusion on the previous model actually serves to protect the lens, as it prevents each glass module from being in too close contact with surfaces when placed on a table, though the protrusion was rather unpleasing to look at. Now, there’s always the fear that there is no housing to protect each lens, and there’s an added level of fragility to the camera.

But unless you have butter fingers, the device itself is pretty well protected, with a IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and at these prices, you would be better off investing in a case to protect the device. 

Camera performance is top notch both indoors and outside, producing eye-catching colours in photos and details that Samsung devices are known for. Low light and night time shots are also excellent, with strong details and shadows that can be focused on. Macro shots might not offer the same level of details, but it does a good job with colours and vibrancy. Samsung is still pushing on its vibrant colours, at times making colours look richer than normal, and while it is artificial looking at times, it works very well in low light and night shots, where pale colours don’t always match the rich textures of the objects being shot.

And everything looks great on the 6.8-inch display, which offers 3,088 x 1,440 pixel resolution. It does impact battery life though, so there is a price to pay for a vibrant display. You can opt to reduce the resolution to 2,316 x 1,080, or even 1,544 x 720, to conserve battery life but what’s the point of buying a beast, and not taking advantage of it? One thing that was noticeable was that there is either a more aggressive or environmentally aware algorithm that detects ambient brightness, which in turn determines that screen brightness and contrast. This allowed the device to track if the phone is used indoors or under bright sunlight, and correct screen brightness for greater clarity.

That said, the use of high performance settings, including a 120Hz refresh rate display, and playing video games, does have the device run slightly hot. It didn’t get to the point of being too uncomfortable to handle. The new processor marks a change in Samsung tactics, where it previously released devices with its own Exynos chips, and only recently started using Snapdragon ones for the local market. Now, Qualcomm is quick to highlight the efficiencies of its latest new octa-core processor, which comprises one high-performance 3,000 MHz core, three balanced cores at 2,500 MHz, and four efficient cores at 1,800 MHz, and the Galaxy S22 offers that speed and precision.

The one question though, is if it’s worth it. Given the small price difference in the three variants of this model, the 12GB RAM + 512GB, available for $1,998 is the best option, but if you take a step back, that’s still $2,000 for a smartphone. It’s slightly cheaper than the $2,299 for the 512GB Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max model, and they all sit on the, great to have, but are they worth the outlay?

Having exclusively used larger smartphones of bigger than 6.3-inch in the last five years, the advantages are clear – bigger real estate, a larger display to watch videos and play games, and as with most large flagships, the best cameras to ever grace the rear of a smartphone. The Apple iPhone Pro Max is an excellent device that everyone with the means should aim for, but the S Pen can be a deal-breaker. If you love taking notes, and want the flexibility of a productivity tool to make annotations on photos, edit documents or just doodle, there is no phone, or even smartphone maker, out there that offers these features.