Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review

The S22 Ultra is, for all intents and purposes, a new Galaxy Note. It has the same rectangular silhouette, the same onboard S Pen and the same list of top-tier specs. With the S22 Ultra, Samsung is introducing a more mainstream audience to the S Pen that’s long been the hallmark of the Note series. By merging the two lines, Samsung is consolidating its top-tier products, bringing together the most popular features across its portfolio. That’s not to say there’s nothing new about the S22 Ultra — Samsung brought updated camera, display and software features this year as well.

It’s strange to review a phone that’s supposed to be new, but feels so familiar. If you’ve been missing the Note series, that familiarity will be welcome. But for those simply considering a new Galaxy S flagship, the S Pen alone won’t be enough of an upgrade. Thankfully, though, Samsung promises display and camera improvements that might make the S22 Ultra even better than its predecessor.

Pros:
- Bright and colorful display
- Helpful S Pen with onboard slot
- Solid cameras
- Exclusive screen sharing feature on Google Duo (for now)

Cons:
- Some new features are underwhelming
- Relatively short battery life

Engadget Score: 89

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[christianchata]

Going from a S8 to a Skyblue S22 Ultra 💕

[TheRealGreg]

Still using my Note 9. longest I've ever used a phone and is still holding up. Love the s pen, don't use it all the time but is invaluable when needed for editing photos or filling out forms on non mobile friendly sites. Looks like I'll finally upgrade!

[Mexicutioner]

The ultra is definitely for Note fans and those looking for that "familiar" feel. I for one have been holding onto the Note 10+ waiting for this.

[bernyjackson]

*When it comes to the world of investing, most people don't know where to start.fortunately, great investors of the past and present can provide us with guidance*

[mhector]

I own this device and I also owned an S21 Ultra. In my experience, Samsung has made significant improvements with respect to photography. All four sensors + lenses provide better quality output. The 10x and 3x lenses (and accompanying sensors) render photos with more detail and fewer processing artifacts. The 30x zoom is far better in that it does not look like a magnified or zoomed version of a photo taken at 1x then blown up on the screen. It is much clearer. The 108-megapixel full resolution photo has far less or no banding, and I have not experienced that "fabric" look where you can see the inconsistency of all the constituent pixels. The 108-megapixel photos, however, are not any better-resolved than they were on the S21 Ultra, so they are not comparable to pixel-peeped 61-megapixel photos on my Sony mirrorless camera. But they are pretty fantastic nonetheless. You can still spot a gnat on the back of a fly at 1000 meters. I can see that this phone as well as the S21 Ultra both got no love from DxoMark, but I am left scratching my head about it. I suspect that DxoMark's policy of using all the defaults means that their results do not tell a proper story. Also, my recommendation for all is to use the Expert RAW app from Samsung. I get the best results from that app.
A couple of other improvements include better optics for nicer bokeh, not smeary like the S21 Ultra, and more accurate background blur.
I can confirm that the battery lasts a shorter length of time with the S22 Ultra than the S21 Ultra. I estimate that it lasts about 70-80% as long as the prior device.
This is a sumptuous beautiful and substantial piece of hardware that feels impressive in the hand, has a beautiful crystal clear sharp 4k display (why Samsung ships it set to 1080p is unfathomable), it is smooth as butter to use. It is truly worthy of its flagship characterization.
I have had one issue with this device. It woke up in my pocket, locked me out of the fingerprint recognition, and refused to recognize my passcode. In the end, with the assistance of Samsung technical support, all we could do was do a hard reset of the device. I lost a month's worth of customizing this device and I was pretty taken aback by that. I think two things need to happen here. First, since this is a $1200 phone, the software used to control logging into the device needs to be absolutely positively flawless. Second, the backup and restore software needs to incorporate the myriad of fine details, logins, etc. that always disappear when you either do a hard reset or get a new device. Things have improved in the last decade in this regard, but there is still a very wide gulf between restoring a backup and the myriad of customizations that you do to the device.

[CaptainCoolpants]

Im really not impressed with the £40 price tag for the new 45w charger... Its the first time they have ever made one, so should come with the phone... The whole point of not including a charger is because the prior ones were the same, so was wasteful and therfore "saving the planet" (cough making extra money cough...)

They can't exactly use that excuse now though can they?...

[ropro]

that wobble from the asymmetric camera bumps when you use the S-pen with the phone on a table! Definitely belongs in a case.

[bigjhayooh]

I never had a note but I pre-ordered and am excited for this

[DeRussellMasina]

This is the Note. I never understood why they didn't just launch the Note the same time as the Galaxy devices. Didn't even need to kill the Note name

[richardh]

Ill get my S22 ultra 512gb with12gb of ram on Friday 25th February. Looking forward to getting my hands on it.😎

[subfail]

Im a dude and take maybe 30 pics throughout the entire year (including scenery, or when going out) no SD card isnt a big deal at all, plus I've had the same phone since 2016... easy upgrade for me :)

[rahuljayachandran]

nice review like always, waiting for you guys to review the tab S8 Ultra.Thank you so much for the lovely content..

[wileycovington]

I'm so ready for this. I'm a Note girl and I'm trading up my Note 10+, for the Ultra green.

[ropro]

Samsung: Just call it a Note, ffs. We all love the Note brand!

[Peizxcv]

I don't like the screen is smaller and bezels thicker than Note 20 Ultra. Seems like an step back in engineering

[godofchaoskhorne]

I'm so excited to get my S22 ultra. I just found out yesterday that it will be delivered early (22th). Upgrading from a note 10+.Will be giving my note 10 + to my mother, She dropped her phone and damaged the bottom of her screen.

P.S. This lady doesn't know What she's on about with regards to the Spen I litterally cannot live without my Spen. I have been an Spen power user since the note3. I litterally refuse to buy any phone that doesn't have an Spen. I was terrified last year thinking they might cancel the note line completely. When I found out the S22 ultra was going to be the new note phone I waited a year longer than normal just so I could get the latest note phone

[kawaii]

Can't wait. I pre-ordered this. I'm totally a note girl. Excellent review. Thank you!

[leorg]

Why so many complains bro.... I can see it a mile away that you prefer the iPhone over the s22 just say it

[behroozu]

Great review! I'm coming from the Galaxy s20 Ultra going to the galaxy S 22 ultra. Definitely looking forward to it, there will definitely be a learning curve.

[jaisonj]

Amazing . My last note was Note 9. Wish they had SD card, could live out headphone jack since we can use type c or wireless . Ordered Mines last week still waiting 4 it . Usa version