Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 1TB (2022)

Excellent phone – An overall excellent phone. Very easy to use with lots of really cool features. The camera is also absolutely AWESOME!!! I would highly recommend this phone. Show details ·  1

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – A New Kind of Ultra – It’s been a while since my last review, 13 months. My last review of a smart phone was almost 2 years ago, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. In 24 months, the S20 Ultra never let me down once, it’s connectivity, speed, power and ease of use remained a constant, so I was a bit sad to trade it in for the new Ultra. The first iteration of the… Read more

multi-camera array, with 108-megapixel camera was its Achilles heel. The fancy, extended camera zoom never lived up to its hype. But hey, if you don’t give it a try; you don’t know if it can be improved (which is the case here).

So, 2 years later: what’s changed? Are there any real improvements?

Anecdotally, a work colleague bought the S21 Ultra last year so we had a ‘specs shootout’ out the office. The 108Mp-zoom camera was a lot better, with more clarity and fairly usable pictures. The speed and power to work through multiple apps was definitely an improvement over the S20 Ultra.

Over the last 2 weeks we did the S21 Ultra and S22 Ultra shootout with some interesting results.

A New Kind of Ultra:

First of all, the visual language package is obviously different, with the wider and squarer screen, so let’s start there first. The new Note-style screen is a marked improvement on the rounded-corner version. Looking at websites, apps, videos is more immersive. It actually feels like the big TV screen, large panel experience you get when you are in front of a 4K or 8K large screen TV. The squared edges do really make you feel that you are looking through a window or the widescreen at the cinema.

The clarity in the panel also is exceptional, compared to the previous 2 years of Ultras. The finer details of an image are easier to perceive. It appears the HDR balance and adaptive brightness also play a large part of the experience. We all know Samsung make good panels but that doesn’t always translate to smaller devices. In this case it actually does. It does feel like a large screen for the hand.

Close-up viewing of content is very enjoyable, and text is much easier to read.

I never had any of the previous Samsung Notes but my work colleague had several and has had a really thorough test run of the S22 Ultra. He is hoping they keep this Note-type format for his upgrade next year, as he is very impressed with the updates the S22 Ultra brings.

Size:

The S22 Ultra is the biggest of all phone handsets I have had. With the Samsung flip case, now covering the bottom and top of the phone; it makes for a very large device, especially in the pocket.

The squared edge just gives it that much more size and presence.

I remember the S7 Edge with the rounded edge on the length of the screen, gave the user experience a real forward-immersive feel. The S22 Ultra does the same but in a more refined way.

With the phone sitting in the wireless charger, it looks like it is too big for the bottom ledge of the charger that it sits on – it is that much bigger than the S20 Ultra.

Build Quality and General Aesthetics:

The quality of materials is excellent, and you do feel this is an upgrade on all previous models. However, after watching the drop tests on YouTube, I was very happy when I had put it into the Samsung flip case, to ensure all parts are fully protected. It may have premium materials, but they do scratch, dent and lenses do shatter.

The weight of the handset is also noticeably more but if you are using a grippy type case, it feels really good and solid in your hand.

Software and Hardware Changes/Upgrades:

There are some substantive changes from the S20 Ultra. The hardware has the usual year-on-year updates with a Faster CPU, faster RAM, larger battery, better screen, better cameras.

Firstly the operating system is faster and more fluid. Swiping up and down website pages and switching between apps is even more liquid smooth. I now have to be careful not to swipe too quickly on web pages, as they just fly up and down, to the top or bottom.

Too Many Applications (Bloatware Again!):

I have noticed how many new Samsung apps there are, asking to be added or updated. It reminds me of the old days regarding Samsung’s excessive bloatware.

Look, I don’t want or like Bixby or the health apps. I find them far too intrusive and with regards to the health type apps: downright annoying. I find myself disabling these apps and not updating the software (a few days ago I had more than 20 of these apps that I dismissed – it’s just too many and should be a choice for the user: not imposed).

Samsung doesn’t want or like you to remove Bixby but thanks very much; I like to think for myself, and I know what I want and what I am looking for – so, no thanks, I don’t need apps tying to do things for me and always getting it wrong, making you have to do it all over again.

The health apps just simply pop up all the time, with messages and results of steps taken. I don’t need that, as I know my level of fitness and how to stay healthy. But everyone is different, so I am sure other people do find it useful and it is there, if you want to immerse yourself in that type of experience.

With operating systems and proprietary apps, I have found ‘less is more’: more better.

Software Configuration Choices:

Over the past 2 weeks, I have found there is that much more fine details in the tailoring and choice of how you want apps to work and behave. This includes what access to what hardware and information the apps can have to the choice of how a given app can provide you with notifications. Generally, I like the ‘silent’ approach and like to have some apps provide a visual notification but not a sound notification, so you can stop all the noisy and annoying loud sounds from the phone, when you are busy, in meetings, etc.

Is that a Pen I See?:

The biggest hardware addition to the Ultra; is the S Pen.

This year, I was seriously considering an Apple iPhone, for a change of experience but when it was announced that the Ultra was coming in the same form factor of a Note, I new that this was for me.

My work colleague was always showing me how he loved using the pen with his Note and I was keen to learn and experience what it was like to have a writing-tablet type device.

So far, I have really enjoyed the experience, especially in using the artistic capabilities of writing and drawing messages. I haven’t got to write real notes or dictation yet but it’s an additional option.

Connectivity:

I use the phone to connect to several Bluetooth devices, like earbuds and car music system, as well as amplifier, to stream things like music from Spotify.

The only thing that caused me a bit of concern yesterday, was that there were clear dropouts when using Spotify and listening via ear buds. I was in the city, at a train station so there could have been interference on the network or it could have been a connectivity with Spotify servers (who really knows?) but I have tested it again at home with no issues but am monitoring the situation.

I remember the S9+ had really bad Bluetooth connectivity issues, especially with ear buds. Every time you moved your head the sound would drop out and I was so glad when the next phone I had, S20 Ultra changed all that.

Speakers:

They are pretty good but, as you know phone speakers don’t really carry much bass and are generally adequate. The stereo, Dolby experience is also quite good, now approaching the Samsung Tab experience (but not quite). I think this area is really due for an overhaul, and I think 4 speakers with better bass is not a big ask for a top-premium model.

Cameras:

Now, this is where things definitely get interesting!

The camera array on the S20 Ultra was good, passable. The gimmicky ultra-zoom was, I think the first iteration of something that had potential. Pictures from the 100X zoom were rubbish.

Now, after some real tests, I think the technology is finally maturing, with pictures from the full zoom range being excellent and actually usable.

The S21 Ultra cameras were a marked improvement on the S20 cameras.

The S22 Ultra cameras collectively have matured quite significantly over the S21 Ultra set-up, in every aspect. All pictures are resolved with much better clarity and definition. The faded backgrounds using portrait mode are excellent for people, animals and any still subject, such as plants and objects.

I have found very fine detail when taking shots of pets, with the reflections in their eyes crisp and clear – they really pop.

Mixed Issue with Image Stabilisation:

In camera mode, image stabilisation works very well, assisting with keeping shots clear, crisp, without blur.

However, in video mode the image stabilisation setting causes real lag and jitter when you pan to the left or the right. The camera software tries to keep hold of the image frames as you move left or right and seems to unwillingly jump to the next frame, as your picture or view changes.

I think this requires a significant software update, as it is not a hardware issue.

I did some quick research and found that if you turned image stabilisation off, you don’t get the lag when panning in video recording mode.

I have GoPros and can say that with the stabilisation on these devices, I have never experienced a panning issue when recording video.

Interestingly though, when you are walking forwards and backwards with stabilisation on, the video stays well balanced and focused, so the software is capable of rendering crisp, clear footage – but not currently when you are panning left or right. Final Word:

Each 2-year block now sees bigger improvements, as time goes on.

In this case, Samsung has changed the design language, of what an Ultra is.

The Ultra is now the top tier offering of the ‘S’ range.

It could be debated that the Ultra should remain a separate ‘Note tier’ but it hasn’t changed the way I feel about this change.

I am really enjoying the new Ultra-Note-Type experience for what it is.

I was considering the big foldable Samsung experience, but the technology hasn’t matured enough for me, to make it viable: not thin enough, the front panel is too narrow and the fold bump in the middle of the screen main screen is too much of a distraction, when watching content.

Sensible Samsung Discounts:

Fortunately, through work, I was able to get a substantial discount and bought the S22 Ultra outright. I think these discounted offerings make handsets like the Ultra worthwhile, while Apple holds onto their profit margins very fiercely, with only a few percent in a discount.

This year, for my bi-yearly upgrade, Samsung has really delivered for me, and I am glad I stayed.

Lastly:

2022 sees a truly ‘Note-worthy’ upgrade on the Samsung S series (sorry, couldn’t help it).

The Ultra is truly everything you expect of a premium smart phone experience.

The pictures on all zoom ranges are actually usable.

But – let’s get that video camera stabilisation sorted for this handset and let’s look at a speaker upgrade (because a lot of people are using their large phone handsets as TVs, watching their streaming applications for movies and TV series.

Again, the Samsung Tab with 4 speakers makes a big difference to viewing experience – so let’s steal that and add that to the next Ultras.

If I were to score the Samsung S22 Ultra, I would give it 95 out of 100.

This has been another Ant review. I hope you have enjoyed reading it, as much as I have compiling it.