What is the Samsung S22 Ultra like?
On February 9th, 2022 came Samsung’s first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year, and with it, the unveiling of their latest series of flagship smart phones; the S22, the S22 Plus, and the S22 Ultra. The latter debuts a striking, square-edged yet curved design, an in-built and more responsive S Pen, plus faster charging and a host of impressive camera upgrades, but that’s not all.
It seems that the S22 Ultra is the tech giant’s hybrid answer to their discontinued Galaxy Note series, combining the best bits of the S22 series and the most recent Note design. We review the S22 Ultra’s specs and performance, below.
S22 Ultra design and display
The S22 Ultra has a 6.8-inch display (dimensions: 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm), sure to spark interest in on-the-go media, gaming, and illustration fans. At 229g, it is larger yet lighter than the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max.
With Gorilla Glass Victus+ cloaking the front and rear of the phone, the S22 Ultra provides the best protection Corning can offer against scratches and drop damage and is well-finished for fingerprint resistance. Completed by a sturdy Armour Aluminium frame, this handset earns an IP68 rating, meaning it is fully protected against dust, sand, and could survive being under 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes.
Thanks to the Dynamic AMOLED display and default Full HD+ screen resolution (with WQHD+ capabilities), you’re in for a truly immersive experience, whether you’re watching Netflix or playing your favourite game. Throw in a variable refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz and your S22 Ultra can show you smooth movement through complex apps but will conserve battery where a higher refresh rate isn’t needed. Keen to use your smart phone while you’re out and about in the sun? The screen has a max brightness of 1750 nits.
On the base of the S22 Ultra, you’ll see a small protrusion indicating the S-pen’s hideaway, alongside the USB-C port and the sim card slot – all in all, an unobtrusive design, which doesn’t take away from the phone’s minimalist feel. Gone is the rear camera’s island home, as the lenses sit right inside the frame of the phone.
S22 Ultra camera system
A quad-camera set-up consists of a 108MP main lens, a 12MP 120-degree ultra-wide, and two 10MP telephoto lenses which offer 3x and 10x optical zoom, and 30x and 100x space zoom – with unbelievable results. Significant improvements have been made to optical image stabilisation for crisp and clear photography even in low light, and digital image stabilisation, the latter counteracting blur caused by trembling hands, particularly notable in the stable display while you’re in 100x zoom.
Samsung hasn’t made zoom quality their only camera focus, however; the brand has also launched Adaptive Pixel technology with the S22 Ultra, which combines nine pixels into one for enhanced contrast and colour vibrancy, especially remarkable in darker conditions. Round the front, the 40MP selfie lens combines four pixels into one for great-quality shots. Bonus points: if unsteady hands are a constant source of frustration for you when striving to enhance your photography skills, the S-pen also functions as a remote trigger, so you can minimise blurring and get out from behind the camera, too.
S22 Ultra hardware and power
The S22 Ultra is powered by Samsung’s new, premium 4nm chipset; the Exynos 2200, which, according to the tech giant, will “enhance overall app experience” and “enable the ultimate mobile phone gaming experience”. An Android 12 phone, the S22 Ultra also runs One UI 4.1, the newest iteration of the brand’s Android software to allow users access to the latest Samsung tools and apps.
Featuring a large, 5000mAh battery, the S22 Ultra’s charge will last around a day with typical usage according to Samsung – not to be sniffed at for such a sizeable phone. Invest in a 45W charger, previously incompatible with the S21 series, and you’ll just need 20 minutes to return to 50% battery. Wireless charging is also available.
Specification
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Display |
6.8-inch Edge WQHD+* Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display** Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (1~120Hz) 240Hz Touch Sampling Rate in Game Mode Vision Booster Eye Comfort Shield with AI based blue light control |
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* Measured diagonally, Galaxy S22’s screen size is 6.8-inch in the full rectangle; actual viewable area is less due to camera hole. ** The Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with Vision Booster on Galaxy S22 Ultra received a certification from VDE Germany for 100 percent Mobile Colour Volume in the DCI-P3 colour range, which means your images aren’t washed out and you’ll get unbelievably vivid colours regardless of differing levels of brightness. The display can achieve peak brightness of up to 1750 nits, improving the contrast between dark and light aspects of digital content for a more brilliant picture quality, with a 3,000,000:1 contrast ratio to make your mobile experience more immersive. |
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Security |
Ultrasonic Fingerprint |
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Dimensions & Weight |
77.9 X 163.3 X 8.9mm, 229g |
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Camera |
12MP Ultra-Wide Camera · F2.2, FOV 120˚ 108 MP Wide Camera · Dual Pixel AF, F1.8, FOV 85˚ 10MP Telephoto Camera · 3x Optical Zoom, F2.4, FOV 36˚ 10MP Telephoto Camera · 10x Optical Zoom, F4.9, FOV 11˚ 40MP Front Camera · F2.2, FOV 80˚ |
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* 100X Space Zoom includes 10x Optical Zoom and 100x digital zoom with AI Super Resolution technology. Zooming in past 10x may cause some image deterioration. |
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AP |
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (SM8450) |
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Memory |
12GB + 1TB 12 + 512GB 8 + 256GB 8 + 128GB |
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*Actual storage space may vary by country, model, file size and format. * Memory option may vary by country. |
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Battery |
5,000mAh |
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* Based on average battery life under typical usage conditions. Average expected performance based on typical use. Actual battery life depends on factors such as network, features selected, frequency of calls, and voice, data, and other application usage patterns |
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Charging |
Up to 45W Wired* 15W Wireless** Wireless PowerShare USB-IF compliant*** |
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* Wall charger sold separately; use only Samsung-approved chargers and cables. To avoid injury or damage to your device, do not use incompatible, worn or damaged batteries, chargers or cables. Supports 45W charging. |
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** Limited to Samsung or other brand smartphones with Qi wireless charging, such as Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra, Z Fold3 5G, Z Flip3 5G, S21 FE 5G, S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G, Z Fold2, Note20, Note20 Ultra, S20 FE, S20, S20+, S20 Ultra, Z Flip, Note10, Note10+, S10e, S10, S10+, Fold, S9, S9+, S8, S8+, S8 Active, S7, S7 edge, S7 Active, S6, S6 edge, S6 Active, S6 edge+, Note9, Note8, Note FE and Note5. Only available with certain Samsung Galaxy wearables such as Galaxy Buds2, Buds Pro, Buds Live, Watch4, Watch4 Classic, Watch3, Watch Active2, Watch Active, Gear Sport, Gear S3, Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds. If battery power is lower than 30% Wireless PowerShare may not function. May not work with certain accessories, covers, other brand devices or some Samsung wearables. May affect call reception or data services, depending on your network environment. |
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*** The USB Implementers Forum, Inc. (USB-IF) was established in 1995 to support and accelerate the market and consumer adoption of USB compliant devices. Galaxy S22 Ultra’s Super Fast Charging has been certified to be compliant to the USB standards which means your products have met the highest standards in the industry. This certification can be found on www.usb.org. |
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OS |
Android 12 One UI 4.1 |
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Network and Connectivity |
5G*, LTE**, Wi-Fi 6E***, Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth® v 5.2**** |
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* Requires optimal 5G network connection, available in select markets. Check with your carrier for availability and details. Download and streaming speeds may vary based on content provider, server connection and other factors **Availability of LTE model varies by country and carrier. Actual speed may vary depending on market, carrier, and user environment. *** Wi-Fi 6E network availability may vary by market, network provider and user environment. Requires optimal connection. ****Ultra Wide Band supported |
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Payment |
Samsung Pay with NFC |
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*Available in select markets. Payment solutions and available features may vary depending on market, carrier, and service providers. |
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Sensors |
Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor |
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Water Resistance |
IP68 |
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* Galaxy S22 Ultra and S Pen are rated as IP68. Consistent with IP68 rating, water resistant in up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Rinse residue/dry after wet. |
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What can we offer you?
Stay connected with any of the Samsung Galaxy S22 range by keeping your battery full with our charging cables here.