The S22 series is about to be released. If the technical data mentioned by the leakers is correct, one thing is clear: If you want the full technology package, you have to go for the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The normal Galaxy S22 and the Galaxy S22 Plus offer significantly less, especially with the camera, and also differ in size. This article reveals why the S22 Ultra has what it takes to become Samsung’s best smartphone to date.
The S22 Ultra is said to come in four colors: white, black, dark red (burgundy) and green.
OLED display in the S22 Ultra: It hardly gets any bigger
The first difference between the Ultra and the rest of the S22 models is the size of the display: 6.8 inches, that’s a real statement. Perfect for reading and writing emails, surfing the web and watching videos. If you want it even bigger, the best option is the Galaxy Z Fold 3 folding phone. Rumor has it that the display of the S22 Ultra is very bright with 1,750 candelas per square meter (also called nits) and, like that of the predecessor, should be top in terms of colors and contrast . And it’s significantly sharper than the screens of other Samsung smartphones, reaching 500 pixels per inch (ppi) with a resolution of 3080×1440 pixels, while the S22 Plus’ 6.6-inch display with enhanced Full HD resolution has to make do (2340×1080 pixels, 393 ppi).
Galaxy S22 Ultra, S22 Plus, S22 as dummies (source: Onleaks).
Galaxy S22 Ultra: last model with an edge
It was spring 2015 when Samsung shook the Android world for the first time with its Edge design: On the Galaxy S6 Edge, the sides of the display were pulled down halfway up the metal frame. It looked chic and modern, the frame was hardly visible from the side when viewed from the front – and when swiping sideways, the thumb glided particularly smoothly over the edge. In the years that followed, the competition diligently copied the concept, but sometimes overdid it. The “Waterfall” display of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro from December 2019 dived almost vertically at the edge. Samsung itself has hardly used the Edge display lately. At the latest with the Galaxy S21, the case was completely flat again. But the pictures of the S22 Ultra show that the side edges of the display are flattened again. In combination with the angular corners, the result is an elegant design in the style of previous Note models such as the Note 10 Plus.
Galaxy S22 Ultra with angular corners, curved edge display and S Pen (Source: Winfuture).
S Pen: S22 Ultra like a Galaxy Note!
The relationship to the Note design is not limited to the outward appearance: The Galaxy S22 Ultra is the first S model with a slot for the screen pen S Pen. With the predecessor S21 Ultra, this is an optional (paid) extra that owners store in a special case .
Galaxy S21 Ultra with S Pen slot.
Camera: Strong in zoom and night photos
When it comes to camera equipment, the S22 Ultra goes well beyond what the three cameras on the back of the S22 and S22 Plus can do in terms of technology. On the one hand, there is the more than twice as high resolution of the 108 megapixel main camera (50 MP for the S22/S22+). On the other hand, the S22 Ultra – like the predecessor S21 Ultra – should come with two real telephoto cameras, each with 10 megapixels and optical magnification. The first lens offers a triple optical zoom (equivalent to a focal length of 69 mm), the second enables you to zoom in even on distant objects with a tenfold optical zoom (equivalent to a focal length of 230 mm). There is also an ultra-wide-angle camera with 12 megapixels.
In the teaser for the Unpacked event, which will take place on February 9, 2022, Samsung suggests that the camera will perform well at night. It will be interesting to see how the group intends to achieve this – the key data of the lens correspond to those of its predecessor. Improved sensors or more powerful image stabilization (sensor shift?) and image optimization may achieve (even) better results here, for example with long-term and multiple exposures.
2400 x 1080 pixels (421 ppi)
Grey, silver, violet, pink
2340 x 1080 pixels (425 ppi)
Tele: 10 MP + 3x optical
Black, White, Rose Gold, Green
2400 x 1080 pixels (394 ppi)
2340 x 1080 pixels (393 ppi)
Tele: 10 MP + 3x optical
Black, White, Rose Gold, Green
3200 x 1440 pixels (515 ppi)
12GB (16GB in 512GB variant)
10 megapixels, 3x optical zoom
10 megapixels, 10x optical zoom
128GB 5G / 256GB 5G / 512GB 5G
1249 euros / 1299 euros / 1429 euros
3080 x 1440 pixels (500ppi)
12GB (8GB in 128GB variant)
10 megapixels, 3x optical zoom
10 megapixels, 10x optical zoom
Black, white, burgundy, green
128GB 5G / 256GB 5G / 512GB 5G
1249 euros / 1349 euros / 1449 euros
Processor speed: Exynos should fix it
When it comes to working speed, the S22 Ultra is unlikely to do any better than the smaller S22 variants. In this country, all S22 variants will probably come with the new Samsung Exynos 2200 processor, flanked by a powerful AMD graphics unit. The main memory (RAM) of the smallest memory variant is surprisingly smaller at 8 gigabytes (GB) than that of the predecessor (12 GB) – only the 256 GB and 512 GB models should come with 12 GB (predecessor: up to 16 GB R.A.M).
Battery size and charging power
Despite the S Pen, the S22 Ultra has the same large battery as its predecessor: 5,000 milliampere hours (mAh). If you want to charge quickly, you’ll probably have to buy an additional power supply this time too. Samsung is rumored to be launching a new 45-watt power adapter for this purpose. However, the charging speed should not be as fast as the competition – devices from Xiaomi, for example. Inductive charging is of course still on board, and other devices such as the Galaxy Buds 2 can also be charged wirelessly by placing them on the back.
The best Samsung phones
Samsung
Details about the test
Per
Super display – large, sharp, high-contrast and extremely bright
WiFi 6E
against
Big and heavy
No memory card slot
Samsung
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Brilliant big screen
Top photo quality in daylight
against
Insecure Face Unlock
No jack socket
Samsung
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Per
Fast processor
Bright, high-contrast display
against
Display could be sharper
No memory card slot
Samsung
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Large and extremely bright display
Extreme camera zoom
against
Insecure facial recognition
No jack socket
Samsung
Details about the test
against
No jack socket
No memory card slot
Samsung
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Per
High speed
Big, bright, sharp display
against
Slippery back
thick camera
Samsung
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Per
Giant display in cell phone format
Great contrasts and colors
against
Sensitive folding display
Folding curvature visible in the display
Samsung
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Fast processor (better than S20)
Long battery life
against
plastic case
Thicker display frame than S20
Samsung
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Per
Handy, slim design
Brilliant screen
against
Simple face unlock
No jack socket
Samsung
Details about the test
Per
Handy
Fast processor
against
Battery life mediocre
No memory card slot
Complete list: The best Samsung phones
Radio equipment: Bluetooth 5.2, UWB and Wifi 6
Only the S22 Ultra and the S22 Plus come with ultra-wideband radio (UWB), with which the Bluetooth tracker Smarttags+ can be located with meter accuracy – to track down the key in the sofa crack, for example. In addition, there is Bluetooth 5.2 and at least Wifi 6. It would be expected that the S22 Ultra would support Wifi 6E like the S21 Ultra. However, there are no rumors about this yet. 5G is of course standard on board. There is no jack socket.
S22 Ultra: prices and release
The Galaxy S22 series will be presented on February 9, 2022 as part of the Unpacked event (from 4 p.m. German time). It should be possible to pre-order the same evening, and delivery will probably start on February 18 or 25, 2022. The starting price of 1,249 euros may be identical to that of the S21 Ultra, but the larger storage variants are probably a little more expensive. Here are the possible prices of the three storage variants of the S22 Ultra:
