Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Two
If we were to judge the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra on nothing but its cameras and, in particular, the optical and digitally-enhanced zoom capabilities, we might call it the best smartphone ever.
Its not, of course every handset is the sum of its design, features, components, utility, and value but taken as a whole, this Samsung Galaxy Series-Galaxy Note hybrid is an excellent, albeit massive Android handset that not only ticks all the important boxes, but delivers more features than you may ever want or use.
The design is an echo of, but also more forward-leaning than, Samsungs last Note device. It really is a hybrid. There will be no complaints about the ultra-high-resolution, 6.8-inch screen, which offers brilliant colors and smooth motion at 120Hz, but is smart enough to stop down all the way to 1Hz, when thats all you need, to save on battery life.
The camera array is strong. Sure, its not a complete overhaul of the Galaxy S21s camera system, but that was already pretty darn good. This is arguably better the Optical and Space Zooms are simply marvels of modern technology.
We also love the thin and light S Pen, and were thrilled that its finally integrated literally into the Galaxy line. It does so many things so well, and for productivity-focused mobile users it could be a godsend.
Agree To Continue: Samsung Galaxy S22 And S22 Plus
Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it contracts that no one actually reads. Its impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit agree to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people dont read and definitely cant negotiate.
To use the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, you must agree to:
- Samsungs Terms and conditions
- Samsungs Privacy Policy
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The Best Small Android Phone But Not The Right Galaxy S22 For Everyone
If you’re specifically looking for a small phone that’s less than 2.8 inches wide, your choices are limited to the Galaxy S22, Apple’s iPhone 13 mini and SE models, and the obscure Sony Xperia 5 III . The Xperia costs $200 more than the other options, and doesn’t noticeably offer anything more for your money. Your decision at that point boils down to a choice between Android and iOS. The Galaxy S22 and the iPhone 13 mini are both terrific phones, but neither does anything that may convince you to switch between the two platforms.
So while the Galaxy S22 is the best small Android phone you can buy, the Galaxy S22+ wins our Editors’ Choice award for Android phones this year despite its slightly larger size. Ultimately, it offers a big enough advantage in battery life to justify its higher cost. And if you’re a longtime fan of the Galaxy Note series, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is your best bet thanks to its larger screen and built-in S Pen stylus.
Battery: The Big Question
As I mentioned, battery life is the S22’s major issue. The phone has only a 3,700mAh battery. For comparison, the S22+ has a 4,500mAh battery and the S22 Ultra has a 5,000mAh cell. Although the other phones have bigger screens, that difference doesn’t matter much in terms of energy use.
The S22 streamed video for 9 hours and 5 minutes over Wi-Fi, and a mere 5 hours and 10 minutes over 5G in our tests. That’s more than an hour less of usable battery life in both scenarios than the S22+. You might not be comfortable with those results if you use your phone heavily throughout the day.
The S22 also charges at 25W rather than the supposed 45W of the larger phones. However, in our tests, it charges just as quickly overall as the others , to the tune of 18% in the first 10 minutes, and from zero to 100% in 75 minutes. The bigger phones require more wattage to get to the same battery percentages because they use larger batteries. Like the other S22 models, the small S22 supports 15W wireless charging and reverse charging.
Left to right: Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, Galaxy S21
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Galaxy S22 Vs Galaxy S22 Plus Vs S22 Ultra: Chipset
All three phones in the lineup share the same internals: they ship with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 chipset, depending on where you live. Both are fabricated on the 4nm process and are 2022’s flagship chips, offering notably superior GPU and AI/ML performance compared to last-gen offerings. The Ultra, however, features an upgraded cooling solution comprising a new “Gel-TIM”thermal paste that can supposedly transfer heat up to 3.5x more efficiently than previous generations, though we saw little difference in heat output in our testing. Add in the larger chassis, and the largest S22 should offer the best sustainedperformance in the lineup.
The entire series ships with 8GB base RAM, but the 256GB+ storage variants of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra are equipped with 12GB RAM. The phones differ in their storage configurations, with the S22 and S22+ topping out at 256GB storage while the Ultra goes all the way up to 1TB. None of the models feature a dedicated microSD card slot, but most flagship smartphones have enough storage options to make up for the omission.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Review
A small phone with lots of power
I’m that 5G guy. I’ve actually been here for every “G.” I’ve reviewed well over a thousand products during 18 years working full-time at PCMag.com, including every generation of the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S. I also write a weekly newsletter, Fully Mobilized, where I obsess about phones and networks.
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Samsung Galaxy S22 Specs
The market for sub-$1,000 flagships is tighter than its ever been. Each new launch comes with a paper-thin margin for error that can easily make or break a phone. As such, it takes an awful lot of punch to be an immediate knockout against the best from Google, Apple, and more. For the most part, the Samsung Galaxy S22 is equipped to go the distance.
Starting at $799, Samsungs latest flagship has a pretty well-rounded spec sheet and most of the features are refined enough to justify the steep asking price. We havent grown tired of a Dynamic AMOLED display to date, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor easily keeps up. Overall, the Galaxy S22 is the perfect little brother to the Galaxy S22 Plus at least until the moment it runs out of juice. Battery life really is the only significant caveat here.
Save some money: The best Samsung Galaxy deals
Pre-order bonuses have come and gone, but there are still plenty of ways to pick up the Galaxy S22 for less than full price. You can get top trade-in value from Samsung or one of the leading US carriers, though you may have to lock yourself into a contract. If youre determined to take the plunge into the Galaxy ecosystem, shopping from Samsung might be the best way to stretch your dollar.
Check out:
Claim 200 On A Prepaid Mastercard** When You Buy The 128gb Model 20gb+ Tariffs Ends 2 Nov
£200 Digital prepaid Mastercard®**: Available with Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G 128GB on 20GB+ tariffs. Offer ends 2 November 2022. Minimum term applies and will vary dependant on device or sim chosen. Over 18s only and customers must live in the UK. Digital prepaid MasterCard will be issued on 15th December 2022, provided you have not cancelled your service or returned your handset, that you remain on an eligible call plan, and you have followed the claim process. Active email address, postal address and mobile number required for offer redemption. Within 14 days of purchase, customers will receive email and SMS with instructions on how to obtain digital prepaid MasterCard, and customers must claim digital prepaid MasterCard within 30 days of receiving the instructions and then activate the card within 90 days.
**Digital prepaid Mastercard® is issued by GVS Prepaid Ltd, an Electronic Money Institution authorised in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority with Firm Reference number 900230, pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard® is a registered trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. Further terms and conditions apply, see . Offer not available on selected customer platforms . Call us or ask in store for details.
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High Refresh Rate Handling
The Galaxy S22 has a Dynamic AMOLED 2x display that can refresh at up to 120Hz. There is also automatic refresh rate switching. Both parts are true for the entire S22 lineup. However, this is another area in which Samsung kind of dropped the ball while communicating just how the refresh rate works and how it is handled on the S22 and S22+, which are in fact different from the S22 Ultra in this respect.
To quote the latest official Samsung statement first: “We would like to clarify any confusion relating to the display refresh rate for Galaxy S22 and S22+. While the display component of both devices supports between 48 to 120Hz, Samsung’s proprietary technology offers adjustable display refresh rates, where data transfer rates from AP to display can be minimized to as low as 10Hz in order to save power consumption. The display refresh rate was originally listed between 10 and 120Hz , and we later opted to update how we communicate this specification in order to be in line with the more widely-recognized industry standard. Consumers can be assured there has been no change of hardware specifications, and both devices support up to 120Hz for super-smooth scrolling.
From what we managed to gather, only the S22 Ultra actually uses an LTPO 2.0 substrate for its OLED panel, allowing it much better flexibility in automatic refresh rate adjustment. The S22+ and vanilla S22 rely on the simpler LTPS tech, which Samsung still managed to expand for this generation.
24Hz at idle in the UI
Samsung Galaxy S2: Benchmark Test Comparison
I noticed this high-level performance in everyday use, too, where the S22 was snappy and smooth-performing everyday tasks on apps, while gaming was also impressively powerful.
In terms of connectivity, the S22 comes with Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi, 5G connectivity and NFC, the capabilities youd expect of a high-end phone at this price.
The software at play here is Samsungs OneUI, layered over Android 12. This distinctive user interface does pack in a few pre-installed apps, including Facebook and Instagram, which arent entirely welcome but there are a few helpful little additions to be found among them, too. For example, theres the edge menu that brings up a selection of recently used apps for ease of access. In addition, when taking photos of documents, youll receive a prompt to scan it, so you can cut neatly around the document if you wish to share it. Such additions arent game changers, but they do add some extra usefulness.
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Practical Ways To Fix Fast Draining Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Battery:
This is a common habit to use your phone on charging. Unfortunately, this habit directly affects the battery health of your phone. When you use your phone on charging, the battery charges slower than the normal rate. While the charger is still plugged-in, it can cause your battery to heat. We suggest that you neglect such a habit to prevent any further damage to your battery.
This goes without saying that if you keep your phones display always on, it will consume your battery. Although the new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a Dynamic AMOLED display, it still uses a percentage of your battery to display diodes and light up the screen.
We often do not realize that unclosed applications are running in the background. Whether we use those applications or not they consume our battery. The best way to analyze the application that is to drain a huge amount of your phones battery. In your android smartphone, there is a simple way to restrict such applications. Here are some simple steps that you can follow:
- Navigate to settings
- Select show full device usage
- Now uncheck the apps with unnecessary notifications
Claim 50 Google Play Gift Code When You Buy The Samsung Galaxy Watch5 4g Ends 2 Nov
*Each year your Airtime Plan will be increased by the Retail Price Index rate of inflation announced in February plus 3.9%. If RPI is negative, well only apply the 3.9%. Youll see this increase on your April 2022 bill onwards. See o2.co.uk/prices.
Promoter: Samsung Electronics Limited. UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands residents only or registered companies in the same. Purchase a Galaxy Watch5 or Watch5 Pro from a participating retailer between 26/08/2022 02/11/2022 and claim a Google Play Gift Code by redemption. No cash alternative.
Participants must visit www.samsungpromotions.claims/samsunglaunchoffers, upload proof of purchase and provide all other required information . All Participants must claim within 60 days of purchase. Maximum 1 Claim per Promotion Product purchased and a maximum of 10 Claims per company participant. See www.samsungpromotions.claims/samsunglaunchoffers for full Promotion terms. Google Play is a trademark of Google LLC.
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How Long Does The New S22 Samsung Galaxy Battery Last
Looking for a phone that can keep up with your active lifestyle? Considering the new Samsung Galaxy S22 series?
Each year, people are waiting longer to upgrade to the newest version of their smartphones. Users are putting more time and effort into researching the newest handset to figure out if it’s really for them or notand often, they’re surprised by what they find. Will you be?
We’ll cover everything: the Samsung Galaxy battery life, screen and size, color and shape, and its capabilities.
Read on to make sure you’re not in the dark before you go upgradingor you could be in for an unpleasant surprise.
A Quality Camera With Easier Controls
The Galaxy S22’s triple-lens camera represents an upgrade over the S21’s, especially when it comes to low-light photos. But I also really enjoy the way the device’s 50-megapixel sensor takes photos in bright daylight conditions, too. I’ve historically felt like Samsung’s phones exaggerated color, resulting in images that were bold but didn’t always feel natural. The Galaxy S22 does a better job of striking that balance compared to older Samsung phones, in my opinion.
Take a look at some of the photos below to see the Galaxy S22’s camera in action.
The Galaxy S22 did a great job of isolating the subject in this photo.
The Galaxy S22 is great at capturing sweeping landscape shots, too.
Check out my full reviews of the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus and S22 Ultra for a deeper dive into how the Galaxy S22’s cameras compare to those on competing phones and other Samsung devices.
One of my favorite camera changes actually has nothing to do with the Galaxy S22 in particular. One UI 4, the latest version of Samsung’s mobile software, introduced new controls for switching between the phone’s lenses that makes it much easier to see the exact zoom level.
Read more: Is Samsung’s 45-Watt Charger Worth It? We Put It to the Test
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Galaxy S22 Ultra Battery Life Vs Other Phones
| Model | |
| 11:44 | 10:28 |
The Galaxy S22 Ultra lasted a good but not great time of 10 hours 11 minutes in 60Hz mode and 10:02 in adaptive mode, where the display can scale up to 120Hz but scale all the way down to 1Hz. These results are surprising because they’re about the same as the Galaxy S21 Ultra , and we were hoping for some efficiency gains from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. Plus, the S21 Ultra’s display could only scale down to 10Hz.
As for the Galaxy S22 Plus, it fared pretty well given that it has a smaller battery than the Galaxy S21 Plus . The newer S22 Plus endured for 9:31 in adaptive mode and 10:12 in 60Hz mode. In this case the display scales down to 48Hz. The Galaxy S21 Plus lasted 9:22 and 9:52 in adaptive and 60Hz modes, so that’s a pleasant surprise.
The battery life times for the Galaxy S22 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Plus far surpass that of the latest Google phones. The Pixel 6 Pro maxed out at just 7:46 despite its large 5.000 mAh battery, and the regular Pixel 6 hit 8:13 with its 4,614 mAh battery.
The bad news is that both of these Samsung flagships trailed the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which lasted 12:16. The iPhone 13 Pro also lasted longer at 11:42. The OnePlus 9 Pro had more staying power than the Galaxy S22 Ultra and S22 Plus with an adaptive display runtime of 11:44.