Samsung finally announced the Galaxy S22 series, featuring three devices — S22 Ultra, S22+, and S22. Unlike its predecessor, this year’s Ultra model is more than just the top-of-the-line flagship, which also marks the return of the “Note” device in a way. I was able to spend a short period of time with the phone, and here’s the first look at the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Specs
- 6.8-inch Edge QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (1Hz-120Hz)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor (Malaysia) or Exynos 2200 processor
- Cameras:
- 12MP ultra-wide + 108MP main + 10MP 3x telephoto + 10MP 10x telephoto
- 40MP front camera
- 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired Super Fast Charging 2.0
- Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- Colors: Phantom White, Phantom Black, Green, Burgundy
- One UI 4.1 based on Android 12
- Pricing:
- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage: RM5,099
- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage: RM5,499
- 12GB RAM + 512GB storage: RM5,899
Before we proceed, there are a few things to keep in mind for our market. Malaysia will be getting the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 variant, instead of the Exynos variant like we used to be. Additionally, we are not getting the 16GB RAM + 1TB storage variant for now.
Honestly, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is more like the successor of the Galaxy Note20 Ultra. It has the same boxy edges design with a huge 6.8-inch Edge QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with curves on both sides. The screen remains the best-in-class and you can still use the 120Hz refresh rate with QHD+ resolution at the same time.
Looking at the back of the phone, the Contour Cut Camera design from the S21 Ultra is now gone. The S22 Ultra doesn’t have a huge camera bump like the Note20 Ultra, the back glass now has six cutouts for the cameras, sensors, and LED flash. Not to forget the front and back of the phone are covered by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+.
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a built-in S Pen for the first time, something that most Note users want since Samsung has killed the Note lineup to make way for foldables. You now get the same Note experience, or I should say, even better! Samsung has reduced the S Pen latency to just 2.8ms (from 9ms), thanks to the AI-based coordinate prediction technology. The company has also improved the handwriting to text feature and it now supports 88 languages.
In terms of cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a quad-camera setup on the back — 12MP ultra-wide + 108MP main + 10MP 3x telephoto + 10MP 10x telephoto. The main camera sensor is larger than its predecessor and Samsung has promised better low-light performance thanks to the new NPU.
The company is also taking Pro mode to the next level. You can now download Expert RAW for full control over your shots, saving the RAW files directly to the Gallery. Fine-tune your frames on your phone or send them to your PC or tablet and edit on a bigger screen.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is now available for pre-order at Samsung Online Store, Shopee, and Lazada, in four color options — Phantom White, Phantom Black, Green, Burgundy. Stay tuned for our full review as we will be getting one soon.