Galaxy S22 Ultra: The new king of Android

Is it worth parting with more than NIS 4,700 for Samsung's advanced smartphone?

Depends on how you look at it.

After a week with the new flagship device we came back with some conclusions - and especially happy about the return of the smart pen

Yinon Ben Shoshan

08/02/2022

Tuesday, 08 February 2022, 12:00 Updated: Tuesday, 08 March 2022, 12:02

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Galaxy S22 Ultra (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Along with the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus announced early last month, Samsung has also introduced its new premium model, the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is also the successor to the beloved Note series and features the smart pen so identified with the brand.

So is there a line in it beyond?

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Design

At first glance the Galaxy S22 Ultra looks fundamentally different from the model launched by Samsung last year and returns the meticulous design line of the Note series: a completely flat top and bottom, slightly convex screen to the sides and a back made of glass.

On the other hand, the designated area for the lenses is precisely cut according to their shape instead of a bulky square - which preserves the prestige of the device.

Unlike its smaller siblings, and because there are differences in screen sizes and other features, the device weighs quite a lot - 228 grams, and it is almost impossible to operate it with one hand.

That's not to say you'll limit yourself to use, but if you add coverage to the whole story it may feel a little awkward.

Significantly different from the model launched by Samsung last year (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

screen

As expected from Samsung, the spectacular screen comes in a size of 6.8 inches with a quality resolution of 3088 by 1440 pixels in Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology, including an image refresh rate of 120 Hz that allows the movement in the screen to look better and smoother.

In practice, this is the best display among the many devices on the market today, and movies and games look great on it.

It is very sharp (very!), The colors are rich and not exaggerated, and it can be operated very comfortably even in sunlight.

The transition between menus and screens is very smooth, and the viewing is very pleasing to the eye.

The area designated for the lenses is precisely cut according to their shape instead of a clumsy square (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

As with other Samsung devices from recent years, for better or worse, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a side-scrolling screen, and almost no edges.

Some will say that this is an anti-consumer decision that may interfere with the experience of use, but once you put the device in reasonable coverage you will less notice the difference.

Spectacular screen (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Performence

The device is available with two chipsets - the international version with Exynos 2200 processor, which has often been criticized for apparently significant differences in performance, and the one sold

, the US and China with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor.

In any case, in practice, when it comes to performance The device has removed worry - enough of combining the most advanced Snapdragon chip with 12GB of RAM to get monstrous performance, which is actually much more than you really need.

Regarding the performance of the device, remove concern (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

And it really does not matter how many applications you open at a time or weigh down on the device, there is no delay, stuttering and in short it will not move to the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

On the other hand, the load also has a price - warming up on the back of the device, especially while charging or using direct sunlight.

And that's not all, the battery life (with a capacity of 5000 milliamps / hour) was enough for a full working day - from early morning to night.

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The pen returns

The familiar stylus pen (S Pen) from the Note series has received a significant upgrade:

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The good news: it's noticeable.

Much more convenient and natural to scribble on screen, thanks to a combination of artificial intelligence.

Another advantage is for those who prefer to use a pen over a finger - definitely the S22 Ultra manages to do it almost perfectly, and not roughly.

Also, as soon as you take out the pen you can start working with it - for example writing a note or creating a document.

And yes, as in the Note series here too you can use the stylus as a remote control while shooting.

The stylus pen (S Pen) returns (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

A good camera, and that's it

In the photo section, on the back of the device you will find four cameras in total:

• 108 megapixel main camera, with f / 1.8 aperture key, optical stabilization (OIS) and autofocus

• 12-megapixel sensor with f / 2.2 aperture key for wide-angle photography

• 10 megapixel telephoto camera with f / 2.4 aperture key, optical stabilization (OIS and up to 3x optical zoom

• Another telephoto camera with a resolution of 10 megapixels with an f / 4.9 aperture key, optical stabilization (OIS) and optical zoom up to 10 times

As you know, the main theme that Samsung is promoting throughout the launch of the S22 Ultra is the camera system.

So what can be renewed in the technical capabilities in an age where most smartphones look the same to us?

Seems not too much - and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Despite the low score the device received in the DxOmark lab (specifically with an Exynos processor not sold in Israel), this is an excellent camera, among the best we have come across.

Except for a few cases, where I took pictures inside a building with poor lighting or 10x zoom - all the pictures I took with the device came out wonderful, with excellent color balance and good sharpness.

Extremely high sharpness.

Photography with the Galaxy S22 Ultra (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Photography with the Galaxy S22 Ultra (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Magnification and zoom changes can be controlled with buttons that provide easy-to-use shortcuts.

However, in zoom photography 10 times the sharpness is less good and a deficit is created in the image.

However, the state of the night managed to surprise us: the pictures came out clear without smearing and without excessive artificial lighting.

Another gimmick that is not clear who Samsung is targeting is the 30x and 100x zoom. This is a digital (artificial) zoom made using artificial intelligence, and is designed to replace the optical zoom with, as expected, quality compromises.

Even at night - the picture is clear without smearing (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

10x zoom photography with the Galaxy S22 Ultra (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Photography with the Galaxy S22 Ultra (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

When it comes to the front camera (selfie), which includes a 40-megapixel sensor, there is a significant difference in the quality of the image compared to the rear camera, but it is still a better result.

Also, background blur mode (bokeh effect) does the job excellently.

Selfie with the Galaxy S22 Ultra (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Galaxy S22 Ultra (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Bottom line: worth the price?

It's hard to see a justification for spending more than NIS 4,700 on a smartphone, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra keeps almost all of its promises, including all the benefits of the Note series, and in terms of specs and performance it is one of the best smartphones you can buy today.

Need a stylus pen, looking for a great camera and a big screen?

The S22 Ultra is for you.

Need a little less than that?

Even the S22 Plus or S22, which are no less good models than him, may well fit.

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