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We were less impressed with the phone’s Portrait Video capabilities, which come nowhere close to the magic of Apple’s iPhone 13 line’s Cinematic mode video (it needs a face in frame to work). The auto-framing capability, which literally zooms the camera in and out to keep people in frame, doesn’t seem all that useful – we suspect it needs more refinement. What these improvements mean is that both writing and doodling feels much more natural and responsive this time around. Converting handwritten notes to text is also much faster than before, with an extra 12 languages added to the text recognition software. The cameras are completely different, too. This year, there’s a main 108MP sensor, complemented by a pair of 10MP zoom cameras (10x and 3x), as well as a 12MP ultrawide unit. The selfie camera is a 40MP affair, rather than the piddly 10MP sensor found on the S22 and S22 Plus. It’s not just a looker, though. The Galaxy S22 Ultra – like the rest of the lineup – is fully IP68-certified against dust and water, and it’s also the first smartphone to benefit from Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, which is a new protective layer that’s been applied to both the front and rear of the handset. According to Samsung, Victus Plus is 12.5% stronger than the Gorilla Glass Victus on last year’s model, and the S22’s new “Armour Aluminum” chassis is more durable, too. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review: S Pen stylus
A lot has changed when it comes to the S22 Ultra’s cameras. Featuring a completely redesigned camera module, the S22 Ultra comes with four lenses on the rear: the primary 108MP unit, a 12MP ultrawide with a 120-degree field of view and a pair of 10MP telephoto cameras, with one at 3x optical zoom and the other at a maximum of 10x. A 40MP selfie camera is on the front of the phone. What’s more important though is that Samsung is seriously supporting this phone when it comes to updates. There’s a promise of five years of updates and four major OS updates – that means the S22 Ultra will still be supported when Android 16 rolls around. Considering how many big Android phones only get two major OS updates, this is huge news and shows that investment should last for a number of years. The theme of AI runs through a lot of what Samsung is doing with the camera here. It uses artificial intelligence in night photography to steady the camera when you’re shooting video. The tech worked great during testing, offering me very impressive and stable results; automatically switching the frame rate and altering the strength of the bokeh blur in portrait mode as the situation required. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is the top handset in Samsung’s 2022 flagship range, but this phone could have very easily been called the Galaxy S22 Note.
The S Pen is back, and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the right place for it
Aside from looking vivid and bright, the Dynamic OLED screen has a new feature called Vision Booster. Samsung says this pushes up detail and contrast in brighter situations, making it easier to see video content. This is certainly an interesting addition for those who watch a lot of Netflix shows in sunny environments, though considering it’s very dreary here in the UK it’s not something I could utilise much. My final build note revolves around the vibration motor. It’s just so… non-existent? I’ve missed dozens of notifications, even phone calls, because I just can’t feel the haptic response. Even when the S22 Ultra is on a desk, the tinny sound the vibration gives off feels like the phone is on the other side of the office. It’s a different story with the general UI haptics though, as the soft vibration when you hit keys is very satisfying.
In our estimation, the S Pen is a wildly useful implement and, despite its small size (small for this reviewer’s hands anyway), it’s an effective drawing implement. We opened Sketchbook and had a great time drawing, especially because the pen and screen recognize pressure and angle.You can also shoot some high-quality 4K video at 60fps, and up to 8K at 24fps. We were pleased with the results.
Overall, there’s a lot you can do with the S Pen, but it also follows the 80/20 rule – most of us will use 20% of the features, 80% of the time. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Software I mentioned concerns about battery capacity in my hands-on with the Galaxy S22, but I didn’t have the same qualms here and I have generally found the endurance on par with Galaxy S21 Ultra. This is to say it’s good, but not exactly groundbreaking.Part of Samsung’s new S22 lineup, but looking nothing like its siblings, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is to the casual observer a Galaxy Note in a shiny, new coat. It does have a much bigger and bolder camera array (lifted pretty much intact from the S21 Ultra), but it’s otherwise a canny adjustment of the Note aesthetic or, as Samsung might call it, the “Note Experience.” Still, this adjustment leaves it as easily the best Samsung phone. Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 is currently available with Super Fast Wireless Charger and Super Fast Wireless Charger Duo. Wireless Chargers sold separately. Other wireless chargers compatible with WPC support wireless charging under 5W. Actual charging speed may vary depending on the actual usage, charging conditions and other factors. Wireless charger requires power connection. Recommend using Samsung charging cable and/or travel adapter for optimal performance. Call quality was generally excellent. We could hear our caller clearly, and they told us we were coming through equally clear. The 5G performance (we were on T-Mobile in the US) was, by turns, excellent and average – it seemed to depend on how close we were to a decent 5G tower. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Battery life Samsung says that the phone’s neural processing unit (NPU) is 2x faster than the previous version, which does a better job at sharpening details and reducing visual noise in low-light conditions. In practice, the S22 Ultra’s night-time images looked sublime and were a significant step up from my comparison handset, the iPhone 12 Pro.
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