This phone, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, is significant. It is Samsung’s flagship model and the company’s top smartphone with a traditional design. It debuts early each year and serves as the benchmark for measuring all Samsung product lines and the majority of the smartphone industry. This is the phone that Samsung has historically used as the foundation for the majority of its software development, as well as the one with the finest display, cameras, and chip. Considering that the Galaxy Z Fold is now in its fourth generation, we say “traditionally” because there has been a somewhat overt change in emphasis. With regard to screen size, the Galaxy Z Fold4 is Samsung’s largest flagship and the device on which its software advancements are most prominent.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is understated yet gorgeous all at same. I like that the cameras aren’t housed in a blaring bulge, and I also enjoy the precise, squared-off angles. They blend in better with the handset’s back. The design is sleek and minimalist overall. Gently curved 6.8-inch display gives some aesthetic appeal without encouraging erroneous screen presses. The S22 Ultra weighs 8.07 ounces as opposed to 8.5 ounces for the 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max, while having a slightly larger display.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]Another feature to note is the 6.8-inch AMOLED display. It supports resolutions up to 3088 x 1440 pixels (WQHD+), or 500 ppi. The 6.7-inch, 2778 x 1284 screen of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, in contrast, has 458 pixels per inch. It’s important to note that the S22 Ultra’s default resolution is 2316 x 1080 (FHD+), which Samsung claims uses somewhat less battery life. However, we switched to WQHD+ midway through our testing and noticed little to no reduction in battery performance.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra introduced the 100X “Space Zoom” capability, which is still available. Higher zoom levels can now be more easily framed, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra used a similar implementation. A secondary viewfinder with a snapshot of the picture at 20X and crosshairs to direct you to your subject appears as soon as you zoom in farther than 20X. The secondary viewfinder will glow yellow once focus has been locked and your hands are steady enough to capture the picture.
In addition to the two telephoto cameras’ 3X and 10X optical zoom levels, the camera app has hard stops of 2X, 4X, 30X, and 100X. I noticed that image quality was excellent up to the optical zoom levels, but once the phone switches to hybrid zoom after that, it degrades. At 100X, objects were visible but not in the finest quality. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a sizable 5,000 mAH battery that, according to Samsung, may last more than a day under normal use. The S22 Ultra currently has a battery life of 10 hours, 18 minutes when using T-network Mobile’s and the 60Hz mode is enabled.