There have been a few phone launches in recent weeks, but one in particular stands out: Samsung's Galaxy S22 series. The S Pen-wielding S22 Ultra, which might just as well be dubbed the Galaxy Note 22, stands out as the clear leader of the group. We've had the phone for a few days and here are our early thoughts, since our review team has already begun work on the complete written review.
It's a big phone, dwarfing the other S22 members and most other high-end phones. The boxy design is clearly influenced by the Galaxy Note series, and the screen curvature is more prominent than on last year's S21 Ultra.
Our Phantom Black device is the epitome of stealth, and it pairs beautifully with the black USB C cable that is the only item included in the box.
The 6.8-inch, 1440p Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate looks and feels great in all situations, and the increased peak brightness of 1,750 nits will come in useful in bright outdoor locations. On the front and back, Gorilla Glass Victus+ is used.
The S Pen now lives on the bottom next to the USB C port, which is a welcome change from last year's S21 Ultra, which required a specialised case with a holster for the stylus. The functionality is identical to that of the Note20 Ultra, with Bluetooth-enabled gestures and air instructions.
Cameras are up next. On the back, there are four of them, led by a 108MP 1/1.33" sensor with 0.8m pixels, exactly as last year's Ultra. It produces 12MP photographs but manages to capture a little more light and detail than its predecessor, but you'll have to wait for our comprehensive review to get the whole picture. The 12MP ultrawide snapper is the same one that was utilised in last year's Ultra. The two 10MP telephoto sensors offer 3x and 10x optical zoom but record fewer 1.12m pixels than the S21 Ultra's 1.22m.
Given the new 4nm Exynos 2200 chipset at the heart of our EU device, the 5,000 mAh battery should potentially offer improved durability this time around. This time, charging is limited to 45W. The software interface is Samsung's One UI 4 on top of Android 12, and it looks and feels like prior versions. That's all we got for the time being; stay tuned for the complete review.
