There’s always a huge selling point that marketing managers use to persuade users to upgrade their smartphones with each new numbered version of a premium model.
It’s usually a completely redesigned camera with a slew of brand-new photography capabilities. Manufacturers can dramatically improve display resolutions and refresh rates at other times.
On the other hand, Samsung’s recently revealed Galaxy S22 Ultra isn’t like that. Unlike previous models, this year’s flagship from Samsung lacks any notable new features.
The S22 Ultra’s most vital selling point seems to be that it isn’t truly an S-series phone, at least not in the traditional sense. Contrary to the company’s claims, the S22 Ultra is, in everything but name, a Samsung Galaxy Note.
Despite the lack of a game-changing new feature, as a long-time Note user who has had the opportunity to utilize the S22 Ultra, I can honestly declare that it does not require one.
Smartphones are nearing the end of their usefulness
Manufacturers are now exploring new methods to get people enthusiastic about smartphones after years of stagnation on the traditional smartphone front. A direct effect of this is the predicted Google Pixel Fold and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3.
Although foldable phones are still in their early stages, most consumers still prefer a traditional smartphone that doesn’t have any moving components for now.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is here to help. In the end, it’s the phone that doesn’t care about winning accolades for invention; it just wants to be the most advanced Samsung smartphone it can be right now.
The S22 Ultra’s specifications appear to be nearly identical to those of last year’s S21 Ultra. The camera array, battery capacity, screen resolution, and refresh rates are almost comparable. For the first time in a Samsung S-series smartphone, the S21 Ultra could use the company’s S Pen.
Despite these similarities, the S22 Ultra performs everything better than the standard S22. Improved photo and video capabilities, decreased S Pen latency, quicker 45W charging, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor are just a few of the new features found in this device.
Its camera is nearly identical. However, the quality of its images is noticeably superior
Like the S21 Ultra, the S22 Ultra’s camera has a 108MP primary sensor supported by a trio of additional lenses (10MP+10MP+12MP), the same as last year’s model.
Samsung’s new 2.4um pixel sensor, the biggest ever to be used in an Android smartphone, has resulted in an enormous improvement. Compared to previous models, the S22 Ultra’s camera can take in more light and data.
I could not try out the S22 Ultra’s ‘Advanced Nightography’ promises because my hands-on session occurred during the daytime. Though there are certain drawbacks, the bigger 2.4um pixel sensor and Samsung’s new “Super Clear Lens” might help with low-light images and decrease glare.
In portrait mode, the camera’s autofocus was faster and more precise than on my Galaxy Z Fold 3, and the results were more explicit between foreground and background components.
Even while employing its (perhaps gimmicky) 100x digital zoom capability, the S22 Ultra managed to keep its image more stable than last year’s model. And as we indicated earlier, the finished output looked better than anything we could accomplish on an S21 Ultra because of those post-processing enhancements.
I’ve been hoping for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and it’s finally here
After using a Note as my primary smartphone since Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 was introduced, I was more than a little let down by Samsung’s choice to forgo the introduction of a new model for 2017. It marked the end of what I had come to see as the perfect smartphone for hardcore users.
In the absence of the Note, Samsung added S Pen support to the S1 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 3, but the software execution was far from perfect. The S Pen had to be stored in a bulky phone cover for both devices because there was no designated slot for the pen while it was not in use.
As a result, the stylus could no longer be used to take remote photos or scroll between slides in a presentation using Bluetooth.
The absence of a third premium handset brand is understandable, given Samsung’s recent decision to focus on foldable handsets in the second half of each year.
We are thankful that the S22 Ultra, which has Samsung’s trademark square edges and curved glass coupled with a dedicated, Bluetooth-supported S Pen slot, shows that the company had other ambitions for its iconic Note design.
As long as Samsung continues to use the Note name, it’s fair to conclude that the company’s choice to rename it as an S-series smartphone is the most outstanding possible outcome for its loyal customers.
Since the S21 Ultra added S Pen functionality, their physical appearance has only been the difference between the two devices. S22 Ultra is the finest of both worlds: a smartphone that brings together the best S-series and Note-series features. I don’t know why it’s taken so long for this to happen.