Galaxy S22 Ultra after 3 months: why a love-hate relationship developed
Verdict in brief
The Galaxy S22 Ultra delights Jen with its design, display, camera, and performance, but annoys her with a weak standby battery and stuttering videos. She hopes for a bug fix via update. She doesn't want to be without the S22 Ultra anymore.
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Pros
- Elongated design with a curved display sits very well in the hand
- Display with up to 1,750 nits, easy to read even in direct sun
- High-contrast, sharp photos, 100x zoom, strong portraits
- Performance after many updates is buttery smooth and blazing fast
Cons
- Battery drains a lot on standby, evenings get tight with heavy use
- Videos in the camera app stutter, Jen can't get a smooth video
- Recording directly in the Instagram app is also a series of stuttering frames
I have had the Galaxy S22 Ultra for over two months, and a real love-hate relationship has developed between the device and me. You get constantly annoyed about one thing and still absolutely don’t want to be without it anymore. That’s how it is for me with the S22 Ultra. As always, I paid for the device myself.
What delights me
Design: I like the elongated format, the distinctive corners, and the curved display. It sits insanely well in the hand. At 6.8 inches it is big, but compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max (6.7 inches) it doesn’t feel too heavy.
Display: It is incredibly sharp, but above all bright. The maximum possible 1,750 nits are insane in direct sunlight. I see everything with high contrast and don’t have to shield the device or retreat into the shade, on the terrace or at the beach. The iPhone 13 Pro Max can’t keep up there.
Camera: Photos are high-contrast and extremely sharp, and the 100x zoom is a highlight. Compared to the iPhone 13 Pro and the Google Pixel 6 Pro, I like the pictures from the S22 Ultra best, especially the portraits. That is my personal opinion, though, and a matter of taste.
Performance: Like many people, I had massive problems here at the beginning. I had pre-ordered the device, got it early, and sent it back because of the performance problems. With the replacement device and the many updates since then, the S22 Ultra is a performance wonder and runs buttery smooth and blazing fast. Android 12 is really good to use for me. With the great design, I also pick the device up incredibly gladly after almost three months.
What drives me crazy
I don’t want to talk about hate, that is a very strong word, and why would you hate a smartphone? But there are points of criticism that I can’t understand.
- Battery: On standby the device loses more battery in an hour than I burn calories jogging. Since the update in May this has improved noticeably. I still get through the day well, but depending on how much I phone, browse, and watch videos, it gets tight in the evening. With a 5,000 mAh battery that shouldn’t happen. Compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the S22 Ultra loses points here.
- Video mode: Even worse for me personally. The photos are excellent, but so far I haven’t managed a single smooth video, regardless of the resolution. Even a five-second video has at least one stutter, sometimes the whole video stutters. For me that makes the video recordings unusable, even for casual and vacation snapshots, let alone for videos for YouTube and Instagram.
- Instagram: Samsung advertised deeper integration of the camera app into social media apps like Instagram or Snapchat. If I record a video directly in Instagram, it is a string of stuttering frames. If the camera’s video recording isn’t good, it can hardly be better with the Instagram app.
That is why I have to reach for my iPhone 13 Pro Max or a video camera, neither of which I want to carry with me all the time.
Verdict
I very much hope this bug in the camera app gets fixed with the next updates. With luck, we will then have a working, bug-free Galaxy S22 Ultra right in time for the market launch of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Questions and answers
- How is the battery of the Galaxy S22 Ultra after three months?
- Jen still gets through the day on one charge, but in the evening it gets tight with a lot of calling, browsing, and watching videos. From her point of view that shouldn't be necessary with 5,000 mAh. Since the update in May, standby drain has improved noticeably.
- What is the biggest problem of the Galaxy S22 Ultra?
- For Jen it is the camera's video mode: regardless of the resolution, every video stutters, even at five seconds. She hopes for a bug fix via update.
- How bright does the display of the Galaxy S22 Ultra get?
- Up to 1,750 nits. In direct sunlight Jen can see everything with high contrast without shielding the device with her hand.
- How is the performance of the Galaxy S22 Ultra?
- After a replacement device and many updates it runs buttery smooth and blazing fast, according to Jen. At the beginning, her first device had massive performance problems.
