Galaxy S22 Ultra hands-on: camera and battery tested in Paris

I finally got the replacement device for my Galaxy S22 Ultra. Which city is better for putting it through its paces, and above all its camera, than Paris? As always, I paid for the device myself. Here is my hands-on review, shot against the backdrop of Paris.

S Pen

For me, the S Pen is the best digital pen on the market, above all because of the soft tip and the pleasant writing feel. There are no clattering sounds like with the Apple Pencil’s plastic tip. Samsung has made it even faster, and the latency has been reduced significantly compared to the Note 20 Ultra. I use it for taking notes, signing documents, editing pictures, and as a shutter button for the camera. I don’t use the gesture controls in everyday life.

Camera

The camera plays in its own league. It delivers extremely sharp photos, the zoom is incredible, and it is really fun for photos and videos alike. In the video settings you can now set HDR10+ manually. This improves contrast and color reproduction of videos from the main camera, and the difference is dramatic. For photos you can set 108 megapixels on the main camera. The pictures get even sharper, but the file size increases significantly.

Display, design, and feel

• Display: At 1,750 nits the display is unbelievably bright, and in full sun it stays high-contrast and easy to read. Together with the adaptive 120 Hz panel, it is currently the best smartphone display on the market for me. I like the rounded display edges of the 6.8-inch display because they make the bulky device sit better in the hand. That is a matter of taste.
• Material: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus is used on the front and back, which adds to the premium feel.
• Design: It leaves a slightly bad aftertaste that the design of the two-year-old Note 20 Ultra was used almost one to one. At this price I would have wished for a somewhat newer design.
• Grip: The glass back and the high-gloss aluminum edges are very classy and unfortunately quite slippery. That is why I strongly recommend a case for the expensive device. Ad: On the S22 Ultra and on the regular S22 I use the super-light, slim cases from CACOE. They fit exactly, don’t add bulk, and the buttons stay easy to press. The links are in the video description.

Updates, battery, and charging

New is the update guarantee of four years. The devices launched with Android 12, so there are updates until at least Android 16. I find that very commendable, a step toward sustainability.

The battery has 5,000 mAh and is really very good. With my heavy-user habits it lasts more than a day, and with normal use easily a day and a half. The S22 Ultra charges at 45 watts, but a fast-charging adapter is not included. It costs another €49.99 at Samsung. With that, Samsung catches up with Apple.

Speakers, unlocking, and performance

I find the stereo speakers very good, but they don’t reach the rich sound of the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the display works very reliably and unlocks insanely fast. Most of the time I don’t need it, though, because I set up face recognition, which works extremely well and fast, just not with a mask.

The exciting question is performance. That is why I sent my first S22 Ultra from the pre-order campaign back and aborted the test. With the new device and the April update, performance is nearly flawless in 99.9 percent of use. The S22 Ultra runs blazing fast without lags and stutters. Mini stutters in 0.1 percent of my use are quite acceptable. I would have wished for us in Europe to get the Snapdragon chip like the rest of the world. By now I get along well with the Exynos, though.

Verdict: who is the Galaxy S22 Ultra worth it for?

I only partly recommend buying it. If you want an S Pen you can tuck into the body, absolutely need the latest Samsung model, or want the few but outstanding camera upgrades, and have the money to spare, you can buy the device. It is a premium high-end smartphone. If you don’t see yourself in that, you can look at the much cheaper Galaxy S21 Ultra, the predecessor, or the S22 Plus.