Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra unboxing: unpacking and setup, first impressions

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is sitting new on my table. I’m unpacking it and setting it up. I almost didn’t buy it, and I’ll tell you the reason at the end. I bought the device myself, so the opinion is unfiltered. This is a first impressions piece, and the detailed test follows later.

Unboxing and first impression

I ordered the Galaxy S22 Ultra in Phantom Black. The large device feels quite heavy. In the box are the usual paperwork, a USB-C to USB-C cable and a SIM ejector pin. Once again, there is no charging adapter. I find that outrageous at this price. I fondly remember the times when a charging adapter, headphones and sometimes even a case were included.

For me, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is a Note 22 Ultra, and the name doesn’t change that. I would have liked to see the design language of the S21 Ultra kept and a stylus fitted into that design.

What I like outstandingly is the matte black back. It’s a great design. I wasn’t sure whether I would like the camera cutouts, because there is no longer a block on top and the camera elements come straight out of the body. In the first pictures, it looked a bit unfinished. In person, it looks totally elegant and minimalist. I already liked the matte black on the S21 Ultra. Overall, it feels very high-quality. I would have wished for matte frames too. They are glossy, so probably prone to fingerprints. The matte back is probably sturdier when it comes to fingerprints. The included S Pen is also matte black, which I find very elegant. Before, it was glossy.

Specs

	Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Dimensions	77.9 × 163.3 × 8.9 mm
Weight	228 g
Display	6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED QHD+, 500 ppi, 120 Hz
Peak brightness	up to 1,750 nits
Wide-angle camera	108 megapixels
Ultrawide	12 megapixels
Telephoto	10 megapixels, plus a second 10-megapixel telephoto
Front camera	40 megapixels
Battery	5,000 mAh, fast charging at 45 watts
Protection	IP68
Glass	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Frame	Armor Aluminum
Other	Dual SIM, no memory card, S Pen in the device

The fast charger is not included. So with such an expensive device, you also have to buy an expensive fast charger.

Setup step by step

1. Turn on the device, choose the language (German, Germany).
2. Agree to the privacy policy and the end user license agreement. Sending diagnostic data is optional.
3. A new setting that I’m seeing for the first time: you can individually agree to whether it searches for nearby devices and whether the phone may accept and decline calls with earbuds. I leave everything enabled.
4. Add Wi-Fi. The smartphone is being prepared, which takes a few minutes. The back gets warm in the process, which I’ve never experienced during startup.
5. Copy apps and data from a previous device, whether Samsung or Apple. I skip it and start completely fresh.
6. Sign in to the Google account. After that, services can be enabled: backup to Google Drive, location, Wi-Fi scanning, usage data and error reports, automatic updates. I accept everything.
7. Choose a search engine. I’ve never seen this many providers anywhere. I always choose Google.
8. Protect the device: face recognition, fingerprint, pattern, PIN or password. I set up face recognition first, which requires a security PIN.
9. Set the device to stay on the lock screen after face recognition until you swipe. You can also set it to recognize the face faster and require the eyes to be open so nobody can unlock the device while you sleep.
10. Allow the voice assistant even without unlocking. That is handy in the car, for example, or when your hands are full.
11. Sign in to the Samsung account. With offline search, I can find my device even when it isn’t connected to a network.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with Android 12 and One UI 4, respectively. On the tour of the new features, a few functions stood out: remastering photos (less blur and noise, higher resolution), moving collages, the shared calendar, faster data search, pinning window options and a spell checker that takes context into account. Samsung urgently needs to rework its AR emojis. Apple does that much better, and at Samsung they look terrible.

S Pen and camera in the first test

Face unlock works very fast. I’m still testing the fingerprint sensor.

The S Pen was the first thing I wanted to try. There is a short introduction with Smart Select, which lets you select areas and have them translated. The button on the stylus can trigger actions, for example taking a photo.

I’m a big S Pen fan. It’s great to take handwritten notes that sync across all devices. In Samsung Notes, the speed has improved noticeably, and the line really sits at the tip of the stylus. It doesn’t blow me away, because it was really good before. I especially like the soft tip. The Apple Pencil clacks on tablets when you write, while here you really feel like you’re writing with a pen. That worked outstandingly with the other S Pens too, so I wouldn’t necessarily buy the device for that reason alone. But I’m glad the S Pen can be stored in the device again. With the S21 Ultra, I had to lug it around separately.

With the camera, you can choose the skin tone for selfies, natural or bright. I take the natural tone. I find the portrait mode to be of high quality already, but it needs to be tested a lot more, as does the battery life.

Why I almost didn’t buy it

At first glance, the specifications on paper seemed far too similar to the S21 Ultra, which I used for a very long time. My impression was that Samsung takes the two-year-old design of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, adds the specifications of the S21 Ultra and turns it into an S22 Ultra. That seemed too stale to me to spend so much money on. Then I watched many hands-on reviews and found that in a reality check, the device is clearly better than its predecessor in some respects. I found that interesting.

Verdict on first impressions

In spite of everything, it’s a great device, and I think it’s good that the Note series is being continued. For the next two weeks, I’ll put it through its paces and then share my experiences.