Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is closer to perfection – at a price (smartphone review)

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is almost perfect – no issues if you have from $1849 to $2499 cash to splash. Terrific Qualcomm SD8 Gen 1 speed, gaming street cred, superb camera, and much more.

Well, two issues could spoil the moment. First, the ‘cheapie’ $1849 come with a lousy 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage with no microSD expansion or mountable external SSD. I know there was a time when 8GB/128GB sounded like heaps. But with 4 and 8K recording (350-400MB H.264 per minute) and RAW picture saving (20-30MB), the 128GB (100GB free) fills fast. And if you are a videographer that wants to shoot in HDR10+ and uncompressed, it can take terabytes.

We also found that 8GB only has 3GB free when just idling along. You can easily choke that just by leaving several memory-hungry Apps running in the background. No, Joe and Jane Average won’t experience these issues, but this phone is not for them.

So, our advice is to go for the 12GB model and at least 512GB or 1TB at $2199/2499 if you are a serious user.

But back to the original statement – it is close to perfection if you can afford it.

Better buy genuine, or 5G won’t work

We issue a strong warning that you must buy a genuine model with Australian firmware if you want to use 5G. Read Don’t buy a grey market phone to ensure you get the Australian model.

It is easy to identify the Australian version – usually under Settings, About Phone, Legal Information, Regulatory compliance, you will see the Australian RCM C-tick mark.

New Deep-Dive review format

It is now in two parts – a five-minute overview for most readers and a separate 300+ line database-driven spec including over 70 tests to back up the summary. It also helps us compare different phones and features.

5-minute review – Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra SM-S908E (sorry, this is more like 10-minutes!)

The Samsung Galaxy is the rich cousin of the S22 and S22+. It uses almost all the same internal components, so it performs similarly. The key differences include (S22+ in brackets)

• 6.8” 3088 x 1440 LPTO AMOLED screen (6.6” 2340 x 1080 AMOLED)
• 1-120Hz screen refresh (48, 96, 120Mhz stepped adaptive)
• Option for 12GB ram and 512GB/1TB storage (8GB/128/256)
• 5000mAh battery (4500)
• 77.9 x 163.3 x 8.9 x 228g (75.8 x 157.4 x 7.6 x 195g)
• Active S Pen inbox (not supported)
• Camera 108+12+10+10MP + LiDAR focusing (50+12+10MP)
• Selfie 40MP bins to 10 (10MP)

Is it worth the extra cost over the S22 and S22+? Yes, but it is more about whether you will use the extra features. If you don’t need the S Pen or don’t need to see the nose hairs on a gnat at 100x periscope zoom, then no. The S22 at 6.1″ is very pocketable, and the S22+ at 6.6″ gives you a little more and brighter screen real estate. If you are on a budget, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE at $999/1099 (6/128 or 8/256) is really what you want.

 Screen LPTO AMOLED is great but its still only 8-bit

My biggest gripe here is that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra still has an 8-bit 16.7milion colour screen for the not inconsiderable money. Others have 10-bit 1.07billion colours, and the difference in showing video/still content is profound. It is the difference between 256 shades or 1024 shades each of RGB – or 64 times the colour information

Now Joe and Jane Average may not care – after all, 16.7m colours/tones are pretty good. In fact, the human eye can only see about 10 million colours/tones. The key difference relates to photography and the colour path from the screen to the camera and back to the screen.

With an 8-bit screen, HDR10/+ or Dolby Vision (12-bit 68.7 billion colours) must downmix its colours – with a 10-bit screen; it does not. To put it simply, to claim Wide Colour Gamut support does not mean it supports 100% of DCI-P3, let alone the wider and soon to be industry-standard REC. 2020. It is closer to half that as it has to downmix to the display’s capability. It is akin to Dolby Atmos 128 channels downmixing to a tiny pair of stereo speakers.

The 2021 flagship OPPO FindX3 Pro has a full 10-bit colour path. Objectively, side-by-side video/still images have smoother colour gradients, lesser banding, and finer shadow details. It is why most premium TVs are now 10-bit and will move to 12-bit soon.

So, it is all about ‘druthers‘ – professionals druther will want 10-bit over 8-bit colour. Even HDR10 on a 6.8″ screen is overkill for the rest of us.

Back to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra screen – it is bright, saturated, and beautiful. It has a slightly curved edge, making on-screen typing and the S Pen a challenge at the edges, but overall, it is hard to fault. It claims 1200nits high brightness and 1750nits HDR10+, but that is on a tiny percentage of the screen. For the most part, you will be using it at around 300-400 nits, and it is perfectly daylight readable.

The AMOLED screen refresh is from 1-120Hz adaptive due to its LPTO backplane. This means it adapts the refresh (times per second) to whatever content you have. For example, at idle, the home screen sits at 24Hz. Launch Google Play; it goes to 120Hz then vacillates between 24-60Hz. I have never seen it at 1Hz. So, it is not so adaptive as stepping, reducing the impact of a fixed rate screen. The S22/S22+ have fixed-step rates – 48, 96 and 120Hz.

Summary: Great AMOLED screen but not a class leader (it should be for the price).

Processor – SD8 Gen 1 is the best and fastest 2022 SoC

While the Qualcomm versus Exynos debate still rages, the preference is for Qualcomm over Exynos. We are lucky!

It will play any mobile game, and throttling was 13% over 15 minutes – more than acceptable except that the case gets a little hot under load. But the throttling test reveals that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra maximum GIPS is slower by 6.5% over the S22/+, which throttles by 21%. Let’s say it has the power to burn and is fast and responsive.

One major disappointment is the lack of a microSD card for internal memory expansion. But worse, external USB-C SSD storage cannot mount as internal storage, severely limiting its use for videographers or vloggers who will quickly use the 128GB (100GB free).

S Pen is the reason to buy if it is your thing

I loved using the Galaxy Note because, as a journalist, I could scribble notes on it instead of using pen and paper. The S21 Ultra supported a pen, but it didn’t dock, and I lost more than my fair share of pens, so I let the habit die. This S Pen docks, so it is back on the agenda.

Without getting too techy, the new S Pen has 4096 pressure levels, 2.8ms latency in Samsung Note App (was 9ms), and is active in that it has Bluetooth, an accelerometer/gyro and charges (40 seconds for 30 minutes use or 20 clicks) when in the dock.

Every Note user will tell you that the S Pen is essential, but you need to an actual use or drop back to the less expensive S22/+. You can:

• Screen-off memos (saved in Samsung Notes)
• Screen Write – annotate PDF, jpeg images, Excel charts and Word documents on a screen capture
• Write on calendar (you must use Samsung Calendar App, which could be an issue for Outlook and Google users).
• Convert your handwriting to text (reasonably accurate)
• Cut using Smart Select (freehand or set shapes)
• Video editing using Samsung App
• Translate – instant text translation in many languages
• Magnify selection
• Remote control for the camera, presentations, or music
• Use Air Gestures

You may see marketing hype that it is suitable for drawing, colouring, and cool effects. Frankly, the toolset on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra does not allow that. PENUP is a social network community that focuses on art with the S Pen (mainly for Galaxy Tab but also for Note).

Summary: If you can use the S Pen, it is the reason to buy the Ultra.

Comms – it is al there

We experienced variable Wi-Fi speed and signal strength results in the test, probably due to early firmware. Still, it can reach Wi-Fi 6E AX speeds when 6E routers become available.

USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) has ALT DP audio and video support for DeX and TV. It supports DeX (Samsung’s Android Desktop experience) and ALT DP video out over Wi-Fi (1080p@60fps) and USB-C to HDMI (up to 4K@30fps). We have mentioned the lost opportunity for Samsung to use the interface for external portable SSD to mount as storage, allowing direct recording to the SSD. Other flagships have this.

Phone – very good antenna strength for regional use

Samsung has ditched the dual ringtones (one for a SIM and one for the second SIM or eSIM), an essential requirement for dual SIM users. Australia only gets a single SIM and eSIM model – not DS dual SIM.

We assumed Samsung would have the LTE and 5G bands on its spec pages, but Samsung AU does not. When will it learn that some people, especially those kicking in a couple of grand, need to know everything about their devices?

Optus provided us with the information (based on the SM-S908E models for Australia), supporting all 4G Australian and most world bands. Its 5G supports all Australian sub-6 (N78) and 5G Low-bands for all three carriers.

No S22 model supports mmWave (interesting as the S21 Ultra did), but frankly, that is a non-event in Australia anyway.

The Ultra has a more sensitive antenna array than the S22/S22+ that achieves some of the strongest signals (up to 10pW) and finds three towers, so it is a good phone for rural and regional use. Only the OPPO FIndX3 Pro has beaten this on the same tests.

Summary: The best of the S22 series for phone reception

Battery – one day if you are careful

How long should a 5000mAh flagship battery last, and how long should it take to charge?

Battery life is a function of screen-on time and processor use. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra gets about 12 hours on a video loop, 7 hours on Netflix via Wi-Fi, 13 hours PC Mark 10 battery test, and around 4 hours 100% load. These are reasonable figures. So, if you are a typical user, you should get a full day from it.

As Samsung is penny-pinching, you have to buy a 45W charger and ideally a 15W Qi charge pad – both optional extras. If you use a lesser charger (15-25W), it takes 4 to 6 hours to fill.

Charge times are always an issue. Samsung’s 45W fast charger time (not tested as we don’t have one) is unknown. We have a 100W PD GaN charger that supports PPS and PD intelligent charge, and it takes 1 hour and 36 minutes. Compare that to OPPO SuperVOOC on the FindX3 Pro at 35 minutes!

Summary: Nice to see 45W charging even if Samsung saves a few pennies but not including a charger. But it is well outclassed on battery life and charge times.

Sound – reasonable sound for a smartphone

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra sound signature is the best of the S22 family. If it only had a little more bass, it would be a neutral signature capable of responding to any EQ setting. As it is (without EQ), it is more a Bright Vocal (bass recessed, mid/treble boosted) – for vocal tracks and string instruments.

Fortunately, a Dolby Atmos decoder (downmixes to two speakers, so there is no 3D spatial height) and a decent EQ can pull back the high treble a little for a better music experience. It also nicely widens the sound stage past the phone.

It has a Personal Audio Test that works with wired or Bluetooth headphones to boost frequencies you have trouble hearing. Ambient Sound Amplification mode captures sound through the phone’s mic and to your headphones.

Want to know more about sound signatures and listen to our test tracks on your phone? Read How to tell if you have good music (sound signature is the key).

Build – its a keeper

Early reports indicate the Gorilla Glass Victus+ back colour is prone to scratching. Add the protruding camera turrets to that, and you really need to use a bumper case.

It is very well-made and should be a keeper. Warranty is 1-year which we think should be longer – OPPO and Google offer 2-years.

Android 12 and possible four updates

Samsung UI 4.1 is the grease over Android 12’s cogs, making it a pleasure to use. Getting Android 15 and four years of security patches is one of the better policies.

Samsung tries to draw you into its world with Galaxy Apps, Samsung Account and Backup. There is nothing wrong with that, and you can avoid these if you don’t want Samsung to know what you do. We strongly recommend using the Google app alternatives to make it easier if you ever want to exit the Samsung world.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra camera is excellent

Samsung has made its best camera yet. I could find no fault in day, office, or low light photography or video, and the Selfie is impressive in still image, and Google Duo calls.

A large part of that is the massive increase in Qualcomm SoC NPU and AI processing power because the camera hardware is not all that different to the S21 Ultra. While Nightography is a clever marketing term and works well, it is with the caveat that you really need a tripod because exposures are several seconds.

But for all its gloss, smartphone photographers and videographers will want even more. Will it stack up against the soon-to-be-released OPPO FindX5 Pro with its dedicated MariSilicon camera chip? The answer is probably not but let’s face it, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Exynos (not Qualcomm) version scores 131 in DXOMARK, ahead of the S20 Ultra (126) and S21 Ultra (123), and that is very good.

To put it into an Android perspective, the current OPPO FindX3 Pro is 131, and the Pixel 6 Pro and Vivo X70 Pro+ are 135.

Our findings

• Daylight – natural colours, not too saturated, great detail except for 100X Space Zoom (as expected). Pixel binning means AI post-processing refines the image, but you can shoot at 108MP for no AI. A few of the test shots were over-exposed, but when re-shot were fine.
• Office Light 400 lumens – colours were a tad oversaturated due to more AI post-processing but otherwise excellent
• Night <40 lumens. Again, excellent and night mode really amps up the detail and colours
• Zoom – up to 30X is excellent
• Bokeh – excellent
• Selfie – pixel binning gives you an almost perfect image
• Video – it can shoot at 8K@24fps – bragging rights only – as the results are inferior due to lack of OIS. 4K@30/60fps is similarly overkill, chews up storage space, and lacks OIS. Frankly, 1080p@30 or 60fps is best all-around and uses AI post-processing to the max. Some test shots were out of focus, but again, when reshot, were excellent.

CyberShack view – The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is its best yet

Samsung fans can rejoice – in almost every respect, it is incrementally better than the S21 Ultra. And Samsung can tweak firmware when there are enough of these in users’ hands. If you have an existing Samsung phone, take advantage of its generous trade-in and pre-order bonuses.

We put a few foibles down to early firmware, as we saw with the S21 and S22 Ultra. Inconsistent focus and colours, variable Wi-Fi speeds, variable LTE/5G antenna reception etc. These are minor, and will Samsung will fix them over time.

There are lots of features we have not mentioned but one that is evolving quickly is the closer link to Windows 10.11. From a productivity view you can answer calls on your laptop.

The real battle for Android supremacy is still to come. On 28 February, OPPO will launch the FindX5 Pro that will rattle a few cages. It has the same processor, 10-bit QHD+LPTO AMOLED, 80W charging, and promises a new MariSilicon X NPU and Hasselblad camera system that ups the ante.

Google Pixel 6 and Pro are camera competitors but not in any other way. But at roughly half the cost, it is a more challenging decision.

Motorola had a Qualcomm SD8 Gen 1 phone called the Edge X30, but currently, it is only for China. It has a 6.7 OLED 144Hz adaptive refresh, 12/256GB, 68W charge 5000mAh battery and more.

Realme (an OPPO related company) has its GT 2 Pro with better specs (12/256GB, 6.8″ WQHD+, 120Hz adaptive refresh, 125W charge). We may see it here.

Vivo (and OPPO related company) has its X80 Pro+ that look superb with a 6.78″ QHD+ LPTO AMOLED and its take on MariSilicon.

Read on for the deep-dive database facts and tests.

Pro

• S Pen if you use it
• Great screen but still 8-bit, 16m colours
• Great camera
• 4 years OS and security updates
• Better speaker signature than other S22 devices

Con

• 45W fast charge is still nowhere near the class-leader
• Battery life is variable – 10-15 hours reasonable use
• No charger supplied
• Less RAM than S21 Ultra and external storage not mountable
• Power users need the 12/512 or 12/1TB, but it is at an extra cost

https://youtu.be/GaF3pH1bPg4

https://youtu.be/2Jdpwb_0F5w

CyberShack Smartphone comparison v 1.1 (E&OE)

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra SM-S908E

Brand	Samsung
Model	Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Model Number	SM-S908E
Price Base	$1,849
Price base	8/128GB
Price 2	12/256 $1999
Price 3	12/512 $2149
Price 4	12GB/1TB (online only) $2449
Warranty months	12
Teir	Upper-premium
Website	Product page
Manual	Here
From	Samsung Online and approved retailers
Country of Origin	Korea
Company	Samsung
Test date	19-22/01/2021
Ambient temp	25°
Release	Feb-22
Other models not for Australia (Don’t buy)	SM-908B, U, U1, W, N, 0 or any model ending in DS (dual sim)

Screen

Size	6.8″
Type	LPTO AMOLED
Flat/Curve/2D/3D	3D edge
Resolution	3088 x 1440 (defaults to 2316x1080p)
PPI	500
Ratio	19.3:9
Screen to Body	90.20%
Colours bits	16m 8-bit
Refresh Hz/adaptive	1-120MHz screen and 240MHz touch in game mode only – still steps – not truly adaptive
Response 120Hz	<10ms GtG
Nits typical/test	1200 Hi-Brightness (690)
Nits max/test	Claim: 1750 HDR10+ content only
Contrast	Infinite
sRGB	Natural 97%
DCI-P3	Vivid approx 60% (100% 16M colours)
Rec.2020 or other	RGB and temperature adjustment
Delta E (<4 is excellent)	1.31
HDR Level	Plays up to HDR10+ locking refresh rate to 120Hz
SDR Upscale	No
Bluelight control	Yes
PWM if known	All AMOLED uses PWM 250Hz approx
Daylight readable	Yes
Always on Display	Yes
Edge display	Yes
Accessibility	Full suite of enhancements
DRM	Widevine L1 1080p HDR10
Gaming	Game mode
Screen protection	Gorilla Glass Victus+
Comment	Disappointing that it is not 10-bit 1.07B colours.

Processor

Brand/Model	Qualcomm SD8 Gen 1
nm	4
Cores	Octa-core (1×2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A510)
Modem	X65
AI TOPS	27
Geekbench 5 Single-core	1221
Geekbench 5 multi-core	3401
Like	About 15-20% faster than the same Exynos in the S21 series
GPU	Adreno 730
GPU Test
Open CL	5815
Like	About 20% slower than Exynos 2100
Vulcan	6603
RAM/type	8GB – 4GB Less RAM than S21 Ultra
Storage/free/type	128 UFS 3.1 (approx 100GB free)
micro-SD	No
CPDT internal seq. Read	1290
CPDT internal sew. Read/write	204.56
CPDT microSD	N/A
CPDT external (mountable?)	Won’t test – seen as external storage but can’t mount as internal storage
Comment	Videographers and vloggers will soon run out of space without mountable storage, seen as internal storage.
Throttle test
Max GIPS	288,734
Average GIPS	267,945
Minimum GIPS	234,452
% Throttle	13%
CPU Temp	54°
Comment	At 288,374 Max GIPS is is slower by 6.5% than the S22/S22+ at 308,173 hence Throttling is at 13% instead of 21%

Comms

Wi-FI Type/model	6E AX BCM4389C1 VHT160
Test 2m -dBm/Mbps	-30 to -35, 2268 to 2400 variable
Test 5m	-50 to -56, 816 to 866 variable
Test 10m	-61 to -63, 612 to 816 variable
BT Type	5.2
GPS single/dual	Dual
USB type	3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps)
ALT DP/DeX/Ready For	Cable and Wireless Dex. Collaboration view allows you to use a Tab S8 as a screen
NFC	Yes
Ultra-wideband	Yes
Sensors
Accelerometer	Yes – combo with Gyro
Gyro	Yes – combo with Gyro
e-Compass	Yes
Barometer	Yes
Gravity
Pedometer
Ambient light	Yes
Hall sensor	Yes
Proximity	Yes
Other
Comment	All you need at top speed

LTE and 5G

SIM	Single SIM and eSIM
Active	Only one
Ring tone single/dual	Single
VoLTE	Carrier dependent
Wi-Fi calling	Carrier dependent
4G Bands	Provided by Optus (as Samsung and Telstra do not publish full specs)  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66
Comment	All Australian and most world bands
5G sub-6Ghz	Optus – ditto. N1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77 78
Comment	All Australian sub-6Ghz and 5G low-bands
mmWave	No
Test Boost Mobile/Telstra
UL/DL/ms	31.4/10.2, 31ms
Tower 1 -dBm/fW or pW	from -87 to -90 and from 2.5 to 10pW
Tower 2	from -99 to -102 and from 125fW to 16pW
Tower 3	from -101 to -105 and from 250 to 316fW
Tower 4	No
Comment	Far stronger signal strength than the S22/+ and able to find towers two and three. A phone that should be fine in rural and regional use.

Battery

mAh	5000
Charger/type/supplied	No – suggest SS 45W or GaN PD and must buy a 5W rating cable, although it always charged at 15V/3A/45W.
PD/QC level	3/2.0
Qi wattage	5 to 15W
Reverse Qi or cable	4.5W
Test (60Hz or adaptive screen)
Charge % 30mins	41% (45W)
Charge 0-100%	1 hour and 36 minutes
Charge Qi/W	Just over 8 hours
Charge 5V/2A	4 hours and 19 minutes (25W)
Video loop 50%/aeroplane	12 hours and 32 minutes We also tested Netflix at 7 hours 11 minutes for 1080p, HDR, Wi-Fi.
PC Mark 3 battery	13 hours Adaptive
GFX Bench Manhattan battery	Out of memory error
GFX Bench T-Rex	333.2 minutes (5.55 hours) 6708 frames
Drain 100-0% full load screen on	4 hours and 1 minute
Watt full load
Watt idle
Estimated loss at 120Hz	Negligible on adaptive rate
Estimate typical use	10 hours heavy and 15 hours light
Comment	Carry a charger (shame Samsung does not provide one). The Out of memory error should not occur on a Qualcomm SoC, assuming it is due to early firmware.

Sound

Speakers	Stereo – top earpiece and bottom down-firing.
Tuning	AKG
AMP	2 x Cirrus Logic CS35L41 each 5.3W, 1% THD, 8 ohm
Dolby Atmos decode	Yes, downmix to two speakers. No 3D spatial height from speakers
Hi-Res	32-bit/384kHz
3.5mm	No
BT Codecs	SBC, AAC, aptX , LDAC
Multipoint	Can connect to two devices
Dolby Atmos (DA)	Yes – EQ presets auto, movie, music, voice and games mode
EQ	Normal, Pop, Classic, Jazz, Rock and Custom – makes more of a difference in headphones as inbuilt speakers limit what it can do.
Mics	3 – with background noise suppression and stereo zoom in sound
Test dB – all on EQ flat DA off
Volume max	82
Media (music)	77
Ring	76
Alarm	72
Notifications	70
Earpiece	?
Hands-free	Bottom mic for voice only and top for noise reduction. Hold the phone close as the volume is a tad low.
BT headphones	Excellent left-right separation and DA makes quite a difference with DA content.
Sound quality
Deep Bass 20-40Hz	No
Middle Bass 40-100Hz	No
High Bass 100-200Hz	Building
Low Mid 200-400Hz	Flat
Mid 4000-1000Hz	Flat
High-Mid 1-2kHz	Flat
Low Treble 2-4kHz	Flat
Treble 4-6kHz	Flat
High Treble 6-10kHz	slight decline
Dog Whistle 10-20kHz	Decline to 17kHz
Sound Signature type	If it only had a little more bass, it would be a neutral signature capable of responding to any EQ setting. As it is (without EQ), it is more Bright Vocal (bass recessed, mid/treble boosted) – for vocal tracks and string instruments. Overall the best S22 signature by far.
Soundstage	2D is slightly wider than the phone. DA gives it a far wider sound stage but still no 3D height.
Comment	Having high-bass, it is pretty well on a par with many Bluetooth speakers. The mid-high-treble is well controlled and removes the harshness of the S22/+. Personal Audio Test works with wired or Bluetooth headphones to boost frequencies you have trouble hearing. Ambient Sound Amplification mode captures sound through the phone’s mic and to your headphones.

Build

Size (H X W x D)	77.9 x 163.3 x 8.9
Weight grams	228
Front glass	Gorilla Glass Victus+
Rear material	Gorilla Glass Victus+
Frame	Aluminium
IP rating	68 1.5m for 30 minutes
Colours	Retails: Burgundy, Green, Phantom White and Black. Online: Graphite, Sky Blue and Red
Pen/Stylus support	Yes –  3.4g, 4-96 pressure levels, 2.8ms latency Inbox and 88 language translation support

In the box

Charger	No
USB cable	USB-A to USB-C rated 3W – you need a 5W cable to charge at 45W
Buds	No
Bumper cover	No
Comment	Stylus included. Gorilla Glass Victus+ and solid alloy frame make it a keeper but use a bumper case to protect the lens turret from scratches

OS

Android	12
Security patch date	1/01/2022
UI	One U1 4.1
OS upgrade policy	Up to 4 OS upgrades
Security patch policy	Regular security patches four years
Bloatware	Samsung alternative to Google suite. Microsoft suite and OneDrive (requires subscription)
Other	Selection  of Galaxy Apps
Comment	Excellent upgrade policy and One UI is easy to use
Security
Fingerprint sensor lcoation/type	Ultrasonic Under glass
Face ID	2D
Other	Knox and Secure folder
Comment	One of the more secure Android devices

Camera

Rear Primary
MP	108MP bins to 12MP
Mode	Wide
Sensor	S5KHM3 https://semiconductor.samsung.com/image-sensor/mobile-image-sensor/isocell-hm3/
Focus	PDAF Laser AF
f-stop	1.8
um	0.8 (bins to 2.4)
FOV° (stated/actual)	85 (73.7)
Stabilisation	OIS
Zoom	8X digital
Rear 2
MP	12
Mode	Ultra-wide
Sensor	Sony IMX563
Focus	Dual Pixel PDAF
f-stop	2.2
um	1.4
FOV (stated/actual)	120 (103.7)
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	8X digital
Rear 3
MP	10
Mode	Telephoto
Sensor	Sony IMX754x3
Focus	Dual Pixel PDAF
f-stop	2.4
um	1.12
FOV (stated/actual)
Stabilisation
Zoom	3X Optical
Rear 4
MP	10
Mode	Periscope
Sensor	Sony IM754x10
Focus	Dual Pixel PDAF
f-stop	4.9
um	1.12
FOV (stated/actual)
Stabilisation	OIS
Zoom	10X OpticaL 100X Space Zoom
Special e.g. Lidar	Laser focus
Video max	8K@24fps, HDR10+, stereo sound and zoom in record, EIS
Flash	1
Auto-HDR	Super HDR
	Object eraser
QR code reader	DNG RAW mode image
Night mode	Nightography
Front
MP	40 bins to 10MP (7.1MP shots)
Sensor	Samsung S5KGH1
Focus	PDAF
f-stop	2.2
um	0.7 (bins to 1.4)
FOV (stated/actual)	80 (67.8)
Stabilisation
Flash
Zoom	8X digital
Video max	4K@60fps
Features	Dual record, Filters, HDR

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra ratings and explanation

Features	8.5
	No microSD, 3.5mm, charger but a better adaptive refresh screen and powerful processor.
Value	7.5
	From $1849 to $2499 is only for those who need and can afford it. We really think the better value is the 12/512 or 12/1TB versions
Performance	7
	Samsung’s performance figures are suspect due to it artificially throttling 10000 apps (excluding test software). The Antenna signal strength will work well for rural or regional use.
Ease of Use	9
	Long OS update and security patch. One UI 4.1 is easy to use
Design	8
	It is a glass slab with no distinguishing features other than the S Pen
Rating out of 10	8.1
Pro
1	S Pen is fast, but you need to use it!
2	Great screen still 16.7M colours
3	Four years of major software updates
4	Excellent camera all around
5	It is a Galaxy S series, and all that goes with it
Con
1	45W charger required and fast charge not class-leading
2	Less RAM than S21 Ultra
3	No microSD or 3.5mm
4	The base price of $1849 belies the fact that you really need to spend $2149-$2499 to get 12GB/512GB/1TB
5	Samsung artificially throttles 10,000 apps without telling you
Final comment	While it is an S22 under the skin, the added value of the camera, screen and battery life justify some of the cost. I currently use an S21 Ultra, and apart from the in-built S22 Ultra Pen dock, it is not a compelling upgrade.