As we all expected, Samsung held its first big Unpacked event of 2022 and welcomed this year’s flagship lineup, the Galaxy S22 series. As successors to the Galaxy S21 phones, we’d expect them to carry all the premium features: a high-end chipset, awe-worthy camera features, a premium design, and the Galaxy Note legacy seen in the recent Galaxy S phones. Samsung takes ahead what it started last year and has finally bestowed the Galaxy S series with the responsibility of doubling as the Galaxy Note lineup too. As a result, a phone has been born with both the Galaxy S and Note genes in the form of the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Hence, we’d like to tell you in detail about all the Note-specific features the S22 Ultra has brought in to please both the S and Note fans alike. Let’s take a look.
Galaxy S22 Ultra or the Note 22 Ultra?
The Galaxy S22 Ultra very much reminds us of the Galaxy Note phones, thanks to a large screen, a boxy design, and yes, the dedicated S Pen slot. Although, you will find hints of the Galaxy S-series phones with slightly curved edges and the S21 Ultra-like rear camera hump. Although, instead of the massive hump, Samsung now offers individual camera sensors protruding from the back panel. Overall, the new Galaxy S22 ultra is more resemblant to the Note 20 Ultra from 2020 than the S21 Ultra from last year.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes in Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, and, Burgundy colorways, all boasting a glass and haze finish. If you are curious how the Galaxy S22 Ultra compares to the Galaxy S21 Ultra, read our linked article.
S Pen Gets a Dedicated Home
While Samsung began adding the Note elements to the Galaxy S21 Ultra with support for the S Pen, it wasn’t a full integration. For one, there wasn’t a dedicated slot, and secondly, the stylus had to be purchased separately. 2022 has seen the full merger of the Galaxy S and Note lineups. And hence, the Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with an inbuilt S Pen slot and complete support for S Pen features, including air gestures and more.
This will further make room for enhanced productivity and creativity, especially for professionals and even for content creators. We have discussed the new S Pen features, along with the changes introduced as compared to the S21 Ultra, in the article linked above.
Enhanced Productivity Features
The S Pen has seen various enhancements each year, and this year is no different. This time, it is touted to be the “fastest, most responsive S Pen” Samsung has ever made. It is claimed to offer 70% low latency, which will make scribbling on the display more natural. The Korean giant has managed to bring down its latency from 9 milliseconds down to 2.8 seconds, making it super responsive for taking notes as well as drawing.
Plus, it will be more compatible with apps, thus, allowing people to do a lot more on the phone. As Samsung notes, “It embraces the legacy of the Note while opening up new ways to be creative and get things done. The result is a mobile experience unlike any before.”
Samsung has collaborated with Microsoft and Google to make apps more productive, make the UI experience much easier to use, and add more enhancements to the overall UI experience.
Pro-Grade Cameras
Taking ahead the ritual of adding “pro” cameras to its high-end phones, the Galaxy S22 Ultra aims to take photos worthy of making it to our gram feeds. Featuring a 2.4um pixel sensor — Samsung’s largest pixel sensor ever, you can expect it to capture more light and better detail. The camera system also optimizes lighting and details for crisper and vivid shots, especially at nighttime.
Plus, there have been more enhancements in the night photography department. The Galaxy S22 Ultra brings features such as the Super Clear Glass lens for flare-free videos, video Auto-framing, improved AI capabilities, and the Expert Raw app. This app was introduced for Galaxy S21 series last year but is present on the S22 phones by default. It helps make pro-grade adjustments to images, applies in-camera editing tools, and allows for photos in RAW format (up to 16-bit).
Massive Storage, Faster Charging, and More
To offer the claimed “Ultimate and Most Premium S Series Experience Yet,” Samsung has baked a number of elements into the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which can make the phone one of the powerful flagships of 2022. So, we have the massive 1TB storage model, support for faster 45W charging speeds, faster Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, and more. Yeah, the company is “aiming for professionals with the S22 Ultra,” much like the Note series, with the reintroduction of the 1TB storage model. Also, you get a more responsive S Pen, intuitive DeX support, and a lot more.
Plus it aims to offer the best-ever viewing experience (we don’t really doubt that!) by offering the display with a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. Yea, that’s right! And the Galaxy S22 Ultra, much like its Galaxy S22 and S22+ siblings, supports environment-friendly initiatives and is partially made up of recycled fishing nets to address the issue of ocean pollution!
All of these features make the Galaxy S22 Ultra an arguably well-equipped alternative to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, OnePlus 10 Pro, and future flagship phones. Are these features intriguing enough for you to upgrade? Don’t you think the Galaxy S22 Ultra is more of a Samsung Note phone than an S-series phone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Abubakar Mohammed
