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Samsung’s big Galaxy S22 Ultra has an S Pen surprise inside

Andy Boxall
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Missing the Galaxy Note? The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the answer to your prayers, as Samsung’s new range-topping S Series device comes with a built-in S Pen, along with all the camera technology and sleek styling that made the Galaxy S21 Ultra such a winning device. Could this be the definitive Samsung flagship phone? Let’s dive into the specifications.

Galaxy S22 Ultra with a dog.

The S Pen slides into a storage space inside the phone’s chassis, just like it did on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and the models that came before it. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is, therefore, a big smartphone. It’s 8.9mm thick and a few millimeters wider than the S21 Ultra, and a pocket-worrying 229 grams in weight. The screen measures 6.8-inches and has a 120Hz refresh rate, a QHD+ resolution, and a new Vision Booster feature. Vision Booster promises to improve viewing in sunlight with a potential maximum brightness of 1,750 nits, to show more colors, and return better contrast too.

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While the back of the phone is made of glass, the S22 Ultra’s chassis is made from Samsung’s Armor Aluminum, the same tough material introduced on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3. The body has an IP68 water resistance rating too. The camera module hasn’t been integrated into the chassis this time, with the multiple cameras set individually into the rear panel, and there are four colors to choose from: Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, and Burgundy.

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Galaxy S22 Ultra in burgandy.
Burgandy
Galaxy S22 Ultra in Phantom Black.
Phantom Black
Galaxy S22 Ultra in Phantom White.
Phantom White
Galaxy S22 Ultra in green.
Green

The camera setup is headlined by a 108-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture main camera — the same sensor as the S21 Ultra — and joined by a 12MP f.2.2 aperture wide-angle camera, and a pair of telephoto cameras both with 10MP. Like the S21 Ultra, these zoom cameras provide a 3x optical zoom, a 10x optical zoom, and a hybrid 100x “Space Zoom” feature. At the top of the screen is a 40MP selfie camera.

With no obvious hardware changes to the camera over the S21 Ultra, Samsung has introduced a few software features to entice you. When shooting video or using certain video conferencing apps, including Google Duo and Meta Messenger, Auto Framing adjusts the view to make sure everyone is captured in the frame, and will keep track of up to 10 people. It has also enhanced portrait mode and low-light photography with Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and introduced an app called Expert RAW for greater pro-level control over photos shot in 16-bit RAW format.

Taking the S Pen out of the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

For the processor, Samsung hasn’t committed to anything in its press release, stating it’ll vary depending on where the phone is purchased. This is likely to mean in the U.S., the phone will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, while other regions will get Samsung’s own Exynos 2200. The basic S22 Ultra has 8GB. of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, but if you choose 256GB, 512GB, or 1 T.B. storage space, it’ll have 12GB RAM. There’s an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, Ultra Wide Band, and NFC.

All this is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with 45W charging (but only if you buy Samsung’s charger separately) and 15W wireless charging. Samsung’s OneUI 4 software built with Android 12 is installed, complete with generous support for four generations of Android version upgrades. The Galaxy S22 Ultra will be released on February 25 and start at $1,200, and pre-orders will go live on February 9. In the U.K. the Galaxy S22 Ultra starts at 1149 British pounds.

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