Your Guide to the Galaxy S22 Ultra's Specs

In Q3 2021, Samsung held 20% of the global smartphone shipments market share, making it the highest of any brand.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra will be available soon, and if you're thinking about purchasing one, you will want to know all the details about it. There are different options available, so you need to understand what the differences are so you know which one is best for you.

For a full guide on Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra specs, keep reading.

Design

Samsung has always crafted high-quality devices, and the S22 Ultra is no different. Its size makes it feel like the spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note series, but it has several innovations that make it stand apart from the Note, as well as the S22 and S22+ that are releasing alongside it.

Dimensions

The S22 Ultra measures in at 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in (163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm), making it the largest among the S22 series. It weighs in at 8.1 ounces.

Its large size makes it suitable for use with a stylus, and Samsung has taken note of that. It comes with the S Pen Stylus physically stowed in the body.

Layout

A characteristic that differs from the S22 and S22 Plus is the screen of the Ultra, which is curved at the edges, making it stand out within the range. From the front, it looks similar to the older Note 20 Ultra model, but the rear design is new for Samsung.

The camera lenses sit in the top left corner and are set freely, rather than in any kind of enclosure. They are not flush to the body of the phone, but they protrude less than many previous Samsung devices, so that's a step in the right direction.

When laid flat, the cameras will cause the phone to rock a bit. If you want to avoid this, a case with a raised bezel can solve this problem.

There is no 3.5mm headphone jack, as is becoming more common with new phones. You'll need a set of Bluetooth headphones to listen to any music without playing it out loud, or an adapter to plug into the USB-C port.

Build

The screen is Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+, providing impressive durability, so it can take a bit of wear and tear. It is also rated to IP68 dust-and-water-resistance, so it can be submerged under 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes without any issues.

More gorilla glass is on the back of the handset, and the rest of the casework is aluminum, giving a durable build that has a luxurious feel. Samsung claims that the gorilla glass here is stronger than that of the S21 Ultra, which is always a plus.

Screen bezels are another thing that is always moving in the same direction - over the years they have got thinner, allowing for more of the front of the device to be taken up by the screen. As such, the bezel here is very narrow.

The screen's corners are also squared off, which isn't seen as much as rounded corners these days. This matches well with the body, as the external corners are similarly squared off.

The S22 Ultra is available in Phantom Black, Burgundy, Green, and White. The S22 and S22+ aren't available in Burgundy but do have a Pink Gold option.

Going Green

Another design aspect that is far less common is the S Pen inner cover and the key bracket. These are both made out of polyamide resin from recycled fishing nets. Eco-friendly bodies are not something you expect to see from a smartphone, but this could become a new trend.

This polyamide resin has been tested and has come out almost equal in quality to the plastic Samsung uses on other models, so it seems the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Samsung doesn't stop there - other materials such as old CD cases and used water bottles help to make up other parts of the S22 Ultra, such as the power and volume buttons and inner speaker module. These quantities are quite small, but it is progress towards more environmentally friendly devices in the future.

Samsung has also reduced the packaging volume since the S21 line, which had already dropped down from the S20. Less packaging means less waste, and it is now made completely from recycled paper.

Display

Samsung's flagship Galaxy phones have always had exceptional screens, and this is still true of the S22 Ultra.

The curved edges give it a distinct appearance but do come with some downsides. Curved screens are often more prone to accidental touch, and the edges of the screen may sometimes be difficult to interact with properly. Consider this more of a "form over function" characteristic.

This type of screen can sometimes result in slight issues with color and contrast too.

Previous Samsungs have been quite good for avoiding accidental touch problems, so it's likely this won't be an issue here either. At 6.8 inches, the curved edges do make the device more comfortable in the hand.

The AMOLED display has a maximum brightness of 1750 nits, giving bright whites and deep blacks. All colors pop, making this a great device for watching videos or playing games.

Adding to this is a new Vision Boost feature, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen. If you're outside on a sunny day, the screen will automatically adjust so that you can still see everything.

It has a QHD+ resolution of 1440 x 3080 pixels, which at 6.8 inches gives around 500ppi. Simply put, this screen is very, very good.

The refresh rate can reach 120Hz, but it is adaptive, so the device will automatically adjust depending on what's on the screen at the time. Sometimes the screen will refresh once per second, and others it will refresh 120 times per second.

This scaling is controlled by an AI system that is smarter than ever given the new software algorithm that it has. Whatever you are viewing, it will always be smooth and steady.

Artificial Intelligence

The same AI that controls the refresh rate of the screen also has some other functions. This is especially useful for gaming.

While playing a game, the demands will change. Other devices will go full tilt the whole time a game is being played so that it can keep up. Doing so provides smooth gaming, but drains your battery fast.

The S22 Ultra will analyze any game you are playing in real-time, and adjust the frame rate accordingly. It will make quick decisions, and respond immediately, providing great results, while staying as power-efficient as possible.

The AI can detect gaps where it can allow the device to save power without causing any issues. If the WiFi isn't in use, for example, the AI will let it rest.

Samsung claims that this more efficient way of running can save up to 30% of the standard power consumption, without any drops in performance.

Hardware

There are a lot of phones out there that look nice, but if they can't perform, then it's just a waste. The S22 Ultra does everything right on the outside, as well as the inside.

Processor

The US version of the S22 Ultra houses a Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (the fastest processor of any Galaxy device), while some other regions such as the UK and potentially other parts of Europe will have the Exynos 2200 processor (one of Samsung's own).

Samsung only announced its processor on January 18th, so it is a very new piece of tech. It also boasts a graphics processor based on the AMD GPU that the PS5 and Xbox series X use. It has variable-rate shading and ray tracing features and is the first smartphone to include these.

The overall performance is something that can't be accurately determined until the device is on the market and we have had a chance to fully test it. With that being said, Samsung claims the S22 Ultra can perform twice as fast as the S21 Ultra, so we are expecting good things. 

Storage

Storage is crucial in phones, tablets, and computers these days. There are plenty of apps you may want to install, and with the high-quality cameras, you might find yourself taking countless photos and videos.

Given the power of the S22 Ultra, you might also do a lot of photo and video editing right on your device. Cloud storage is easier and more user-friendly nowadays than ever, but it is still useful to be able to store as much content as you need directly on your device.

Like most of today's flagship phones, the S22 Ultra has several models with different amounts of storage. You can choose from 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and a massive 1TB.

This provides plenty of range for different individuals. Just note that the 128GB model comes with 8GB of RAM, whereas all the other models have 12GB. This means that on top of having more storage, the higher-end models will also perform better in general.

You want to make a firm decision about how much memory you will need before making your choice, as there is no option for expandable storage. If you opt for the 128GB model and it turns out to not be enough, you'll be in a bit of a tricky spot.

Expandable memory used to be standard amongst flagship smartphones, but has become less common over the years, so it's no surprise Samsung hasn't included it here.

Software

Samsung has implemented their One UI 4.1 skin over the Android 12 operating system, and it seems to work very well. Some phone companies add their own overlays to Android which can be slow and buggy, but the One UI is smooth and interacts well with the S Pen.

This overlay also offers a variety of customization options, a wide range of emojis/GIFs, and improved security features. With the inclusion of Samsung's Knox Fault, your data will be very secure.

The stylus reacts immediately and the overall use is fast and smooth with a latency of just 2.8ms (down from 9ms from its predecessor). The AI is coupled with Wacom's handwriting component, which can better understand your handwriting and even make predictions about what you are writing or drawing.

The handwriting to text feature adds to this, able to convert your writing in real-time with 88 compatible languages.

The stylus was a defining feature for the Note series, but for the S series, it is more of an extra feature. It remains to be seen how many people will actually make use of it, but it's a nice addition having the option

Connectivity

Within the US the S22 Ultra supports mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G.

It also supports WiFi 6E which is allegedly twice as fast as WiFi 6. It also has Quick Share so that you can connect to other WiFi 6E compatible devices for fast file sharing.

Battery

The battery is rated at 5,000 mAh, which is a suitable capacity for such a handset.

The S21 features 25 W charging, and the S22 Ultra is upgraded with 45W fast charging. With this, you can charge your S22 Ultra from 0% to 50% in just 20 minutes. Just be aware that a charger does not come included, so you will have to buy this separately if you don't already own one.

The S22 Ultra also supports wireless charging, but this is limited to 15W so won't be quite as fast.

Another bonus feature is reverse wireless charging. If you have other devices that support wireless charging, you can send them a bit of juice directly from your phone. This is great if you have a set of Galaxy Buds 2, or a Galaxy Watch 4.

Cameras

For many people, Cameras are one of the most important features of a phone. All types of apps and social media platforms make use of cameras, and the quality available nowadays has resulted in many people using their phones to produce various types of content.

Rear

The S22 Ultra features quad rear cameras, which are actually at the same megapixel rating as the previous model. This, however, doesn't mean that they have not been upgraded in any way.

The resolution of each camera is as follows:

• Main - 108 megapixels, f/1.8 aperture
• Wide (120 degrees) - 12 megapixels, f/2.2 aperture
• Zoom (3x) - 10 megapixels, f/2.4 aperture
• Zoom (10x) - 10 megapixels, f/4.9 aperture

Aside from the wide camera, all the lenses feature PDAF (dual pixel autofocus) and OIS (optical stabilization).

While these specs may seem no better than the S21 Ultra, the actual difference comes from the sensor. It is 23% larger than the previous model, which means larger pixels. This in turn makes the lens better at gathering light, which will increase the overall quality.

Another upgrade is in the form of the 'Super Clear Glass Lens' which reduces flare. These are the only upgrades in terms of the camera hardware, which is a little disappointing, but it's something.

If you have any interest in creating video content, this will serve you fine. You can record in 8K resolution at 24fps, giving smooth, high-quality video.

Front

There have been rumors circulating that Samsung was working on a front camera that was integrated beneath the screen, meaning that it would function the same, but not interrupt the screen at all. A device that seamless would be very sought after, but it seems that they haven't managed to pull it off quite yet.

Like many other recent Samsung devices, the front camera is placed in an Infinity-O cutout. This helps maximize the amount of visible screen on the device and just looks sleek.

The front camera has is a 40 megapixels wide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture.

A new studio lighting feature allows for better selfies, which is incredibly important these days. It allows you to pinpoint light sources, and will highlight your 'best side'. This feature even works in low light, so you'll be fine taking nighttime selfies.

Other Camera Features

While the camera upgrades aren't too impressive on the hardware side, Samsung has added software features to improve your experience. These include:

• Stereo Depth Map - a feature that improves background blur derived from the software
• Expert Raw app - allows for 16-bit raw capture and editing
• Auto framing - this can detect faces, zooming in and adjusting as needed when people enter the frame (works in photo and video mode)
• Updated Pet Portrait mode - this also features improved background blur

There are plenty of modes available for people who are more interested in photography, but for the amateurs among us, things have been made incredibly easy to use.

The camera of the S22 Ultra is the "best AI camera ever" according to Samsung, and it has features to back up the claim. It can detect people within 5 meters of the camera and can track up to 10 people at a time, adjusting to make sure everyone is in the frame.

You can even select a single person, and the camera will automatically track them, keeping them in the center of the shot.

You can simply jump into the camera app and start snapping. Pinch to zoom is very intuitive, and there are features such as autofocus, night mode, and optical stabilization that will all kick in automatically when needed.

Extras

The S22 Ultra unfortunately doesn't come with a charger included. The box contains the following:

• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Handset
• USB-C cable
• Sim ejector tool
• Paperwork

The S22 has dual sim slots on every model, but be aware that this feature is generally limited within the US.

Samsung is said to be making the S22 Ultra available on their Samsung Upgrade Program. This is a payment plan that is spread over 24 months and is interest-free.

To be eligible for the plan, you have to first put down a 10% payment upfront. You must also be at least 12 months into your current contract. If both of these conditions are met, you may be able to upgrade immediately on a new 24-month payment plan.

The S22 Ultra comes with Samsung Walle - a tool that can combine various digital payment details, your ID, and more. Another new feature is the integration of Google Duo, which allows you to share files during a video call.

A fingerprint scanner is included beneath the display, which you can use instead of a pin code or password.

Price and Release Date

The S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra each have various models, with various prices ranging from as low as $799 up to $1599. The specific prices for the S22 Ultra models are as follows:

• 128 GB - $1199 / £1149 / AU$1849
• 256 GB - $1299 / £1249 / AU$1999
• 512 GB - $1399 / £1329 / AU$2149
• 1TB - $1599 / £1499 / AU$2449

Samsung officially launched the Galaxy S22 at their Samsung Unpacked event on February 9th, with a scheduled release date of February 25th.

Protection

Despite the durability of the S22 Ultra, like all phones, it can still be broken. When you are paying $1199 or more, that is the last thing you want.

i-Blason is a leading supplier of protective cases for almost any device you need. We can provide you with a:

• Samsung Galaxy phone case
• Samsung Galaxy tablet case
• Airpods case
• MacBook case
• Watch case
• Apple phone case
• iPad case for kids

Even though the Galaxy S22 handsets aren't available yet, we have cases for all 3 models in stock and ready to ship. Get yours now so you are ready to go as soon as you have your S22 handset!

Protection is key for high-end phones, and we have all different designs for a range of tastes. All of our phone cases come with a 1-year warranty, and we provide a 90-day warranty for glass screen protectors.

Are the Galaxy S22 Ultra Specs Good Enough?

We are still waiting to see how well it performs in practice, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra Specs are very good, with very few areas we can fault. It's powerful, the cameras are excellent, and the design is sleek.

The large screen is incredibly useful, but you want to make sure it is properly protected. i-Blason has that covered. Whether you need a cute Samsung case, a pretty iPhone case, or any other kind of trendy phone case, we've got what you need.

To find out more about what we offer, click here to contact us today.