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Here we are – following another exciting Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, we can look forward to three new flagship Android phones: the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, Galaxy S22 Ultra. Those are now available for preorder, and will be shipping starting February 25.
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The 256GB Samsung Galaxy S22 can be had for a $100 instead of $849
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Whether you're a big Samsung fan or not, it's hard to deny that one phone in the Korean company's newest Galaxy S series – the Galaxy S22 Ultra – stands out quite a bit. It was not only the main focus of the Galaxy Unpacked event, but it's quite visibly different in design from the other two.
The base Galaxy S22, along with the S22 Plus, are very similar to their predecessors. At first glance – just your run-of-the-mill yearly flagship upgrade – nothing too special. The kind of seemingly incremental yearly upgrade we also see from Apple.
But why does the Galaxy S22 Ultra have a whole different design, despite belonging in the same S series family? Unlike the other two, the S22 Ultra has curved display edges, no camera module on the back – just lonely cameras popping out – each acting as their own individual bump on an otherwise minimalist back plate.
And most notably – the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the only one to have a built-in S Pen stylus, one that slots into the phone itself, so it can always be with you, should you need it. And there's already a massive hint as to why the S22 Ultra is so different from the other two S series phones.
But we'll start off with a more cynical reason for the S22 Ultra's uniqueness in the family, but a valid reason nonetheless…
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is different so it can stand out of the three, justify its high price
Let's face it – in past Galaxy S generations it wasn't immediately obvious what made the S21 Ultra, for example, special next to the S21 Plus and S21, aside from its larger size.
But now, the Galaxy S22 Ultra isn't just a bigger phone that starts at $1,200 and goes up to $1,600 if you spec it out, but visibly way more than that, way more than the other two S phones.
You're likely a phone enthusiast who keeps up with what's happening, but imagine this – if the S22 Ultra doesn't stand out – the average buyer just sees three similar phones, different only in size.
But with the S22 series they'll see two similar and familiar phones, and one – the most expensive one – exuding a unique vibe, like it really means business. As it should, since aside from a bigger screen it has the biggest battery, the brightest display, the highest storage option – a whole terabyte, an extra fourth camera with 10X zoom, a much higher-megapixel front camera, oh and what's that on the bottom again?...
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is different because it's a Galaxy Note
All signs lead to one logical conclusion – the Galaxy S22 Ultra is, in fact, the Galaxy Note 21 Ultra that never was. It might be in the S family, but the S22 Ultra is here to replace the entire Note family. And Samsung isn't shy about making that obvious.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra isn't just meaninglessly different from the S22 Plus and S22. Instead, it's designed to closely resemble the last ever Note (Galaxy Note 20 Ultra), to feel familiar to Galaxy Note fans who need that built-in S Pen stylus at the bottom, and are used to rounded display corners, a flat top and bottom, and that general hefty build that feels uniquely reassuring in the hand.
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I'd even argue that the S22 Ultra has nearly exactly the same design as the 2020 Note 20 Ultra – it hasn't been evolved or changed, because – if it ain't broke… Plus, this way we can all see that what we have is for sure a Note, under a different name. Zero room for doubt.
We have the same curved display edges, as mentioned, the same slight bezel on the bottom, a smaller one on top, and a punch hole selfie camera. On the back – very similar camera and LED flash placement, except without the camera island. Just that bit more minimalist than before.
So, Note fans, even though we've lost the name, we still have the phone. Not just the spirit of the Galaxy Note, but the body of the Galaxy Note lives on in 2022.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is different because it is, in fact, the ultimate Samsung flagship, and the company wants you to know it
I've never held back from praising Samsung for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 – the Korean company's book-like foldable flagship that's a near perfect power user dream phone.
But let's face it – foldables aren't quite ready yet for the masses. As much as I enjoyed using the Z Fold 3, its heavy and thick candybar-like build, plus having to fold and unfold it constantly throughout the day wore me down.
I had to go back to a normal rectangular phone eventually, because currently, that's the most convenient, pocketable shape with the least compromises. And, according to a recent poll of ours, is way preferred by many, over any foldable form factor.
Let's face it – with the Galaxy S22 Ultra now here – we can passionately argue that it is the undisputed, ultimate Samsung flagship, and yes, the Korean company wants you to know it. It wants it to be immediately apparent, and what better way to go about that than to make it strikingly different from the other two new flagships?
It's also quite poetic that the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra embodies everything that is great about Samsung, if you think about it.
Samsung is the king of displays, manufacturing OLED panels not just for its own phones, but for the likes of Apple's iPhones too. Samsung was also first to develop and popularize the concept of curved screens on a phone, most notably with the Galaxy S6 Edge. A design trend that, while some consider lacking in function, definitely results in a beautiful-looking flagship phone.
And here we have the S22 Ultra, packing Samsung's brightest, largest, gorgeous AMOLED screen with curved edges and variable refresh rate that goes up to 120Hz, double the speed that the average smartphone display refreshes at.
But it's not just that – as we mentioned the S22 Ultra notably comes with a built-in S Pen stylus, and is literally the only flagship smartphone to do so. Samsung's insistence on designing the smartphone with enough internal space for a stylus to fit in, so it's always conveniently with you wherever you go, in addition to the company's solid S Pen shortcuts and apps are also unrivaled.
It's super safe to assume that Apple will never make an iPhone with stylus support, and the closest competition on the Android side is perhaps Motorola, with its budget Moto G Stylus line. But let's be honest – there's no "real" S22 Ultra competition in that area either.
In our Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra hands-on review we were also impressed with its matte Gorilla Glass Victus build, front and back, the fact that it features the lowest-latency S Pen stylus support of any Samsung phone or tablet… And, of course, its flagship specs match everything else – specs that can go up to 12GB of RAM, 1000GB of storage, and Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor.
And all that in a package that's arguably the most beautiful and striking of any recent smartphone. The back of the phone is even matte, a trait you also voted to be much preferred than glossy. No compromises!
Ultimately, the S22 Ultra embodies everything that makes Samsung so great and unique of a smartphone manufacturer. And the Korean company wants you to know it. At first sight.
And although 2022 will be bringing us plenty more exciting phones, it would be hard for any other brand to top what the S22 Ultra is. A phone in its own league.
Rado, a tech enthusiast with a love for mobile devices, brings his passion for Android and iPadOS to PhoneArena. His tech journey began with MP3 players and has evolved to include tinkering with Android tablets and iPads, even running Linux and Windows 95 on them. Beyond tech, Rado is a published author, music producer, and PC game developer. His professional work on iPads, from producing songs to editing videos, showcases his belief in their capabilities. Rado looks forward to the future of mobile tech, particularly in augmented reality and multi-screen smartphones.
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