The Note is dead. Long live the new Note – the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is now the Neo and Trinity of Samsung’s flagship phones.
The growing pains of the Samsung Fold aside, Samsung’s foray into the folding phone has made them rethink the role of the Note. In that respect, it makes sense to simply incorporate the S Pen into the Ultra.
So here’s quick rundown of what’s new in Samsung’s definitive Galaxy phone.
Design
The most striking thing you will notice about the new Ultra is its sleek lines and that integrated camera array. Encased in “armour aluminium” and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on both front and back, Samsung touts the Ultra as the toughest Galaxy phone yet. The phone will be available in Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green and Burgundy, along with Samsung Store-exclusive (physical and online) colours Graphite, Sky Blue and Red.
What you’ll notice next is the new 6.8” Dynamic AMOLED 2x display that boasts a massive peak brightness of 1,750 nits, making it on paper, highly visible even in bright sunlight. The Ultra also uses Vision Booster tech to adjust the brightness dynamically.
4nm Process
Also new are the 4nm process System on Chips (SoC) which comes in the form of either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200, and we will be receiving the Snapdragon variants here. The new ARM microarchitecture has improved security features such as Pointer Authentication (PAC) and Branch Target Identifiers (BTI).
The new S Pen
The S Pen features Wacom tech and through the use of AI, is able to reduce effective latency from 9ms to 2.8ms. The latest Wacom IC improves the speed of coordinates from 480 to 360 circuits per second. And with an AI-based multi-point algorithm, the S Pen is able to predict multiple coordinate paths at once, which greatly improves responsiveness and results in an even smoother writing experience.
The handwriting to text feature has also been updated and supports up to 88 languages now. Quick Note lets you attach pop up notes while using Samsung’s stock apps like Internet, Gallery and messages, making it easier to share information.
It also has a new Collaboration View designed to be used with the Tab 8 Series tablet. One neat feature is that you can automatically adjust the pen tool settings on your phone and keep the drawing surface on the tablet uncluttered.
Camera
No changes to the up-to-100x zoom capability, but the new camera array features a large 2.4um pixel sensor to capture more light. Samsung adds that the Super Clear Glass lens reduces lens flare as well. The new Neural Processing Unit (NPU) is also up to two times quicker and can handle up to four times more data than before, which results in improved AI-powered image processing across the board.
Improved low light performance – Samsung calls it ‘Nightography’ – is something Samsung constantly touts in their promotion of the new Ultra, which is the result of their new improved hardware and AI algorithms. The AI can identify objects and scene settings and synthesise multiple frames to sharpen pictures and reduce noise. Adaptive Pixel tech merges a bright image obtained via Nona-binning and merges it with the 108MP resolution image so that your high-resolution image will also look cleaner in low light situations.
As expected Pro Mode offers full camera controls but what’s cool is the new Expert RAW app that lets you customise settings, work with Multi-Frame RAW and save 16-bit RAW files. Multi Frame RAW is a bit like HDR processing, where multiple frames are integrated into a single image to reduce noise and increase sharpness and detail.
There’s also an AI Stereo Depth Map that uses deep learning to better identify details like strands of hair. The idea is that when shooting portraits, the AI is able to recognise these important details and keep them in focus when blurring out the background, resulting in a more realistic bokeh effect. Samsung says that his feature works for pets as well. And to further extend usability, Night mode, is available for the front cameras as well.
Other features include:
- Auto Framerate adjusts the frame rate of the video according to the lighting conditions.
- Super Steady System to reduce vibrations and movement when recording video.
- Auto Framing up to ten people within five meters in video mode; also features easy to use tracking options.
- Snapchat collaboration to allow the app access to the Super Resolution and Night modes in-app.
Network optimisations
The new Ultra features Wi-FI 6E (6GHz band capable) with high throughput and low latency features. It uses AI to detect small time gaps in between activities (in the context of gaming) and puts the Wi-Fi radio to sleep to save power. It can eke up to 30 per cent power consumption improvement in this case.
The AI is also able to analyse and predict device network behaviour using a traffic pattern recognition algorithm. It will recognise and prioritise bandwidth-sensitive services and allocate resources accordingly.
Other notable details
The Ultra still maintains its 5,000mAh capacity despite incorporating a stylus, and Samsung continues to guarantee four generations of Android OS upgrades. At launch, a 45W charger is available for purchase but Samsung will release a 65W charger in the near future.
Pricing and availability
The Galaxy S22 5G, Galaxy S22+ 5G and Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G will be available in Singapore from 4 March 2022, Friday, at local telecommunication operators (M1, Singtel and StarHub), major consumer electronics & IT stores, selected authorised mobile retailers, Samsung Online Store, Samsung Experience Stores, and Samsung Official Store in Lazada, Shopee and Amazon.sg .
Prices are as follows:
- 128GB – $1,718 (Samsung Online Store and Samsung Experience Store exclusive)
- 256GB – $1,858
- 512GB – $1,998
Do note that Graphite, Sky Blue and Red colours are exclusive to the Samsung Online Store.
Pre-order Details
Consumers who pre-order their Galaxy S22 Series 5G devices will enjoy early delivery and be able to collect or receive their devices from 25 February 2022, Friday (via delivery for online orders and in-store collection at place of walk-in pre-order) one week before launch date.
Upon successful payment for and collection or delivery of their pre-order of the Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G, customers will be entitled to the following complimentary pre-order exclusives: $300 worth of e-vouchers to Samsung’s Premium Catalogue and an exclusive ‘Lucky Box’, which contains a random selection of 1 Silicone Cover with Strap and 1 Limited-Edition Wide Strap, worth $116.
The e-voucher is available for instant redemption via a promo code on Samsung’s Pre-Order Premium Catalogue to enjoy the respective value off their choice of purchases. The Samsung Pre-Order Premium Catalogue features a selection of specially curated add-ons that can help enhance the experience on the Galaxy S22 Series 5G devices, including new Galaxy S22 Series 5G covers and accessories, as well as popular Galaxy devices such as Galaxy Watches, Buds and Tabs.
Pre-Order at Samsung Online Store / Samsung Experience Stores
Consumers can pre-order their Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G without contract via the Samsung Online Store now.
Consumers can pre-order their Galaxy S22 Series 5G devices without a contract by visiting the following Samsung Experience Stores during their opening hours:
- Central: 313@Somerset #B2-24/25/26 Tel: 6836 1809, Bugis Junction #01-63/63A Tel: 6338 7911, ION Orchard #B3-14 Tel: 6235 0185, VivoCity #02-28/29 Tel: 6376 9150
- East: Bedok Mall #B1-07 Tel: 6844 9310, NEX #04-42 Tel: 6636 7392, Tampines Mall #02-29 Tel: 6782 9575
- West: Jurong Point #B1-09/10/11 Tel: 6791 2272, Westgate #01-01 Tel: 6369 9175
- North: Causeway Point #01-01 Tel: 6891 1011
Pre-Order at Telecommunication Operators
Pre-order for the Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G from M1 , Singtel and StarHub is now open.
Consumers who pre-order their Galaxy S22 Series 5G from telecommunication operators can collect their devices from 25 February 2022, Friday. Customers of M1 and Singtel can opt to collect their devices through in-store collection or delivery, while StarHub customers can receive their devices via delivery only.
Pre-order at Selected Consumer Electronics & IT Stores, and Samsung Official Store in Lazada and Shopee
Pre-order for the Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G will also be available in-store and online at the respective websites of selected consumer electronics & IT stores (Best Denki , Challenger , Courts , Gain City and Harvey Norman ) and through Samsung Official Store in Lazada and Shopee .
Consumers who have successfully pre-ordered their Galaxy S22 Series 5G from any of the above locations will be able to collect or receive their devices from 25 February 2022, Friday.
Coverage, trade-ups, Instalments
- Samsung Care+ offers consumers worry-free total care service, 24/7 dedicated remote support via the Samsung Hotline and Live Chat, 50% savings on out-of-warranty repair(s), Extended Warranty and more. Consumers who pre-order their Galaxy S22 Series 5G can enjoy 50% off 2-year Samsung Care+ at $100 (RRP of $200). Samsung Care+ will be available within 60-day from the device activation date at the Samsung Care+ Online Store , Samsung Experience Stores or authorised Samsung Customer Service Centres.
- Consumers who purchase the Galaxy S22 Ultra can trade in their old eligible device at Samsung Experience Stores and online , to receive an additional $200 trade-in value on top of the regular trade-in amount. Consumers who wish to trade in their old eligible devices can do so online or by visiting selected Samsung Experience Stores.
- Consumers can also enjoy up to 36-months 0% instalment payment plan if they choose to pay with UOB and OCBC credit cards on the Samsung Online Store for their Galaxy S22 Series 5G and Tab S8 Series purchases. 0% instalment payment plan is also available at Samsung Experience Stores with selected credit cards.
*Update: Local units confirmed to be using Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs.
