Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review: The best S Pen
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In our initial hands-on preview with the new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, we stated that the S Pen was the most responsive implementation to date. This still holds true in my opinion, even after extensively testing the phone for two weeks.
Samsung sent out a review unit of the Galaxy S22 Ultra for us to try out prior to the launch date, and I was still thoroughly impressed with the S Pen throughout my tinkering with the device.
The S Pen really feels like a real-life pen
I know it may not particularly be of any interest to the average user, but for someone who uses their phone to take notes and doodle, the experience of a good stylus will make or break the experience of using your phone to do these activities.
In our hands-on during the media preview, I had the impression that there was something going on under the hood for the S Pen to feel as responsive as it was. I am glad to report that it was not the case.
The S22 Ultra's S Pen feels extremely responsive right out of the box. Further tinkering into the settings (like increasing the refresh rate of the phone) barely made any improvements to the S Pen experience, which is not a bad thing.
When using Samsung Notes to write or doodle, any kind of contact with the screen was instantly registered. Applying more pressure on the S Pen would result in bolder and thicker lines drawn, and this also feels like it is registered immediately.
The whole experience with the S Pen on Google Keep and Samsung Notes just made it seem like I was writing or drawing things with a real-life marker pen.
That experience aside, the S Pen hides snugly into the phone and if you are not a very frequent user of the pen, you would probably forget that it is part of the device.
What else does the phone offer?
To be absolutely honest, if the S Pen doesn't excite you, the S22 Ultra is basically like any other large-screen flagship phone.
The camera is great, it comes with either 8GB or 12GB of memory depending on your choice and preference. It also comes with a hefty 5000mAh battery and 45w fast charging (if you have a compatible charger).
If you prefer not to have such a big phone and the S Pen, the S22 and S22+ are essentially the same phones, with the major differences being the battery, cameras and sizes. All phones are equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC (in Singapore at least), so you would hardly feel any performance differences between all the models.
Playing games on the S22 Ultra felt good and snappy and should be fine for the average user. I wouldn't buy the phone solely for gaming, as you can get many other phones that are much cheaper that can do the same, like the Oppo Find X3.
The 5000mAh battery of the S22 Ultra lasted around 10 to 12 hours from mixed usage if the screen is set at its maximum refresh rate. At 100 per cent battery life, I could fit in 3-4 hours of gaming, 3 hours of video watching, around 6 hours of screen-on time and browsing before the battery flatlines.
Get the Samsung S22 Ultra if you really have the need for the stylus. The S Pen is the highlight of the device, and it is the best implementation of it to date. But if you do not need it, the Samsung S22+ or the standard S22 should be more than enough for the average user, if you absolutely love the Samsung Galaxy S line.
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Dominic loves tech and games. When he is not busy getting headshotted in VALORANT or watercooling anything he sees, he does some pro wrestling.
