Samsung's bringing the Galaxy Note back as the S22 Ultra

The Galaxy Note is back from the dead… sorta. After skipping a "Note 21" last year — instead bringing S Pen compatibility to the S21 Ultra and Fold 3 — Samsung is basically resurrecting the stylus-equipped Android smartphone in the form of the Galaxy S22 Ultra — built-in S Pen and flat top and bottom design all in tow.

You've probably seen the many leaks, so let's just get right to the S22 Ultra specs, shall we? Prepare for the spec dump in 3… 2… 1…

• Display: 6.8-inch Edge (QHD+) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
• Refresh rate: Adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz)
• Chipset: 4nm chip (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 confirmed for U.S.)
• RAM + storage: 8GB RAM + 128GB storage or 12GB RAM + 256 / 512 / 1TB storage
• Battery: 5,000 mAh
• Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless, Wireless PowerShare
• Biometrics: Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor
• Android version: Android 12 with One UI 4.1
• Wireless: 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• IP rating: IP68 water and dust-resistance
• Dimensions: 77.9 x 163.3 x 8.9mm
• Weight: 229g

Alright, so the S22 Ultra is another spec beast with more performance than most people need. I have reservations about the design, which is more Note-like, and ditches the "Contour Cut Camera" bump that's still present on the S22 and S22+ models (more on those two in a few). The S21 Ultra's design was one of the most distinct industrial designs from Samsung in years. So unique that even OnePlus is sorta copying it with the OnePlus 10 Pro. It's possible I'll feel different when I actually get to see the S22 Ultra in person.

The screen is obviously gonna be one of the main attractions. Samsung says it's got a new "Vision Booster" technology that intelligently adapts contrast and brightness. Sure sounds like the iPhone's TrueTone tech.

Performance-wise, Samsung says the S22 ultra has 5 percent faster CPU performance, 40 percent faster GPU, and 133 percent faster NPU (neural processing for AI and machine learning applications) compared to the S21 Ultra. The CPU boost is a lil sad seeing as how Apple's A-series chips are still getting more powerful and energy-efficient year-over-year.

Camera specs

Let's talk cameras because that's now the single biggest upgrade everyone looks forward to in new phones. The S22 Ultra has the following cameras:

Rear cameras:

• Wide: 108 megapixels (f/1.8, 85-degree FOV)
• Ultrawide: 12 megapixels (f/2.2, 120-degree FOV)
• Telephoto 1: 10-megapixel 3x optical zoom (f/2.4, 36-degree FOV)
• Telephoto 2: 10-megapixel 10x optical zoom (f/4.9, 11-degree FOV)
• Total telephoto zoom: 100x Space zoom

Selfie camera:

• 40 megapixels (f/2.2, 80 degree FOV)

This isn't a review since I've yet to get the S22 Ultra and pit it against the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pixel 6 Pro. You know the deal: Once I have it, I'll be doing in-depth shootouts to compare image quality across a range of metrics like sharpness color, night mode, portrait, etc. Stay tuned for that.

New camera upgrades: Megapixels only go so far. Nowadays, it's the less talked about processing that makes all the difference. In that regard, the S22 Ultra has a few improvements to make photos and videos better.

Samsung says the night mode photos should look better with enhanced "AI high-resolution processing" which sharpens images from 4x more captured details. Super HDR has improved for better dynamic range. There's a new AI Stereo Depth Map feature that Samsung claims make portrait mode photos prettier (something about the blur not messing hair down to the strand level). There's an "expert RAW" mode that captures 16-bit photos.

For video, 8K video is better than ever with advanced auto framing that can allegedly detect up to 10 subjects and optimize focus. Samsung also says it's made the Super Steady System image stabilization even smoother.

All this sounds good on paper, but until I do some real testing and get some comparisons, it's Samsung's word. As long as the S22 Ultra's cameras aren't a step back from the incredible camera system on the S21 Ultra, I'll be happy.

S Pen is back

Whereas the S21 Ultra supported an S Pen (sold separately), the S22 Ultra comes with the stylus included. And just like on all Notes, it slots into the phone itself. There's little that Samsung could have improved with the S Pen, but here's what's new according to them: lower latency, handwriting-to-text support in 88 languages, and a new quick note function.

Is this enough to get dormant Note fans to buy the S22 Ultra? If it's not, Samsung might wanna reconsider its strategy in 2023. I still firmly believe the Note should live on in the Fold devices, not the S-series. It just makes more sense to include an S Pen for the largest screen phone that Samsung makes — that's what the Note was about from the start.

S22 and S22+

Now that the biggest and baddest S22 phone is out of the way, there are the other two smaller siblings. These are basically identical in design. The only differences are screen, battery size, and wired charging speed. Here you go:

S22 specs:

• Display: 6.1-inch Edge (FHD+) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
• Refresh rate: Adaptive refresh rate (10-120Hz)
• Chipset: 4nm chip (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 confirmed for U.S.)
• RAM + storage: 8GB RAM + 128GB or 256GB storage
• Battery: 3,700 mAh
• Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless, Wireless PowerShare
• Biometrics: Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor
• Android version: Android 12 with One UI 4.1
• Wireless: 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
• IP rating: IP68 water and dust-resistance
• Dimensions: 70.6 x 146 x 7.6mm
• Weight: 168g

S22+ specs:

• Display: 6.6-inch Edge (FHD+) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
• Refresh rate: Adaptive refresh rate (10-120Hz)
• Chipset: 4nm chip (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 confirmed for U.S.)
• RAM + storage: 8GB RAM + 128GB or 256GB storage
• Battery: 4,500 mAh
• Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless, Wireless PowerShare
• Biometrics: Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor
• Android version: Android 12 with One UI 4.1
• Wireless: 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
• IP rating: IP68 water and dust-resistance
• Dimensions: 75.8 x 157.4 x 7.6mm
• Weight: 196g

Both the S22 and S22+ share the same camera systems, front and back:

Rear cameras:

• Wide: 50 megapixels (f/1.8, 85-degree FOV) with OIS
• Ultrawide: 12 megapixels (f/2.2, 120-degree FOV)
• Telephoto: 10-megapixel 3x optical zoom (f/2.4, 36-degree FOV) with OIS
• Total telephoto zoom: 30x Space zoom

Selfie camera:

• 10 megapixels (f/2.2, 80 degree FOV)

Prices and release

As always, Samsung's got a bunch of promotions and trade-ins to get the retail prices down as much as possible. Pre-orders for all of the S22 phones start today. Qualifying pre-orders can get gift cards up to $200 depending on the model. Samsung's also upgrading 256GB models to 512GB if you preorder. You can check out Samsung.com for all the details.

Otherwise, pricing for the S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra are below:

• S22: Starting at $799.99
• S22+: Starting at $999.99
• S22 Ultra: Starting at $1,199.99

Do these prices look familiar? That's because they're the same starting prices as the Galaxy S21 series a year ago. No price hikes this year. Nice! All three S22 phones launch on February 25.

Again, stay tuned for reviews. They're coming!