The Samsung Galaxy S22 lineup has been out for a few weeks now. The three variants, the S22, S22 Plus and S22 Ultra are on the wishlist of many a smartphone fan. The Ultra, especially, feels like the best Android phone on the market right now. I can only watch reviews and enjoy the phone vicariously because my pockets are not deep enough to snag this beaut.
The S22 will run you at least $800, the S22 Plus $1000 whilst the Ultra will set you back $1200. Even if I could, I probably wouldn’t spend such money on a single smartphone. Not when I’d get a good experience from a years old flagship like the S20 Plus. Not to mention the sub-$200 affordable Tecnos and Infinixes.
What does the S22 pack though?
If I somehow got my hands on the S22 I would be enjoying the power of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. Breezing through even the most demanding games without breaking much of a sweat. Especially now that an update is already being pushed that undoes the battery saving throttling that was going on.
All this would be enjoyed on the best display on a phone, which can be vivid as to please the eye whilst also capable of the most accurate colour reproduction to date. That screen can get to a blinding 1750 nits peak brightness, a record for smartphone displays, which makes for unparalleled HDR viewing and not even direct sun can compromise your viewing pleasure.
Some S22s had a weird display issue where there would appear a pixelated line running horizontally across the whole display. It appears to be a software problem as changing the display mode to Vivid fixes the problem. Software can be improved as we go along.
Samsung’s software has come a long way and is arguably the best Android skin in the game right now. That is only made sweeter by the fact that Samsung now offers the longest software support for its smartphones of all Android phone manufacturers. The S22 lineup is eligible to receive the Android 16 update, besting the Pixel’s Android 15.
The cameras on the S22’s are comfortably top 3, trading jabs with the iPhone and the Pixel. The zoom capabilities of the Ultra downright embarass the competition.
The 5000mAh battery on the Ultra is huge but provides average battery life, however considering that you’ll end most days with over 6 hours screen on time it’s not bad by any stretch. The 45W charging helps top up the phone in less than an hour and that’s something I guess.
The S22 Ultra Note
The Ultra has another trick up its sleeve – the S Pen. The S22 Ultra is a Note in everything but name. In the boxy frame of the phone is a silo for an S pen. As a longtime Note user, that little pen cannot be beat and makes the US$1200 asking price sound justified. Again, I don’t have that kind of money to throw at a smartphone but I still think it’s a fair price.
The limited edition Caviar
If that’s chump change for you, fear not, Caviar has got you covered. You can get an exclusive Caviar-styled and branded S22 device for an arm, a leg and a kidney. Caviar is popular for its exclusive designs and designer prices to match.
Last year’s Caviar styled Galaxy S21 Ultra went for as much as US$22,000. You could have bought a house in Norton for that price but the exclusivity alone was probably worth it.
Caviar no doubt saw that the $22,000 was a bit over the top and this year’s prices have been adjusted to reflect the prevailing tough economic conditions the world over. You can get your S22 for a reasonable $6,000-$7,900. I tell you, you won’t get a better bargain and so if this sounds good to you, preorders are open. You can take your pick of a S22, S22 Plus or an S22 Ultra.
For your money you get to choose from 6 designs. Expect eye-catching designs using 24-karat gold, titanium, carbon fibre and other posh materials. Also expect to be a member of a tiny, exclusive club as there will only be 99 devices per model of the S22.
If you were saving up to get a car you might be better off treating yourself to a Caviar S22 Ultra. Cars need fuel and phones need electricity. Yes, you will experience power cuts but the S22 only needs an hour to store up energy for a whole day or more.
Fuel, on the other hand…With the way fuel prices are rising even the govt is advising people to park their cars. Choose wisely.
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