2 years have gone by and my OnePlus 7T Pro despite its gorgeous full-screen display and privacy pop-up camera is disappointing me. I have 5G coverage now, want a 120 Hz display, AOD and a better camera. It served me well since April 2020 but the lack of software support, OnePlus' direction and other things pushed me away.
I tried to decide between the S21 Ultra and the Pixel 6 Pro, but the Pixel's software issues, lack of a macro camera and other little things made me choose the S21 Ultra.
Now to the real thing
At our retail store MediaMarkt I could get the S22 Ultra 256GB for € 1249 (instead of € 134) + Galaxy Buds Pro that I could sell. But only until February 24th. The S21 Ultra 256 GB is € 1099 new and € 980 used but like new. 128 GB is not an option (especially due to 8 GB RAM on the S22 Ultra).
I consider the S-Pen a gimmick I might use every now and then but not a deal breaker.
I don't really like curved displays so the less the better.
I struggle between having a tested phone with mostly stable software vs. being early adopter. Also the S22 Ultra is going to get Android 13 faster and longer support.
I'm not sure how comfortable the boxy design of the S22 Ultra is as my last boxy design was the iPhone 5 probably
The price difference by selling the Galaxy Buds Pro would be something like € 1170 vs. € 1099 (but the S21 Ultra will drop in price soon I guess). In the best case scenario it would be € 80 price difference. It truly is tempting but I'm hesistant on pulling the trigger. If I were to do it, I would receive it on March 12th with a 14 day return window.
I could try the S22 Ultra in store already and will do so again tomorrow. Maybe someone has some arguments and valid points to make or was in the same position I am now. Feel free to also tell me why you pulled or didn't pull the trigger.
(Also due to bootloader unlocks, warranty, import and other factors, I am only considering the Exynos variants of both devices. If it turns out rooting is kind of an issue, I would go S21 Ultra either way as I do not have any time to deal with using the stock software and wiping weeks later to finally being able to root).
I particularly have not and will not pul the plug on my order, honestly I had the N20U and S21U and I liked the N20U design more but loved the S21 specs. For me the S22U is a winner combining both phones. I know there will be bugs but the same happened with S21 Ultra and it's just a matter of being patient.
I do use the SPEN with no issues (favorite feature of the note of course).
For anyone else wondering: I've decided to go with the S21 Ultra. I've got both and tested them.
There were several reasons (keep in mind I'm coming from a OnePlus 7T Pro):
No important use-case for the S Pen for me (I got a € 26 used one for the S21 Ultra and will keep it in my backpack)
Display brightness is the same. The only difference is that the S22 Ultra allows a higher manual brightness but even when adaptive brightness is off, both S21 Ultra and S22 Ultra will detect a high ambient brightness and ramp up the extra mile despite not having adaptive mode on. There is no reason for me to manually trigger it in moderate lit environments.
The S22 Ultra is a bit wider and its boxy shape makes one handed use almost impossible while with the S21 Ultra it is possible for me.
I got the S21 Ultra for € 900 "like new" meaning it has been opened and then returned. The S22 Ultra would be at least € 1150 even with selling the Galaxy Buds Pro.
Exynos 2100 vs 2200 in my tests was hilarious. Single core performance in Geekbench on the S22 Ultra was very low sometimes and the device got hot (already installed the day one patch though. CPU were almost the same only OpenCL was better with the S22 Ultra. A CPU stress test running for 15 minutes resulted in 2% average difference but the S21 Ultra wasn't dropping as quickly and had higher results when throttling.
I did have some stuttering and lagging when apps were installed in the background or while the CPU is doing something in the background. This doesn't happen with the S21 Ultra. It seems like the Exynos 2200 has issues with multiple tasks. This could be fixed with an update I guess, but I don't buy a device in the hopes that it will be fixed in the future. If it were a hardware issue, I'm very much out of luck.
If I get my pre-order device from Samsung's online shop, I definitely shouldn't root it right away as it wouldn't terminate the warranty in Europe, but certainly the 14 day return window. I don't want to test the device for a few days or even set it up just to wipe it again.
Only thing that I couldn't confirm is that the S22 Ultra has a high AOD idle drain. The battery drain with AOD was the same at 1.1%/h and about 0.3–0.5%/h without AOD.
In the end I thought: is the € 300 price difference worth it? My answer was no. Deciding between both devices when the S21 Ultra is about € 1099 and the S22 Ultra € 1212 - Galaxy Buds Pro (I had a 10% coupon) would be another story. But saving € 200 for a 14 day return device is a good deal in my opinion and brings me closer to realistic phone prices. 2 years ago I struggled to pay € 750 for the OnePlus 7T Pro. Paying over € 1000 or even € 1200 is simply too much.
It's odd that the higher the prices are, the higher the tolerance for price differences become. If I were to decide between a € 300 and a € 600 phone, I would be much more hesitant to buy the expensive one while something like € 1100 and € 1400 suddenly becomes less of an issue. It's still a lot of money even though the proportion is different. Maybe this thread and post helped someone decide. Who knows
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Hi,
So, I was planning to go for the Note 10 plus but it's price has not decreased much even after the launch of the S21 series https://www.samsung.com/in/smartpho...y-note10-plus-aura-glow-256gb-sm-n975fzsdins/ Is the Note 10 lite worth it's price? It is about 20000 inr or $265 usd cheaper than the plus one. I can live with the plastic body (as a case will be used), the lower end camera is fine but the processor and no ois is a big turn off. Also I read somewhere that the note 10 plus is more 5g ready than the note 10 lite meaning the plus one supports more 5g bands. Is it true? Ofcourse a "pure 5g" phone is months away. Any suggestions?
Thanks
My carrier just messaged me about their offer for all new Galaxy S22 models with 200€ off from the retail price for S22/S22+ and 250€ off for the S22 Ultra + free Galaxy Buds Pros. With this the S22 Ultra 128GB 5G model would be 1049€, 256GB 5G model 1149€ and the 512GB 5G model 1249€ (all of these are available for interest free payments up to 3 years and the phones are not being bootloader/carrier locked). Is this actually a good offer or should I pass it given that I live in the EU and the model I would get is going to be Exynos 2200 device anyway (which is most likely going to be not as good as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 variant)?
Hard to say with zero user feedback. Samsung has been having issues with many of their variable rate displays as are most of the manufacturers using this technology.
Right off the get there's no SD card so you better get the 512gb variant. The spen is in an awkward side unless you're a lefty.
You might want the larger Plus size if you want screen real estate to play with.
The Snapdragon question and what the heat sink differences might be if any will be only fully answered in the future.
Samsung should have another flagship release this fall. Personally the S22U isn't giving me any tangible incentives to own it over my N10+'s. Not even a wash; the tradeoffs outweigh the benefits for me.
The N20U was a close and tougher call to make.
2023 may be a better year to buy. I'm pacing it for 2023-2024 if I like what I see.
Both the N10+ and the N20U can be had at good prices. Used and new ones are available but be careful if you do as there's a lot of scamming is going on. The N10+ is still a great phone and both these Notes support up to 1tb of V30 rated storage. The new N10+'s come loaded with 10, the N20U's likely 11. I'm not concerned with updates but if you are factor that in; the N10+'s limit is Android 12, the N20U's is 13 maybe 14(?) I think.
Sincci said:
My carrier just messaged me about their offer for all new Galaxy S22 models with 200€ off from the retail price for S22/S22+ and 250€ off for the S22 Ultra + free Galaxy Buds Pros. With this the S22 Ultra 128GB 5G model would be 1049€, 256GB 5G model 1149€ and the 512GB 5G model 1249€ (all of these are available for interest free payments up to 3 years and the phones are not being bootloader/carrier locked). Is this actually a good offer or should I pass it given that I live in the EU and the model I would get is going to be Exynos 2200 device anyway (which is most likely going to be not as good as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 variant)?
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I would say it depends on which device you come from.. If you currently have a Note 20 Ultra or S21 Ultra, I would wait a bit before committing. Last year I actually went from Note 20 Ultra to S21 Ultra (I know, stupid), and I regretted it at first but then loved it. If you are coming from an older device, then yeah go for it.
I am planning on buying the S22 Ultra so I've been watching YouTube reviews and they were all positive.
Today I saw this post and it made me hesitant about buying the phone. This post is about the Exynos variant while the videos I watched was from American Youtuber so the were reviewing the SD and all of them gave positive reviews except for the Battery life.
You can't make everybody happy and some phones obviously have issues. I have had my SM-S908W (SD) for a couple of months now and have had zero issues. Battery life is good but not great which is likely due to the faster processors and brighter screens on these phones.
Based on everything being reported here, the SD is the better option.
Don't let the haters influence your decision making process. They are a vocal minority and some don't even have first hand experience with the phone.
SD version is the better version, I have no complaints about mine other than the battery life (it kinda sucks)
Luckily we're getting the Snapdragon this time in the middle east, SM-S908E/DS model.
S21 and below were all Exynos !
If you come from z flip 3 like me, you should be feel relieve that s22 ultra has better battery life eventhough both phones are the latest in their very own lineup.
I have the S22U 512GB SD and it's great. I'm coming from a Note 10+. I don't recommend the 128GB version. Go with the 256GB or bigger. The larger capacity storage modules that Samsung uses are faster than the smaller ones.
I'm not heavy user and normally not far from a charger, so the battery hasn't been an issue for me.
I wish Samsung included microSD, but storage hasn't been an issue so far. I have room for all of my apps and my entire music collection (~170GB) and I still have ~250GB of free space. I don't keep my photos and videos on my phone. I offload them to a 16TB regularly for long term storage.
blackode said:
If you come from z flip 3 like me, you should be feel relieve that s22 ultra has better battery life eventhough both phones are the latest in their very own lineup.
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Same with trading in my z fold 3 for the S22u. The fold's battery life definitely took a hit with that huge screen and not being able to store the s pen convinced me the S22u was the was the way to go. Totally happy and I've never looked back.
Samsung if offering pretty good trade-in deals in the U.S. over Memorial Day weekend, which means I could basically upgrade my 256 GB S21 Ultra to a 256 GB S22 Ultra for $299, with a free Watch4 to boot! I already have a Watch3, so if I sold the Watch4, it would effectively be a $150 or so upgrade.
Not a bad deal at all. I'm tempted to do it, but I wanted to see if you guys feel it would be worth it. I really like my S21 Ultra and Watch3, and I don't have any issues with either of them. I don't really care about the S Pen (perhaps I should?), but having a best-in-class camera is critical to me. I don't have any complaints, really, about my S21 Ultra, but I'd be open to spending $300 or so if there are some serious improvements in the camera and/or other areas.
Would you say this deal is worth the upgrade? Or should I just stick with my S21 Ultra for now, and wait for whatever the S23 series will bring?
Thanks!
--Ron
I used S21Ultra and now I'm using S22ultra. I do regret every day for my decision. S21U is way better than S22U.
The only option which is better is zoom. Zoom is clearer than S21U. But I don't think you're gonna use the zoom much.
S22U camera performance is not satisfying at all compared to the price tag and S21U. I thought the Korean version has a problem and bought the US version. But both are the same.
Gaming(PUBG) performance on S21U is also better. Battery performance is also better on S21U.
If you love S-Pen and 100x clearer zoom, then go for S22U. Otherwise, it doesn't worth buying.
dutch_in_seattle said:
Samsung if offering pretty good trade-in deals in the U.S. over Memorial Day weekend, which means I could basically upgrade my 256 GB S21 Ultra to a 256 GB S22 Ultra for $299, with a free Watch4 to boot! I already have a Watch3, so if I sold the Watch4, it would effectively be a $150 or so upgrade.
Not a bad deal at all. I'm tempted to do it, but I wanted to see if you guys feel it would be worth it. I really like my S21 Ultra and Watch3, and I don't have any issues with either of them. I don't really care about the S Pen (perhaps I should?), but having a best-in-class camera is critical to me. I don't have any complaints, really, about my S21 Ultra, but I'd be open to spending $300 or so if there are some serious improvements in the camera and/or other areas.
Would you say this deal is worth the upgrade? Or should I just stick with my S21 Ultra for now, and wait for whatever the S23 series will bring?
Thanks!
--Ron
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As of right now, based on your "requirements" no, not worth it for you. IT will be in the near future with software upgrades, though.
If you do the trade, you might spend a couple months complaining and regretting it. but in the long run is so very worth it.
>> It will be in the near future with software upgrades, though.
Can you give some examples of this? What are issues now which should be corrected in software updates? It's tricky to buy something based on promised future enhancements or features.
Also, I'm wondering how much I'd actually use the S Pen, since I've never been a Note user. I'd love to hear from other S22 Ultra users without any prior Note experience how (if?) they use the S Pen with the S22 Ultra and how they're liking that.
Well, I took the plunge and ordered the Galaxy S22 Ultra (unlocked, black, 256 GB) on Samsung.com, taking advantage of their Memorial Day special: $1,000 trade-in for Galaxy S21 Ultra plus a free 40mm Watch4. In total it came to $284 (after an additional employer-related $15 off). I'm planning to sell the Watch4, so ultimately this upgrade will cost me about $100-$120. Not bad, not bad at all.
I'll probably post my impressions of the S22 Ultra with S Pen, coming from S21 Ultra, in this forum later.
--Ron
dutch_in_seattle said:
Well, I took the plunge and ordered the Galaxy S22 Ultra (unlocked, black, 256 GB) on Samsung.com, taking advantage of their Memorial Day special: $1,000 trade-in for Galaxy S21 Ultra plus a free 40mm Watch4. In total it came to $284 (after an additional employer-related $15 off). I'm planning to sell the Watch4, so ultimately this upgrade will cost me about $100-$120. Not bad, not bad at all.
I'll probably post my impressions of the S22 Ultra with S Pen, coming from S21 Ultra, in this forum later.
--Ron
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Also in the Seattle area here who did the trade in from the S21U during the pre-order deals. No regrets here, works just as well with my Watch 3. It terms of day to day stuff, you won't really notice an upgrade. The camera itself isn't very different either, with the 10x looking better. I personally use GCam for everything and it's been working well.
As a budget phone owner who’s not looking to spend more than $300 (or $400 at most) on a new device, it was with great interest that I saw the recent release of the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G. It has good specs for its price and it seems like it would be a very decent phone all around. So it was with great dismay that I noticed the overall size of the phone... 6.5 inches from top to bottom. Once again...
Is it just me, or is there a significant group of phone owners out there who want phones that actually fit into smaller pockets, don't fatigue the hands, and can be used with one hand when needed? I want a phone, not a tablet or a “phablet”!
When it comes to its S-series, Samsung releases a small version each year, along with a bigger sized “Pro” version, and an even bigger “Ultra” version. But when it comes to the A-series phones, almost every single one of them is bigger than the S22 Ultra! In the recent American A-series model lineup, this applies to the A02s, A03s, A12, A13 5G, A23 5G, A32 5G, and A42 5G, with only the A52 5G and A53 5G being slightly smaller at 6.3 inches. And the S21 FE is only slightly cheaper than the S22. Way above a budget price.
I can’t be the only one who wishes that there were some A-series budget phones whose sizes were similar to the 5.75 inch Galaxy S22, or at least under 6 inches from top to bottom. I was even considering the (6 inch) Pixel 6a until seeing the many reports of its overheating and network connectivity drop issues.
Just as a practical example, Samsung can make a Galaxy "A23s" 5G which can have the same Snapdragon 695 chip as the regular A23 5G. Just the overall phone size (and battery if necessary) will be smaller.
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In light of the above, I call on anyone who would also like such phones to call Samsung’s sales department at 1-855-726-8721 and politely request that they start making such devices, and explain that they will attract many compact phone buyers who can’t afford to shell out $700 or $800, but would be very interested in getting a Samsung A-series phone if only there were smaller options available, just like there is in the S-series.
If Samsung sees that there’s a big enough demand for it, they will start producing such phones so as to reap the earnings from this new customer base!
Please share this page and spread the word far and wide, so that we can get as many people as possible to effectuate this change!
P.S. Leave a comment with any additional ideas that you think may help the cause.