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Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Long Term Review: Hits The High Note

Pratima Adhikari

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May 11, 2022

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Long Term Review: Hits The High Note

In this Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Review, I will be talking about all my experiences with this top-of-the-line flagship phone. Here, I have been using it from the very first day of its launch. Technically, I had been reviewing other phones in between too. But this has been my primary phone all the way. As a result, basically, my personal accounts including WhatsApp, and messenger are all here. And after using the S22 Ultra for a good number of days, I am finally ready to give my final, long-term verdict about it.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Specifications:

Body: 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm, 229 grams, IP68 rated, Gorilla Glass Victus+, Aluminum frame, S-pen support
Display: 6.8-inches Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O, Gorilla Glass Victus+, Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, 1750nits, Vision Booster
Resolution: WQHD+ (3200 x 1440 pixels)
Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm)
CPU: Octa-core (1x Cortex-X2 + 3x Cortex-A710 + 4x Cortex-A510)
GPU: Adreno 730
RAM: 8/12GB LPDDR5
Storage: 128/256/512GB, up to 1TB UFS 3.1 internal storage
Software & UI: One UI 4 on top of Android 12
Rear Camera: Quad (with LED flash)
– 108MP f/1.8 primary lens, OIS, PDAF
– 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens, 120º FOV
– 10MP f/2.4 telephoto lens, 3x optical zoom
– 10MP f/4.9 telephoto lens, 10x optical zoom
Front Camera: 40MP, f/2.2 lens (punch-hole)
Security: Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor
Battery: 5000mAh with 45W fast charging, 15W wireless charging
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, Ultra Wide Band
Color Options in Nepal: Phantom Black, Green, Burgundy
Price in Nepal: Rs. 159,999 (12/256GB) | Rs. 169,999 (12/512GB)
Check out the latest price of Galaxy S22 Ultra here.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Review:

Display

6.8-inches WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X
120Hz refresh rate LTPO 2.0, HDR 10+
1750nits brightness, Vision Booster

First things first, I have to appreciate how amazing the S22 Ultra’s display is. From its incredibly slim bezels to flaunting one of the brightest screens on any smartphone right now, this is probably the best display I’ve interacted with so far. Even better than my previous daily driver, the iPhone 13 Pro Max. So yeah, this display is just gorgeous—just look at the colors and contrast levels on it! Thanks to all these, this is literally my favorite mobile screen to watch content on.

Plus, it has so many add-on features, like the extra brightness mode a.k.a Vision Booster that enhances the screen’s brightness, colors, and contrast levels under direct sunlight for clearer visibility. Then there’s the Extra Dim mode which helps reduce eye strain, especially for people like me who are guilty of using their phone under the blanket late at night.

Even interacting with this screen has been amazing, thanks to the excellent touch response and haptic feedback. As a result, actions like typing and unlocking the phone greets you with really refined vibration feedback, which has made my experience using this phone so much better. Talking of unlocking, the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor here is really fast, accurate, and reliable.

Great audio quality

Here this awesome screen is also paired with an incredible set of stereo speakers. They’re loud, crisp, clear, and balanced. And like I said before, I’ve had a great time watching content on Netflix and especially listening to songs on Spotify on the S22 Ultra.

Design

163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm, 229 grams
Gorilla Glass Victus+ front/back, Aluminum frames
IP68 dust and water resistance

This phone is a stunner by its looks as well. And I gotta appreciate that even though this is a huge device, it doesn’t feel that uneasy to hold. But what I will say from experience is that this is definitely a two-handed device for people like me with tiny hands. And for all our female audience out there, the S22 Ultra probably won’t fit in a pant pocket either.

Just 2 months back, we made an entire travel video from this phone and throughout that trip, I had to carry my bag with me just to carry this phone. So yeah, if you are not into large phones, you should probably look into the S22+ instead, which arrives in a relatively compact form factor and is more or less a similar experience.

Enduring build

Moving on, in all these months that I used this phone without any cover or a screen protector, it’s impressive how the back of this phone doesn’t even have a single scuff. It’s as good as new! The front of it, however, has suffered a lot of tiny scratches, but nothing major.

Still, I will definitely advise you to slap on a good case and screen protector here. That way, you can get a good after-sale value in case you decide to sell your phone later. Anyway, the one complaint that I’ve had with the S22 Ultra’s design is how easily dust gets accumulated on the camera array. And cleaning it—especially on the edges—is quite difficult. Another thing, while trying to achieve a boxy form factor, I feel like Samsung has made the edges a bit too sharp which could be somewhat uncomfortable at times.

Other than that, it’s quite appreciable how the company has focussed on the little things like the volume rockers and the power button has this really nice, tactile feedback. And I also like how the frames melt so seamlessly with the back and front of the phone.

Gliding S-Pen

Overall, this is a very well-built and well-designed phone to which I’m definitely giving a thumbs up. And, since Samsung has decided to merge its Note and S lineups, you get S-Pen compatibility on the S22 Ultra as well.

And let me be honest with you—I am not someone who uses the S-Pen a lot. But if you are an artist or an art enthusiast, you are certainly going to appreciate its extremely low input latency and precise tracking ability.

However, I found out that with other third-party apps like Evernote and Sketchbook, the tracking isn’t as good as on Samsung’s default note-taking app, which I think could be improved with future updates. But still, the S-Pen on the S22 Ultra is super responsive and comfortable to use.

Now, this is a thing that’s a little out of topic but sometimes when I am really stressed out, I would take the stylus out and start coloring using the Penup app, which is something that has been a great stress buster for me!

Performance

Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 5G SoC (4nm)
8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256/512GB/1TB UFS 3.1 storage
Android 12 with OneUI 4.1 on top

Alright, let’s talk about its performance now. And here too, I’ve had very little to complain about this phone. The S22 Ultra works flawlessly when doing regular everyday tasks and gaming on it has been a good experience too.

I think Samsung has implemented the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 quite well here. I have used many phones with this chipset so far. And yes, they all heat up if you stress the CPU and GPU, but the S22 Ultra tries to remain cooler and more importantly, it cools down a lot faster as well.

Gaming

S22 Ultra Gaming

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As you can see from these charts, the gaming results on the S22 Ultra are quite impressive. You can play the most demanding games like Genshin Impact in their respective highest settings with minimum stutters, although you will notice some heating after about 20 minutes into the game. Other less demanding games like PUBG and Call of Duty play really well without lags and the temperatures remain in check as well.

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Software

On to the software side of things, I only have good things to say about it. If you have been following my channel long enough, you know that One UI is one of my favorite Android skins, maybe even the best after the recent OnePlus-Oppo merger.

I love how simple to use and navigate it is; I love how Samsung has optimized the 120Hz refresh rate here so well, and how fluid and responsive the whole UI is.

‘A’ class software updates

And with Samsung’s 4 years of promised software and an additional year of security updates, it’s also almost on par with iPhone as far as software commitments go. So this is a pretty big deal for someone who owns this Android flagship!

And while I am talking about software updates, the latest March update has also enabled the option to turn off the highly controversial Game Optimizing Service, aka GOS.

If you’re not aware, Samsung was accused of activating GOS to downgrade the performance of the S22 series while gaming to help the battery last longer and prevent overheating issues without the user’s permission. On the other hand, GOS would not be activated when running certain benchmarking apps. So, it was quite unethical to come from a brand like Samsung.

Camera

Quad camera setup at the back
(108MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto: 3x, 10x)
40MP selfie camera inside the Infinity-O cutout

Cameras

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So among other things, I’ve been more than satisfied with its camera performance too. As I mentioned earlier, we shot an entire vlog with the S22 Ultra and found its photography as well as videography aspects to be quite impressive.

Daytime

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As you might know, Samsung’s default color optimization is not the most natural, but it brings out quite pleasing colors with almost no further edits required before uploading to social media.

But still, there are some things that I wished were better about its cameras. Such as, while taking portrait shots, I found the shutter speed on the S22 Ultra to be a bit slower, especially in comparison to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. So if you are taking a picture of a moving subject, chances are it might come out blurry.

Portraits

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Also, the phone uses its 3x telephoto lens for taking portraits by default, for which you have to move really far away from the subject, which has been a little inconvenient for me. I think I have started nitpicking at this point.

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Battery

5000mAh battery with 45W fast charging
15W Qi Wireless Charging, Wireless PowerShare, 5W fast charging

Finally, the battery life on the S22 Ultra has been a solid B+ considering all the heavy lifting that its 5000 mAh battery has to do like powering such a huge and high-res screen. I’m guessing that the fact that it employs the second-gen LTPO screen which can go as low as 1Hz has definitely helped with better endurance though.

While it still doesn’t match the incredible battery life of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, on my typical usage, I would consistently get around 7 hours of screen-on time here. And in my usage, that converts to a full day of usage with around 10 to 15% charge left before I go to sleep.

Something that Samsung has also improved upon on this year’s flagships is the standby time. I recorded a maximum of just 1 to 2% battery drain overnight here, which is a huge improvement over the S21 Ultra which would lose 7 to 8% battery throughout the night.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Review: Conclusion

Overall, these three months of using the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra for this review have been a great experience for me. Yes, it does have a BIG, boxy design that might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But if you can disregard that, and you’re looking to get the best Android smartphone money can buy, this one’s certainly the best choice and I will totally recommend it.

Yes, there are some things that I nitpicked about it in this review, but those are just a bunch of negligible aspects that I think you are probably going to overlook anyway.

Also, it’s no secret that Samsung’s S-Pen has a fanbase of its own. So if you want to buy a flagship phone that has a compatible stylus too, then this one’s the only reliable option out there. From providing the best display experience to maintaining a good balance of performance and cameras, the S22 Ultra is a phone that is very well put together, unless you want a smaller phone. In that case, the Galaxy S22+ is a solid offering too.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

Stunning AMOLED screen
Ergonomic build, Premium design
A-grade cameras
IP68 rating
Best-in class software support
Built-in S-pen

Cons:

No SD card support
Big form factor
No charger in the box

Sony just launched Xperia 1 IV with true optical telephoto zoom lens

Sony Xperia

GadgetByte

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May 11, 2022

1

Sony just launched Xperia 1 IV with true optical telephoto zoom lens

Sony has just unveiled the Xperia 1 IV — it’s most recent flagship offering. The company has made significant improvements in the camera and audio departments to cater to a niche audience. In this article, we’ll look at the specifications, features, availability, and expected price of Sony Xperia 1 IV in Nepal.

Sony Xperia 1 IV Overview:

Camera

Cameras are the main focus of the Sony Xperia 1 IV. While other brands compete to see who can fit the most pixels in, Sony has chosen to stick with three 12MP sensors.

You get a 12MP primary camera with a 1/1.7″ sensor and Optical Image Stabilization support. It is followed by an ultrawide camera with 1/2.5″ sensor. Still, the main highlight here is the 12MP telephoto lens.

This year, Xperia 1 IV’s telephoto sensor can shoot at any focal length between 85mm and 125mm, making it stand out from the crowd. In contrast, telephoto lenses on other flagships are fixed and can not replicate Xperia 1 IV’s variable focal length.

Furthermore, all three lenses can record 4K videos at 120 fps. Among the notable features are Real-Time Eye AF, and Videography Pro mode. Sony has also increased the resolution of the front-facing camera to 12MP. It even support 4K HDR recording, although its maxes out at 30 fps.

Performance

Moving on, Sony Xperia 1 IV is powered by the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. The chipset has been paired with 12GB of RAM and 256/512GB of storage. Talking about software, the Xperia 1 IV runs an almost stock version of Android 12.

Audio

There is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for security. Sony has kept the 3.5mm headphone jack all while maintaining IP68 water and dust protection. The phone also has stereo speakers 10% increased brightness compared to last year. They also boasts 20-25% bass than last year.

For those with wireless headphone, Sony Xperia 1 IV supports Bluetooth LC Audio and LDAC. Furthermore, Sony has expanded the support for 360 Reality Audio a lot for apps now.

Streaming

Streamers cab live stream content using the Xperia 1 IV camera. Alternately, they can also live stream using a Sony Alpha camera via the 5G network.

Sony has gone to extra length to sign a deal with YouTube that allows Xperia 1 IV’s users to start a new channel and start streaming right away. Usually this feature is restricted to verified account with 1,000 subscribers.

Gamers can live stream their games straight from the Xperia 1 IV’s enhancer app. They can even choose to send the video to streaming app. In addition, Sony has also updated its portfolio of streaming accessories with new Vlog Monitor and a Shooting Grip.

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Design, Display

Sony has stuck with the classic boxy squared-off design for this year’s Xperia 1 IV as well. The back panel has a matte finish, and the side rails are made of aluminum. Gorilla Glass Victus protects both the front and back of the device.

There is a 6.5-inch 4K OLED display over on the front with its unique 21:9 aspect ratio. Moreover, there is a 120Hz refresh rate and the upgraded panel is 50% brighter than the previous year. If we were to overlook the overall brightness and Victus protection, it is the same panel as the Xperia 1 III.

Rest of the specs

Starting off with the battery, you will find a 5,000mAh battery inside the Xperia 1 IV. While the phone supports 30W fast charging, the phone does not ship with a power brick. Furthermore, the handset is capable of fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.

Sony Xperia 1 IV Specifications:

Display: 6.5-inch OLED, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 21:9 aspect ratio
Resolution: 4K (1644×3840 pixels)
Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm)
Memory: 12GB RAM
Storage: 256/512GB
OS: Android 12
Rear Camera: Quad, 12MP , f/1.7, 24mm (OIS) + 12MP ultra-wide+ 12MP telephoto, 80-128mm ( 3.5x-5.2x optical continuous zoom, OIS), ToF 3D sensor
Front camera: 12MP, f/2.0, 20mm
Security: Fingerprint (side-mounted)
Battery: 5000mAh, 30W fast charging, wireless charging, reverse wireless charging

Sony Xperia 1 IV Price in Nepal and Availability

Sony Xperia 1 IV is available for pre-booking right now. The phones start shipping in mid-June 2022. Moreover, the 12/512GB variant of the phone costs USD 1,599.99. We expect the Xperia 1 IV to cost around NPR 227,999 when it launches in Nepal.

Sony Xperia 1 IV	Official Price	Price in Nepal (Expected)
12/512GB	USD 1,599.99	NPR 227,999

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Sony WH-1000XM4 .

Sharp Aquos R7 goes official with 1” camera sensor, 240Hz refresh rate, and more

Sharp

GadgetByte

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May 11, 2022

0

Sharp Aquos R7 goes official with 1” camera sensor, 240Hz refresh rate, and more

Sharp recently announced its flagship phone for 2022, called the Aquos R7. It’s predecessor, the Aquos R6, was the world’s 1st phone with a 1-inch camera sensor, and the R7 brings even better and improved camera setup. So, let’s go through the specs, features, availability, and expected price of the Sharp Aquos R7 in Nepal.

Sharp Aquos R7 Overview:

1-inch camera

Without deviating from the topic at hand, let’s first go through the main highlight of the phone. The Aquos R7 brings a new 47MP main camera with a massive 1” sensor that, the company claims, can capture 1.8 times more light than its predecessor. Like last year, Sharp has partnered with Leica to improvise on this aspect.

Ther camera uses Leica’s seven-element Summicron lens and offers 8K video recording with an F/1.9 aperture, 19mm focal length, and an Octa PD autofocus. This massive camera sensor is accompanied by a 1.9MP portrait sensor. For selfies and such, there’s a 12.6 camera on the hole-punch cutout.

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Design and Display

Over on the front, the R7 has the same 6.6-inch WUXGA+ IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) OLED panel as its predecessor. It’s a 10-bit display with a 240Hz refresh rate, 2000 nits of peak brightness, and Dolby Vision support.

The front and back are both protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. It is also water and dust resistant with an IP68 rating. The screen houses an under-display fingerprint reader for biometrics.

Performance

Moving on, the phone gets its sheer power from the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. Aquos R7 is only available in a sole memory configuration of 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage options. The handset boots on the latest Android 12 and is fueled by a 5000mAh battery.

Sharp Aquos R7 Specifications:

Display: 6.6-inch Pro IGZO OLED, 2730 x 1260 pixels, 2000nits, 240Hz refresh rate (variable), 20 million:1 contrast ratio, HDR, 1 billion colors
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (5nm)
Rear Camera: Dual (47MP 1-inch CMOS sensor, 7-element f/1.9 Leica Summicron lens, 19mm equivalent focal length, 1.9MP Portrait )
Front Camera: 12.6MP (punch-hole cutout)
Memory: 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128GB UFS 3.1 storage (expandable up to 1TB)
Operating System: Android 12
Battery: 5,000mAh
Security: Qualcomm 3D Sonic Max under-display fingerprint sensor

Sharp Aquos R7 Price in Nepal and Availability

The Aquos R7 will be available for purchase in Japan in black and silver color options. Yet, the company is yet to make an announcement about the price and availability date.

Meanwhile, check out our review of the OnePlus 10 Pro.

ZTE Axon 40 Ultra unveiled with third-gen in-display camera, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

ZTE

GadgetByte

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May 10, 2022

0

ZTE Axon 40 Ultra unveiled with third-gen in-display camera, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

ZTE Axon 20 5G was the first phone to feature an in-display selfie camera. The company improved the tech in its successor. And, now we have the third-gen in-display camera in the newly released Axon 40 Ultra. Along with it, the company has also launched Axon 40 Pro. And, in this article, we will be discussing the specs, features, availability, and expected price of the ZTE Axon 40 Pro, and Axon 40 Ultra in Nepal.

ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Overview:

Third Gen In-display Camera

The main highlight of the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is undoubtedly the next-gen under-display camera. As a result, you don’t get any notch or anything of that sort here.

The phone employs a new UDC Pro chip and a new sub-pixel arrangement above the camera to make the display area more uniform. This is backed by a 1-drive 1-pixel circuit design to reduce the anti-aliasing effect, allowing each pixel to be controlled separately. The phone also has a self-developed pro-photography algorithm 3.0 for improved post-processing of the image.

Thanks to all of this tech, the Axon 40 Ultra’s 16MP under-display camera can snap selfies much like other flagship phones’ front cameras.

On the back, the phone houses a trio of 64MP cameras, with a main and ultrawide lens using Sony IMX787 sensor. The remaining is a telephoto lens that supports up to 5.7x optical zoom. The primary and telephoto cameras both include optical image stabilization (OIS). Likewise, this trio of 64MP lenses is accompanied by a flicker sensor, a ToF sensor, and a tri-microphone setup for audio zoom and recognition features. By the way, one can shoot at up to 8K resolution from all three cameras.