Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review: triumphant return of the Note superphone

The top and bottom are flat metal, while the glass back and front curve at the sides to meet an aluminium band. It is a really big and imposing phone but one that is relatively easy to hold and use. I can just about wield it one-handed without an an accessory but would likely resort to a Popsocket or similar on the back for the long term.

The 6.8in screen is stunning: sharp, smooth with up to a 120Hz refresh rate, and with an extremely high peak brightness of 1,750nits (a standard measure of screen brightness), which makes it easier to read in direct sunlight than rivals.

The battery life is great. The S22 Ultra lasts in excess of 40 hours between charges, including three hours on 5G, with the screen set to FHD+ resolution and actively used for more than 6.5 hours with a variety of chap apps, the camera, Chrome, Spotify, 2.5 hours of Netflix and a light bit of gaming. Increasing the resolution of the display to its maximum QHD+ reduced the screen-on time by about an hour. The phone should easily make it through the heaviest of days, or two if used more frugally, which is longer than most rivals except the 48-hour-plus iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Samsung does not provide an expected lifespan for the battery. Those in similar devices typically maintain at least 80% of their original capacity for at least 500 full charge cycles.

Several internal components are made from 20% recycled nylon or plastic. Samsung offers trade-in and recycling schemes for old devices. The company publishes annual sustainability reports but not impact assessments for individual products.

The S22 Ultra ships with OneUI 4.1, which is based on the latest version of Android 12 and receives prompt updates unlike some competitors. The Ultra has several customisations to the software to accommodate the S Pen stylus.

These include handwriting recognition, various screen-writing and screenshot tools, translation and gesture support, including using the S Pen as a remote or magic wand to perform actions. For quickly jotting down notes, marking up documents or screenshots, or doodles, the S Pen is unrivalled.

The macro mode for closeup photography works well, while the selfie camera is one of the best in the business, producing excellent shots in a range of light levels.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra costs from £1,149 ($1,199.99/A$1,849) with 128GB of storage.

For comparison, the Galaxy S22 costs £769, the S22+ costs £949, the Z Flip 3 costs £949, the Z Fold 3 costs £1,599, the Google Pixel 6 Pro costs £849 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max costs £1,049

It is really good to see Samsung using recycled material in a phone for the first time, and providing at least five years of software updates from release, making it the longest-lasting Android available.

It is not quite as exciting as some of the new breed of folding phones. But the S22 Ultra is the best Android superphone money can buy and will take some beating this year.