Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is a premium powerhouse.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
(Image: © Future)

Our Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is among the best phones you can buy, if your budget stretches to it. It has a fantastic-looking display, a powerful chipset, and comes with a useful stylus for extra functions. Its real strength is in the photography department though, as it’s the best Android camera phone on the market. If you’re a mobile photographer it’s a must-buy, but for everyone else you might find its high price tag or giant size just too much to handle.

For

  • Incredible camera performance
  • Loads of S Pen functions
  • Great-looking display

Against

  • The cost is off-putting
  • Too large to hold comfortably
  • Slow to charge

Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

If you’ve come to this Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review to hear about its photography performance, we’ll make your research job easier. This is the best camera phone of 2022, and it’s just as great for working professionals as it is for passionate amateurs - we spent over a week straight going on photo shoots and trips with the thing, and the novelty of the device never wore off. In short: Samsung is one of the biggest phone makers in the world, and when it puts the word ‘Ultra’ on one of its devices, you know it means business!

Samsung isn’t selling this phone on its camera prowess alone, though, and this is one of the best smartphones in general thanks to its powerful chipset, fantastic-looking screen and plenty of storage space – we found it just as great for gaming as we did streaming TV.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

The Verdict
9

out of 10

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is among the best phones you can buy, if your budget stretches to it. It has a fantastic-looking display, a powerful chipset, and comes with a useful stylus for extra functions. Its real strength is in the photography department though, as it’s the best Android camera phone on the market. If you’re a mobile photographer it’s a must-buy, but for everyone else you might find its high price tag or giant size just too much to handle.

Tom Bedford
Freelance writer

Tom started out writing in tech, gaming and entertainment alongside putting in the hours in bars as a mixologist. Today, as a resident writer for the online behemoth TechRadar, Tom specialises in phones and tablets, but also take utilises his expertise in a variety of software. He started as a staff writer on the phones team in 2019, and became Deputy Editor of that team in 2022. Outside of TechRadar he works in film as a screenwriter, director, and producer. He grew up in Bristol and currently lives in London, UK. 

Read more
Best Camera phones on a blue background
The best camera phones: the top choices for content creators and quality photos
A liquid silver Xiaomi 15 on a desk
I've had the Xiaomi 15 for a week, and I never want to see a Samsung or iPhone ever again
 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra at Unpacked
Getting hands-on with the Samsung S25 Ultra has changed my mind about upgrading
The top three best budget camera phones on our list.
The best budget camera phones: capture life's moments with stunning clarity
Camera shootout S24 Ultra V Honor 200 Pro
Camera phone shoot out: Samsung S24 Ultra Vs Honor 200 Pro
A Xiaomi 14T Pro and nubia Z70 Ultra sitting on a brown desk
I'd take these two phones over the Samsung Galaxy or iPhone in a heartbeat
Latest in Phones & Tablets
Nothing Phone 2a; a white phone with eye-like cameras
Nothing Phone 2a looks like it's been designed by Pixar - I love it
iPhone 13 render
Here's why you might want to wait for the iPhone 17
Ugee M908 review; a small black drawing tablet in a wooden table
Ugee M908 review: a surprisingly brilliant budget drawing tablet
An image of a phone in rice
Apple finally admits what we always suspected: iPhones and rice don't mix
Ugee UE12 Plus review; a drawing tablet on a wooden table with a dragon illustration
Ugee UE12 Plus review: a good value pen display for students on a budget
Google Pixel Fold
Leaks for the Pixel Fold 2 suggest Google is heading in a new direction
Latest in Reviews
ABS Cyclone Ruby
I've tested the ABS Cyclone Ruby gaming PC, and it could be a good option for creatives too
A liquid silver Xiaomi 15 on a desk
I've had the Xiaomi 15 for a week, and I never want to see a Samsung or iPhone ever again
Sorry We're Closed review; a digital illustration of a stylised female character, featuring vibrant colours and a unique design, is presented against a dark background.
Sorry We're Closed review: a bewitching, bizarre and often frustrating horror cocktail
Wanderstop review; a stylised digital illustration shows a whimsical landscape with a large, stout figure gazing at a quaint, fantastical structure beneath a decorative archway.
Wanderstop review: a surprisingly intricate, de-stressing tea-making indie game
A white Boox Palma 2 ereader tablet on a yellow background
Boox Palma 2 review: ereader deja vu
The Sihoo C300 Pro office chair, facing a desk, in a home office.
Sihoo Doro C300 Pro review: A good-to-great ergo chair that's worth your time (when it's on sale)