Samsung Galaxy Unpacked: A look at the S22 and Galaxy Tab 8 lines

The 2022 edition of Samsung’s annual Galaxy Unpacked event had some interesting surprises on display for Samsung Galaxy fans, particularly those who were saddened by the discontinuation of Samsung’s Galaxy Note line of devices with a built-in stylus.

While rumored for some time, Samsung finally ditched the Note line at the end of 2021. As South Korean IT news site ETNews noted, it was likely that Samsung would add additional Galaxy Note features to the latest S22 Ultra, which was a spot-on prediction.

Note features migrating to S22 devices wasn’t the only exciting hardware announcement that Samsung had at Galaxy Unpacked. The company also announced its new S22 and S22+, as well as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 line, its latest flagship tablets.

The showstopper: Galaxy S22 Ultra

Samsung added S Pen support to its S21 Ultra, and with the S22 Ultra it’s gone one step further and added an S Pen that docks into the phone just like the Note series did.

“We integrated the fan-favorite S Pen into the S Series for the first time ever, creating an entirely new experience that perfectly marries creativity and powerful productivity,” said Samsung EVP and head of mobile R&D for MX business KJ Kim.

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The S22 Ultra also includes a 6.8” Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate, four cameras (12MP UW, 108MP wide, two 10MP tele lenses) on the rear alongside a laser autofocus lens, a 40MP front camera, 10x optical zoom, 100x digital zoom, Wi-Fi 6E, and other features one would expect from a flagship Samsung device.

The S22 Ultra has additional camera enhancements for stabilization, auto framing of up to 10 subjects, improved night mode photography that captures 4x the data as previous models and uses nona-binning technology to enhance photographs. Samsung has also added an Expert RAW app that gives users what it calls “pro-level controls” over various camera settings like lens, ISO, shutter speed and histogram.

The processor in the S22 Ultra wasn’t mentioned by name, but it does feature 4nm architecture. Memory and storage options range from 8GB/128GB up to 12GB/1TB, and the Ultra is IP68 rated, which Samsung said is based on submersion in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes.

Wired fast charging also got quite a boost in the S22 Ultra, and now offers up to 45w that’ll take the S22 Ultra’s 5,000mAh battery to 50% in 20 minutes. Wireless charging is included as well, and maxes out at 15w.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is available for preorder now, starting at $1,199.99.

The rest of the Galaxy S22 line

Accompanying the S22 Ultra at Galaxy Unpacked were the other devices in the S22 generation, the S22 and the S22+. While definitely a step down from the top-of-the-line features included in the S22 Ultra, these two models don’t exactly scrimp on good hardware.

Both contain the same 4nm chip architecture, 5G and Wi-Fi 6E, IP68 rating, dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and memory/storage as high as 8GB/256GB. They also share the same 12MP UW, 50 MP wide, 10MP telephoto, and 10MP front cameras.

Where the two devices differ is in their size, battery capacity and wired charging speeds. The Galaxy S22’s display is 6.1” to the S22+’s 6.6”, the respective battery sizes are 3,700mAh and 4,500mAh, and the S22 only fast charges at 25W, versus 45W for the S22+.

The S22 is available for preorder now, starting at $799.99, while the S22+ starts at $999.99. Preorders get a Samsung gift card and free memory upgrades. If you think you’re going to want one of those devices it’s not a bad idea to place your order now in order to take advantage of that offer.

The Galaxy Tab S8 series

Samsung also announced three new Galaxy Tablets: The Tab S8, Tab S8+, and the Tab S8 Ultra, Samsung’s first “Ultra” branded tablet. In another first, all three models ship with a newly updated S Pen that Samsung said has a new predictive algorithm that should improve performance.

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The addition of the pen may be ideal for those looking for a new productivity device without having to pay for an extra peripheral, but its placement on the device is a bit odd: It magnetically attaches to, and charges, on the rear of the device. The iPad, which has its magnetic Apple Pencil attachment on the side of the device, seems to be a far more practical design that not only makes the Pencil more visible (ensuring it’s actually there and hasn’t fallen off), but allows the device to be laid on a table without, again, worrying that the Pencil will detach or make setting the tablet down more awkward than just a camera bump.

Regardless of that unusual design choice, the Galaxy Tab 8 series are some pretty specced-out devices. For simplicity’s sake the features are described in the following table.

Preorders for the Galaxy Tab S8 family are now available, and preorders get a keyboard cover. As with the S22 series, if you know you’re going to upgrade, Samsung is making its preorder offer almost too good to pass up.