When Samsung released the Samsung Note 20, it was thought to be the last ever Note device to be released. However, the new S22 Ultra looks like the Note 20. If someone had to make some predictions today on whether the S22 Ultra is a rebranded Note 20, they might lean towards saying yes.
The two phones both have the Note branded S-Pen. The rear facing camera design of the S22 Ultra looks somewhat similar to the Note 20. When you look at the screen sizes, they are very similar, with only a 0.1 of an inch difference in screen size between the two. While those two things are the clear tip offs that the S22 Ultra is really a rebranded Note, what makes them different?
Samsung S22 Ultra Doesn’t Support Micro-SD Card Expansion
The best thing about the Samsung Note phone was the expandable storage option for their phones. However, Samsung stopped offering the option on all Notes after the Note 9 and only offered them on the highest priced Note series option. That meant if you wanted your own removable expandable storage for the Note, you needed to pay for that feature. Now, with the S22 Ultra, you don’t have the option to use a micro-SD card. While they do have versions of the phone with more storage space, they don’t have that removable storage option anymore.
Samsung S22 Ultra Has Higher Powered Front and Rear Cameras
For people looking for the perfect selfie, the Samsung S22 Ultra is light years ahead of the Note 20. With the S22 Ultra, you get a 40 MP front facing camera compared to the 10 MP one on the Note 20. The S22 Ultra also sports four rear-facing cameras that can provide up to 100x zoom with a 3x and 10x optical zoom on two of the cameras.
With the Note 20, there was only a 50x zoom on the phone’s rear facing camera. It also only had a triple rear facing camera. The quad cameras of the S22 Ultra give it an edge over the Note with the quality and detail of photos that you can take with the phone.
Samsung S22 Ultra Sports 45W Fast Charging Capabilities but Average Battery Life
One thing that some people overlook with fast charging is the wattage that the phone can safely charge at. The Note 20 only had a 25W fast charging capability while the new S22 Ultra can charge at 45W. This makes for a faster charging experience for people with the S22 Ultra.
While the S22 Ultra’s faster charging from the 45W charging capabilities is nice, the battery life is average. The Note 20 has a battery life around 10 1/2 hours on a full charge while the S22 Ultra was slightly below that. So while you can charge the phone faster with the S22 Ultra, your battery life is a little shorter with the new phone.
Samsung S22 Ultra to Get Five Years of Updates
One of the biggest things with the Ultra is the fact Samsung announced they will do firmware updates for the phone for five years. Older models, like the Note 20, get left by the wayside after the second year of being on the market. The updates for the phone can help give it a longer shelf life with users that can’t afford to do a biennial upgrade of their phone.
It is refreshing that Samsung is doing this for owners of the S22 Ultra when other companies don’t make commitments like this for their phones. Most of the updates will come with the android operating system of the phone. The phone released with android 12.0 pre-downloaded and will see those updates for five years, along with any other phone firmware updates that are released.
Is it Worth it to Upgrade from a Note 20?
For those that are looking for expandable memory and long battery life, the Note 20 is the phone you should stick with. But anyone wanting the latest phone and guaranteed upgrades, the S22 Ultra is the phone to pick out. It has all the bells and whistles anyone could ask for with a phone.