Now is the time to buy last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra – Geek Review

If you’ve been thinking about getting the Galaxy S22 Ultra, now might be the perfect time. With the Galaxy S23 Ultra launch event taking place on February 1 and launching a few weeks later, I’d normally advise people to wait for the latest phone, but that’s not the case this year.

Sure, the Samsung Galaxy S23 line will have the latest and greatest processor, it will be a year newer, and it will be the new and cool. Also, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is rumored to pack a crazy new 200MP camera on the back.

That being said, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is already one of the best Android phones out there. It’s got almost the same great design, great cameras, and high-end specs, and it’s on sale.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra ticks all the boxes

Honestly, I only see two reasons why someone would pick the upcoming Galaxy S23 Ultra over last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra, and they won’t be a game changer. One of its many cameras, and for the supposed upgrade to 256GB of storage on the base model.

Yes, the Galaxy S23 Ultra should get a massive new 200-megapixel camera on the back that will offer better images, capture more light, and take great photos at night or of the stars. Astrophotography is cool and all, but that’s not something most people do on a daily basis with their phones.

Then countless reports and rumors all but confirmed that the Galaxy S23 Ultra would come with at least 256GB of storage, as it should. Taking huge photos and stunning 4K videos will use up a lot of space. And unfortunately, the base model S22 Ultra only has 128 GB, which is not enough for some.

Obviously, those aren’t the only two updates, but they are the biggest. Aside from a few changes here and there, the Galaxy S22 Ultra still ticks all the boxes at a lower price.

It has the same 6.8-inch AMOLED Quad-HD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a built-in stylus, great cameras, a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, and the same 5,000mAh battery inside. You’ll enjoy the same in-display fingerprint sensor, plenty of cameras for any situation, and almost the same software experience on Android 13 and One UI 5.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is not expected to bring a bigger battery, faster charging, or a new fingerprint sensor. The general design has practically not changed, and the most significant changes are in the processor and one of its cameras.

Don’t get me wrong, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will be the better phone, but is it worth waiting and spending more? That is for you to decide.

Software updates

Samsung is the best in the business (for Android) when it comes to software updates. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra runs the latest version of Android 13 and guarantees four years of software updates.

Lots of people buy new phones after the old ones stop receiving software updates, and that’s a wise move. The latest software ensures a good user experience, increased privacy and increased security. You probably don’t want to use an old, outdated phone for long.

Here’s the thing, though. The Galaxy S22 Ultra received its first update from Android 12 to 13, and will receive the Android 16 update in three years. Plus, you’ll get security updates for longer. That’s over 4 years of software updates, and by then you probably already have a new phone.

So while yes, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a year newer with an extra year of security updates, this isn’t a company that’s going to leave you without updates, and it’s not a big deal on Samsung devices.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Deals

And finally, the last reason you might want to consider getting the Galaxy S22 Ultra right now is that the deals are everywhere. In preparation for new phones arriving in mid-to-late February, Samsung and its carrier partners are offering the Galaxy S22 Ultra at some of the lowest prices we’ve seen yet.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra arrived on February 25, 2022 for $1,199. It’s a big, expensive phone, and we expect a similar price (or more than $1,249) for the S23 Ultra. However, you can get the Galaxy S22 Ultra for as little as $919 right now from Samsung with a qualifying trade-in. And most importantly, if you switch your old phone to Verizon, you’ll get $1,000 off your bill, making the Galaxy S22 Ultra completely free.

Even the 256GB Galaxy S22 Ultra is on sale for just $1,019, making it more than $230 cheaper than we expect from the new model when it arrives in a few weeks. You can even get a refurbished model for under $800.

All of that said, it’s very likely that Samsung will offer even bigger discounts on the Galaxy S22 Ultra once the S23 Ultra becomes available to buy. So while you could save quite a bit of money and get a great new phone today, you might be able to save even more sometime in March.

When that time comes, the same argument will apply. The Galaxy S22 Ultra will be almost as good, ticking all the boxes and having the latest software, just costing less. However, you’ll risk running out of inventory, and in March, trade-in offers will only apply to Samsung’s new phone.

Again, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will be an excellent phone, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra is still worth considering.