Galaxy S22 Ultra Review with One UI 5.0 Update: Cooler, Smoother Operation, and Better Performance

On October 31st, Samsung officially released One UI 5.0, and this update has been well-received by many users. However, many are wondering whether to upgrade to One UI 5, especially for devices updated early like the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Galaxy S22 series in general. Does Galaxy S22 Ultra with One UI 5.0 Update Drain Battery? Is the Battery Life and Performance of Galaxy S22 Ultra Better after Upgrading to One UI 5.0? Let's find out in the official review of Galaxy S22 Ultra with One UI 5.0 update below!

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Overview of One UI 5.0 Update

On the afternoon of October 31st, Samsung rolled out the One UI 5.0 update (based on Android 13) for the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra models in the Vietnamese market. Prior to this, Samsung had released numerous beta updates for customers in several countries to test the new features of One UI 5.0 (Android 13). Here's the update schedule for Samsung devices to One UI 5.0:

Update in October 2022

• Galaxy S22.
• Galaxy S22+.
• Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Update in November 2022

• Galaxy Z Fold4.
• Galaxy Z Flip4.
• Galaxy Z Fold3.
• Galaxy Z Flip3.
• Galaxy S21.
• Galaxy S21+.
• Galaxy S21 Ultra.
• Galaxy Note 20.
• Galaxy S20.
• Galaxy S20+.
• Galaxy S20 Ultra.
• Galaxy Tab S8.
• Galaxy Tab S8+.
• Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.
• Galaxy Tab S7.
• Galaxy Tab S7+.
• Galaxy Quantum 3.
• Galaxy A53 5G.
• Galaxy A33 5G.

Update in December 2022

• Galaxy Z Fold 2.
• Galaxy Z Flip 5G.
• Galaxy Z Flip.
• Galaxy S20 FE.
• Galaxy Tab S7 FE / S7 FE 5G.
• Galaxy Tab S6 Lite.
• Galaxy A Quantum.
• Galaxy A Quantum 2.
• Galaxy A52s 5G.
• Galaxy A51.
• Galaxy A51 5G.
• Galaxy A42 5G.
• Galaxy A32.
• Galaxy Jump.
• Galaxy Jump 2.

Update in January 2023

• Galaxy Tab A8.
• Galaxy Tab A7 Lite.
• Galaxy Tab Active 3.
• Galaxy Buddy 2.
• Galaxy Wide 6.
• Galaxy Wide 5.
• Galaxy Buddy.
• Galaxy A23.
• Galaxy A13.
• Galaxy M12.
• Galaxy XCover 5.

Update in February 2023

• Galaxy Tab Active 4 Pro.

Now, I've updated my Galaxy S22 Ultra to One UI 5.0 right after its release. Overall, this version of One UI has a quite large size (ranging from 3 GB to 5 GB depending on the device) due to changes in the interface as well as the new features that Samsung has added.

Without keeping everyone waiting too long, let's assess the performance of the Galaxy S22 Ultra after updating to One UI 5.0!

What's new in Galaxy S22 Ultra's One UI 5.0 update? Any bugs?

In this section, I'll just highlight a few features that I find useful and interesting. If you want to know more about the many exciting changes in the latest One UI, you can check out the 'What's new in One UI 5.0' article for more information!

• Customizing lock screen, app icons, and widgets

Firstly, let's talk about the app icons on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which have been slightly modified. In my opinion, these icons aren't significantly different from the previous version; some apps may have a slightly refreshed, more vibrant, and appealing color scheme.

Next up is the lock screen, where One UI 5.0 now allows users to customize it similar to iOS 16.1. Specifically, you can adjust the clock face, size, font, accompanying apps, and messages below. While not entirely groundbreaking, this adds a new layer of attraction and fun for Samsung users.

Additionally, you can merge multiple widgets into one to make your phone's home screen look neater and more appealing.

• Intelligent Wi-Fi

This is the feature I find most appealing on One UI 5.0. I don't know about others, but in my house, we have 2 floors and each floor uses a different Wi-Fi. Every time I come home, my Galaxy S22 Ultra connects to the Wi-Fi on the first floor first. However, when I go to the second floor, the phone still sticks to the first-floor Wi-Fi, forcing me to manually reconnect. Since updating to One UI 5.0, this issue has been resolved. The device can now recognize which Wi-Fi signal is stronger and automatically switch, even if it initially connected to a different network!

Overall, I'll highlight a few standout features that I find most useful and appealing on One UI 5.0. Additionally, during usage, I haven't encountered any overheating or issues, so my initial assessment is that One UI 5.0 is better and smoother!

The performance of Galaxy S22 Ultra after updating to One UI 5.0 has improved!

• Performance Evaluation of Galaxy S22 Ultra with One UI 5.0 Update

Using Galaxy S22 Ultra with the One UI 5.0 update has been quite impressive. However, some benchmark tests are still needed to verify its performance. I'll be using specialized benchmarking software like PC Mark, GeekBench 5, and 3DMark Wild Life to assess the performance of the Galaxy S22 Ultra after the One UI 5.0 update. Before sharing the results, let's quickly go over the conditions for benchmarking:

• The device battery must be between 90 - 100% (battery below 90% may affect device performance).
• No charging allowed during benchmarking.
• Benchmarking will be conducted 3 times, and the average result will be taken after 3 consecutive runs.

Firstly, in the single/multi-core and GPU Compute tests in Geekbench 5.0, the Galaxy S22 Ultra achieved results that I consider very good, demonstrating the device's strength and deserving its position among the top smartphones currently available. Of course, for the most accurate comparison, we still need to compare with the performance before the One UI 5.0 update. When benchmarking both versions, there was some difference, but I believe it's not significant. For the GPU Compute test, One UI 4 scored 5,978, while One UI 5.0 decreased slightly to 5,869. Despite the slight decrease, my experience indicates excellent power, smooth operation, and seamless performance.

- GeekBench 5 (GPU Compute):

• One UI 4: 14,289 points.
• One UI 5.0: 14,376 points.

- GeekBench 5 (single/multi-core)

• One UI 4: 872 points / 2,914 points
• One UI 5: 1,204 points / 3,161 points.

Next is the PCMark test to evaluate the processing capability of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 on the Galaxy S22 Ultra with the One UI 5.0 update. This time, the Galaxy S22 Ultra scored 13,771, compared to 12,495 before the update. It shows that the image processing capability of the Galaxy S22 Ultra on One UI 5.0 has been significantly improved, resulting in an impressive and slightly superior number compared to the previous version.

Next up is the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test (checking the average graphics processing capability). With the One UI 5.0 update, the Galaxy S22 Ultra achieved a total score of 2,478 with an average FPS of 14.8. Comparing this version to One UI 4 (1,829 total score with an average FPS of 11.0) also showed a noticeable improvement in graphics processing capability. Even with such a light test, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 seems to handle it effortlessly as the device's temperature only increased by 1 degree Celsius (from 33°C to 34°C), indicating a good optimization between software and hardware.

An important highlight in this performance benchmark must be the extremely heavy graphics test called 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test. For those who may have forgotten, this test repeats 20 times to assess the device's performance over an extended period (such as gaming, video editing, etc.) to check for stability. The results obtained are shown in the image below, pay attention to the Stability section!

Looking at the results table above, we can easily see that the Galaxy S22 Ultra with the One UI 5.0 update achieves a stability level of 73.9% (One UI 4 was 61.5%). I rate this result as truly impressive compared to the previous version, as evidenced by the small difference between the highest loop score and the lowest loop score (2,051 - 1,516 = 535 points), whereas in the previous version it was 632 points. What surprises me the most is that the temperature of the Galaxy S22 Ultra is no longer as hot as in the previous version, but it consumes more battery, losing 10% battery for this test!

Based on the above results, I can conclude that the Galaxy S22 Ultra with the One UI 5.0 update performs better than its predecessor. The lingering issues of the previous version, such as low stability and quick overheating leading to reduced performance, have been significantly addressed in this version.

This is also confirmed through my daily work tasks; the device no longer unexpectedly heats up like in the previous version, making all swiping and tapping smoother than ever!

• Gaming Experience on Galaxy S22 Ultra after One UI 5.0 Update

Like many other gamers, I enjoy playing games, whether on mobile or PC, so my phone is always loaded with various games for me to enjoy. Before the One UI 4 update, I had a decent gaming experience with popular titles like Arena of Valor, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile, and even Genshin Impact with suitable graphics settings. Therefore, after updating to One UI 5.0, I noticed a slight improvement in smoothness and coolness during gaming sessions, even during extended periods.

To provide accurate insights, I conducted performance tests using Perfdog on the Galaxy S22 Ultra with the One UI 5.0 update and documented the results here. Quick overview: in three games—Arena of Valor, PUBG Mobile, and Call of Duty Mobile—I was highly satisfied as the average FPS consistently ranged between 55 and 60 FPS, even during intense combat scenarios, demonstrating exceptional device performance. I also recorded gameplay videos for reference!

When it comes to the final game, Genshin Impact, this time the Galaxy S22 Ultra showed some weakness as it did not achieve the FPS level I set (60 FPS). The device experienced lag and heated up quickly even after just a few minutes of gameplay. This indicates that Genshin Impact remains a demanding game for the Galaxy S22 Ultra when graphics are set to high. Alternatively, players can lower the graphics settings slightly for the best adventure experience!

Though my gaming frequency has decreased recently, every time I delve into it, I find myself satisfied with the experience brought by the Galaxy S22 Ultra updated to One UI 5. As for basic tasks like watching YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, browsing the web, or streaming Netflix, the device handles them smoothly. It's only when playing Genshin Impact that the device heats up quickly!

Does Galaxy S22 Ultra with One UI 5.0 update drain the battery?

Whenever a device gets a new update, the biggest concern for users is whether their phone will drain the battery, especially with Android devices that typically don't have long battery life. So, does the Galaxy S22 Ultra with One UI 5.0 update consume more battery? To answer this question, I tested the battery of the Galaxy S22 Ultra after the One UI 5 update to see how the battery life fares. I conducted the test based on specific criteria as follows:

• Experience of 4 rotating tasks including: Playing Arena of Valor (set up like the gaming experience section), watching YouTube, scrolling through Facebook, and using Google Chrome.
• Each task lasts for 1 hour.
• Screen brightness: 100%, refresh rate 120 Hz
• External speaker enabled with volume set to 50%.
• WiFi and social media notifications enabled.
• Battery saver, adaptive screen, GPS, and Bluetooth turned off.
• Testing from 100% to 0% battery.
• Battery status: 100%.

The results obtained are as follows:

As you can see from the results table above, despite the rigorous battery test conditions, the Galaxy S22 Ultra still offers a very long usage time of nearly 8 hours (specifically 7 hours 56 minutes). This is a figure that leaves me very satisfied, although it's lower than the initial Galaxy S22 Ultra usage time of 9 hours 18 minutes. This can be understood as I have been using the Galaxy S22 Ultra for a fairly long time (nearly 1 year), so the device may have experienced some battery degradation.

Therefore, if those of you are planning to buy the Galaxy S22 Ultra now, I believe the usage time will be longer, partly because our testing conditions are relatively harsh, so the device will perform better under normal usage.

Summary

Overall, I am very satisfied with the One UI 5.0 update on this Galaxy S22 Ultra. Although the usage time has decreased, the device responds well to all normal tasks, and performance has been significantly improved. The device runs cooler, responds to tasks quickly, and especially adds many useful features such as lock screen customization, intelligent Wi-Fi,...

So what do you think about One UI 5.0? Leave your comments below for me and everyone to know! Thank you for your attention and following my post.

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