The performance of any smart device is relative. What is the fastest and instantaneous in a new device now, may not be a few generations down the line.
It’s the same with devices in different value markets. What’s lightning in a mid-range device may be a snail’s pace when compared to a flagship phone.
Most of the apps that we use today are optimised for the device that we use. Everything seems snappy – if the connection is good – and functions as expected.
Only those who push the limits of a device or have experience with multiple devices would even notice the difference.
So, how can we quantify performance in a device like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra?
We could tell you that it is snappier than most other devices we have tested, that apps launch that much faster, and that it just glides through demanding tasks like games and video editing, which is all true with the S22 Ultra, but we could also show you some benchmarks tests we did.
Putting it to the test
Benchmark tests are apps that appraise a device’s capabilities of doing certain workloads. It then puts a comparable numbered score to a device’s performance.
Some are still widely used and some phone makers still try and implement tricks to get a better score on them.
One of the staples of smartphone benchmarking is 3DMark. It pushes a device’s graphical performance to its limits.
Since the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is top of the line, we went over the top and ran the Wild Life Extreme test. It was a test that is a step higher than the app recommended for the device.
It was brutal, the S22 Ultra managed a low but relatively impressive 13.9 frames per second. A lesser device would only manage single digits if at all.
It placed in the top 20 on the leaderboard which is commendable.
During the test, we noticed that the phone did heat up, mainly in the area below the group of cameras.
Another staple among benchmark apps is PCMark. While the previous test pushes the S22 Ultra’s graphical capabilities, this one puts the device through its paces with everyday tasks and some photo and video editing.
Because of the heat generated from the running 3D Mark, we let the S22 Ultra cool down before running PCMark.
The test took a while – which is normal – and it also ran very warmly, bordering on hot. We could still hold it comfortably without worrying about the heat.
Surprisingly it didn’t get the high score we expected. Comparatively, it is low among flagship phones.
So what is the takeaway?
The performance of a device is, at a certain level, subjective. While benchmark tells one story, our own experience using the device tells another.
Despite the scores, we still noticed how smooth everything runs on the S22 Ultra and we have yet to experience any slowdowns, crashes, or hiccups using the device.
If you are a power user, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will definitely not disappoint and for the everyday user, it can do more than you ever need and would probably last you for at least five years.
