Apparently limited to the Exynos variant, this Galaxy S22 Ultra display glitch can break the display when streaming video or playing games.
what you need to know
- Early Galaxy S22 Ultra owners reported intermittent flashing distracting pixel patterns on their phones.
- So far it seems to be specific to the Exynos 2200 model.
- You can fix it temporarily by turning off the QHD+ resolution or changing the screen mode.
- Samsung has acknowledged the problem and promised to fix it “soon” with a software update.
Samsung has admitted that a “limited number” of Galaxy S22 Ultra devices have been experiencing display glitches ahead of the February 25 international release. While the company has promised to fix the issue, Reddit users have noted that the issue may be specific to Exynos 2200 hardware.
The linked Reddit thread shows several videos of a Galaxy S22 Ultra phone with purple pixelated bars flashing across the display, mostly while watching videos, but in one case on an animated lock screen.
On Tuesday, a Samsung moderator addressed the issue, with his reply being screenshotted on Reddit and spotted by 9to5Google:
“We know that a few Galaxy S22 Ultra devices have pixelated lines on the display when customers are streaming YouTube or unlocking the device with their fingerprint,” host AntS said. “We are already working on a patch for the Galaxy S22 Ultra and will release a software update soon to address this issue. We recommend changing the device’s screen mode to Vivid or changing the resolution to FHD+ until then.”
Obviously, using a phone with QHD+ resolution and natural screen mode causes some kind of hardware failure. Given that no one has yet seen this issue on an Ultra running Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, it’s a fair reminder that you’ll get a different Galaxy S22 experience depending on where you live.
Samsung typically reserves the Snapdragon version for North America and South Korea, but also uses the 8 Gen 1 in India, UAE, Australia, China, Japan, and South Africa. All other countries will receive the Exynos 2200 model unless you import.
Whether or not Samsung’s software patches are available on delivery could seriously affect how buyers view new phones.
Without this ugly glitch, the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s display is actually one of its strong suits. It hits QHD+ resolution at a 120Hz refresh rate and boosts to a whopping 1,750 nits in direct sunlight. And thanks to its LTPO display technology, it can go as low as 1Hz to save battery life if you don’t need a fast refresh. Plus, of course, it supports the S Pen, although using it might be a mixed bag.
Gorgeous display (when it works)
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Samsung from $499 (trade-in) Amazon from $1,199 (unlocked) Best Buy from $1,199 (unlocked) Verizon from $36.11 per month AT&T from $33.34 per month
Snapdragon or Exynos support
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is the most advanced phone in Samsung’s catalog, with a great camera, a great display, and an S Pen inside the body.
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