Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra already has a major display problem for this model [Update]

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Some Galaxy S22 Ultra units with Exynos chip are experiencing a glitchy display

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with S Pen
(Image credit: Future)

Update Feb 23: We've included a video of the display issue in action below and a response from a Samsung rep. 

It's only a couple of days until the Samsung Galaxy S22 launches, but unfortunately some models of the Galaxy S22 Ultra may be shipping with a dodgy display.

Complaints on Reddit sourced by 9to5Google show users who got their Galaxy S22 Ultras powered by an Exynos 2200 chip early are experiencing flashing bands of what looks like TV static across the width of the display when watching video or playing games. 

One unlucky user has even found the issue happening on the S22 Ultra's always-on display and lock screen too. Ignore the flicking effect though, as that's apparently caused by the camera they were recording with.

Users who have encountered this issue have all had their S22 Ultra displays to 1440p (QHD) resolution with Samsung's natural color profile. Changing either of these seems to bypass the problem, although if you prefer natural to vivid color, or want to use the full capability of the S22 Ultra's display resolution, it's disappointing that it's seemingly necessary to alter these just to use the phone properly. 

Note that this display problem seems to be affecting only Galaxy S22 Ultra phones with the Exynos 2200 chip, not the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 version that American and Chinese buyers get. This is causing concern that the issue is therefore hardware-based, since a software problem would theoretically affect both versions of the phone, although without further research it's hard to confirm that. 

Samsung responds

Samsung hasn't made a statement itself, but a moderator on its Community Forum, replying to a long thread about these display problems, gave the following response, apparently from Samsung:

"We are aware of a limited number of Galaxy S22 Ultra devices experiencing a pixelated line on the display when customer plays Youtube or unlocks the device with fingerprints.

This issue may occur rarely when user set the device resolution to WQHD and Screen mode to Natural mode.

We have already worked to develop a patch on Galaxy S22 Ultra and will release software updates to address the issue soon.

We recommend that until then, please change the screen mode to Vivid or resolution to FHD+ of your device.

And please keep your devices updated with the latest software."

We have not experienced the above issue with our Galaxy S22 Ultra review unit, but it is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. 

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Richard Priday
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • Mark_Shawley
    admin said:
    Several users of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra are finding the screen shows static-like bands across it when certain basic settings are enabled.

    Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra already has a major problem : Read more
    That's not the only display bug. On a S22 black, 512 meg, snap Dragon processor, I had the screen go black. The phone was still on, and I could feel the haptics when message was received. Reset fixed it, after I pulled over on the highway. This concerned my because my job requires me to use navigation aids. I lost 30 minutes on my route because of this phone returned and back to my pixel 4.
    https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/galaxy-s22-series/s22-ultra-screen-randomly-turns-off-goes-black/m-p/4880553
    Reply