Top critical review
1.0 out of 5 starsI'm dissapointed
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2023
NOT FACTORY UNLOCKED! I didn't realize this immediately because it is not specifically sim-locked, and data and calling worked fine. Fast forward 6 months, I get an email from work telling me I'll be kicked off the MDM policy (work email on personal phone) unless I update my OS. Evidently it was a Verizon phone, which can only receive software updates if you have Verizon SIM card. I have spent days trying to get support from Samsung, Verizon, AT&T, Amazon, and the Amazon seller only to be told to pound sand >:[
It would seem my only option now is to take a risk with leaked / pirated firmware flashing, which I'm worried will trip the Knox security (which is the only reason I bought the phone in the first place, as Knox security was required by my employer).
The phone itself is also disappointing. I started with a OnePlus 5t, which I was very happy with. When I was required to get a Samsung, I went to an A52 5g. The fingerprint sensor and face recognition were both so bad that unlocking the phone was a massive chore (something I do dozens of times a day). I suffered through this for a little while before upgrading to the S22. I very much resent the trend of under-display sensors which do not perform as well as their more visible counterparts. The S22 ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is vastly better than the optical one on the A52, but it still is inferior compared to a sensor on the back of the phone like on my older OnePlus. Heck, even my old galaxy S5 had a better fingerprint sensor.
The face detection is a little better than the A52, but not as good as the OnePlus 5t. It really struggles in low light, and must be directly in front of your face. Nobody does face detection as well as Apple, but that's probably due to patent limitations (and I refuse to go back to iphone until they allow sideloading).
One notable issue both the A52 and S22 suffer is an inability to detect they are in my pocket. I must deliberately place the phone with the screen facing outwards or else the fingerprint reader will constantly register false attempts against my leg (which will lock you out of using biometrics)
Battery life is not impressive. Once again the 5t was better. This may not be entirely fair b/c I do use the always-on display, but on the other hand the processor should be much more efficient for how much newer it is. I mostly believe this is similar to the issue of constantly waking up in my pocket. A proper proximity sensor could have solved this rather than just using the selfie camera, which is again another example of form over function (It also seems like samsung doesn't even attempt to detect being in you pocket in order to reduce battery / ignore touch screen).