It is actually with 3 (via Mobile Phones Direct: https://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/handset/samsung/galaxy-s22-ultra?capacity=256gb).
I went to Samsung originally for the same reason - I was with Vodafone, who wanted £57 per month minimum for the 256gb version of the phone, on a 24 month tariff but 36 months on the phone. I was already paying £51 for the S20+, but wanted to reduce it if possible (certainly didn't want to put it up, enough prices going up at the moment). So I thought I'd buy through Samsung for £31 per month, then get a £10 per month sim from GiffGaff for 15gb data.
However, as mentioned above I didn't want to wait only to find my April 7th delivery was going to be delayed, so shopped around again, thinking I'd just have to pay a little bit more. Then stumbled across this deal, via uSwitch. It couldn't actually believe the price, even got my wife to come down from bed just to double check I wasn't missing something obvious (she wasn't impressed 😂 ).
Didn't want to post anything about it anywhere though until the phone was in my hand, the sim was activated, and I'd made a couple of calls just to make sure the contract was active and they therefore couldn't go back on it 
As I say, now seems to be up to £56 per month (not £57 mentioned above) on the same website (Mobile Phones Direct) with 3, but now £99 up front instead of the £139 I paid, but still 24 months.
Not noticed that myself. To be honest, not really had any real issues with it up to now - the only one I did notice was the freezing lock screen, which happened once but got the April update soon after which seemed to resolve it.
Even battery issues that I've ready a lot of others having I've not noticed. Usually take it off charge about 8am, by evening it's on about 45%, after using it throughout the day for note taking, social media, browsing, and listening to music.
One of the lucky ones I guess.
P.S. Glad to hear you've received your phone
