Pretty much like every other year, Samsung released its range of flagship devices at the Galaxy unpacked event on February 17, 2022. Samsung released three new smartphones, namely the S22, the S22+ and the S22 Ultra, putting many people in a dilemma on selecting the suitable device for all their needs.
In this article, we will compare all the three devices launched by Samsung and help you make an informed decision on which device you should buy.
Also read: Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20 series: What’s new and different?
Design
A smartphone is no longer a piece of technology; it is a status symbol. If you plan to buy a flagship device, design is a critical parameter.
When it comes to design, Samsung has made several changes to its flagship devices. Using a new Corning Gorilla glass Victus plus along with an armour Aluminium chassis, Samsung has tried to make its flagship devices stronger this time around. Not only this, the Galaxy S22 and S22+ have glass on both sides, giving the phones a more premium look.
In terms of colours, the Samsung S22 and S22+ are available in four variants, namely phantom white, green, pink gold and phantom black. Moreover, Samsung offers four exclusive colours — graphite, cream, sky blue and violet.
The Samsung S22 ultra, on the other hand, offers all the basic colours but replaces the pink gold with a richer burgundy variant. In terms of exclusive colours, the S22 Ultra offers three colours graphite, red and sky blue.
Another design change for the S22 Ultra is in its camera bump. Up until now, most devices with multiple camera modules have come with a camera bump. In the case of the S22 Ultra, the camera bump has been removed, and the cameras come out of the glass body individually, giving it a distinctive look.
This design change could make the camera susceptible to breakage as there is no camera bump to protect them.
Availability of exclusive colours depends on the country you are in, and the same can take up to 4 weeks to be delivered.
S Pen
The S22 Ultra comes with the S pen inbuilt in terms of design changes. This is the first time that an S series device has incorporated the S pen, and it is an excellent feature for any creative user.
Although the older devices supported the S pen, they never had a slot for the same, making it harder for users to carry it with their smartphones. Samsung has also reduced the latency on the S pen by up to 3 per cent, making the stylus experience more rewarding.
Also read: OnePlus 9 Pro vs OnePlus 8 Pro: What’s new and different?
Camera and photography
A picture is worth a thousand words, and with the advancement in technology, the images we click with our smartphones are nothing less than a work of art.
With the boom in social media, these works of computational art are posted on the Internet as a window into a person’s life.
Therefore if you are buying a flagship smartphone, it is quintessential to have a device that has a great camera system and a phenomenal image processing system. So without wasting any more time, let’s compare the camera hardware on the Samsung S22 series.
S22 and S22+
Both the Samsung S22 and the S22+ have the same triple camera setup in camera hardware. For the primary camera, the devices use a 50-megapixel primary wide-angle camera with an aperture of f/1.8 and a focal length of 23mm.
The primary camera offers a 1/1.56 inch image sensor providing a pixel width of 1 micrometre. Although the number of megapixels on the primary camera has improved from the last generation, the increase in the megapixel count decreases the size of an individual pixel. Due to this decrease, the photosites(photosensitive pixels) on the image sensor cannot produce great pictures in low light conditions.
Therefore to solve these issues, Samsung uses tetra binning, which combines 4 pixels into one and increases the pixel size to 2 microns, improving low light photography and reducing image size.
Not only this, the primary camera comes with OIS and has a 58 per cent wider correction angle compared to previous generations. The camera also comes with dual pixel autofocus helping users get a focused image in seconds.
The secondary camera on the devices is a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with a field of view of 120 degrees with an f/2.2 aperture. This camera offers a focal length of 13 mm and a 1/2.55 inch image sensor, giving a pixel size of 1.4 microns.
For the third camera, the devices use a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with an aperture of f/2.4. This tertiary camera can provide users with 3x optical and 30x digital zoom. The telephoto camera features a 1/3.94 inch image sensor and can produce great images even when the moment you want to capture is far away from you.
The front camera on the devices features a 10-megapixel module with an aperture of f/2.2. Using a 1/3.24 inch image sensor, the camera offers a pixel size of 1.22 microns. With dual-pixel autofocus, the front camera on these devices can click some great images.
S22 ultra
Nothing comes close to the Ultra when it comes to high-performance camera systems. Offering a primary 108-megapixel camera with a 1/1.33 inch image sensor, the primary camera has a pixel size of 0.8 microns. In addition to this, the primary camera comes with an aperture size of f/1.8 and an 85-degree field of view.
Compared to the S22 and S22+, the primary camera on the Ultra comes with an older phase detection autofocus technology. Still, with laser autofocus, the Ultra can focus on objects in a matter of milliseconds.
Like the S22 and S22+, the Ultra also uses pixel binning, but instead of combining 4 pixels, the Ultra uses nona-binning and combines 9 pixels improving low light photography giving an effective pixel size of 2.4 microns.
The ultra-wide camera on the S22 Ultra has similar specifications as that on the S22 and S22+, but on the Ultra, it offers dual pixel autofocus. The third camera on Ultra is a 10 megapixel telephoto with an aperture of f/4.9 and a 1/3.52 inch image sensor.
This telephoto camera can offer 10x optical zoom and a mind whopping 100x digital zoom. In addition to this telephoto camera, the S22 Ultra has another telephoto lens that offers 3x optical zoom. This quaternary 10-megapixel camera has an aperture of f/2.4 and comes with dual-pixel autofocus.
The S22 Ultra comes with a 40-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture for the front-facing camera. The camera also features PDAF technology with a 1/2.28 inch image sensor and tetra-binning technology.
Other camera features
In addition to the hardware features mentioned above, Samsung released several software features that make the Galaxy devices’ photography experience even more rewarding.
A list of these features is given below:
- Super clear glass: All the rear cameras on the Galaxy devices use a special glass that is designed to reduce reflections. In addition to the low reflective design, the glass on the cameras gets a nano-coating which reduces reflections further. This reduction in refections helps users get better shots in low light conditions.
- Super HDR: Samsung has introduced super HDR which capturs 64 times more colors. This improves the quality of pictures when there are a lot of shadows in the image or when there is a lot illuminance in the subjects background.
- Auto framing: As the name suggests, auto framing adjusts the zoom on your device based on the location of your subjects. So if you are far away from a subject auto framing will automatically zoom in to keep the subject centered in your frame.
- Adaptive pixel: When you click a picture, adaptive pixel takes two pictures in the background. One using the high resolution 108 megapixel camera(S22 ultra)/ 50 megapixel(S22/S22+) and another low resolution picture by using the nona/terta binning technology and then combines both the images. This feature helps capture great details in low light conditions.
- AI stereo depth map: If you click a lot of pictures in portrait mode, you know that features like hair on the subject can get blured with the background. With AI stereo depth map, Samsung is trying to solve this problem and provide users with better pictures in portrait mode by determining the location of the subject by using AI algorithms.
- Auto framerate: When you capture videos in low light environments a high frame rate can cause the video to look dim. With auto framerate Galaxy devices adjust the FPS on your video to keep it well lit.
- Expert RAW: With expert RAW power users can harness the true power of the cameras on their Galaxy devices, enabling them to transfer, edit and save RAW footage using their device.
The expert RAW app is not pre installed on the devices and needs to be installed from the Galaxy store.
Also read: How to turn off my Camera on Zoom?
Display
When it comes to displays, nothing comes close to Samsung. Be it the accurate colour reproduction or the high contrast ratios, displays on Galaxy devices have never disappointed its users.
Apart from using the new LTPO display technology in the Samsung S22 ultra, Samsung also introduced a new vision booster technology which makes the displays more viewable in direct sunlight.
The algorithm behind the vision booster analyses the histogram data of all content appearing on the display, inspecting each pixel’s value. It then tone-maps to adjust the display, making dark areas brighter, colours richer and maximising colour contrast.
Samsung
So, now that we know about the new display technologies making their way to Samsung devices, let’s look at what the displays on these devices offer.
S22
The S22 comes with a 6.1-inch FHD plus dynamic AMOLED 2x display. Offering a resolution of (2340×1080) and a pixel per inch density of 425. The display provides a maximum brightness of 1300 nits, so using the display in direct sunlight won’t be a big problem.
Not only this, the display is HDR 10 plus certified and offers a variable refresh rate from 48 Hz to 120 Hz. Moreover, according to Samsung, the display uses proprietary technology, which reduces the data transmission rate from the application layer to the display to up to 10 Hz helping the device be both power efficient and vivid.
S22 +
Both the S22 and S22+ use the same display; the only difference is the size and the peak brightness. The S22+ boasts a 6.6-inch display, and due to the increase in size, the PPI on the S22+ is 393. In addition to this, the peak brightness on the S22+ goes up to 1750 nits making the screen more bright at maximum brightness compared to the S22.
S22 ultra
The S22 Ultra comes with a 6.8-inch QHD plus dynamic AMOLED 2x display. Offering a resolution of (3088×1440) and a pixel per inch density of 500, the display on the S22 Ultra is one of the best in the market.
In addition to the high resolution, the S22 Ultra comes with an LTPO display offering refresh rates from 1-120 Hz. So not only is the display on the S22 Ultra crisper but also more power efficient when compared to the S22 and the S22+. On the other hand, the peak brightness is the same as the S22+.
Also read: OnePlus 9 Pro vs Samsung S21 Ultra: Which flagship should you pick?
CPU and GPU capabilities
The Galaxy series launched by Samsung this year comes with a great display, but is the computational hardware on the device powerful enough to render games at 60 FPS or record 8K video without stuttering?
Let’s look at the computational hardware that powers these devices to answer this question.
First of all, all the devices in the Galaxy lineup are powered by the same hardware. So if you buy the S22, S22+ or the S22 Ultra, you won’t be compromising on performance. That said, the processor you get is based on the region of purchase.
Devices sold in North America, India, South Africa, UAE and South Korea will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Whereas the devices in UK and Europe will be powered by Samsung’s Exynos 2200.
So as the devices are powered by different SOCs’ let’s look at the processing power they have to offer
Specification | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Samsung Exynos 2200 |
---|---|---|
CPU | Cortex-X2 (3 GHz) -1x Cortex-A710(2.5 GHz) -3x Cortex-A510(1.8 GHz) -4x | Cortex-X2 (2.8 GHz) -1x Cortex-A710(2.5 GHz) -3x Cortex-A510(1.8 GHz) -4x |
GPU | Adreno 730 | Xclipse 920 |
AI | Hexagon | Dual-core NPU + DSP |
Lithography | 4 nanometer | 4 nanometer |
Looking at the table above, it is clear that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 has higher clock speeds on its X2 core, which could offer better single performance when compared to the Exynos 2200.
The 8 Gen 1 is powered by the Adreno 780 processor on the GPU side of things. According to Qualcomm, the processor can render graphics 50 times faster compared to older generations.
The Exynos 2200, on the other hand, is powered by the Xclipse 920, which is based on the AMDs’ RDNA-2 architecture.
The 3D mark GPU score for the S22 ultra powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is 9841 points whereas the Exynos 2200 scores 7548 points.
In terms of power efficiency, both the SoCs’ are manufactured by Samsung’s 4 nanometer process, so they should have similar transistor counts and thermal performance. That said, the performance on the S22 Ultra could be a tad bit better when compared to the S22 and the S22+ as the Ultra uses a new vapour chamber cooling technology that could cool the chips better, delivering better performance.
Also read: Macbook Pro screen flickering: 10 Fixes
Storage and memory
Another vital aspect to look at while buying a smartphone is the storage and RAM it offers. More RAM on the device will offer a better experience while multitasking and gaming.
On the other hand, storage is also critical as the Galaxy devices don’t offer expandable storage and the high-resolution cameras the S series can chew through storage in months.
In terms of storage, the S22 and S22+ comes in two variants 128GB/256GB with 8GB of RAM storage. The S22 Ultra, on the contrary, comes in several different flavours. The list for the same is given below:
Storage | RAM |
---|---|
128GB | 8GB |
256GB | 12GB |
512GB | 12GB |
1TB | 12GB |
Also read: How Rupee King loan recovery scam is targeting borrowers in India
Battery capacity and charging
In terms of battery specifications, the S22 is powered by a 3700 mAh battery and supports 25-watt fast charging. According to Samsung, the S22 offers an audio playback time of up to 54 hours.
The S22+, on the other hand, comes with a 4500 mAh battery and supports 45-watt fast charging, whereas the S22 Ultra comes with a 5000 mAh battery with support for 45 watts fast charging. Offering an audio playback time of 69 and 81 hours, respectively, the S22 Ultra will last a full day of heavy use without any hiccups.
Samsung does not ship any kind of chargers with its devices, therefore you will have to buy a 45 watt fast charger to charge your phone faster.
In terms of fast charging, Samsung also claims that the 45-watt fast charging can juice up the devices to 50 per cent in 20 minutes. So if you are in a rush all the time, getting the 45-watt charge could be a good idea.
In addition to this, all three devices support wireless power share and 15-watt fast wireless charging.
Also read: Is charging your phone overnight bad? 5 ways to improve battery life
Software and other features
All the Galaxy S22 devices will come with Samsung’s One UI 4.1, which is Samsung’s custom operating system based on Android 12. The UI experience on the devices will be rewarding as Samsung has improved the one UI interface a lot in the last few years.
In addition to this, Samsung will be offering software updates for up to 4 generations which is one more year compared to Google.
In terms of other features, the S22 series also lets users access the camera features in the default camera app through social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and Tiktok, offering users a better photography experience in these apps.
Google duo on the S22 series also feels different as users can view content together on the app and share content on the same whiteboard, which is an excellent feature for when you want to brainstorm on a video call.
Also read: What are Favicons? Are they tracking you on the Internet?
Price
Samsung offers a plethora of features in its new S22 lineup, but all this comes at a price. For example, the S22 Ultra starts at a mind whopping price of $1,200. The S22+, on the other hand, starts at $1,000, and the S22 is available from $800.
The prices for these devices in India are given below:
Model | Variant | Price |
---|---|---|
S22 | 128GB | 8GB | ₹72,999 |
S22 | 256GB | 8GB | ₹84,999 |
S22+ | 128GB | 8GB | ₹84,999 |
S22+ | 256GB | 8GB | ₹88,999 |
S22 Ultra | 256GB | 12GB | ₹1,09,999 |
S22 Ultra | 512GB | 12GB | ₹1,18,999 |
Also read: Why is my Macbook Air fan so loud? 5 quick fixes
Which device should you buy?
If you have been a Samsung note fan since the beginning of time and love the creativity with the S pen, getting the Ultra is the best option for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a premium Android device and want a battery that can last you a day, the S22+ should be the right fit for you.
The S22 will be a great choice if you are looking for a device with great performance but are not demanding about the battery backup it offers.
To make things easy for you, we have compiled a list of all the specifications on the Galaxy S22 series, and you can go through the same to select the device which is right for you.
Specification | Samsung Galaxy S22 | Samsung Galaxy S22+ | Samsung Galaxy S22 ultra |
---|---|---|---|
Display | 6.1 inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x Refresh rate : 48-120Hz Peak brightness: 1300 nits | 6.6 inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x Refresh rate : 48-120Hz Peak brightness: 1750 nits | 6.8 inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x Refresh rate : 1-120Hz Peak brightness: 1750 nits |
Storage/Memory | 128,256GB/8GB | 128,256GB/8GB | 128,256GB,512GB,1TB/8G,12GB |
Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200 |
Battery | 3700mAh, 25W fast charging, 15W wireless charging | 4,500mAh, 45 W fast charging, 15W wireless charging | 5,000mAh, 45 W fast charging, 15W wireless charging |
Rear Camera | 50MP f/1.8 primary, Dual Pixel AF, OIS; 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide (120° FoV); 10MP f/2.4 3x optical zoom sensor; 30x digital zoom | 50MP f/1.8 primary, Dual Pixel AF, OIS; 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide (120° FoV); 10MP f/2.4 3x optical zoom sensor; 30x digital zoom | 108MP f/1.8 primary, OIS and PDAF; 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide (120° FoV); 10MP f/2.4 3x optical zoom sensor with OIS; 10MP f/4.9 10x optical zoom with OIS; 100x digital zoom |
Front camera | 10MP f2.2 | 10MP f2.2 | 40MP f/2.2 |
Video recording | 8K @24FPS/4K @60FPS/1080P @60FPS and 720p @30FPS | 8K @24FPS/4K @60FPS/1080P @60FPS and 720p @30FPS | 8K @24FPS/4K @60FPS/1080P @60FPS and 720p @30FPS |
Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC | 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC | 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC |
Price | $800 | $1,000 | $1,200 |
Also read: 10 things to know when buying Headphones.