Samsung has released three new phones and tech reviewer Elly Awesome believes the hype around these phones is completely justified.
REVIEW
Samsung has just released three new flagship Galaxy S smartphones – the Galaxy S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra – and the hype is real. Though the Galaxy S22 has kept almost the exact physical design as last year, the Ultra now includes an S Pen that is housed inside the device, essentially turning it into the new Samsung Galaxy Note phone.
Design
Both the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ have retained the same premium look of last year’s S21, with the contour camera bump on the back that houses three recessed cameras. The phones continue to feel incredibly premium with their slightly curved shiny edges, a completely flat near bezel-less FHD+ AMOLED display and 120Hz refresh rate. It truly feels like you get the most amount of screen possible with no chin or notch and only a hole punch selfie camera.
Surprisingly, the screen has been slightly decreased in size on the S22 down to 6.1”, although it’s barely a noticeable difference unless you were to place the phone side-by-side with the S21. Alternatively, the S22+ comes with a 6.6” display.
Unlike last year’s plastic back model the back of both phones are made of glass that has a matte, smooth finish. It looks and feels fantastic, though I must admit the phone is a little slippery without a case.
Both the S22 and S22+ also have dual speakers, fingerprint unlock and face recognition.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra on the other hand is an entirely different design with smooth curved edges, including a curved display. The phone (along with the S22 and S22+) is housed in Gorilla Glass Victus+ and has already been shown to be incredibly durable when it comes to scratches, dents and pressure.
On the back, surprisingly, the cameras are not recessed into the phone or housed in any kind of camera bump. This gives the phone a sleek and unique look though I feel like I need to put a case on this phone just to keep the cameras protected.
Aside from its incredible processing power and 120Hz display, I also cannot forget to mention the biggest design difference for the S22 Ultra is that it has essentially taken over Samsung’s Note series of phones. Now, this 6.8” device includes an S Pen (Samsung’s stylus) that lives inside of the phone itself ready for when you want to handwrite notes, emails or draw.
Also, the handwriting recognition on this phone is fantastic (it can convert handwriting into text) and the latency has gone from 9ms to 2.8ms, which has made a huge difference. Using the S Pen to write on this device feels incredibly natural and satisfying.
Cameras
Last year on the S22 we saw a 12MP ultra wide camera, 12MP wide camera and 64MP telephoto camera, however, this year we’ve seen an upgrade to the hardware with a now 12MP ultra wide, 50MP wide camera and 10MP telephoto camera.
OK the math doesn’t quite add up but Samsung have chosen to greatly improve the main camera (wide) on the phone, which in my opinion is the most important upgrade, and it certainly performs well.
Photos and videos taken with the back camera are well saturated, with a balanced contrast and look crisp and high def.
The front 10MP selfie camera, although could be more outstanding, does a great job pulling off a typical selfie.
Conversely the S22 Ultra is boasting four improved back cameras including a hefty 108MP Wide main back camera, 40MP selfie camera and overall improved nightography capabilities. In my testing I also enjoyed the impressive stability out of the back camera when recording videos.
Battery life
All these devices have Samsung’s most advanced 4nm processor chip, Android 12 and IP68 water resistance so the major points of difference between these phones come mostly down to battery life, screen size, cameras and stylus functionality.
Essentially, the S22+ only has two major differences over the baseline S22 – a bigger battery (4,500mAh over 3,700mAh) and a larger 6.6” display. The S22 Ultra on the other hand has a whopping 5000mAh battery which is sure to last over a day of heavy use, even with the big screen. It also has 45W charging capabilities, which will get you charged up fully in around an hour (but unfortunately you have to purchase a 45W charger separately to take advantage of this).
Should you buy the S22?
With four colours available across the range there’s an option for everyone. The S22 starts at $1249 with 128GB of in-built storage, the S22+ comes in at $1549 with 128GB storage and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is dearer at $1,849 for 128GB.
Personally, I found all of the upgrades welcome, even when compared to the previous generations, however, I’ve been enjoying the S22 Ultra with its cameras, battery life and S Pen, the most. If you can afford a more expensive device this truly has it all.
Elly Awesome is an Aussie tech and lifestyle vlogger | @ellyawwesome | YouTube