Everything to know about Samsung’s Galaxy S22 lineup
After months of speculation and leaks, Samsung has officially unveiled its 2022 lineup: The Galaxy S22, S22+, and the top-of-the-line S22 Ultra, which looks to be Samsung’s new premium flagship phone.
Let’s break down some of the highlights:
Design
The S22 and S22+ have a similar look to predecessors S21 5G and S21+ 5G — including a metal camera block on the top left corner and a punch-hole camera next to it — although the S22 will be thinner and smaller (with a 6.1-inch screen for the S22 compared to the S21’s 6.2-inch screen, for example).
[Not sure which Samsung phone is right for you? Compare them all here.]
However, the S22 and S22+ will have a major design upgrade over the S21 series: The back panel will be made of glass instead of polycarbonate.
By contrast, the S22 Ultra has a brand-new design that looks a lot like the Galaxy Note, right down to the sharper square edges, an S-Pen stylus and a dedicated slot for it. In fact, the S22 Ultra will essentially replace the Note line, which didn’t get a new release last year. The 6.8-inch Ultra also boasts a smooth glass back with a matte finish. All hail the newest "phablet."
Additionally, Samsung is introducing a brand new material made from the plastic of repurposed ocean-bound discarded fishing nets as part of the company’s drive toward better sustainability and lowering its environment impact. The plastic is used in the inner portion of the power and volume keys, as well as for the casing that houses the S Pen on the S22 Ultra.
Battery Life
With a thinner size comes a shorter battery life. The S22’s battery is 3,700mAh, down from the S21’s 4,000mAh, while the S22+'s battery capacity of 4,500mAh is down from 4,800mAh. The Galaxy S22 Ultra will maintain its current 5,000mAh capacity.
The S22+ also offers dramatically faster charging times at 45 watts, up from the 25-watt charging that both the S21 and Note series presently offer.
Storage
The S22 Ultra comes with options for 128GB, 256GB, 512GB in all regions, and even 1TB of storage in select regions (including the U.S.). However, it only has the option of 8GB and 12GB of RAM (lower than the S21 Ultra’s current offering of 12GB and 16GB).
Camera
Samsung hasn’t been subtle about one of the key upgrades to the S22 Ultra: vastly improved low-lighting photography. The company has been promoting the S22 Ultra with the hashtag #MakeNightsEpic.
Like its predecessor, the S22 Ultra has four lenses — a 108MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto and 10MP periscope — but this year’s model has an improved ISOCELL HM3 camera sensor, and its periscope lens is capable of continuous zoom, resulting in crisper images. In 108MP mode, users also have the option of a new AI detail enhancement button that provides more brightness, color and detail than regular 108MP.
The S22 and S22+ phones have a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto.
Colors
The S22 and S22+ will inherit the S21’s current colors: white, black, green and rose gold. The S22 Ultra will be offered in white, black, green and burgundy.
While the S22 and S22+ are both high-quality phones, they're not markedly different from their S21 predecessors.
The Samsung Ultra, however, is the next premium phone on the market, especially if you’re looking for one with stylus. It’s a worthy successor to Samsung’s popular Galaxy Note series.
—Pauline Vu
