Samsung Galaxy S22: an iPhone 13 killer? We tried it!

In the very competitive world of smartphones, there are several highlights throughout the year, but two in particular stand out: the presentation of the new iPhones by Apple in September, and the release of the new Galaxy S from Samsung, in usually in February or March. The Korean manufacturer is thus respecting tradition and has just presented three new models: Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and Galaxy S22 Ultra. Three representatives of the brand’s know-how in screen, photo, design and performance.

From left to right: S22 Ultra, S22, S22+

See the entire Galaxy S22 range at Fnac

Galaxy S22: a refined S21?

This year, Samsung has decided to gently evolve its range, with in particular the Galaxy S22 and S22+ with a design very similar to the Galaxy S21. We find in particular a photo module of three sensors, with a rounded design and which blends into the chassis. The result is still as attractive as ever, but, from afar, we could completely confuse the two generations of smartphones.

	Galaxy S22	Galaxy S22 Plus
screen size	6.1 inches	6.6 inches
Screen type	Dynamic AMOLED 2X	Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Screen Definition	2340 x 1080 pixels	2340 x 1080 pixels
Refresh rate	120Hz	120Hz
Sampling rate	Up to 240Hz	Up to 240Hz
SoCs	Samsung Exynos 2200	Samsung Exynos 2200
RAM	8 GB	8 GB
Storage	128/256 GB	128/256 GB
Drums	3700mAh	4500mAh
Quick Charge	25W wired, 15W wireless	45W wired, 15W wireless
Connectivity	5G / WiFi 6 / BT 5.2	5G / Wi-Fi 6E / BT 5.2
Main photo sensors	50MP + 12MP + 10MP	50MP + 12MP + 10MP
Secondary photo sensors	10 MP	10 MP
Waterproofing	Yes (IP68)	Yes (IP68)
Dimensions	146.0 x 70.6 x 7.6mm	157.4 x 75.8 x 7.64mm
Weight	167 grams	195 grams
Price	From 859$	From 1059$

But in detail, we see that Samsung has particularly optimized the contours around the screen, in particular by reducing the lower border by a few millimeters. It doesn’t look like much, but when you place an S21 and an S22 side by side, the difference in size is obvious. However, the Galaxy S22 has a screen of almost equivalent size, since it is 6.1 inches against 6.2 inches for the S21. The Galaxy S22 therefore gives the impression of being a “small” smartphone, while its screen exceeds 6 inches.

On the left the S22, on the right the S21

The grip is therefore particularly pleasant. The S22 and S22+ will also be available in several colors and we were particularly seduced by the green model, which displays a matte treatment for the best effect and a certain sobriety. The white and pink models seemed a little too “shiny” to us and we have some doubts about the fingerprint side marking.

Anyway, the S22 and the S22+ are very similar, with an identical design, but a screen diagonal that goes from 6.1 to 6.6 inches. The S22+’s battery is also larger (4,500 mAh vs. 3,700 mAh), which should bring better battery life to the larger model. Both models are IP68 certified and can therefore withstand immersion in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.

Galaxy S22 Ultra: the replacement for the Galaxy Note

	Galaxy S22 Ultra
screen size	6.8 inches
Screen type	Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Screen Definition	3080 x 1440 pixels
Refresh rate	1-120Hz
Sampling rate	Up to 240Hz
SoCs	Samsung Exynos 2200
RAM	8/12 GB
Storage	128/256/512GB/1TB
Drums	5000mAh
Quick Charge	45W wired, 15W wireless
Connectivity	5G / Wi-Fi 6E / BT 5.2
Main photo sensors	108MP + 12MP + 10MP + 10MP
Secondary photo sensors	40 MP
Waterproofing	Yes (IP68 also for S Pen)
Dimensions	163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm
Weight	227 grams
Price	From 1249$

The Galaxy S22 Ultra and its different colors

The case of the Galaxy S22 Ultra is a bit apart. Samsung’s top-of-the-range model, sold from $1,259 in the 128 GB version, benefits from a very different design, which is more inspired by the Galaxy Note. The latter no longer really exists at Samsung and the manufacturer should now bet on this “Ultra” version for its large-screen smartphones (here 6.8 inches) and for the experience of handling the stylus.

With its 6.8-inch screen, the S22 Ultra is the largest in the range

The “S-Pen” is indeed included and can be stored in a dedicated slot in the lower part of the smartphone. We therefore find the possibility of taking handwritten notes, taking screenshots by drawing a square on the screen or even using handwriting recognition. This S22 Ultra is particularly well finished and benefits from an absolutely sublime matte chassis, which is further reinforced by Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, which should make it particularly resistant.

Ultra-bright AMOLED screens

On the screen side, Samsung has always done a great job on its Galaxy S, and these new S22 should be no exception. We are dealing with AMOLED panels on all models, with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz in “adaptive” mode. This means that the screen will adapt its refresh rate according to the content displayed, in order to save battery power. Concretely, the Galaxy S22 is able to go down to 10 Hz and the S22+ and S22 Ultra can drop down to 1 Hz.

Another interesting detail: the very high maximum brightness of the three panels. The Galaxy S22 Ultra and S22 + can thus reach 1750 cd / m2 in “native” (without HDR content), and the S22 will show at the maximum at 1300 cd / m2. This should offer excellent readability, even better than on the previous generation. The Galaxy S21 Ultra indeed displayed a peak light of around 1000 cd/m2.

A photo part still as promising

Like the screens, the photo has always been a key argument of Galaxy S smartphones. Again, it is necessary to differentiate what the S22/S22+ offer from the S22 Ultra. The first two are quite close to what we found on the S21, with three sensors: a 50-megapixel wide-angle, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with x3 optical zoom. At the front, the 10 megapixel sensor should ensure very beautiful selfies.

On the S22 Ultra, there are up to 5 sensors: a 108-megapixel wide-angle, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle, a telephoto lens with x3 optical zoom, another telephoto lens with x10 optical zoom and laser autofocus . The front sensor of 40 megapixels should meanwhile sublimate the smallest detail of your face.

We don’t really have the opportunity to properly test the camera of the Galaxy S22 range, but, given the characteristics, we can expect something excellent, capable of taking over from the Galaxy S21 and compete with the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro. The argument of the x10 optical zoom, in particular, seems particularly strong to us.

An exynos 2200 boosted by an AMD iGPU

In terms of power, again, we were unable to properly test the Galaxy S22s, especially since no game was installed on the models we had in our hands. As a reminder, Europe will be entitled to models equipped with a Samsung Exynos 2200 SoC: a chip engraved in 4 nm which benefits from an AMD Radeon graphics part under RDNA 2 architecture. The same as found on the PS5 and the Xbox Series. Of course, we do not expect the same level of power at all, but we are curious to see the fluidity and the level of performance on big games like Genshin Impact, Fortnite or CoD Mobile. It should also be noted that, as with the Galaxy S21, North America and Korea will be entitled to a version equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. If you swear only by Qualcomm, you will therefore have to rely on imports.

Solid Android smartphones, but no big surprises

This first contact with the Galaxy S22 range therefore proved, unsurprisingly, to be quite reassuring. We are still dealing with a summary of the best in high-end smartphones, the Korean manufacturer meticulously ticking each box of its specifications. Excellent quality screen, high-performance camera, powerful chip… We now hope that autonomy will be there and that the One UI 4.1 interface will be practical and fluid on a daily basis.

As a reminder, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be the first on the market, since it will be released on February 25, at a price of 1259 euros for 128 GB of storage. The S22 and S22+ will arrive on March 11, priced at $859 for the S22 and $1059 for the S22+. Pre-orders are already available, including a pair of Galaxy Buds Pro headphones.

See the entire Galaxy S22 range at Fnac