Samsung’s Galaxy S22 vary has been out for some time now, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint. The newest vary is technically fashioned of three smartphones, however the Galaxy S22 Ultra is one thing of an outlier this time round. It has a barely completely different look from the opposite two fashions within the vary and an upgraded digicam — however the actually massive distinction is the inclusion of a built-in S Pen, very like the now-defunct Galaxy Note line.

But does that make the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra the most effective smartphone within the vary? It’s definitely the most important, however is it the most effective? Numerous components go into whether or not a smartphone is best for you, and it’s possible you’ll be questioning whether or not the bottom Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, or Galaxy S22 Ultra is your best option — or what the foremost variations are. Here, we’ll discover that and inform you which smartphone could also be best for you.

Specs

Design, show, and sturdiness

There’s no method to sugarcoat this — the Galaxy S22 Ultra shares extra with the Note 20 Ultra than its stablemates. While the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus share a transparent design language with rounded corners and flat shows, the S22 Ultra goes its personal manner with extra angular corners and a curved show. That is smart, given Samsung’s intent was to mix the S-range with the Note, but it surely does imply the vary doesn’t really feel significantly mixed. But that’s a reasonably small criticism, they usually’re all gorgeous smartphones, regardless.

Size may very well be a problem for you, although. If you will have smaller fingers, it’s possible you’ll discover the S22 Ultra just a little bit too giant, and it has the potential to be unwieldy even for these with giant fingers. Weirdly, it was the smaller S22 that actually enchanted us throughout our preliminary hands-on time, and in contrast to earlier generations, Samsung reduce no corners with the smallest mannequin’s construct high quality, too. So you’ll discover steel builds on every of those telephones, which is a giant draw in case you’re a fan of smaller telephones.

All three have a Dynamic AMOLED 2X show with a 120Hz refresh price, however the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s larger decision means it’s technically the strongest choice right here. But actually, you’re unlikely to note a distinction in crispness in real-life use between the three, so don’t let that weigh in your choice an excessive amount of. As talked about earlier than, it’s a glass and steel celebration on every of those telephones, so sturdiness goes to be comparable throughout all three. The identical applies to waterproofing, too, due to an IP68 score.

This is a particularly powerful class to attain since a lot falls down to private alternative. Ultimately, we’re giving it to the S22 Ultra purely due to the technically superior show — by way of the Burgundy coloration can be a bonus. But, in case you’re a fan of smaller telephones, be at liberty to mentally change the win to the Galaxy S22 or S22 Plus.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Performance, battery life, and charging

All three telephones use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor (or the Exynos 2200 in sure markets), so it’s protected to say all three are stupidly highly effective and able to operating any app or 3D sport you will get your paws on. The S22 Ultra has choices for extra RAM, however that’s not more likely to have a huge effect in your real-life use. The Ultra’s bigger vary of storage is more likely to have extra of an impression in case you document lots of high-resolution movies or prefer to obtain plenty of motion pictures and different media. The 512GB and 1TB choices will likely be very tempting for media lovers, and it’s one thing the 2 smaller fashions can’t match.

As you may count on, the bigger telephones have, effectively, bigger batteries. But it’s not protected to imagine a bigger battery means an extended battery life, because the completely different show sizes imply differing energy wants for every.

The Galaxy S22’s 3,000mAh battery is the smallest you’ll discover in a contemporary smartphone (apart from the iPhone Mini), and admittedly, battery life isn’t stellar. You ought to count on to barely get previous a single day of use, and in our assessment, we bought round 4 to 5 hours of screen-on time, although much less demanding utilization ought to see you thru the day. With the bottom S22, idle battery loss stays a priority regardless of updates, and we famous a lack of practically 10% to fifteen% over a few hours whereas the cellphone lay on a desk with mobile web enabled and a few communication apps operating within the background. The vanilla S22 can be the one cellphone within the vary with 25W peak wired charging speeds.

In distinction, the S22 Plus and S22 Ultra each assist 45W quick wired charging, with the latter reaching full capability in round 59 minutes. The S22 Plus packs a 4,500mAh battery, whereas the S22 Ultra beefs this as much as 5,000mAh. Though the Ultra’s battery takes a few days to regulate to your utilization — as you’ll discover with most telephones — after this, it ought to simply see you thru a full day of heavy use or two days of reasonable use.

We also needs to be aware right here that every one three telephones within the vary assist 15W wi-fi charging and reverse wi-fi charging for equipment, and no charger comes within the field with any of those gadgets.

We’re giving this spherical to the S22 Ultra for its beefy 5,000mAh battery, quick 45W charging, and two-day battery life with reasonable use.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Cameras

It ought to come as no shock that the S22 Ultra is, as soon as once more, the extra technically spectacular of the three smartphones. All three have an analogous lens setup, with a wide-angle essential lens, a telephoto lens, and an ultrawide lens. The S22 Ultra does add an additional lens, although — a 10x periscope telephoto, and that’s a enjoyable lens to play with, even when it’s not crucial inclusion round. However, the Ultra mannequin has much more going for it. The essential lens has 108 megapixels, reasonably than the 50MP on the S22 and S22 Plus, and the entrance digicam has 40MP reasonably than 10MP.

In our critiques, the S22 Ultra got here out on prime with its improved 3x, 10x, and 30x zoom, offering extra pure and correct colours and larger element than its predecessor. The essential and ultrawide angle lenses present a lot the identical outcomes because the S21 Ultra, and you may count on lovely photographs with glorious steadiness and vibrant colours in most lighting circumstances.

Worth noting is the newly up to date portrait mode, which we discovered very efficient, and options like Single Take mode (accessible throughout all three fashions), which helps you to shoot a 15- to 20-second video, with the cellphone’s AI then producing a number of photographs and movies from it, which you’ll edit and share. We discovered this useful for specializing in what we wished to shoot reasonably than how we must always shoot it.

Unfortunately, the S22 Ultra’s selfie digicam typically produces comfortable photographs and isn’t nice in low-light circumstances. The coloration accuracy and publicity at 3x and 10x zoom settings additionally want work. The S22 and S22 Plus share the identical digicam setup, although the latter provides an optical 3x zoom digicam, so count on nice photos with loads of particulars and spectacular colours from each telephones. It’s price noting right here that we noticed some bizarre warping results with the S22 Plus’ ultrawide shooter. All three telephones within the vary provide evening mode assist, in addition to Samsung’s new Expert RAW app for extra superior picture modifying.

We’re giving this spherical to the S22 Ultra, because it’s top-of-the-line digicam telephones round proper now.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Software and updates

So right here’s a class that’s a powerful tie, and that’s as a result of all three gadgets run Android 13 below Samsung’s OneUI 5. As such, you’ll get the identical software program expertise on every of the three telephones. Samsung’s OneUI has come a good distance because the horrible TouchWiz of the previous, and whereas it’s nonetheless one of many heavier-handed producer skins, it’s an awesome Android variant.

Samsung provides 4 years of working system updates and 5 years of safety updates, and this is applicable to all three telephones within the S22 vary. True, Samsung nonetheless isn’t the quickest updater, largely because of the aforementioned customized interface. But no matter that reality, not one of the telephones in query will get updates any sooner than the others. Every S22 mannequin will get updates concurrently the others and can get the identical variety of updates, too. This is a strong tie.

Winner: Tie

Special options

As with software program, there are some massive similarities within the accessible particular options on these telephones. All three have 5G, entry to each the Google Assistant and Samsung’s Bixby, Samsung’s desktop-emulating Dex Mode, and a bewilderingly great amount of different particular options. However, the S22 Ultra has one thing the S22 and S22 Plus don’t — the S Pen. As the Note’s obvious successor, the most important S-range flagship has a built-in S Pen. If you’ve ever used a Note, you recognize the additional usability an S Pen provides when sketching, taking fast notes, or making a to-do listing. It’s a unbelievable addition, and it means the S22 Ultra has an unassailable lead right here.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Price and availability

Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

In a battle of pure specs and which cellphone is technologically “better,” the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra was at all times going to come back out on prime. It’s attractive, with prime flagship specs, a built-in S Pen, and extra digicam lenses than you may know what to do with. Looking on the three head-on, effectively, the S22 Ultra is the “best” mannequin.

But actually, that solely tells a part of the story. It’s truthful to say the variations are small in most locations — aside from, maybe, the S Pen and the additional digicam lens. But in case you’re completely satisfied to dwell with out these and need one thing just a little cheaper and even rather less huge, then the Galaxy S22 or S22 Plus are additionally glorious decisions. We’ve spent sufficient time with every cellphone within the vary to know that every has its robust factors and shortcomings, so finally, it might find yourself coming all the way down to what issues most to you.

Love a giant cellphone with all of the bells and whistles? Buy the Galaxy S22 Ultra. But in case you’re completely satisfied to avoid wasting just a little cash, significantly contemplate the Galaxy S22 Plus or S22. You’re unlikely to be dissatisfied.

Editors’ Recommendations