The Samsung Galaxy S22+ Review

At its annual Galaxy UNPACKED event, Samsung announced its latest Galaxy S22 lineup, which includes the new Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra. The news comes just a month after Samsung launched its more budget-friendly Galaxy S21 FE smartphone.

Samsung’s Galaxy S22+ provides buyers with a good middle ground between the $800 Galaxy S22 and $1,200 Galaxy S22 Ultra. The S22+ flaunts a gorgeous and gigantic 6.6-inch display, is packed with Qualcomm’s latest chip, and has one of the best cameras in the business.

KEY SPECS

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor
• 6.6-inch flat FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate and HDR10+ compatibility
• Triple camera with 50MP main, 12MP ultra wide, 10MP telephoto, and 10MP selfie camera
• 8GB of RAM, 128/256GB of storage
• 5G, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity
• 4,500 mAh, fast wired and wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
• Built-in stereo speakers, IP68-rated waterproof body

I spent a week using the Galaxy S22+ as my main device, and while the S22 Ultra is indeed the crème de la crème of Android smartphones, I think most folks are better off saving the money and opting for the S22+ instead.

After scrutinizing the S22 Plus’ design, software, and performance — and comparing it to similar smartphones in its price range like the Google Pixel 6, Galaxy S21, and iPhone 13 that I previously tested — here’s why I think it’s the Android phone to buy if you’re in the market for an upgrade.

DESIGN

If you’re a smartphone enthusiast, you probably can tell upon first glance that the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ didn’t change significantly in the design department when compared to their predecessors. The screens still feature flat, non-rounded displays, and the camera arrays are almost identical. Their camera housings now match the smartphones’ overall color scheme — a small but noticeable change that differs from last year’s two-tone color scheme.

More notably, both sides of the Galaxy S22+ are made from Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ (rather than matte plastic like the S21) and its chassis is constructed out of aluminum — making it a more durable phone overall. The S22 family comes in black, white, green, and pink gold. I tested the last option, which was very reminiscent of Apple’s rose gold iPhone 6S Plus from 2015.

Compared to today’s iPhones, the S22+ has a curvier look, rather than the sharper edges that are featured on Apple’s devices. I still found the S22+ easy and comfortable to hold. Additionally, the S22 series is IP68 rated for water and dust resistance, meaning the devices will survive a trip to the beach or a plunge in the pool.

DISPLAY

If you’re longing for the curved displays that were highlighted in older Galaxy phones like the S7 Edge, we have to note that the screens — 6.1 inches on the S22 and 6.6 inches on the S22+ — are flat on both models. Only Samsung’s S22 Ultra features curved edges along its sides, but even on the Ultra, the screen itself doesn’t bend entirely with the glass. Instead, it’s a much more subdued curve than previous models.

Technically, the S22 and S22+ screens are 0.1 inches smaller than those of their predecessors, but they feature the same 2,340-by-1,080-pixel resolutions. I’m normally someone who casts videos to bigger screens, but with the S22+, I found myself watching more TV shows and videos on its large and highly immersive display. Trust me: Even though Samsung’s competitors have higher resolution displays, Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED screen is gorgeous.

The S22+ display has a max refresh rate of 120Hz, which makes for smooth on-screen animations. Unlike the S22 Ultra, the S22 and S22+ lack the adaptive refresh rate feature that varies the screen’s refresh rate to between 1 to 120 Hz to conserve battery life. The S22 and S22+ can only fluctuate between 48 and 120 Hz.

One of my favorite things about the S22+ is Samsung’s Vision Booster feature that uses the phone’s onboard ambient light sensors to automatically adjust display settings. This improves contrast and makes dark areas brighter, creating a more vibrant and colorful picture.

The S22 can reach 1,300 nits of brightness, while the S22+ peaks at 1,750 nits in direct sunlight. What does this mean for you? No more desperately cupping your hands over a smartphone display in an attempt to make it easier to see on a sunny day.

Besides that, you’ll find a center-mounted punch-hole camera at the top of its screen, as well as a fingerprint sensor underneath it. I found this to be much less finicky than the slow-to-read Pixel 6 fingerprint reader.

CAMERAS

In terms of the cameras, as expected, the Galaxy S22 Series packs Samsung’s latest and greatest camera sensors. The main camera lens now has a new 50MP sensor instead of the 12MP one found in the Galaxy S21 and S21+. It’s also 23% bigger than its predecessor, and draws in more light in darker environments.

Paired with the 50MP wide-angle lens is a 12MP ultrawide with a 120-degree field of view, a 10MP selfie camera, and a 10MP telephoto shooter with a 3X optical zoom. The latter is also found on the S21 Plus.

The cameras produced crystal-clear and colorful photos almost every time. The zoom lens will also come in handy for shooting things like concerts and your child’s extracurriculars. Although I didn’t play around with recording video as much as taking stills, the S22+ can shoot up to 8K video at 24 frames per second. If you plan to record in 8K, I highly recommend you opt for the model with 256GB of storage space.

My favorite camera feature was the improved portrait mode. Samsung updated its image processing tech to better separate your subjects from the blurred background — down to individual strands of hair, both for people and pets. I loved using pet portrait mode on my pups (who probably take up 50% of my camera roll anyway). So, this feature is a welcome improvement.

PERFORMANCE

When it comes to performance, Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series outpaces all other Android phones on the market. That’s because Samsung’s devices are packed with Qualcomm’s range-topping Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, which is roughly 30% faster than the Snapdragon 888 it succeeds. However, Apple’s A15 chip that’s found in the iPhone 13 Pro Max has better raw CPU and GPU performance. Regardless, S22+ will allow users to edit videos and game at high frame rates with ease, but it sometimes gets slightly warm to the touch while running more graphically demanding games.

The S22+ I tested had no issues juggling dozens of apps simultaneously and handling my copious Chrome tabs that I never close out of, all while streaming hi-res audio and chatting with my colleagues across Slack. I even took a few Zoom calls on the device, and never experienced any annoying hang-ups. Technically, the S22 and S22+ have less RAM (memory) than the S22 Ultra. The former has 8GB while the Ultra has an impressive 12GB, which is more than the laptop I’m typing this review on. Most casual users will be just fine with 8GB.

As for battery life, the regular S22 is equipped with a 3,700mAh battery while the S22+ is equipped with a 4,500mAh battery. The former is also limited to 25-watt wired charging speeds compared to the Plus’ 45-watt max speed. So, if you use your phone a lot, I definitely think you should opt for the S22+ — just as long as you don’t find its larger size too cumbersome.

With the S22+, you can go around 17 hours without charging your phone. If you need even more juice, consider the S22 Ultra, which has an even larger 5,000maH battery.

Just one more quick note: None of Samsung’s new devices include a USB charger in the box, so you’ll have to use an existing one or purchase a new one separately. The S22+ can recharge at 15 watts on a wireless charger as well.

USER EXPERIENCE

The S22 Series runs Android 12 and Samsung’s One UI 4.1 software. Some new features include more customization options, improved widgets, and the ability to use Pro Mode with each of the device’s three rear camera lenses. So, you can manually adjust settings like ISO, shutter speed, and exposure levels. Social media apps like Snapchat or TikTok can also take advantage of Samsung’s useful camera features like Nightography mode. You can even swap between the wide and ultra wide camera lenses. Google Messages is also the default messaging app, rather than Samsung’s own app.

Even more notable, with the launch of the S22, Samsung is now the Android industry leader when it comes to long-term support for its hardware. The tech giant promises four years of OS-level upgrades and 5 years of security updates. During my tests, I found the S22+’s software to be stable and easy to use. I also appreciated how customizable Android 12 is.

WRAP-UP

If you aren’t after the best possible smartphone specs, can live without having Samsung’s S-Pen stylus, and would like to spend $200 less than the premium Galaxy S22 Ultra, I think the Galaxy S22+ offers a great middle ground. For $1,000, you get a stellar smartphone with an expansive and highly immersive display that feels great in the hand. The phone doesn’t skimp on performance or features, but it’s not breaking boundaries, either. In terms of battery life, camera quality, and overall build quality, buyers will make the fewest compromises opting for the S22+, which is all in all a solid flagship.

As for shoppers on a budget, I’d recommend opting for the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition over the standard S22 and the S22+. The biggest difference is that the FE model has a plastic back rather than glass, so the S22 series feels more premium. It also has a less capable camera and a slightly slower processor. However, the S21 FE has a 21% larger battery than the S22, and its screen is a tad larger. Given the compromise in battery life, I don’t think the S22 is worth the extra $100 above the S21 FE base model.

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