Samsung Galaxy S22

With the unprecedented success of its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S22 hoped to recapture the hype. Here’s what reviewers are saying about this highly anticipated release.

Design

Reviewers stated that if you’ve seen the Samsung Galaxy S21, you have already seen the Galaxy S22, which seems to be accurate.

Everything is in the same fundamental position as the S21.

While scraping for any differences in the design, reviewers stated that the only notable change was the lack of two-tone color on the phone’s body. Samsung instead went for a flat color for the entire device.

Display

The screen on the Samsung Galaxy S22 is marginally smaller than the S21 at 6.1-inches. However, that doesn’t mean it’s any less impressive.

Using adaptive display technology, the phone automatically adjusts the screen’s temperature, contrast, and brightness based on what’s you’re viewing and the ambient light where you’re located.

Performance

Samsung boasted that the performance of the new chipset would be 40% more impressive than the S21. Unfortunately, reviewers said they had difficulty discerning an actual difference between the two phones in practical use.

It is still snappy and responsive, just not the upgrade Samsung said for many reviewers.

Software & Storage

The Samsung Galaxy S22 runs Android 12 and One UI over the top. The phone will come with your choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage but no MicroSD storage expansion.

Cameras

While the camera bump may look the same, there are a few differences between these lenses compared to the S21.

There are plenty of options, including a new, more concise type of zoom. The pictures are clearer and more vibrant, particularly when using portrait mode.

Although there were improvements to the phone’s low light and night shot abilities, reviewers said it wasn’t much improvement and wouldn’t be a sole reason to upgrade from other recent Samsung phone models.

Battery Life

In terms of battery life, the Samsung Galaxy S22 has a smaller battery than the original S21, which let some reviewers down.

During testing, it only lasted 9 hours with dynamic refresh rate enabled.

Charging is also slower, with the faster charge settings being available only to the Samsung Galaxy S22+ and the S22 Ultra.

Audio

Reviewers didn’t offer anything good or bad about audio quality, but that’s not unusual given almost everyone uses a Bluetooth headset of some sort now. It does not have a headphone jack, though.

Specs at a Glance

• Aluminum chassis
• 6.1-inch AMOLED FHD+ display
• Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor
• 8GB of RAM
• Android 12
• 128/256GB of storage
• 50+MP camera
• 3700mAh battery

Bottom Line

The Samsung Galaxy S22 is not a huge step up from the S21, but it’s an excellent phone. It’s bright, vivid, snappy, and powerful.

Some bells and whistles are missing, having been given to the premium models. However, for someone looking for a phone that’s on the smaller side and doing regular tasks with ease and power, the S22 might be for you.

Tech Radar says, “The Samsung Galaxy S22 is a hair smaller than its predecessor, and the cameras are slightly tweaked, but the changes begin and end there. It’s a fine phone, especially for people who like small-body compact mobiles, but it’s hard to get excited about the device.”

The Verge states, “There are some welcome improvements to the camera capabilities, the latest Qualcomm chipset, and… that’s kind of it. They’re nice upgrades but nothing that should compel an S21 owner to trade in their current phone.”