The Samsung Galaxy S22 is perhaps the most inconspicuous version of the series that also consists of the Galaxy S22+ and the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Still, the smartphone is definitely worth considering. You can read more about it in this Samsung Galaxy S22 review.
Samsung Galaxy S22
Recommended retail price from € 849,-
Colors Black, White, Green, Pink
OS Android 12 (One UI)
Screen 6.1 inch amoled (2340 x 1800, 120hz)
Processor 2.8GHz octa-core (Exynos 2200)
RAM 8GB
Storage 128 or 256 GB
Battery 3,700 mAh
Camera 50, 10 and 12 megapixels (rear), 10 megapixels (front)
Connectivity 5G, 4G (LTE), Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6e, GPS, NFC
Format 14.6 x 7.1 x 0.8cm
Weight 167 grams
Other Fingerprint scanner behind screen, waterproof and dustproof
Website www.samsung.com/nl
7 Score 70 
- Pros
- Screen
- Update Support
- Cameras
- Negatives
- Price
- battery life
- No adapter, memory card slot, audio jack
Of course, during the announcement of the Galaxy S22 series, most of the attention went to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is not only a Galaxy Note smartphone in disguise, but is also the best smartphone of the moment. But the Galaxy S22 Ultra is not the best smartphone for your wallet or pants. This regular Galaxy S22 is modest in size, and in price… A little less exaggerated. A suggested retail price of 849 euros. Slightly lower than the iPhone 13. That will probably not be a coincidence.
Because of course Samsung looks very much at Apple for their top smartphones. For example, look at the format, although both smartphones are unmistakably an iPhone and Galaxy S device, the format is almost identical. In practice, this means that even small hands, bags and pockets can easily handle the Galaxy S22.
Although the device feels sturdy due to the metal frame, it is recommended to put a case around it. Glass is and remains vulnerable, but the device also does not lie flat on the surface due to the bulging camera.
Plus and minuses taken over
It is nice that Samsung also implements the great advantage of iPhones in its devices: long-term support. You can expect at least four Android version updates and five years of security updates. Competitors such as OnePlus, Motorola, Oppo and Xiaomi have not yet answered this – which actually leads to two flavors remaining in the high price segment. Samsung and Apple.
Yet, once again, Samsung cannot resist adopting the bad features of its major competitor: no memory card slot, no audio port, no adapter. The main prize.
Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S22
The most striking feature that the Galaxy S22 shares with the iPhone 13: the device is almost inseparable from its predecessor. Not only does that make upgrading from a Galaxy S21 a bad idea, it might also make the Galaxy S21 a smarter alternative, as update support has been retroactively extended for that device.
The battery life of the Galaxy S22 is a big step backwards compared to the Galaxy S21.
One difference compared to the Galaxy S21 is very noticeable. Both in practice and in the specs: the battery capacity of this Galaxy S22 is a lot lower. So not only do you have a shorter battery life with the newer version, your device battery also has a shorter life. Small batteries wear out faster.
When asked, a spokesperson for Samsung said that this will be overcome by a more economical chipset. In practice I didn’t notice it. The battery life of the Galaxy S22 is a big step backwards compared to the Galaxy S21, about a day. Depending on your settings and usage. That is not an accident, but a conscious choice by Samsung by placing a smaller battery in an almost identical device.
Screen and specs
We see small improvements in the area of computing power due to the new chipset, but this cannot be tested properly. Because unfortunately Samsung has been caught cheating with its benchmarks. In practice you notice that all apps and games run as you would expect. Temperatures of the device can rise due to the Exynos 2200 chipset. Nevertheless, it is enough computing power for the coming years, but also to connect your smartphone as a workstation to a screen, keyboard and mouse thanks to Dex.
The image quality of the screen is – just like the Galaxy S21 – unprecedentedly high. On paper, high resolution, 120 hertz dynamic refresh rate and an OLED panel that has a green check mark on all HDR specifications. In practice, this is also the case. The sharpness and color reproduction in particular are immediately noticeable. It is also fine to use in bright sunlight. There are no curved screen edges, which is very practical.
Behind the screen is a fingerprint scanner, which worked flawlessly during testing. As we are used to from Samsung smartphones, the front camera is placed in a screen hole in the middle of the top.
oneUI
The Galaxy S22 runs on Android 12 with Samsung’s OneUI shell. We already mentioned (or praised) the extended update support that puts Samsung smartphones above other Android manufacturers. OneUI gives the Android smartphone an unmistakable Samsung appearance and is mature enough to offer many features that enrich Android without bugs.
Nevertheless, Samsung is also making its own money by offering countless of its own (rather unnecessary) services. From browser to application store and Bixby voice assistant. It gets worse with the bloatware. The device is full of questionable apps. From a whole suite of Microsoft apps to Facebook and in the settings the completely unnecessary McAfee virus scanner. These kinds of apps do not offer a pleasant experience that belongs on a smartphone of around a thousand euros.
Galaxy S22 camera
With the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung took over with the best and most versatile camera. The camera of this regular Galaxy S22 is a bit more modest. Like the Galaxy S21, this Galaxy S22 has three cameras on the back. In fact, the wide-angle lens has remained the same. The regular and zoom lenses are a step forward on paper and in the setup compared to the previous generation.
From left to right: wide angle, regular lens, zoom.
What is striking is that the cameras take sublime photos. In particular the telephoto lens (without having to zoom extra) and regular lens. A lot of (color) detail is captured and noise is rare, until you zoom in the dark. It is striking how large the angle of view that the wide-angle lens sees. This is where more and more software comes into play to make your photos as beautiful as possible. For example, to avoid curvature in wide-angle photos, or the portrait mode, which captures all the details around the subject. But the night mode in particular stands out positively, so that everything can be recorded even in difficult lighting conditions.
From left to right: wide angle camera, regular lens, zoom lens. All three with night mode.
The practical example with the cuddly bears clearly shows what the possibilities are. The composition was difficult, because the bears were not visible to the naked eye. That makes the end result impressive. The example does show that the wide-angle lens is better avoided in low-light situations.
Advanced users can get started with raw photography via the expertRAW app, which you have to pick from Samsung’s own application store.
Alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy S22
Although the Galaxy S22 is a good smartphone, it is difficult to substantiate a choice. The Galaxy S21 may have a slightly less good camera, the battery life is better and the price is a few hundred euros lower. That simply makes the Samsung Galaxy S21 a smarter choice, and honestly, so does the Galaxy S21+. That smartphone is also quite cheaper.
Compared to the iPhone 13, the Galaxy S22 is better off. That is mainly thanks to the extended update support. The old choice Samsung or Apple seems to fall in favor of the former with the arrival of the Galaxy S22.
Conclusion: Buy Samsung Galaxy S22?
Actually, the Samsung Galaxy S22 is a Galaxy S21 with a smaller battery and a slightly better camera… And a significantly higher price. That hangs like a dark cloud over the Galaxy S22, which is an excellent smartphone on all fronts.
†