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In this article, we’ll compare the best of Google and Samsung at the moment. In other words, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Pixel 6 Pro arrived a couple of months ago, while Samsung’s latest launched a couple of days ago at this point. Both of these phones are quite pricey, and quite powerful at the same time. Truth be said, the Galaxy S22 Ultra costs considerably more, but… it also offers something entirely different via its S Pen stylus.
These two phones are considerably different in pretty much every way. We’ll first list their specifications, and will then move to the design, display, performance, battery, camera, and audio sections of the article. This comparison will hopefully help you make a purchasing decision. That being said, let’s compare the Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, shall we?
Specs
| Google Pixel 6 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | |
| Screen size | 6.71-inch QHD+ AMOLED curved display (120Hz refresh rate, LTPO) | 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (120Hz adaptive refresh rate, LTPO) |
| Screen resolution | 3120 x 1440 | 3080 x 1440 |
| SoC | Google Tensor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Samsung Exynos 2200 |
| RAM | 12GB (LPDDR5) | 8GB/12GB (LPDDR5) |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB/512GB (UFS 3.1), non-expandable | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB, non-expandable |
| Rear cameras | 50MP (f/1.9 aperture, 1.2um pixel size, 26mm lens, omnidirectional PDAF, OIS, Laser AF) 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.25um pixel size, 114-degree FoV) 48MP (f/3.5 aperture, 0.8um pixel size, OIS, PDAF, 114-degree FoV, 4x optical zoom) |
108MP (f/1.8 aperture, OIS, 0.8um pixel size. Produces 12MP images with 2.4um pixel size) 12MP (ultrawide, Dual Pixel AF, 120-degree FoV, f/2.2 aperture, 1.4um pixel size) 10MP (telephoto, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, f/2.4 aperture, 1.12um pixel size, 70mm lens, optical zoom 3x) 10MP (telephoto, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, f/4.9 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, 230mm lens, 10x optical zoom, 100x Space Zoom) |
| Front cameras | 11.1MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, 20mm lens) | 40MP (f/2.2 aperture, 80-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF) |
| Battery | 5,003mAh, non-removable, 23W wired charging (max, slows down after 50%), 23W wireless charging | 5,000mAh, non-removable, 45W wired charging, 15W Qi wireless charging, 5W Wireless PowerShare |
| Dimensions | 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9mm | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm |
| Weight | 210 grams | 228/229 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) | In-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic) |
| OS | Android 12 | Android 12 One UI 4.1 |
| Price | $899 | $1,199.99 |
| Buy | Samsung |
Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Design
Starting off with the design. First and foremost, do note that both of these phones are huge. These are large flagship offerings from the two companies. They’re almost the same in terms of height, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra is a bit wider than the Pixel 6 Pro. They’re the same when it comes to thickness, while the Pixel 6 Pro is a bit lighter. Both phones are quite bulky, though, and weigh over 200 grams.
Having said that, they’re both made out of metal and glass, but look considerably different. The Galaxy S22 Ultra sides are curvier, but its corners are sharper, and its top and bottom sides are completely flat. Holding the two phones in the hand feels entirely different, though both are quite slippery, so keep that in mind. Using a case in both situations may not be a bad idea. The camera setups on the back also look considerably different.
The Google Pixel 6 Pro has a huge strip in the top portion of the phone’s back, which starts on one side, and goes all the way to the other. The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a more regular-looking camera setup, in which all of its cameras sit in the top-left corner. The Galaxy S22 Ultra also has the S Pen stylus silo at the bottom, and the S Pen is included. Physical buttons sit on the right-hand side of both devices, but they’re not in the same order. The power / lock key is below the volume rocker keys on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but the opposite is true for the Pixel 6 Pro.
Both phones feel extremely premium in the hand, no doubt about that, and both have a display camera hole that is centered. These are two drastically different designs. Both phones look quite nice, but different people prefer different things, so… one is likely to appeal to you more.
Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Display
Both of these devices have truly gorgeous displays, which are also quite large at the same time. The Google Pixel 6 Pro comes with a 6.71-inch 3120 x 1440 AMOLED display. This is a curved LTPO panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. We’re looking at an adaptive refresh rate here, by the way. This display does support HDR10+ content, and it is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the flip side, includes a 6.8-inch 3088 x 1440 Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. This display is also curved, and it’s an LTPO panel, in other words, it offers an adaptive refresh rate. This is a 120Hz panel, and it gets extremely bright, all the way up to 1,750 n its. It’s unrivaled in the smartphone space at the moment. This display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus+.
Both of these displays are big, bold, and beautiful. They’re both immensely sharp, and feel excellent to use due to vivid colors, excellent viewing angles, and that high refresh rate which simply makes scrolling and various other actions a pleasure. Both displays offer a very good touch sampling rate as well, and are more than bright enough in all conditions. All in all, both displays are truly great, and you’ll be more than happy with them, regardless of which phone you get.
Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Performance
Both of these phones come with powerful internals. The Pixel 6 Pro uses Google’s very own Tensor chip, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 SoC (market dependent). Both phones pack in LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. Every Pixel 6 Pro variant includes 12GB of RAM, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra is available in both 8GB and 12GB RAM flavors.
That being said, both phones also ship with Android 12, but with different software offerings. In regards to performance, these specs, in combination with software optimizations, work really well. The Pixel 6 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra offer excellent performance. At this point in time, we didn’t really use the Galaxy S22 Ultra for long, but even now it’s obvious that it’s capable of excellent performance.
During regular usage, both phones will fly through anything you run on them. Despite the fact the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a ton of added features, some of which are S Pen-focused, it works like a charm. The same can be said for gaming, actually. Both phones can run pretty much any game out there, and run it well. They both get warm during gaming, but not too warm, or anything of the sort. Do note that we’ve tested the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 version of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, not the Exynos 2200 model.
Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Battery
The Google Pixel 6 Pro includes a 5,003mAh battery, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra sports a 5,000mAh unit. So, they have basically the same battery capacities. The Galaxy S22 Ultra launched recently, so we didn’t get around to testing the battery properly, that’ll have to wait for the full review. It does look quite promising, though. The Galaxy S21 Ultra had amazing battery life, so we have high hopes for this one. The S21 Ultra was able to cross the 7-hour screen-on-time level during our usage.
The Pixel 6 Pro battery has been all over the place since its launch. In one period it was really, really good, and then it decided to be, well, not good. With each update battery life shifted, basically. At the moment, it’s good, but not spectacular. If I had to pinpoint an average, well, I’d say that most people should be able to get between 5.5-6 hours of screen-on-time. Do note that your mileage may differ quite a bit due to different apps, cell reception, usage, and even the update your phone is on, as the Pixel 6 Pro battery life is everything but consistent.
What about charging? Well, both phones offer fast charging, but neither comes with a charging brick. The Pixel 6 Pro supports 23W wired charging, but do note that it slows down considerably after that 50-percent mark. It will take you around 2 hours to fully charge it. 23W wireless charging is supported via an official wireless charger. Reverse wireless charging is also included.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the flip side, supports 45W wired, and 15W wireless charging. The phone also supports Wireless PowerShare aka reverse wireless charging.
Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Cameras
The Google Pixel 6 Pro has four cameras overall, three of which are on the back. The Galaxy S22 Ultra has one extra camera on the back. The camera setups on these two phones are considerably different, though, on the hardware side of things. Both phones do utilize main (wide), telephoto, and ultrawide cameras. In addition to that setup, though, the Galaxy S22 Ultra also has a periscope camera on the back.
Camera setups on both phones are excellent, to say the least. These are easily some of the best camera smartphones on the market. At the time of writing this article, we didn’t finish our Galaxy S22 Ultra review, but based on a bunch of sample photos we’ve taken… it’s excellent in the camera department. If you’re looking for some of the best cameras on Android, these two phones will both deliver.
Both can reach great detail and sharpness in images, in daylight. The dynamic range is also great, and so are the colors, which are vivid. Neither phone overprocesses images, even though they tend to look a bit unrealistic, which is what is preferred these days. The images do look lively, and great overall. It is worth noting that the level of detail can be a tad bit higher on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. That is not surprising considering the size of that sensor, though.
In low light, they both do an amazing job. They manage to light up the scene without a problem, while preserving great detail, and they also battle noise like champs. The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a bit more issue with street lights, and flares in general, but that’s hopefully something Samsung will sort out via an update.
Ultrawide cameras are excellent on both phones, and do their best to keep up with main cameras. Telephoto shots are great on both, but if you plan on taking 10x+ images on a phone often, the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s periscope camera does wonders. You can zoom in really far without an issue, and it’s a bit early to say, but this is likely the best periscope camera to date.
Audio
Both phones have a set of stereo speakers, and those speakers are great. They’re both quite loud, sharp, and offer bass. If we had to nitpick, we’d probably say that the Galaxy S22 Ultra speakers do sound a bit better, but the difference is not that big. The bottom line is, you’ll likely be happy with both sets.
A 3.5mm headphone jack is not included on either phone, but you can always utilize the Type-C USB port at the bottom. That is something both phones have. If you prefer a wireless connection, Bluetooth 5.2 is included on both devices.