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Samsung recently announced its new flagship smartphone series, the Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra handsets. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is the most powerful one amongst them, and in this article, we’ll compare it to its predecessor. We’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. This will surely be an interesting comparison, as the two phones do have some things in common, but Samsung did alter quite a few things.
Both of these smartphones are immensely powerful, needless to say. The Galaxy S21 Ultra was the most powerful smartphone from the company until the Galaxy S22 Ultra landed. It will remain one of the most powerful offerings still, though. That being said, we’ll start by listing their specifications, and will then move to the design, display, performance, battery, camera, and audio sections. So, let’s get started with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comparison.
Specs
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | |
| Screen size | 6.8-inch WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X curved display (120Hz adaptive refresh rate) | 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (120Hz adaptive refresh rate, LTPO) |
| Screen resolution | 3200 x 1440 | 3080 x 1440 |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 / Samsung Exynos 2100 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Samsung Exynos 2200 |
| RAM | 12GB/16GB (LPDDR5) | 8GB/12GB (LPDDR5) |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB, non-expandable (expandable in some countries) | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB, non-expandable |
| Rear cameras | 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, 72 mm lens, 1.22um pixel size, optical zoom 3x) 10MP (telephoto, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, f/4.9 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, 240mm lens, 10x optical zoom, 100x Space 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 | 40MP (f/2.2 aperture, 80-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF) | 40MP (f/2.2 aperture, 80-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF) |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, non-removable, fast battery charging (USB PD 3.0), Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare | 5,000mAh, non-removable, 45W wired charging, 15W Qi wireless charging, 5W Wireless PowerShare |
| Dimensions | 165 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm |
| Weight | 227/229 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 (ultrasonic) | In-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic) |
| OS | Android 11 One UI 3.0 |
Android 12 One UI 4.1 |
| Price | $774.99 | $1,199.99 |
| Buy | Samsung | Samsung |
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy S22 Ultra: Design
In regards to the design, you can see that these two phones are related, well, if you look at them from the back. The camera sensor placement is similar, even though it essentially looks different at the same time. The camera sensors are now placed into the back side of the phone, ad they do stick out a bit. They’re not a part of a huge camera island, as was the case with the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra also has a different shape. Its corners are sharper, while the top and bottom sides are completely flat. Its front and back side are also proportional, while the curves on the sides are extreme. This phone does look like a hybrid between the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, which it essentially is. This is a spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. It ships with an S Pen, and a dock for it, which is one of the main differences between the two phones. The Galaxy S21 Ultra does support the S Pen, but doesn’t have a dock for it.
Both offer curved displays & a punch hole
Both phones feature curved displays, and each has a centered display camera hole. They feel entirely different in the hand, and yet both are quite bulky (they weigh almost the same), and quite slippery at the same time. It’s nice of Samsung to opt for a matte back, though. Both phones are also quite large. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is a bit taller than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but it’s also narrower. They’re equally thick / thin, at 8.9mm.
If you’re not a fan of large, bulky phones, these are definitely not for you. If you don’t mind such phones, and you want a really premium-feeling device, both are worth considering. Case use is still recommended as they are quite slippery.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy S22 Ultra: Display
The Galaxy S21 Ultra and S22 Ultra have some of the best displays in the business. Both are made by Samsung, and are also quite similar at the same time. The Galaxy S21 Ultra features a 6.8-inch 3200 x 1440 Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate. That display offers an adaptive refresh rate, and it supports HDR10+ content. It gets a max brightness of 1,500 nits, and it is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the flip side, includes a 6.8-inch 3080 x 1440 Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate. This display also supports HDR10+ content, and it gets an even higher peak brightness, of 1,750 nits. The display is curved, and it is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus+. Both displays offer a PPI of around 500, in case you’re wondering.
Both of these displays are truly gorgeous. The panel on the Galaxy S22 Ultra does technically get brighter, but both are immensely bright, and you’ll never feel like you need more brightness from the Galaxy S21 Ultra, not even in direct sunlight. The viewing angles are fantastic, and the colors are nice and vivid. Both displays are trying to be as color-accurate as possible, and they’re more than sharp enough. A 120Hz refresh rate also helps the general impression. These are some of the best displays in the business, easily.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy S22 Ultra: Performance
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is fueled by the Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 SoC, depending on the market. It also includes 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the flip side, comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 SoC. It packs in 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 are technically more powerful than their predecessors, but all those chips perform admirably.
In case you are thinking of skipping the Galaxy S21 Ultra, despite the fact you may get a great deal at the moment, as you’re worried about performance, don’t be. That phone will likely function great for years to come. Both phones can handle basically anything you throw at them, as Samsung did a great job with software as well. In regular, everyday tasks, they simply fly through everything.
Even if you opt for some gaming on the two phones, chances are you’ll be fine. We tested the Galaxy S21 Ultra extensively since it launched, and it handles all that like a champ. That’s still the case. The Galaxy S22 Ultra review was not out at the time of writing this article, as we’ll still in the early stages of using it. Still, it’s quite obvious, already, that it’s a great performer. It does get warm when you really push it, though, warmer than the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Don’t let this worry you, though, as it doesn’t get hot or anything. Also, do note that we have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 model.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy S22 Ultra: Battery
Both of these smartphones include a 5,000mAh battery pack. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is excellent in that department. It was one of the best Android flagships when it comes to battery in 2021. The Galaxy S22 Ultra should, technically, be even better, due to its SoC. We didn’t get a chance to test it out properly yet, but it does look promising, based on initial testing. The Galaxy S21 Ultra was a true road warrior in the battery life department, with our usage, it managed to cross the 7-hour screen-on-time without a problem.
This sets the bar quite high for the Galaxy S22 Ultra. We’ll see how it does in the full review, but as I said, it does look promising at the moment. Different people use their phones differently, in different conditions, with different apps, and so on. So, talking about battery life is sometimes without merit, but I hope you managed to get some sort of conclusion here.
Both of these smartphones support wireless charging. Both offer support for 15W wireless charging, and 5W Wireless PowerShare aka reverse wireless charging. What about wired charging? Well, the Galaxy S21 Ultra comes with support for 25W wired charging, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra supports 45W wired charging. Do note that a charger is not included with either phone, so you’ll have to get that separately.
Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Galaxy S22 Ultra: Cameras
The Galaxy S21 Ultra was one of the best smartphone camera smartphones in 2021. It still is, so the Galaxy S22 Ultra has some huge boots to fill. You’ll be glad to know that the Galaxy S22 Ultra camera performance looks very, very promising, which is not surprising as the hardware is similar. We’ve taken quite a few pictures, though are not anywhere near enough to make final calls on the camera. We can talk about it a bit, though.
One thing to note is that the Galaxy S22 Ultra seems to have some problems with street light flares, and light flares in general. It doesn’t always happen, but it can be quite annoying when it does. Other than that, there’s not much to complain about. The pictures turn out really sharp, with great detail, and good dynamic range. It does great in low light as well, but so did the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
The company claims that the Galaxy S22 Ultra can do an excellent job with hair, and that includes dog hair, so we’ll have to test that out. Still, this camera setup does look promising, and it could be an improvement over the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is still one of the best smartphone camera smartphones out there, though, so keep that in mind.
Audio
The audio, in comparison, is very similar. Both of these phones offer stereo speakers. The main speaker is located at the bottom of each phone, while the secondary sits above the display, and it’s front-firing. Both phones can provide you with 32-bit audio output, and the speakers sound really good. They’re plenty loud, with well-balanced output, and you’ll even get some bass as a result.
A 3.5mm headphone jack is not included in the package, though. That’s not surprising at all. Very few high-end phones offer an audio jack these days. You can always turn towards a Type-C USB port, or you can connect your headphones via Bluetooth.