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In this article, we’ll compare two of Samsung’s most powerful phones right now, the Samsung Galaxy S22+ vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Both of these phones were announced earlier this month during Samsung’s Unpacked event. They were announced alongside the Galaxy S22, the smallest in the pack. Both of these phones are quite compelling, but they are not as similar as you may think.
They do differ in the design department quite a bit, unlike the Galaxy S22 and S22+. In addition to that, they do have different camera setups, and thus produce different images. They do share some of their specs, though. This should be a rather interesting comparison, to say the least. Let’s kick off the Galaxy S22+ vs Galaxy S22 Ultra comparison, shall we. We’ll kick off by listing their spec sheets.
Specs
| Samsung Galaxy S22+ | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | |
| Screen size | 6.6-inch fullHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (120Hz adaptive down to 48Hz) | 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (120Hz adaptive refresh rate, LTPO, down to 1Hz) |
| Screen resolution | 2340 x 1080 | 3080 x 1440 |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Samsung Exynos 2200 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Samsung Exynos 2200 |
| RAM | 8GB (LPDDR5) | 8GB/12GB (LPDDR5) |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB, non-expandable | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB, non-expandable |
| Rear cameras | 50MP (f/1.8 aperture, 24mm lens, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF, 1.0um pixel size) 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 70mm lens, telephoto, 1.0um pixel size, OIS, PDAF, 3x optical zoom) 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 13mm lens, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size) |
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 | 10MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, 26mm lens, Dual Pixel PDAF) | 40MP (f/2.2 aperture, 80-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF) |
| Battery | 4,500mAh, non-removable, 45W wired charging, 15W Qi wireless charging, 5W Wireless PowerShare | 5,000mAh, non-removable, 45W wired charging, 15W Qi wireless charging, 5W Wireless PowerShare |
| Dimensions | 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6mm | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm |
| Weight | 195/196 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 12 One UI 4.1 |
Android 12 One UI 4.1 |
| Price | $849.99 | $1,199.99 |
| Buy | Samsung | Samsung |
Samsung Galaxy S22+ vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Design
Both the Galaxy S22+ and S22 Ultra are made out of metal and glass, but they do look different. They also feel different in the hand. They’re both quite slippery, though, so it’s definitely recommended that you get a case for each of them. The Galaxy S22+ has a more boxy design, as its sides are flatter, and so are its front and back sides. The Galaxy S22+ keeps things more similar to its predecessor, but it’s boxier this time around, with far less curves.
The top and bottom sides of the Galaxy S22 Ultra are completely flat, while the phone does have sharper corners than its sibling. Both phones have a display camera hole, though they have different displays. One is flat, and the other curved. We’ll talk more about them in the next chapter. Both phones have really thin bezels, and both of them feel really premium in the hand, that’s for sure.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is taller, wider, and thicker than the Galaxy S22+. The ‘Plus’ model is large, so you can imagine how large the ‘Ultra’ is. If you’re not into large phones, chances are you won’t really be attracted to either of them, especially the ‘Ultra’. Most people seem to love large devices, so… there you go. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is also quite hefty at 228/229 grams, while the Galaxy S22+ weighs 195/196 grams.
Samsung Galaxy S22+ vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Display
The Galaxy S22+ features a 6.6-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. This panel offers a 120Hz refresh rate, and it’s flat. It also supports HDR10+ content, and it offers a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. Do note that you can achieve that brightness in auto mode only. This display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus+, and we’re looking at a ppi of around 393, in case you were wondering.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the flip side, features a 6.8-inch QHD+ (3088 x 1440) Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel. This display is curved, and it supports a 120Hz refresh rate. Do note that its refresh rate drops all the way to 1Hz when necessary, while the ‘Plus’ doesn’t go below 48Hz. HDR10+ content is supported here as well, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra offers the same peak brightness as its sibling. The phone’s display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus+, and it offers a ppi of around 500.
In case you’re wondering whether the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s display is much better in comparison… well, the truth is, they’re both amazing. You won’t notice a major difference between them, despite the fact the S22 Ultra’s panel is sharper. They’re both really sharp, and offer great viewing angles. On top of that, the colors pop on both, and they both get extremely bright. You can’t go wrong with either of these displays, just note that one is flat, and the other curved.
Samsung Galaxy S22+ vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Performance
These two phones are equipped with the same SoC, or should we say SoCs. There are two different SoC models out there. In some markets, you’ll get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 models, in others, the Exynos 2200 models. The Galaxy S22+ comes with 8GB of RAM, in all variants, while you can choose between 8GB and 12GB RAM options for the Galaxy S22 Ultra. That model also comes in more storage options.
So, they have the same SoC, similar RAM counts (both are LPDDR5, by the way), and UFS 3.1 flash storage. On top of that, the software is quite similar (except the S Pen stuff). So, they should offer similar performance, right? Well, yes, they do. One thing we’ve noticed is that the Galaxy S22+ seems to heat up a bit more during gaming. That doesn’t affect its performance in games, though, not at all. It also never gets too hot. The Galaxy S22 Ultra gets quite warm as well.
Both fly through everyday tasks, to say the least. They can open and close apps really fast, they’re also great for multitasking, multimedia consumption, and even gaming. We didn’t notice any noticeable lag here, though as is the case with every phone, they can skip a frame or two here and there. The bottom line is, you’ll be more than happy with the performance of both of these phones, as should be the case considering their price tags.
Samsung Galaxy S22+ vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Battery
The Galaxy S22+ includes a 4,500mAh battery pack, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with a 5,000mAh battery. Now, based on these numbers, you’d assume that the Galaxy S22 Ultra has better battery life, right? Well, that’s not entirely accurate. The Galaxy S22+ does have a lower-res display than its sibling, and in combination with its battery pack, it somehow manages to offer better battery life.
Do note that at this point (at the time of writing this article), we’ve fully reviewed the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but the Galaxy S22+ is still in progress. That being said, the Galaxy S22+ does offer better battery life, for now. Both phones actually offer good battery life, but the Galaxy S22+ constantly gets ahead. Both phones will likely be able to provide around 6 hours of screen-on-time for most of you. The ‘Plus’ model can even reach the 6.5-hour mark, while the ‘Ultra’ somehow falls short of the 6-hour screen-on-time goal.
Both of these phones do support both wired and wireless charging. Samsung officially listed them to support 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W Wireless PowerShare aka reverse wireless charging. The thing is, the charger is not included in the box with either, and that 45W charging is not exactly 45W charging. Both phones do take the same time to charge with 25W and 45W chargers. You can read more about that here.
Samsung Galaxy S22+ vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Cameras
So, the camera setups here are quite different. The Galaxy S22+ includes three cameras, a 50-megapixel main camera, backed by a 10-megapixel telephoto, and 12-megapixel ultrawide cameras. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the other hand, includes a 108-megapixel main camera, two 10-megapixel units (telephoto and periscope), and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. The S22 Ultra also had a 40-megapixel main camera, compared to a 10-megapixel unit on the Galaxy S22+.
Megapixels aren’t everything, of course. So, how do the two phones compare? Well, they’re both really good when it comes to taking pictures and videos, first and foremost. There are quite a few differences, and yes, the S22 Ultra comes out on top. It provides more contrasty images, but they don’t look oversaturated or anything, even though the images do pop. It balances images a bit better, so the blacks are actually black in images during the day, not dark gray. It also provides a bit more sharpness, though both phones do a great job with that, and also dynamic range. Do note that in some instances, the S22+ captures the better shot, of course.
In low light, the Galaxy S22+ has more noise in images than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, though truth be said, both provide great results. Things get much closer when you fire up the night mode. The ‘Ultra’ also offers more detail in low light. Those differences are not that huge, and some of you may not even notice it. Still, it’s worth saying. The video looks really great on both, and the same goes for pictures taken with ultrawide cameras, they’re quite similar. The Galaxy S22 Ultra can be used for insane zoom situations, of course, thanks to its periscope camera, just note that you won’t want to use it in low light.
Audio
In regards to audio, they’re basically the same. Call quality is as high as you’d expect it to be for flagship phones, while they both offer stereo speakers. Those are really good speakers on both sides, and as I said, the results are basically the same. The sound is rich, with some bass, and you won’t notice any particular distortion unless you really crank up the volume to the max. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack on either phone, but you can use a Type-C port or Bluetooth to connect your headphones.