Samsung Galaxy S22+ Assessment: Placing a Stability

On the floor, Samsung’s newest S22+ merely seems to be like one other incremental improve with a well-known face, however is there extra to this middle-child of a Galaxy S cellphone than the anticipated annual {hardware} updates and design revisions?

Whereas the ‘S’ branding inside Samsung’s Galaxy naming conference has at all times been tied to the corporate’s flagship Android telephones, the ‘+’ suffix is a comparatively current addition to the lineage whose perform continues to alter over time.

The obvious distinction between the S22 and the S22+ – as is true of earlier generations – is the bigger dimension that the Plus mannequin sports activities; to not point out the additional advantages that its further quantity brings. Shifting from the usual to the Plus not solely means an even bigger display however a bigger battery too.

With the extension of an Extremely-branded entry inside every year’s Galaxy S line, the Plus mannequin additionally serves as one thing of a melting pot; melding the extra modest {hardware} of the bottom S cellphone with touches of the extra premium and superior options that might in any other case be unique to the Extremely.

As such, whereas the Galaxy S22+ could not appear to be essentially the most thrilling entry on this yr’s flagship Samsung line-up, it is arguably the cellphone with the broadest attraction, by way of dimension, options and efficiency.

Design & construct

Trendy and slim
Improved sturdiness
Gorilla Glass Victus+ & Armour Aluminium

Whereas 2020’s Galaxy S20 lineup was somewhat bland to take a look at, final yr’s S21 sequence introduced extra outlined and distinctive {hardware} to the desk (helped by way of an eye catching ‘Phantom Violet’ end because the vary’s signature colourway). The S22 and S22+ firmly adapt the acquainted footprint left by 2021’s Galaxy S telephones, together with their recognisable ‘contour minimize’ digicam bump.

Apple’s return to slab-sided industrial design (initially with 2020’s iPhone 12 sequence) appears to have rubbed off on its competitors too; leading to gadgets like Vivo’s V23 and Oppo’s newest Reno 7 sequence. The Galaxy S22+ (and S22) lands someplace between the types of the extra rounded S21 line and straight-edged iPhone 13, sporting a hybrid design that provides extra grip than the previous however is extra comfy to clutch than the latter.

In addition to dropping any rounding from the back and front glass (which ought to assist higher cease the display from cracking when touchdown on its sides), the S22+ additionally debuts a tailor-made model of Corning’s top-end Gorilla Glass Victus, fittingly known as Victus+ – the diversifications of which nonetheless have not formally been disclosed.

The polished body working the cellphone’s edge is – for the primary time on a Galaxy S cellphone – hewn from Armour Aluminium (or ‘Armor Aluminum’, for these Stateside), Samsung’s upgraded aluminium-based alloy, first seen on 2021’s Galaxy Z Flip Three and Z Fold Three foldables. In Samsung’s phrases, it claims to be “the strongest aluminum utilized in trendy smartphones.”

Whereas I can solely communicate to the S22+’s obvious glorious construct high quality in a comparatively inert state, these keen to topic their take a look at gadgets to more difficult situations have confirmed Samsung’s claims; with the improved sturdiness promised by this new materials selection proving extra than simply advertising and marketing spiel.

For those who’re eager to maintain the cellphone’s end pristine, nonetheless, try our rundown of the most effective Samsung Galaxy S22+ circumstances you should purchase.

Regardless of seemingly harder building than its predecessor (paired with ongoing IP68-certified mud and water resistance), Samsung has additionally managed to make this yr’s Plus each lighter and thinner than the Galaxy S21+ too.

Stylistically, the diploma to which the distinction between the polished steel body and the subtle glass again (simply as with final yr’s S sequence) varies, depends upon the colourway you go for. The Pink Gold mannequin most prominently pictured on this evaluation contains a colour-matched body (as is the case with the entire commonplace finishes), whereas the 4 Samsung.com-exclusive choices sport contrasting body and glass therapies; together with a extra reserved riff on that signature Phantom Violet from final yr.

The Galaxy S22+ in Phantom Black

Doubtless as a approach of reflecting the S22 sequence’ existence as a refinement of their direct predecessors, this yr’s telephones are being served up with a extra muted palette and whereas much less eye-catching than a lot of the competitors, the choices on the desk all really feel thought-about and will work with an array of kinds and aesthetics.

Show & audio

Smaller 6.6in panel, in comparison with predecessor
Stunning 120Hz AMOLED visuals
Wonderful out of doors brightness
Clear however flat stereo audio system

A contact of post-launch controversy shed somewhat gentle on an obvious improve to the show on the S22+ (and base S22), in comparison with its predecessor – a change which Samsung has since needed to step in and make clear.

Regardless of what some official spec sheets nonetheless say, the S22 and S22+ each sport excessive refresh fee shows with a variable vary of 120Hz all the way down to 48Hz – similar to final yr’s fashions. Spec sheets claiming each telephones can drop to 10Hz aren’t technically flawed, however the panel used bottoms out at 48Hz.

With that clarification out of the way in which, the viewing expertise on the S22+ seems to be markedly just like that of final yr’s Plus mannequin, albeit housed inside a panel that is 0.1in smaller (at 6.6in). This new dimension truly makes for a greater match in-hand, with out compromising on the cellphone’s abilities as a media machine. Having bezels of a constant thickness working the show’s edges is a pleasant visible contact too.

At this dimension, the 19.5:9 facet ratio makes one-handed use when the interface is at full scale somewhat too difficult to tug off commonly and comfortably, nonetheless, the software program’s devoted one-handed mode is, fortunately, on-hand to make transferring across the interface with a single mitt markedly simpler; activated with a easy swipe down from the underside of the show.

As for the visuals themselves, Samsung has lengthy provided up very good screens on its Galaxy S telephones and that hasn’t modified with the S22 vary. The “Dynamic AMOLED 2X” panel on the Plus could solely sport Full HD+ decision (giving this cellphone the bottom pixel density amidst the trio of debut S22 telephones), nevertheless it nonetheless delivers a crisp picture that ought to satiate most customers.

The cellphone defaults to a ‘Vivid’ color profile, which features a color temperature slider for fine-grain tweaking, nonetheless, there’s additionally a extra modest ‘Pure’ profile if you happen to’re much less of a fan of Samsung’s choice in direction of punchy visuals.

The display additionally helps an eye fixed consolation defend to filter out blue gentle within the evenings, the UI can change to darkish mode and the refresh fee could be set to a hard and fast 60Hz or an ‘Adaptive’ variable mode (the default). Even when the panel would not achieve any new benefit, by way of energy effectivity by with the ability to drop as little as 10Hz – as was as soon as purported – it nonetheless delivers nice super-smooth and responsive viewing, even when the 240Hz contact sampling fee (in Recreation Mode) is not fairly as aggressive as some rivals.

Whereas there’s little ‘new’ on supply from the panel utilized by the S22+, it does boast a better peak brightness (1750nits) than its predecessor and that proved its value when in use towards the winter solar. Facet by aspect with the Pixel 6 Professional, the distinction is not fairly night time and day, however the Galaxy was the clear winner; with the ability to ship a brighter picture and higher colors, with out compromise.

The cellphone’s 7.6mm body would not go away room for a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack however you may join via a USB-C adapter or the cellphone’s Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity if you happen to want to go wi-fi.

The S22+’s slim physique nonetheless manages to supply up stereo audio system, which sport a excessive/low bias between the earpiece and down-firing grille, respectively. In the meantime, the cellphone’s total output is evident however somewhat flat.

Software program & options

Nice multitasking toolset
Excellent long-term replace assist
Debut of One UI 4.1 (atop Android 12)
Some duplicate apps out of field (that may be uninstalled/disabled)

Whereas One UI Four was the primary iteration of Samsung’s cell person expertise to capitalise on the additions that the underlying Android 12 replace delivered to the desk, the S22+ launches with the revised One UI 4.1 (once more, atop Android 12); full with quite a few small however useful tweaks and upgrades.

For those who’re already accustomed to One UI, the appear and feel of the person expertise on the S22+ should not come as something of a shock. You may discover acquainted icon designs and color palettes, the Galaxy Retailer alongside the Google Play Retailer and menus – from the Fast Settings shade to the total settings menu – that every one really feel distinctly totally different to inventory Android whereas remaining according to each other.

One UI is a feature-packed Android pores and skin that almost all new customers ought to nonetheless discover clear and concise sufficient to navigate with out bother. The out-of-box expertise is fairly intuitive however if you wish to dive deeper, there are additionally a wealth of choices to find that set it other than a extra inventory construct; some options being extra welcome than others.

You possibly can have the Google Uncover web page or Samsung’s personal ‘Free’ feed to the left of your private home display, there is a devoted theme retailer that is filled with each first and third-party choices to immediately change up the look of your Galaxy’s interface, after which there are extras like Twin Messenger: letting you run two cases of the identical messaging app, tied to 2 totally different accounts, concurrently.

The long-standing Edge Panels make attending to your favorite apps (and contacts) straightforward from virtually wherever inside the UI and with the ability to save split-screen configurations, in addition to launching apps in floating home windows with a easy drag-and-drop motion make for an important multitasking expertise; significantly on the S22+’s nicely-sized display.

Some of the compelling issues about Samsung’s telephones proper now could be the promise of software program assist that accompanies them. The corporate had already dedicated to delivering three years of OS updates and 4 years of safety updates to the vast majority of its newer telephones, however with the arrival of the Galaxy S22 vary, it upped the stakes by promising a further yr of every to flagship gadgets; reaching again to cowl quite a few 2021 handsets as effectively.

This transfer not solely means Samsung’s prime telephones out-perform Google by way of long-term software program assist but in addition provides worth to gadgets just like the S22+ in an space that almost all rival Android cellphone makers cannot (or at the very least do not) compete on.

Try our Finest Android cellphone chart for some worthwhile alternate options to the One UI-toting S22+, if you happen to’re curious see what else is on the market.

Efficiency

One of many first telephones to sport a 4nm Exynos 2200/Snapdragon eight Gen 1
Efficiency positive factors not as large as anticipated in comparison with S21+
Exynos Xclipse 920 first cell GPU w/ ray tracing
Lacks graphical optimisation for some video games

Whereas firms like Motorola and Xiaomi could have crushed Samsung to the punch by releasing telephones working on cutting-edge 4nm silicon forward of the S22 vary, this latest Galaxy sequence is probably going essentially the most extensively obtainable set of gadgets to sport such {hardware} and thus, for a lot of, might be their first style of those new chips’ capabilities.

As ever, the market you purchase your Galaxy S22 entry in will have an effect on which chipset resides at its core. Throughout the UK and Europe, you may discover the Exynos 2200-powered variant (which is what I have been testing), whereas customers in markets just like the US and elsewhere can count on the newest Snapdragon eight Gen 1 as a substitute.

In real-world use, the S22+ would not actually throw up any main surprises, which is mostly an excellent factor. Efficiency is expectedly glorious, with virtually no lag, brief app load occasions and 0 complaints, in the case of extra intensive actions, like multitasking; even the place video playback is anxious.

Nonetheless, in synthetic benchmarks, the Exynos 2200 would not seem to tug away from its predecessor by all that a lot. Forward of launch, leaked benchmarks steered that this newest Exynos can be comparable (or solely marginally weaker) to the brand new Snapdragon eight Gen 1 almost about uncooked compute energy however the hole appears quite a bit slimmer than anticipated, versus final yr’s chip too.

Graphical efficiency seems to be comparatively stronger, although notice that the low scores for the Oppo Discover X5 Professional and Pixel 6 Professional are distorted by their extra demanding, increased decision shows.

Numbers apart, the Xclipse 920 used right here is the primary cell GPU to supply hardware-accelerated ray-tracing on cell, one thing not doable on Galaxy S22 telephones with the Snapdragon eight Gen 1.

The caveat is that, on the time of writing, no cell video games brazenly assist ray-tracing and even when they did, Samsung is unlikely to instigate assist for one variant of its newest flagship, whereas the opposite stays unable to leverage the know-how.

In terms of gaming, the Exynos-powered S22+ had no drawback working a number of rounds of demanding titles, like Name of Obligation: Cell, with minimal warmth build-up, even after lengthy play periods. Within the case of CoD particularly although, regardless of the cellphone’s high-end specs, solely low-quality visible settings had been obtainable from inside the sport’s menu.

Presumably a symptom of an obvious lack of optimisation for Samsung’s Xclipse GPU, this caveat hurts what ought to in any other case be a assured gaming cellphone, even when it is not fairly capable of compete with devoted gadgets in areas like excessive refresh and contact sampling charges. For purpose-made cell gaming machines, try our record of the most effective gaming smartphones at present obtainable.

Battery

Smaller battery than S21+
Helps as much as 45W quick charging
No energy adapter in-box

Whereas a extra manageable show dimension and a thinner, extra elegant design are welcome alterations between final yr’s and this yr’s Plus, the smaller footprint does additionally lead to a smaller battery, transferring from a 4800mAh cell within the S21+ all the way down to a 4500mAh providing on this yr’s S22+.

In testing, PCMark’s battery benchmark highlights the results of this capability discount (as seen within the outcomes above), whereas real-world screen-on time ranged from round 5.5 to six hours of use per cost. The S22+’s battery life is distinctly center of the highway, that means most ought to be capable of use the cellphone for a day with out concern that it will drop useless earlier than bedtime.

To counter the battery capability discount, Samsung has at the very least seen match to up the utmost charging velocity on the S22+. Together with Wi-Fi 6E, one of many different large trickle-down options that the S22+ lords over the bottom S22 is the transfer from 25W to 45W, simply as on the S22 Extremely.

Whereas Samsung would not provide an influence adapter in-box anymore, and I wasn’t capable of take a look at the official 45W charger (priced at £44/US$49.99), I examined the S22+ with a generic USB-C 65W PD charger, which refilled the battery to 18% in 15 minutes, 37% in half an hour, and was absolutely charged in 90 minutes flat.

Digicam

Low gentle and selfie high quality want work
10Mp central hole-punch selfie digicam
50Mp essential sensor w/ OIS, 12Mp ultrawide, 10Mp telephoto w/ OIS

Amidst the slew of anticipated upgrades and enhancements, maybe some of the thrilling and intriguing modifications to the S22+ is its digicam setup.

Whereas the S20+ and S21+ each relied on a 12Mp essential, 12Mp ultrawide, and a considerably misleading 64Mp ‘telephoto’ sensor, Samsung has lastly seen match to offer this era of Plus a real 3x optical zoom snapper, as a substitute. What’s extra, there is a new 50Mp major sensor doing many of the heavy lifting, photographically talking.

In addition to higher facilitating signature flagship options, like 24fps stabilised 8K video, the principle digicam gives higher dynamic vary and element from its pixel-binned 12Mp photos, in comparison with the native 12Mp pictures captured by its predecessor.

Colors carry a signature Samsung ‘pop’ however the science used is extra nuanced and delicate than earlier iterations of the model’s picture processing, making for higher and extra aggressive outcomes towards the likes of Google’s and Apple’s newest and biggest; in pure gentle at the very least.

That mentioned, colors do seem to skew somewhat on the hotter aspect, with softness and grain additionally showing in darker areas of body to an surprising (though nonetheless acceptable) diploma, for a cellphone of this calibre.

As with most telephones that leverage pixel binning (combining the information of a number of pixels from a big digicam sensor right into a decrease decision closing picture, whereas utilizing the extra pixel knowledge to iron out points like noise and shake), the S22+ does additionally provide the choice to shoot photos on the essential sensor’s native 50Mp decision, which is nice for element however does have the potential to introduce bigger file sizes, weaker post-processing and larger shutter lag.

One good addition to this mode that is included throughout everything of the S22 vary, nonetheless, is Element Enhancer: an innocuous icon inside the digicam app’s viewfinder that, when activated, pairs a local 50Mp shot with further picture processing, just like how the cellphone handles pixel binning and HDR composition. The result’s an impressively high-detail shot that provides higher consistency with the principle digicam’s commonplace 12Mp output, by way of color, distinction, noise suppression and dynamic vary.

As for the telephoto sensor, the transfer away from hybrid zoom to true optical zoom at 3x magnification is welcome, even when, when evaluating the 2, the outcomes from the brand new sensor do not supply fairly as drastic an enchancment as anticipated. Usually, count on larger element and sharpness, paired with higher-contrast outcomes than equal telephoto photos from the S21 or S21+.

Sadly, low gentle and night time mode outcomes proved significantly disappointing on the S22+, with far much less element and sharpness in comparison with the earlier era of Galaxy S telephones.

There’s additionally a level of color inconsistency between the sensors (see the digicam pattern with the orange coat via the ultrawide and the principle for an important instance) that wasn’t current on final yr’s S fashions.

Color, distinction and dynamic vary had been additionally missing when capturing selfies, even when the underlying 10Mp front-facing digicam {hardware} would not seem like any totally different to final era’s providing.

Hopefully, these shortcomings could be patched in a subsequent software program replace, however at launch, they’re approach behind the place they need to be, primarily based on the bar Samsung’s already set itself, to not point out the competitors.

Worth & availability

In most markets, (as of 25 February) the Galaxy S22+ is on sale now, each direct from Samsung’s personal web site (US, UK, Spain, France) in addition to different retailers, together with Finest Purchase within the States and Amazon in a number of markets (US, UK, Spain, France). Nonetheless, followers in some areas, together with the UK, must wait somewhat longer for each the S22 and S22+, which is able to arrive in shops on 11 March.

The S22+ maintains its predecessor’s pricing (at the very least within the US and UK), beginning at £949/$999 for the bottom 128GB storage SKU and transferring as much as £999/$1,049 for the 256GB variant. European pricing is marginally increased than final yr, coming in at €1,079 and €1,149 for the 2 storage SKUs, respectively.

Whereas that 6.6in show is arguably the sweet-spot of the vary, significantly for these liable to having fun with media on the go with out wanting a real ‘phablet’ of their bag/pocket, as with final yr’s S21 vary, there is a not-insignificant value hike when transferring from the bottom S22 (which begins at £769/$799/€879) as much as the S22+. Whether or not the Plus’s bigger show and battery, Wi-Fi 6E and UWB assist justify the extra £180/$200/€200 actually comes all the way down to your wants and your pockets.

In terms of pricing, essentially the most clearly fly within the S22+’s ointment is Apple’s iPhone 13 Professional, which prices the identical and but delivers superior cameras, battery life and efficiency. What’s extra, relying available on the market you are in, there are additionally Android-based contenders, like Oppo’s eight Gen 1-powered Discover X5 Professional, which is the most effective the corporate gives proper now and solely prices a fraction greater than the center baby of the S22 household.

Try the place to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S22 sequence for extra on the most effective offers on a Galaxy S22 machine, together with the S22+.

Verdict

In terms of constructing flagship telephones, some issues come effortlessly to Samsung: killer shows, elegant design paired with very good construct high quality, and intuitive, feature-packed software program. As such, you understand you are not going to be let down if you decide up a Galaxy S cellphone.

As highlighted by the likes of the ill-fated Galaxy Notice 7 and, to a lesser extent, the digicam system on the Galaxy S20 Extremely, the South Korean firm would not at all times get issues fairly proper, nonetheless, and the S22+ undoubtedly has its cracks.

Battery life is ok, nevertheless it lags behind the competitors, whereas the promise of improved quick charging fails to ship any significant profit to customers.

The brand new digicam system clearly has potential too, however imaging points already addressed on final yr’s S sequence appear to have inexplicably re-emerged on the S22+, highlighting drawback areas that customers should not should take care of on a tool at this value level.

The silver lining is Samsung’s method to software program, each in its promise of Google-beating long-term OS and safety updates that reach the lifespan of gadgets just like the Galaxy S22+ past any of their Android-based opponents and the corporate’s willingness to handle and enhance its gadgets in a clear and well timed vogue.

Head over to our Finest Samsung Galaxy telephones chart to see the place we predict the S22+ slots in amidst the corporate’s present lineup.

Specs
Samsung Galaxy S22+: Specs

6.6in Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 48Hz-120Hz HDR10+ show

Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor

Gorilla Glass Victus+ (entrance & again)

Armour Aluminium body

4nm Snapdragon eight Gen 1/Samsung Exynos 2200 SoC (market dependant)

8GB RAM

128GB or 256GB non-expandable storage

50Mp essential digicam w/ OIS

12Mp ultrawide digicam

10Mp 3x optical zoom telephoto digicam w/ OIS (as much as 30x ‘Area Zoom’)