We have been able to spend a few hours with the new Samsung mobiles, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, S22 Plus, and S22, and we tell you what our opinion has been.
Samsung long ago became the most important manufacturer of Android mobiles in the world. Since then, the strategy has been changing, adapting above all to the extreme competition that comes from the East, with brands such as Xiaomi and OPPO, which increasingly aspire to take away that position not only in the entry and middle-range but also in the high end.
Now the Korean company has just presented the new Galaxy S22 Series, three models that we have been able to test briefly and that we have already told you about have left us with a good taste in our mouths, in the absence of being able to test them in depth.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Two years ago Samsung changed the name of its models to introduce the Ultra, terminals that we’re called to be its reference in the high range. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra was the first of them, but it did not reach the heights that users demanded, especially due to a somewhat bland design and some problems with its camera.
Last year the Galaxy S21 raised the level so much that, despite having been presented in February, it was nominated as one of the best phones of the year.
In 2022, Samsung takes a risk again by keeping everything we had in the S21 and also offering us what it gave us in the Note family. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the first Galaxy S with an integrated S pen.
This model moves away from the aesthetics of its smaller brothers with a much more angular design reminiscent of the Galaxy Note. Also, the camera module disappears making the design less iconic, but much more comfortable in hand.
The weight distribution is more successful, which makes us feel that the grammage is less when the reality is that it is almost the same as last year’s model.
The integration of the S-Pen, which works like in the Galaxy Note, does not affect the size of the battery, which has led many to think that the reason for eliminating the audio jack a few generations ago was not so related to this limitation. as much as by the desire of the industry to bet on wireless sound.
Despite these big changes, design, and S-Pen, the rest of the device is not very different from the S21 Ultra, with a 6.8-inch screen reminiscent of last year’s, a set of cameras that improves a lot in software but not so much in hardware and a very similar battery and charging systems.
This should not sound like a criticism, because we always say that if something is very good, it is better not to touch it. However, the fact that mobile of more than 1,000 euros has a charging speed of 45 W seems at least striking, especially when there are competing models that charge almost three times faster. So, it seems that we are beginning to reach a technological limit in which it does not make sense for mobile to use a 4K panel, a 200 Mpx camera, or a 10,000 mAh battery.
With the inclusion of the S-Pen, it seems that Samsung has taken what its most classic family can give to the extreme, and we begin to look towards foldable as truly innovative and different devices.
Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus
The Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus do not seem to have changed much, at least they give that feeling in the press photos and in the videos. The reality is that they do have more changes than we see with the naked eye.
For starters, they’re smaller, at 6.1 and 6.6 inches respectively. The screen bezels have been further reduced and are nowhere near perfectly symmetrical. They are not because the lower one is 0.2 mm longer than the other three, but at first glance, they look the same.
In addition, the back of the two models has a glass finish, leaving aside the plastic in this category, something that is appreciated.
In terms of performance, the difference with its older brother is focused on RAM, having only 8 GB of RAM options, and on the screen, never having to move QHD resolutions. It is true that many people opt for the FHD resolution in the Ultra models, but some still want that extra definition, for which the 12 GB of most versions of the Ultra are appreciated.
As for the cameras, we see changes in the main one, with a 50 Mpx sensor that has left us with good feelings, but it is one of those things that we have to test more thoroughly.
There are also changes in the optical zoom, opting for a 10 Mpx sensor with 3 optical magnifications, the same ones we saw in the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE.
In essence, they are two terminals that are even rounder than their predecessors, with high prices but that do not exceed four figures, at least initially.
Both models are the direct rivals of terminals such as the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Realme GT 2, and Xiaomi 12, to name a few.
Price and availability
Samsung Galaxy S22 Price:
| 128GB 8GB RAM | $ 699.99 | |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | $ 749.99 |
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Price:
| 128GB 8GB RAM | $ 999.43 |
| 256GB 12GB RAM | $ 1,099.99 |
| 512GB 12GB RAM | $ 1,185.00 |
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus Price:
| 128GB 8GB RAM | $ 799.99 |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | $ 849.99 |
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