The middle child but also the best in its league this year so far. The all-new Samsung Galaxy S22+ is a pretty-looking smartphone with all the goodies and interesting perks that one can expect from such a high-end premium device.

While the design of the device might not be so amazing and boring, to say the least, one thing for sure is the fact that the Galaxy S series has reached a level where it easily dominates the Android smartphone market while others follow.

It’s been consistent for over a decade now and the Galaxy S series has reached an all-new height whereby its Galaxy Note counterpart got morphed into the line.

From the front of the device, staring at its nice 6.6-inch display with all the bell and whistle that comes with it, then look at the symmetrical nearly bezel-less edge-to-edge design with the tiny hole-punch camera cut-out, Samsung definitely played it safe this time around while keeping the OneUI 4 skin based on the current Android 12 update nice and clean all of which compliments the device in every sense possible.

Normally, I’d classify the Galaxy S22+ as the high-end on the Galaxy S22 series this year considering the fact that the Galaxy S22 Ultra sort of represents the morphing of the now-deceased Galaxy Note line.

Even though you may still argue that the Galaxy S22+ is just as boring as the previous generation, there are actually some new things about the device that makes it promising and potentially earn it a place among the best this year.

First, you get better camera hardware with better software processing and a new-gen chipset to power up the processing power of the device and of course, battery efficiency.

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is also slightly smaller than its predecessor by a few quarters and it’s slightly bolder yet, it’s quite lighter at just 195/196 grams.

While my time with the device did get a good outcome as far as the battery life is concerned, my biggest concern is the long-term usage of the device because Samsung literally reduced the battery capacity from 4,800mAh to just 4,500mAh. Might not seem too much but the extra 300mAh may be a lifesaver.

However, there is a fast-charging capacity on the new model at 45W compared to the previous 25W on the older Galaxy S21+. However, Samsung officially stated that the device doesn’t come with an LTPO display unlike popular belief earlier.

In the camera department, you now get a bigger 50MP sensor that is 23% larger than the previous model’s 12MP sensor. There is also a new 10MP telephoto with optical zoom and an ultrawide camera to help you take your photography game to the next level.

In short, this is a pretty decent device with all the quirks and features that you may find interesting enough.

Samsung Galaxy S22+ 5G specs at a glance:

• Body: 157.4×75.8×7.6mm, 195g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Armour aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised).
• Display: 6.60″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 393ppi; Always-on display.
• Chipset: Europe: Exynos 2200 (4 nm), Octa-core CPU (1×2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A510), Xclipse 920 GPU; Rest Of World: Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm), Octa-core CPU (1×3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.40 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.70 GHz Cortex-A510), Adreno 730 GPU.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• OS/Software: Android 12, One UI 4.1.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm, 1/3.94″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55″ 1.4µm, Super Steady video.
• Front camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24″, 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 4500mAh; Fast charging 45W, USB Power Delivery 3.0, Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W, Reverse wireless charging 4.5W.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); NFC; Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support), Bixby natural language commands and dictation, Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified), Ultra Wideband (UWB) support.

Another cool feature that shouldn’t be omitted about the Galaxy S22+ is the inclusion of an Ultra-Wideband (UWB).

As for the pricing, the device comes with a premium smartphone price tag. Even though some people might be saying smartphones are getting expensive each year, that may be true but let’s not forget the fact that this device offers some value that may be worth the US$1,000+ you’re paying for it.

All in all, the all-new Samsung Galaxy S22+ is a boring upgrade to the previous model but that is what consistency looks like in my opinion and Samsung seems to have perfected the Galaxy S series so much that just little tweaks every year might not be a waste of money just that I’d still be sticking with my Galaxy Note 20 Ultra for now.

What is inside the Galaxy S22+ box?

• 1 Samsung GAlaxy S22+ device
• USB Type-C cable
• SIM ejector
• Some obligatory paperwork

And that’s all you get out of the box of the Galaxy S22+. If you think Samsung will change its mind by bringing back the power brick, you may just have to let go of such a dream.

Anyway, you’ll need to spend a few extra bucks in order to grab a 45W-capable Samsung charger or maybe make use of a powerful third-party charger.

Out of the box, you get the smartphone, a short, but sturdy USB Type-C to Type-C cable, and a SIM ejector tool. There is a couple of paperwork and there is nothing else inside the small box.

I’m still for smartphone companies being generous enough to include a TPU case in the box of their devices just like popular Chinese brands such as OnePlus or Xiaomi.

Design of the Galaxy S22+

• Measures 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6 mm
• Weighs about 195 g / 196 g
• Gorilla Glass Victus+ (Front and Back) with aluminum frame
• IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins)
• Phantom Black, White, Pink Gold, Green, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, Cream

As far as the design of the device goes, it’s quite similar to the previous generation Galaxy S21+ in every sense and shared that same identity with the base Galaxy S22 with the Galaxy S22 Ultra looking odd out of the three – since it’s in the league of its own.

Samsung continued to make the Samsung Galaxy S22+ flat just like its predecessor and it’s extremely minimalistic in every sense. I’d put a case on the device if I own one because there isn’t really anything super fascinating to brag about as far as the external design of the device is concerned.

Compared to the OnePlus 10 Pro which I formerly criticized, that device looks quite stunning and its camera module design seems to have been borrowed from the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The corners of the screen are still curved but there are no curved screens on the Galaxy S22 except for the Ultra variant. I also love the symmetry of the display.

And for the first time, there is no “chin” on a Samsung device which is amazing. This is something I’ve always admired about the iPhone since the iPhone X back in 2017.

Most Android-based smartphones always have this annoying chin bezel that is good for grip but not often good for aesthetics. Samsung did well in reducing this but the fact that it’s not totally gone is just amazing.

Protecting the 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display of the Galaxy S22+ is the new Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ (GGV+) with a textured back glass that’s also made of GGV+ rather than the plastic frame on the previous Galaxy S21+.

The frame is made of aluminum and while it’s not totally flat just like the iPhone 13 series, it’s not as curved compared to previous models.

Like I mentioned earlier, this device would require you to buy a case for better grip because the device is quite slippery – remember the frame is made of aluminum, it easily attracts grease.

But since the glass back of the device is textured, it doesn’t have the same trouble as the sides of the device. Although the camera bump will easily collect dust due to its design, the overall back panel isn’t a total fingerprint magnet.

There are also some new color additions to the line such as the following: Phantom Black, White, Pink Gold, Green, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, Cream. I personally like the Phantom Black because I love black but other color options are great depending on the needs of the user.

As mentioned earlier, the most significant design change about the Galaxy S22+ is how flat the device is. The device is so flat that both the front and the back glass sink directly into the frame creating a perfect match.

The display bezels of the Galaxy S22+ are just as thick as the previous model but the symmetry around the display area is what is interesting. It’s not a bezel-less device after all and the tiny bits can still be used to hold the device or prevent accidental touches when the device is being held.

The design aesthetics of the Galaxy S22+ isn’t extraordinary but okay. Samsung isn’t in fact the best at designing smartphones with all the fancy look and feel (RIP LG).

Controls

When I turned on the Galaxy S22+, I got welcomed with a message to immediately set up the device and connect to the nearest Wi-Fi network. Set up is straightforward and as far as the hardware components are concerned, there isn’t anything special (because it’s not a gaming smartphone).

You get basic things like a single volume bar that serves as both increase and decrease along with a power button – both located by the right side of the device.

On the left is nothing other than the device antenna lines. The same is mostly true for the top side, where there is just a single tiny hole for the secondary microphone alongside another antenna line.

At the bottom of the device is where you’ll find things such as the device’s USB Type-C port, SIM tray, speaker grille, and microphone. Unfortunately, there is no expandable storage on all Galaxy S22 series this year and that is pretty annoying.

The earpiece of the device is hidden away in plain sight within the top bezel of the device while the hole-punch cut-out is also pretty tiny. There are at least a couple of sensors hidden away near it as well under the display.

Notably STM STK33915 light sensor and a proximity sensor. These are invisible even when shining a light directly at the area, but that is hardly a surprise since Samsung has pretty much perfected under-display sensors it’s just surprising that Samsung didn’t implement the under-display selfie camera on the Galaxy S22 series just like it did with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 last year.

Connectivity

• Supports GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Ultra Wide Band (UWB)
• NFC support

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is a premium smartphone and that isn’t just a statement. It’s a device ridden with lots of features and nice specifications but one of the interesting things about the device is the fact that it supports the fast mmWave 5G connectivity that will enhance speedy internet connection.

There is also support for dual SIM and dual standby SA/NSA/Sub6 5G as well as a couple of different bands here and there. There is possibly going to be integrated eSIM support even though all of these features won’t be coming to a single device – hence, it’s variant-based.

Also depending on your market, there are variants to the Galaxy S22+ that have support for just a single SIM but getting the mmWave support requires you’re in the United States at least.

Away from the network connectivity and down to other connectivity components you’ll find on the device, you’ll get dual-Band Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.2 with LE support, and NFC on both the Snapdragon and Exynos variants of the Galaxy S22+ smartphone.

Both have dual-band (L1+L5) GPS receivers and A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO support. The S22+ has Ultra Wide Band (UWB) support just like the Ultra, which is missing from the vanilla S22.

Sensors include accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, and barometer. What we found missing includes ANT support as well as Samsung’s MST. There is also no notification LED which seems to be a thing of the past since Samsung has started the nearly bezel-less design back in 2019.

There is also no 3.5mm headphone jack which shouldn’t surprise you either.

However, there is support for USB 3.2 data connection via the device’s USB Type-C port. Although the number sounds cool on paper, the actual performance couldn’t be justified as it was nowhere near 5Gbps when transferring data using Thunderbold drive as well as a PC with a Thunderbolt 3 port.

Powerful AMOLED display

• 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x display
• 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits peak brightness
• 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~393 ppi density)
• Always-on Display

Samsung is undoubtedly the champion of smartphone displays so it’s not a new thing to see the Galaxy S22+ featuring an incredible display out of the box. The 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X offers a better experience at the expense of your battery life if you don’t mind.

One disappointing thing though is the fact that the display technology doesn’t include the budding LTPO technology that can help reduce the display’s refresh rate down to 1Hz depending on what you’re viewing.

However, you can switch between standard display and adaptive display with the latter using AI to determine what is on your screen in order to reduce the refresh rate to the barest minimum of 48Hz according to Samsung.

Another cool thing about the display is how bright it can get even under direct sunlight. The display is capable of reaching 1750 nits when it’s maxed out.

Then there is another interesting aspect regarding how brightness control works on the S22+ and the entire S22 line. Samsung has added a separate display option, called “Extra brightness”. It is different from the absolute maximum brightness achievable in sunlight and only works with auto-brightness turned off. It is meant to unlock some extra “manual brightness” on the slider. Samsung’s own measurements claim the S22+ and S22 Ultra should be able to reach 1,200 nits in Extra brightness mode. Again, without sharing what portion of the display is engaged in said scenario.

The Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is pretty impressive and its buttery smooth refresh rate is another fascinating thing that makes the device interesting in every sense.

Personally, I preferred turning on the automatic brightness to auto-regulate itself depending on the environment and there is support for Anti-Bluelight which can also be configured to lessen the bluish color of the display and make things a bit warm.

The mind-blowing brightness of the device is interesting and how this engineering is possible is still a question we’re not necessarily finding answers for.

However, resources gathered showed that Samsung is making use of new generation LED emitters which are being referred to as the M12 OLED panel (as opposed to the M11 found in the Galaxy S21 Ultra and allegedly, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max). This new generation manages higher brightness and better efficiency.

Samsung in its quest to better the display capacity decided to add the Vision Booster technology that is meant to deliver the best possible picture in terms of contrast and color accuracy.

The technology works by gathering data from the phone’s light sensors in order to determine the properties of the surrounding ambient light and then do per-pixel tone mapping in order to get the best possible picture possible.

The said picture will, by definition, be extremely distorted color and contrast-wise in absolute terms, but the goal is to counteract the ambient light in any way possible.

Battery life

• 4,500mAh non-removable battery
• Fast charging 45W
• USB Power Delivery 3.0
• Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W
• Reverse wireless charging 4.5W

The part I’m quite disappointed by is the battery and that’s because Samsung literally reduced the battery capacity from 4,800mAh in the previous generation down to just 4,500mAh in the current Galaxy S22+.

Although the number isn’t bad, the fact is that the device can either be a power-consuming machine or efficient, It all depends on how you make use of its hardware and software at the same time.

Scoring about 97 hours based on standard tests and compared to other devices within its league, the Galaxy S22+ dis quite well. It’s just not your ultra-tough device that can last for days.

And let’s be sincere, this device will barely last for 9 hours with heavy usage – as I’ve tried it myself. Charging from zero to 100% took about an hour. However, consuming those power took about 12 hours under extreme usage.

“Extreme” is the keyword here. The average user might be able to use the device longer than that but doing things such as taking pictures, recording videos while maxing out the QWHD+ display and its high refresh rate with a 5G network connected, its as if I want the device to fail by all means but it did thrive.

One thing though is the longevity of the battery life.

Camera capacity and photo quality

• Triple rear setup
• 50MP, 10MP, and 12MP
• LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
• Can record up to 8K@24fps

Samsung did make some improvements to the camera hardware this time around. Compared to the previous model, the new Galaxy S22+ sports an improved 50MP primary sensor with features such as an f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF, as well as OIS.

The second is a 10MP telephoto camera with features such as an f/2.4 aperture, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, and 3x optical zoom while the last sensor is a 12MP ultrawide sensor that can be used to record super steady video.

Normally, Samsung’s devices often chunk out great pictures and there is a lot of improvements as far as the new camera configurations on the Galaxy S22+ are concerned.

While I’m not a great photographer, the fact that I can point the camera at something and shoot a great quality image even in low light means Samsung did put their users in mind.

One aspect where the iPhone has been crushing it in smartphone photography all this while is due to consistency. The sensor is ISOCELL 2.0 and it’s an upgrade from the previous model (ISOCELL PLUS) which allows for a higher light sensitivity on smaller pixels by further refining the grid between the color filter in the sensor.

These were entirely metal in the original ISOCELL design and absorbed some of the light coming into the sensor. ISOCELL Plus partially remedied this, and the current ISOCELL 2.0 has replaced the lower portion of the color filter barriers with a more reflective material, further reducing light loss.

Even so, the 50MP GN5 is still a Tetracell sensor, which means that it is meant to combine four pixels into one and produce 12.5MP photos by default, which the Galaxy S22+ transforms to 12MP for simplicity.

In terms of size, the sensor now allows a higher amount of light into the camera which further perfects the device’s low-light photography. I also love the color and tone of the camera output.

Samsung calls the dedicated low-light capacity “NIGHTOGRAPHY” and it includes features such as the aforementioned Super Clear Glass, better low-light portrait, and even automatic frame rate for low-light video exposure capture in order to maximize light capture.

The camera can record videos up to 8K at 24 frames per second and 3x optical zoom. In terms of extra features, the 10MP telephoto has OIS and PDAF, just like last year.

Before we get to some actual camera samples, we should talk about the camera interface briefly. The camera app is the same you’d find on every Samsung phone these days. Swiping left and right will switch between all available modes, and there’s an option to re-arrange or remove some of the modes from the viewfinder. Vertical swipes in either direction will switch between front and rear cameras.

I think the camera output is very solid and it’s very good for a 2022 smartphone. I really can’t wait to compare the device’s camera output against other high-end devices such as the Pixel 6 Pro, the OnePlus 10 Pro, and even the Xiaomi 12.

Software and User experience

• One UI 4.1
• Android 12

Part of what is consistent about the Galaxy S22+ is its OneUI skin built on top of Android. The current version 4.1 is based on the current Android 12 update and it’s packed with some cool features and a better look and feel.

Although I’d still make use of a third-party launcher to enhance the user interface of the device to my liking, Samsung did very well as far as the UI of the OneUI 4.1 is concerned.

Another cool thing about the new device is the fact that Samsung promised to support the device for 5 years while providing both securities patches and software updates to users which will make the long-term experience of the Galaxy S22 family interesting to those looking to purchase the device.

Keeping all of this in mind, we’ll just do a quick overview. The lock screen looks the same as before with two monochrome shortcuts – dialer and camera.

While there is face unlock, most Android users often prefer the under-display fingerprint lock since it’s much more secure. As far as the security of the device is concerned, there are a couple of first-party features to make this possible.

Also, gone are the days when you have conflicting apps of Google and Samsung. A good example of that is the Messages app which is now skinned to maintain the OneUI aesthetic despite being a third-party application.

The Always-on display is also available and there are options to switch this thanks to the Galaxy Store where you can download a couple of screens to befit your needs. The feature can be always-off, always-on, scheduled, shown only when new notifications are available, or you can opt for the tap to show for 10s.

I shouldn’t mention that the Galaxy S22+’s performance is buttery-smooth thanks to the all-new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset or Exynos 2200 (4 nm) depending on your region.

Storage range between 128GB of native storage and 8GB of RAM or 256GB of native storage and 8GB of RAM. The storage technology is based on UFS 3.1.

It’s a very fast device and you can take things the extra mile by tweaking the UI to your need using the Samsung Good Lock (that’s a story for another time).

Samsung Galaxy S22+ versus

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ isn’t the only great smartphone released in 2022. So far, there are in fact some alternatives that you can consider if you’re out on the look for a new premium-tier smartphone to replace your older device. Below are some of my top picks that you can consider.

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G

• 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel
• A 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, and 1300 nits of peak brightness
• Android 12, One UI 4.1
• Exynos 2200 (4 nm) – Europe or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm)
• Triple rear cameras (50MP, 10MP, and 12MP)
• 128GB of storage and 8GB RAM or 256GB of storage and 8GB RAM
• 3700mAh Li-Ion and 25W fast charging

This is the base model of the Galaxy S22 series. This device is ridden with a number of interesting features. Being the base model meant that it’s quite cheaper than the mid-range Galaxy S22+ or the much more expensive Galaxy S22 Ultra.

The device comes with cool features and looks quite similar to the Galaxy S22+ just slightly smaller. It comes with a US$799 price tag which is quite great and could be a great option if the Galaxy S22+ is out of your budget.

Google Pixel 6 Pro

• 6.71-inch LTPO AMOLED panel
• A 120Hz refresh rate with HDR10+
• Android 12 OS
• Google Tensor (5 nm)
• 128GB of storage and 12GB RAM, 256GB of storage and 12GB RAM, 512GB of storage and 12GB RAM
• Triple rear camera (50MP, 48MP, and 12MP)
• 5,003mAh Li-Ion battery with 30W fast charging

The Google Pixel 6 Pro is another interesting device with high-end specifications on this list. It’s also quite affordable due to the time it was launched (2021). The device is the first proper Google smartphone thanks to its unique design aesthetics and other components within the device such as the new Google Tensor chip meant to help enhance the performance of the device in every way possible.

iPhone 13

• 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel
• Features HDR10, Dolby Vision,and a peak brightness of 1200 nits
• iOS 15, upgradeable to iOS 15.4
• Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm)
• 128GB of storage and 4GB RAM, 256GB of storage and 4GB RAM, 512GB of storage and 4GB RAM
• Dual rear cameras (12MP + 12MP)
• 3,240mAh Li-Ion battery and 23W fast charging

If you’re a big fan of the iPhone or you’re looking to transition to iOS from Android, you can consider the current iPhone 13 which has a lot of cool quirks and features.

Due to the fact that this device was released back in 2021, its price tag is slightly lower compared to the all-new Galaxy S22+ or the base Galaxy S22. At about US$700, you can grab a new iPhone 13 today.

OnePlus 10 Pro

• 6.7-inch LTPO2 AMOLED display with 1B colors
• A 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, Peak brightness of 1300
• Android 12, ColorOS 12.1
• Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
• 128GB of storage and 8GB RAM, 256GB of storage and 8GB RAM, 256GB of storage and 12GB RAM, 512GB of storage and 12GB RAM
• Triple rear cameras (48MP, 8MP, and 50MP)
• 5,000mAh Li-Po with 80W fast charging

The OnePlus 10 Pro is the only device on the list that isn’t yet released globally and there isn’t any report about when the device will make its global debut. However, if you are living in East Asia or are able to import one, then you can try out this device as it comes loaded with cool features as usual.

Reports have it that a global release could sport the usual OxygenOS instead of the OPPO-based ColorOS 12 currently on the device in China. It’s also quite affordable despite all the bells and whistles but importing the device could cost slightly more.