The Galaxy S22 Ultra is too expensive and too big? Don't panic, the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ come to sublimate the recipe introduced with the Galaxy S21 while raising the level even further. Here is our test of the new Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+!
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The star of this beginning of the year, the flagship among the flagships, is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Yes, we talk a lot about this Galaxy S22 Ultra. And that's normal. It is the ultra premium of the new range of Samsung. Except that in reality, the Galaxy S22 Ultra rather embodies a kind of hybrid between last year's Galaxy S21 Ultra and the last of the Galaxy Note line, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
Fortunately, for those who do not particularly appreciate the XL size of the Note, and by extension, that of the Galaxy S22 Ultra (and also for those who do not have 1259€ to spend on a smartphone), we are also entitled to two other models, closer to the spirit of the Galaxy S range.
Here is our full review of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+, Samsung's new flagship smartphones for 2022.
Galaxy S22 8/128 GB at the best price Base price: €859
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Galaxy S22+ 8/128 GB at the best price Base price: €1,059
Design & Screen
This year, no major upheaval. Samsung is instead upgrading its Galaxy S21 from last year with these Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+. And besides, it's a good thing, since the design of the Galaxy S21 was, in our humble opinion, one of Samsung's most successful.
The first is the arrival of almost straight edges, a bit like the latest Apple iPhones. We are not on a very straight chassis either and we retain a little roundness, but everything is frankly pleasant and clearly facilitates handling. Especially on the slightly larger S22+, which slips less from the hands than its predecessor.
Second change on the back: the Galaxy S22 now adopts frosted glass, against plastic on the Galaxy S21. For the Plus model, no change: it was already glass last year. But it's always good to see that the smallest of the models now benefits from a design strictly identical to its big brother and from similar materials.
Speaking of screen size, there is also a major difference this year. As we said, the straight edges make these smartphones slightly less wide. But the size of the screens has also decreased!
The Galaxy S22 therefore offers a 6.1-inch panel, compared to 6.2 inches for the Galaxy S21, and the Plus model is entitled to 6.6 inches, compared to 6.7 inches for its predecessor. And for a brand that popularized large sizes on smartphones, it's quite unprecedented. So much so that the Galaxy S22, with its straight sides and ultra-thin borders, could even claim the title of the best compact smartphone of the year. Notice to amateurs. The screen ratio also changes, going from 20:9 to 19.5:9. In short, the Galaxy S22 is a little shorter, so it will be easier to reach the top of the screen with one hand.
These screens, although slightly smaller, are literally beautiful. We are now used to Samsung, and these Galaxy S22 and S22+ are no exception to the rule. We take advantage of super bright Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels, very contrasting with warm colors, Full HD + definition, an adaptive refresh rate which extends up to 120 Hz and therefore an ultra-smooth experience. In short: it's a splendid display, and Samsung has gone all out again this year.
In short, you can go there with your eyes closed. (Finally, a little open anyway, it's better to see the screen)
Autonomy, Performance & Software
The screen size is not the differentiating point between the Galaxy S22 and its big brother. In terms of charging, the small model can only go up to 25W wired, against 45W for the Galaxy S22 +.
But after all, the Galaxy S22 offers a smaller battery, so even if it takes longer to charge, it will take less time to regain its full percentage. A little over an hour on average. It is also specified that these smartphones are delivered without a charger unit.
Besides, it's a shame that the autonomy of the Galaxy S22 and S22+ is not that good. They both ship a new SoC Exynos 2200 signed Samsung and engraved in 4 nm. In principle, we could therefore expect better management of energy consumption. In fact, that's not really the case. Nevertheless, software optimizations could reinforce the autonomy of the Galaxy S22 and S22+ in the future. But today, he is clearly not a champion in this area.
Regarding this new chip, it ultimately turns out to be a little disappointing in the benchmarks. However, between the 4 nm and the graphics part developed by AMD, we could expect a small monster of power, but we finally remain quite far behind the A15 from Apple.
Despite everything, we are not going to lie to each other: it is absolutely not felt. The Galaxy S22 and S22+ are super efficient, they never row, the management of multitasking is exemplary and no app scares it. We are at a stage where benchmarks don't really mean much anymore, as long as uses don't really evolve.
On the software side, it's also flawless. We find Android 12 coupled with the new version of Samsung's software overlay, One UI 4.1, still as practical and well thought out.
The main wide-angle lens goes from 12 MP to 50 MP on this new cuvée. It has been further enlarged and uses the pixel-binning technique to merge the pixels together and thus capture more light and details.
On the zoom side, last year's 64 MP sensor with hybrid zoom has been replaced by a 10 MP sensor with true 3X optical zoom. As for the ultra wide-angle, it's exactly the same as last year, a 12 MP sensor with a lens capable of capturing images at 120°.
Finally, on the selfie side, there is a 10 MP front sensor housed in a very small punch that you will forget almost instantly, and which does the trick for what it is asked of.
Galaxy S22 8/128 GB at the best price Base price: €859
See more offers
Galaxy S22+ 8/128 GB at the best price Base price: €1,059
