What you need to know
- Samsung has finally unveiled the Galaxy S22 series phones.
- The vanilla Galaxy S22 and S22+ promise to deliver a "revolutionary camera experience," thanks to a new 50MP main sensor.
- Both phones are now available to pre-order in the U.S.
Samsung has formally announced its 2022 Galaxy S series lineup. Just like last year, the new Galaxy S22 series includes three models. While the Galaxy S22 Ultra is a premium flagship aimed at Note fans, the vanilla S22 and S22+ models are more affordable flagships with "pro-grade" cameras and a sustainable design.
Although the Galaxy S22 and S22+ don't look all that different from their predecessors, they do come with a more premium glass and aluminum build. Both phones use an Armor Aluminum frame, claimed to be the strongest on a Galaxy phone yet. They are also the first phones to use Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus+.
As announced by the company earlier this week, the two phones also use a new material that has been developed using discarded fishing nets. The phones' speaker module and the inner parts of the power and volume keys are made using post-consumer recycled materials.
The two phones are powered by Qualcomm's flagship 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. In some regions, however, the phones will use Samsung's Exynos 2200 chip instead.
While they are identical when it comes to the core hardware, the screen sizes are very different. The vanilla Galaxy S22 has a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, and a peak brightness of 1,300 nits. The Galaxy S22+, on the other hand, has a 6.6-inch panel with a peak brightness of 1,750 nits.
The Galaxy S22 and S22+ come equipped with a 50MP main camera, which is 23% larger than the one used in the Galaxy S21 and S21+ phones. The sensor also touts Adaptive Pixel technology that allows the phones to "capture colors that make your content pop, even in the dark." It is joined by a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The two devices also feature advanced VDIS technology to allow users to capture smooth footage with minimal vibrations.
Disappointingly, the Galaxy S22 is a downgrade over its predecessor in one important area. While the S21 packs a 4,000mAh battery, the new S22 has a smaller 3,700mAh battery with support for identical 25W charging speeds. The Galaxy S22+ has a larger 4,500mAh battery with 45W wired charging. Other key features that are limited to the Plus model include Ultra Wide Band (UWB) and Wi-Fi 6E support.
The Galaxy S22 series phones will ship with Samsung's One UI 4.1 on top of Android 12. Samsung says the S22 and S22+ will receive four Android OS upgrades, one more than Google's best Android phones.
Pre-orders are now live for both the Galaxy S22 and S22+ at Samsung.com, major retailers, and carriers. While the Galaxy S22 will start at $800, the Galaxy S22+ will be available from $1,000. Both phones will go on sale starting February 25 in Phantom Black, Phantom White, Pink Gold, and Green color options.
Those of you who pre-order the Galaxy S22 or S22+ through February 24 will be eligible to upgrade to a higher storage tier when purchasing the 128GB or 256GB variants. Samsung will also allow you to redeem an additional credit of up to $150 for the Galaxy S22+ or $100 for the Galaxy S22, which you can spend toward purchasing the Samsung Freestyle or the Galaxy Watch 4. Additionally, consumers who pre-order a Galaxy S22 device will get up to 25% off on Samsung's new Galaxy Tab S8 tablets.
Samsung Galaxy S22
Samsung's vanilla Galaxy S22 is an impressive Android flagship with compact dimensions, powerful hardware, and a sustainable design. The phone touts improved security features and is promised to receive up to four generations of Android OS upgrades.
Samsung Galaxy S22+
The Galaxy S22+ is an impressive upgrade over its predecessor. It comes with a powerful 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, a capable 50MP main camera, and 45W fast charging.
