Why buy a Samsung Galaxy S22+?
The fastests Galaxy S-series phone yet
Big camera upgrades
Super-fast charging
Not convinced? Try one of these alternatives to a Samsung Galaxy S22+:
iPhone 13 Pro Max - faster, fantastic cameras
Galaxy S22 - smaller, almost as good, and cheaper
Save on a refurbished Galaxy S21 Plus
For many users, Samsung’s Galaxy S series phones are the default alternative to an iPhone. Gorgeous to look at, powerful and feature-rich, they do a great job of matching Apple at its own game. With the arrival of the brilliant iPhone 13, and new competition from Google’s mighty Pixel 6, the Galaxy S22 range had to be special - the Galaxy S22+ is proof that it is.
The Galaxy S22+ is the larger version of Samsung’s ‘mid-range’ flagship, the Galaxy S22. It’s a great looking phone, with a new glass back, a concealed fingerprint reader, and a comparatively elegant camera hump tucked away in the top left. With processor and camera upgrades on board, it’s destined to become one of 2022’s best phones - and a bestseller to boot.
Design
Samsung has given the S22+ a subtle design overhaul. Gone is the Galaxy S21+’s unloved plastic back panel, replaced with a classy, glassy back made from Corning Gorilla Glass Invictus+ - that’s strong glass, to me and you. It makes a big difference, with the new phone feeling comfortable to hold, and looking every bit the flagship.
At the front, there’s precious little border to the 6.6” screen, and just a small punch hole for the selfie camera. In common with other big phones, most users will find it hard to use the Galaxy S22+ with one hand. Other than that, it’s almost perfect.
Camera
The Galaxy S22+ gets the same camera upgrade as the smaller S22. That means a 23% bigger sensor for its 50 megapixel (MP) wide camera, and automatic switching between a 50MP output in good light, and pixel-binning in low light to produce low-noise 12MP shots. There’s also a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom. While digital processing lifts this to an impressive 30x, this phone can’t match the crazy 100x hybrid ‘Space Zoom’ on the range-topping S22 Ultra.
At the front, there’s a decent 10MP selfie camera. Samsung says it also has improved low-light performance compared to the S21+.
Video
There wasn’t much wrong with videos from the Galaxy S21+, but the S22+ offers some serious upgrades. For a start, the main camera’s larger sensor scoops up more light, allowing cleaner, clearer video even in the murkiest conditions. Samsung says it’s raised the speed and performance of its optical image stabilisation, further improving the smoothness of the results. As if that wasn’t enough, the camera can adapt its framerate to the conditions, adjusting quality to the amount of available light.
While the front camera isn’t 8k capable, it can record in 4k. There’s also a director’s mode, which overlays front camera footage on the main shot - great for reaction videos.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy S22+ gets a larger version of the FHD+ display on the S22. The 6.6” OLED screen has the same 1,080x2,340 resolution as its smaller sibling, but it gets a big brightness upgrade to a claimed 1,750 nits. That’s searingly bright in normal conditions, but should help the phone stamp its authority on playback or photo viewfinding, even in powerful direct sunlight.
As you’d expect from a modern flagship, there’s a high refresh rate varying from a battery-saving 10Hz up to a super-smooth 120Hz. If you’re a gamer, you’ll appreciate the 240Hz touch sensor refresh rate, too. Add in a tiny cutout for the front facing camera, and a concealed fingerprint sensor, and there’s precious little to stop the entertainment.
Processor
The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is powered by Samsung’s latest Exynos 2200 chip. While it’s not a match for the A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13, it does lift the phone near to the top of the Android pack. Built on a 4nm process, it’s more efficient than the outgoing Exynos 2100, producing less heat and using less battery for the same amount of work.
Battery
This phone packs a fairly generous 4,500mAh battery, which ought to be enough to comfortably power it through even the busiest days. When you do need to charge it up, there’s flexibility thanks to support for 15W Qi wireless charging.
While there isn’t a wired charger in the box, the Galaxy S22+ supports super-fast charging up to 45W. With a suitable charger, that means you can grab a recharge to 80% in well under an hour.
Colours and options
You can buy a Samsung Galaxy S22+ in one of four ‘base’ colours: white, black, green and pink gold. If you’re buying new, you can also get the phone in cream, graphite, sky blue and violet, but only if you’re buying directly from Samsung. Other than that, the only choice is between 128GB or 256GB of storage, with the bigger model costing only around £50 more. Both options have 8GB of RAM.
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