OnePlus 10 Pro will be launched later today and Android users will have another flagship option. The phone will challenge Samsung’s existing S series phones. While the S22 Ultra is in a league of its own, the Galaxy S22 and S22+ should expect some competition starting today. Samsung had a completely different approach towards the S series this year. The S22 Ultra is a combination of the S and Note line-ups, but the Galaxy S22 and S22+ truly justify their names.
Samsung introduced the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ in two variants each. The Galaxy S22 with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage is priced at Rs 72,999 and the 256GB storage variant sells for Rs 76,999 in India. The Galaxy S22+ is available with the same RAM. Its 128GB storage variant is priced at Rs 84,999 and the 256GB variant is priced at Rs 88,999.
Both these phones have similar set of features, but in different form factors. I have already reviewed all three Galaxy S series phones in detail and here are 5 points you should know before spending money on the Galaxy S22 and S22+.
Point 1 – Samsung has been criticised in the last couple of years over the build quality of the S series phones, especially the standard variant. It has corrected that with the S22 and S22+. Both the smartphones have a glass rear panel just like the more premium Ultra variant. They also have polished aluminium frames which offer a secure grip. Both these phones are genuinely premium and are good to use. The larger S22+ can be a bit slippery at times, but the S22 feels reliable to use. It is also ideal for one-hand use.
The Galaxy S22 comes as a surprise because of its refreshing form factor. There are very few compact Android phones in the market, especially with high-end specs. The Galaxy S22 ticks that box. What’s incredible is that Samsung has managed to offer this form factor without compromising on the screen size. The S22 is 6.1-inches tall while the S22+ has a 6.6-inch screen.
Point 2 – Design is subjective. I may like something, you may not. But, it’s very difficult to beat Samsung when it comes to the display. Most people would agree on that. The Galaxy S22 and S22+ miss out on the QHD+ panels but still have impressive displays. Both phones come with full-HD+ OLED panels and support 120Hz refresh rate. The screens are buttery smooth, ample bright and perfect for content consumption. The displays also support HDR10 and HDR10+ playback. The narrow bezels are a blessing, the under-display fingerprint scanner is impressive and the hole punch cut-out is also quite tiny.
Point 3 – Camera is another department where the Galaxy S22 and S22+ excel. They have similar camera setup – a 50-megapixel primary camera with PDAF and OIS, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom and OIS, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with a 120-degree field of view. The front has a 10-megapixel camera for selfies. The camera app has all the options, including a Night mode, Food mode, Portrait video and Samsung’s Single Take feature.
The main camera captures sharp images with good dynamic range. It adds decent bokeh to the images even when you are clicking them in the normal mode. Most images are social media-friendly. Samsung’s great image processing is on full display here. However, I wasn’t impressed with the colours and Samsung’s treatment of skin tones. The colours are boosted on most occasions and the phone adds a painting-like effect to the skin tones to make them look muddy.
Point 4 – The performance is a mixed bag. Using a Qualcomm chip helps but, there are still few issues with the phone. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 works seamlessly in normal use. I used both these phones as my primary device for a few days. I used them for calling, replying to texts, exchanging media and much more. All of this was fun.
However, the S22 gets warm while gaming. Similarly, heating was more evident on the S22+ while using the camera app. However, the camera app didn’t shut down. I also didn’t get any warnings either.
Point 5 – The battery life is good as soon as you set the right expectations. The Galaxy S22 has a smaller 3,700 mAh battery, while the Galaxy S22+ comes with a 4,500mAh battery. I left my house with 100 per cent and used the phone to navigate. I reached home with about 18 per cent battery almost 8 hours later, with a screen on time of about six and a half hours. On a usual day, the phone lasts till late evening.
If you have your eyes set on the Galaxy S22, go ahead. It’s a great phone with good overall specs and an impressive form factor. It’s also reasonably priced. Those who are inclined towards the Galaxy S22+, can wait for the OnePlus 10 Pro though.
