Samsung’s latest range of Galaxy S22 handsets have been released and there are key differences between the models. At the top of the range sits the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, while at the ‘bottom’ there’s the standard Galaxy S22.
In between those two models, there’s the Galaxy S22+, but for the purposes of this article we’re going to compare the differences between the Ultra and the standard S22.
The S-Pen
The most obvious difference between the Galaxy S22 Ultra and its sibling is the inclusion of the S-Pen stylus with the Ultra.
The S22 Ultra includes a docking slot for the S-Pen, allowing owners to quickly jot notes or annotate images on their smartphone.
Samsung claims huge improvements have been made to the latency of the S-Pen when compared with previous Note models, meaning the S-Pen should feel more responsive. Handwriting recognition has also been boosted, Samsung claims.
Size and screen
The other obvious difference between the two devices is their physical size.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a 6.8in QHD+ display, while the regular S22 has a 6.1in FHD+ screen. (For reference, the Galaxy S22+ sits in between the two, with a 6.6in FHD+ display.) Both displays are 120Hz, so should look super-smooth when scrolling.
The difference in screen size has obvious knock-on consequences for the size of the handset. The S22 Ultra measures 77.9 x 163 x 8.9mm and weighs 229g. The S22 measures 70.6 x 146 x 7.6mm and is significantly lighter at 168g.
Cameras
Modern flagship smartphones come with a barrage of cameras and the S22 range is no exception.
The S22 Ultra has the following cameras:
- 12MP ultra-wide camera
- 108MP wide camera
- 2 x 10MP telephoto cameras (one with 3x optical zoom, one with 10x zoom)
- 40MP front or ‘selfie’ camera
The standard S22, meanwhile, sports the following cameras:
- 12MP ultra-wide camera
- 50MP wide camera
- 10MP telephoto camera (the one with the 3x zoom)
- 10MP front or ‘selfie’ camera
As you can see, the Ultra packs the cameras with the greater resolutions, as well as that extra telephoto lens with the 10x zoom. If you’re a keen smartphone photographer, the Ultra would seem to be the model to go for.
Storage
With all those high-resolution cameras, you’re going to need plenty of storage to stash those photos. Both the Galaxy S22 Ultra and standard S22 offer different storage options, and those options may be limited in certain regions.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra will offer the following storage options:
- 128GB
- 256GB
- 512GB
- 1TB
The S22 will offer:
- 128GB
- 256GB
Battery
Battery life is a crucial metric for every phone and here the spec sheet doesn’t look particularly promising.
The standard S22 includes only a 3,700mAh battery, which is less capacity than the 4,000mAh battery inside the S21. And that handset wasn’t exactly famed for its long battery life.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra gets a 5,000mAh battery, but bear in mind it has a bigger, higher resolution screen to suck that battery life away.
Given that Samsung has previously released mid-range handsets with 6,000mAh batteries, it’s somewhat baffling that the company continues to short-change buyers of the expensive flagship handsets when it comes to battery life.
Note that the S22 Ultra supports 45W wired charging, while the S22 is limited to 25W, meaning it won’t top up as quickly as the Ultra.
