Samsung Galaxy S22 Revisited — 4 Things Samsung Got Right

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The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 is fast approaching, and the most likely release date for the Galaxy S23 is just a few months away. And understandably, the focus is on Samsung's new phones and away from last year's flagships.

It's a shame if you ask me. Because finally, the Galaxy S22 family has given us a trio of great smartphones that deserve more appreciation for what they bring to the market.

I say this as someone who has never been a huge fan of Samsung phones. Previous models lacked the sleekness of the iPhone, or the amazing camera features of the Pixel, or the fast charging capabilities of the OnePlus phones. But with the Galaxy S22 series, Samsung has gone further than ever. Honestly, this is encouraging for those who will be coming out with the Galaxy S23 next year.

But before those phones grab all the headlines, the Galaxy S22 is worth another look, especially if you think, like me, that the current entry-level S22 is a better buy than the current mainstream Galaxy S23. . Here are four ways Galaxy 22 models will make their mark this year.

The Galaxy S22 has excellent displays

No matter which Galaxy S22 model you buy, you're going to see a great display. A while back, I reviewed flagship phones that included the Galaxy S22, iPhone 14, and Pixel 7, and the Samsung phone came out on top.

Brightness is a big reason, as Samsung has made sure that the screens on this year's flagships are visible even in the brightest sunlight. The Galaxy S22 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Plus both promise a maximum brightness of 1,750 nits, while the Galaxy S22 can reach 1,300. In our tests, we never reached those numbers with our light meter, but we did get some pretty stellar results. We measured the S22 at 1,152 nits with HDR enabled, and the S22 Ultra scored 1,359 nits in our tests.

It goes without saying that you shouldn't close your eyes when taking your phone outside. I tested my display on a sunny, cloudless day and proceeded to adjust the display brightness for each phone. The Galaxy S22 dropped to 70% before text became unreadable. It beat both the iPhone 14 and the Pixel 7.

Samsung excels in other ways, especially refresh rates, where the Galaxy S series sets the pace for other phone makers. With the Galaxy S22, I estimate that the entry-level model can go up to 120Hz. To get fast refresh rates like the iPhone or Pixel, you'll need to buy more expensive models. The iPhone 14 costs the same as the Galaxy S22, but is locked to 60Hz. The Pixel 7 gets up to 90Hz, but it's not as fast as what every S22 model offers.

Galaxy S22 phones handle zoom best

Our list of the best camera phones is dominated by Apple and Google, but don't let that mean that Samsung's current flagships are superior when it comes to photos. While not consistently up to iPhone/Pixel standards, the Galaxy S22's cameras still perform very well, outperforming the competition in one key area: zoom shots.

If you want to zoom in closer, you get the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which has two telephoto lenses, one with 3x optical zoom and the other with 10x. The digital spatial zoom feature lets you zoom up to 100x, though you'll need a tripod to stabilize the phone.

The Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus don't offer the same Space Zoom feature, though they do zoom everything up to 30x. And note that Samsung's entry-level flagship has a camera lens on the phone, something the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7 still lack. To get a dedicated telephoto lens, you need a Pro model from Apple or Google.

Check out the camera sample above, taken with the Galaxy S22 Ultra, showing 10x zoom on the left and 30x zoom on the right. 10x zoom is a great, detailed shot that stays sharp even at great distances. You don't get anything this simple from any other smartphone. The 30x zoom certainly looks more like a picture than a photo, but it's still very impressive that the shot has minimal noise and the duck isn't marred by any noticeable blur.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra's integrated S Pen

The Galaxy S22 Ultra wasn't the first phone outside of the latest Note lineup to feature S Pen support; Samsung added that feature to the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 3 in 2021. But the S22 Ultra was the first. Since the Galaxy Note 20, the phone has a built-in pen slot.

This slot offers more than just convenience, it also makes the S Pen a more important part of the phone. This is a design decision that Samsung wants to consider for the Galaxy Z Fold 4, leaving the S Pen optional and requiring a separate case.

In a world where not many phones come with their own stylus, the S Pen helps the Galaxy S22 Ultra stand out from the crowd. This feature isn't for everyone, but for people who like to take pictures, take notes and edit photos on the go, it's a welcome tool that's easier than ever on the S22 Ultra.

There are better compact phones than the Galaxy S22

I stopped fighting for small phones a long time ago. I may prefer devices with smaller screens that fit perfectly in my hand or fit easily in my pocket, but the rest of the smartphone market does not. They want big screens, and phone makers have responded in kind with several devices offering screens 6 inches or smaller. (And Apple won't be making a mini iPhone model this year, so look for those numbers to keep dropping.)

But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it when phones with screen sizes larger than 6 inches keep things compact. The Galaxy S22 does just that. The entry-level model may have a 6.1-inch screen, but it still packs in a relatively small 5.7 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches.

In other words, the Galaxy S22 and iPhone 14 have similar screen sizes, but Samsung's phone is slightly smaller. The curved edges also make it a little more comfortable to hold, while the contoured look of the S22 gives the phone a smooth frame.

Fans of smaller phones may feel left out, but if you can't find a device that fits your needs, the Galaxy S22 feels close enough.

The look of the Galaxy S22

After testing several models this year, here are four things I noticed about the Galaxy S22. Maybe you have your own list of features you like about Samsung phones. But whether these reasons resonate with me or not, it should come as no surprise that so many S22 models are among the best phones we've reviewed in 2022.

More importantly, the high quality of the Galaxy S22 gives Samsung something new to look at in future phones. No one knows exactly which phones Samsung will unveil when it unveils the Galaxy S23 models at its next Unpacked event. But given what the S22 brings to the table, my expectations are certainly high.