Why You Can Trust CNET Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. S21 Ultra: Which one is the better deal?
Here's how the new S22 Ultra holds up against last year's highly rated S21 Ultra.
- Shortlisted for British Photography Awards 2022, Commended in Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022
Like
- Gorgeous phantom black finish
- Two telephoto cameras
- The screen is spectacular
- S-Pen support
Don't like
- It's heavy
- Lacks a microSD card slot
- $1,200 is still expensive
Samsung's brand-new flagship Galaxy S22 Ultra, unveiled Wednesday at its Unpacked event, replaces last year's Galaxy S21 Ultra. We loved the S21 Ultra for its awesome performance and stellar camera system -- particularly its amazing 10x optical zoom.
But how do the specs stack up between last year's model and the new one? You can see the full breakdown in the chart below, but there's not a huge difference between the two phones, based on specs alone, which may come as a disappointment if you were you hoping for a radical new vision for the Galaxy S series in 2022.
Both phones have 6.8-inch displays with pretty much the same resolution, they both have 12GB of RAM (although the S21 Ultra can be configured up to 16GB), both support 5G, both have pretty much the same camera hardware (including that 10x optical zoom, 8K video and 108-megapixel main sensor) and the same size battery.
Read more: Where to buy Galaxy S22: Preorder deals for Samsung's newest phones
The S22 Ultra comes with the latest Android 12 software (the S21 Ultra got an update to Android 12 late last year), along with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor -- or Samsung's new Exynos processor, depending on the region. How these two chips really compare to the Snapdragon 888 chip in the S21 Ultra remains to be seen in our testing.
The biggest physical difference is the S22 Ultra's addition of the S Pen stylus, something typically only seen on the now-retired Galaxy Note series. If you loved doodling on Note phones then that's one reason to consider the S22 Ultra over its predecessor.
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra specs comparison
| Galaxy S22 Ultra | Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 6.8-inch AMOLED (3,088x1,440 pixels) | 6.8-inch AMOLED (3,200x1,440 pixels) |
| Pixel density | 501 ppi | 515 ppi |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 77.9x163.3x8.9 mm | 75.6x165.1x8.9mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 229g | 8.07 oz.; 229g |
| Mobile software | Android 12 | Upgraded to Android 12 |
| Camera | 108-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 10-megapixel (telephoto) 10-megapixel (telephoto) | 108-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 10-megapixel (10x telephoto) |
| Front-facing camera | 40-megapixel | 10-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K | 8K |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 gen 1 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB + 128GB ; 12GB + 256GB; 12GB+512GB; 12GB+ 1TB | 12GB, 128GB/256GB, 16GB, 512GB |
| Expandable storage | No | No |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh (45-watt wired charger) | 5,000 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | In-display | In-display |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | No | No |
| Special features | 5G (mmW/Sub6), bundled S Pen, 100x Space Zoom (digital), 10x optical zoom, 47-watt charging support | IP68 rating, 5G-enabled, 100x Space Zoom, 10-watt wireless charging, 10x optical zoom |
| Price off-contract (USD) | $1,200 | $1,200 (128GB), $1,250 (256GB), $1,380 (512GB) |
| Price (GBP) | £1,149 | £1,329 |
| Price (AUD) | AU$1,849 | AU$1,849 |
Samsung's latest flagship superphone, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has an impressive lineup of specs, including a quadruple rear camera, a big, vibrant display and the S Pen stylus you might remember from the Galaxy Note series. It comes with a high price, but those of you looking for one of the best Android phones around should have this on your short list.
Its replacement might have arrived, but last year's Galaxy S21 Ultra is still available to buy and many of the key specs aren't that different, so don't worry about it feeling outdated. The camera is superb, with a mind-blowing 10x zoom lens, while the processor will put up with anything you're likely to throw at it. You might want to wait until discounts kick in, however.
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