Samsung Galaxy S22+
- Fast performance
- Big, bright, and beautiful 6.6” display
- Smart AI-powered camera
Samsung launched the Android flagship Galaxy S22 smartphone family at its Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event in February 2022. In this lineup, the mid-tier Galaxy S22+ offers a bigger and significantly brighter display than the base model, enabling full visibility in noonday sunlight. There’s also intelligent image processing software onboard to produce impressive photos and video no matter the shooting conditions.
WhistleOut experts went hands-on to see if the Samsung Galaxy S22+ is worth the hype (and extra money) compared to less expensive competitors. Read on to see if this is the right phone for you and pick up a few tips on finding the best deal.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S22+ a good phone?
The Galaxy S22 family is the best Samsung has to offer this year, combining the fastest hardware, premium cameras, and intelligent software. The upgraded S22+ model is a bit more expensive than the base option but a worthy upgrade if the bigger, brighter display is important to you.
What we love
- Big, bright, and beautiful display
- AI-powered camera app
- The fastest hardware
What could be improved
- Battery optimization reduces 3D gaming performance
- Charging should be faster
- Expensive
The essentials
- Performance—9/10: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage (non-expandable), One UI 4.1 (Android 12)
- Battery—7.5/10: 4500mAh, 45W fast charging, 15W wireless charging, 4.5W reverse wireless charging
- Screen—10/10: 6.6” Dynamic AMOLED FullHD+ (1080x2340), up to 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
- Camera—9/10: 50MP wide (OIS), 12MP ultrawide (120°), 10MP telephoto (3x zoom), 10MP selfie
- Connectivity—9.5/10: 4G LTE, 5G, UWB, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, USB Type-C 3.2, Samsung Dex, no MicroSD slot
Average score 9.0/10
Why We Recommend
the Samsung Galaxy S22+
The Samsung Galaxy S22+ sits between the cheaper base model Galaxy S22 and the feature-rich S22 Ultra. It enjoys premium qualities like a larger display and a larger fast-charging battery than the base model, but these upgrades will cost you. Still, if previous generations are any indication, we expect to occasionally see the “plus” model with a comparable price on two-year plans during limited-time promotions.
What we like: Big, bold, and bright display
This is the best display we’ve seen on a smartphone. The bright AMOLED display with HDR10+ reproduces colours with impressive accuracy and at up to 120Hz refresh rate for buttery-smooth scrolling. What’s truly mind-bending is the display’s brightness—even at noon on a sunny day, we could easily read the screen and see fine details in our sample photos.
What we like: Camera hardware and AI-powered software
This year, Samsung upgraded the primary wide-angle camera on its devices with a 50MP sensor to capture more light and detail. While many smartphones have high-density sensors like the S22+, Samsung’s AI software applies features like HDR and pixel-binning, making it hard to take a bad photo. Even shooting directly at the sun produces a clear, detailed photo. While Samsung reduced the telephoto sensor to 10MP on the series, our research demonstrates that the AI-powered software compensates for digital zoom to create sharp, colour-rich photos.
It’s also possible to shoot video up to 8K at 24 frames per second (fps) with the camera’s main lens. With optical image stabilization enabled, we shot an 8K video on the ski hill with very little shaking. After enabling the AI-powered Super Steady mode, the resolution dropped to full HD (1920x1080 up to 60fps). However, videos were as smooth as those taken with professional gear—even as we skied over snowdrifts.
What we like: The ads are gone (sort of)
One of the major sore points Samsung fans have suffered over the last couple of years is advertisements embedded in essential functions, including the weather app. Such monetization might make sense on the cheaper A-Series Galaxy models but not on a new $1,000+ flagship smartphone.
Last year, Samsung ultimately removed these obtrusive ads via a software update, so this year’s user experience feels much cleaner. However, there is an option to enable ads while your phone charges with proceeds going to non-profit organizations. The fact that the ads are opt-in and for a good cause shows growth on the part of Samsung.
What we don't like: Charging takes a while
Get used to those opt-in non-profit ads, because you’ll spend a lot of time looking at them waiting for your phone to charge. One of the features the Galaxy S22+ boasts over its smaller sibling is 45W fast charging. However, we were unable to unlock this blazing power. A full charge regularly takes over an hour when connected to a third-party charger.
Like other manufacturers—notably Apple—Samsung has removed chargers from new device packaging. You’ll have to pay extra to buy a Samsung 45W charger for the full experience.
What we don't like: Game Optimization Service
Our benchmark tests demonstrated the awesome power of the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU, scoring 38% higher in 3DMark than last year’s Galaxy S21. It’s the first Android CPU we’ve ever seen that can compete with the newest Apple silicon! Partnered with a 120Hz display, this model should be an epic portable gaming device. But imagine our disappointment when the Game Optimization Service (GOS) software kicked in, choosing battery life over frames per second.
Real-world gaming performance on the Samsung Galaxy S22+ felt more in line with smartphones from two or three years ago. Turning off GOS wasn’t easy, but gaming performance shot through the roof when we did. This selective performance led many other online reviews to accuse Samsung of “cheating.” We won’t go that far, but we do feel cheated that it’s so difficult to access the full power of Samsung’s new processor.
Update: Game Optimization Service fix available
As we packed up our review unit to send back to Samsung, a software update appeared enabling "Alternate game performance management mode." It appears Samsung has responded quickly to the reported gaming experience issues. The "experimental" mode must first be enabled in the settings, but there appears to be a significant improvement to gaming image quality and framerates with the Galaxy S22+ becoming only slightly hotter than before.
Samsung Galaxy S22+ Features
The flagship Galaxy S family always appeals to Samsung fans who want the company’s best-performing smartphone. Building on the base model, the Galaxy S22+ offers a few useful upgrades that might be enough to skip buying the premium “Ultra” model.
Intelligent camera software
For years, Samsung advanced its camera software through AI image processing and features like Single Take that help you easily create content for sharing on social media. The main camera defaults to taking 12MP photos with optimized colour fidelity and quality, but you can easily access the 50MP mode to get sharper images. Larger sensors and Samsung’s new Nightography software also make it easier to take low-light photos of landscapes or portraits (Nightography video features are exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra).
Additionally, the hardware supports recording video up to 8K at 24fps (and 4K at 60fps). We really enjoyed Super Steady mode, which drops the resolution down to just 1080p (Full HD) but enables smooth and professional-quality video recording while on the move.
Bigger and brighter screen
Samsung chose a resolution with pixel density close to 400ppi as the ideal balance between image fidelity and battery life. The 6.6” display is only FullHD+ (1080x2340), while some of its competition features a QuadHD+ resolution with approximately 77% more pixels. However, these ultra-high-resolution screens negatively affect battery life.
As for durability, the new Gorilla Glass Victus+ material protects the Galaxy S22+ screen from cracks so you can enjoy your phone for many years—even if you have a nasty habit of dropping it. That said, we do recommend adding a case for an extra layer of protection.
Future security updates
Samsung promises four years of Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates on the Galaxy S22+. Android device manufacturers typically support smartphones for two or three years, in stark contrast to Apple, which still provides software updates to the iPhone 6S more than six years later. It’s a good trend that major Android smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and Google are committing to longer product life cycles.
While it’s not easy to spend a lot of money on a premium device like the Galaxy S22+, it is easier to justify when you know it’ll still receive security updates through 2026.
Samsung Galaxy S22+
vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
Samsung Galaxy S22+ and Galaxy S21 FE compared
| Galaxy S22+ | Galaxy S21 FE | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 888 |
| Display | 6.6” HD+ AMOLED HDR10+ | 6.4” HD+ AMOLED HDR10+ |
| Primary Camera | 50MP | 12MP |
| Charging | 45W, 15W wireless, reverse wireless | 25W, 15W wireless, reverse wireless |
| Communications | 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Updates | 4 OS upgrades 5 years of security updates |
3 OS upgrades 4 years of security updates |
| MSRP | $1,400 (128GB) $1,470 (256GB) |
$830 (128GB) $920 (256GB) |
| View plans | View plans |
The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is an undeniably better smartphone in almost every way. However, the budget Galaxy S21 FE still offers excellent features while costing a fraction of the price.
Samsung Galaxy S22+ vs. iPhone 13 vs. Google Pixel 6 Pro
Apple and Google are Samsung’s two biggest competitors in the smartphone market. All three offer a range of devices, but we’ll look at comparable flagship models to see how each measures up.
Samsung Galaxy S22+ vs. premium flagships
| Samsung Galaxy S22+ | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | Google Pixel 6 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OS | One UI 4.1 with Android 12 (4 upgrades) |
iOS 15 (~6 upgrades) | Android 12 (4 upgrades) |
| Display | 6.6” HD+ AMOLED 120Hz | 6.1” HD+ OLED 120Hz | 6.7” QHD+ AMOLED 120Hz |
| Cameras | 3 rear, 1 front | 3 rear, 1 front | 3 rear, 1 front |
| MSRP | From $1,400 | From $1,400 | From $1,180 |
| View plans | View plans | View plans |
recap: Is the Samsung
Galaxy S22+ Right For You?
The Samsung Galaxy S22+ features impressive upgrades over last year’s Galaxy S21 family of smartphones. The display is brighter, the cameras are better, and the performance is through the roof. Although 3D gaming should be better than ever, the Game Optimization Service (GOS) throttles performance favouring battery life, and there’s currently no easy way to disable it. Samsung’s One UI interface and proprietary software are great for long-time Samsung fans, and four years of security upgrades make it a safe investment.
Here's what you get from the Samsung Galaxy S22+:
- Bright display with sharp colour accuracy
- Extremely powerful performance except in some 3D games
- 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C 3.2, UWB
- AI-powered photo processing
- Four Android version upgrades (five years of security updates)
The image post-processing software is truly impressive and can make photos look even better than real life. You’d have to switch over to an Apple iPhone 13 Pro to find anything better.
If you’re still not sure about spending more than $1,000 on a new phone, consider the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, which boasts similar specifications for a bit over half the price. Those who prefer a clean Android experience should look at the Google Pixel 6 Pro, which costs less while still delivering flagship performance.
WhistleOut Quick Tip: Getting the lowest price
Your best bet for a low monthly payment is to take advantage of leasing credit at a premium carrier. After two years, either return the phone or pay back the full credit and keep the device. Flanker brands, including Fido, Koodo, and Virgin Plus, will likely require an upfront payment and monthly installments of around $33/month. Regional carriers like Freedom Mobile, Videotron, and Sasktel, may also have good deals.
Methodology
WhistleOut’s team of mobile experts uses data from proprietary research to form objective ratings for the Samsung Galaxy S22+. We look at performance, battery, display, cameras, and connectivity. Our overall rating is an average of these five scores. We compared the Samsung Galaxy S22+ to similar smartphones, including but not limited to the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, Apple iPhone 13 Pro, and Google Pixel 6 Pro.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Samsung Galaxy S22 support eSIM?
Yes. The Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra support eSIM for mobile connectivity and physical SIM cards. The Samsung Galaxy S22 eSIM requires a cellular service provider that supports eSIM registration.
Can I use eSIM and physical SIM at the same time in the S22?
Yes. You can use an eSIM and physical SIM simultaneously with any Samsung Galaxy S22 device, including the Samsung Galaxy S22+ and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. These models support dual-SIM use via one physical SIM card and eSIM registration with a wireless provider that supports this feature.
How big is the Samsung Galaxy S22+?
The Samsung Galaxy S22+ has a 6.6” display and weighs 195g—about 16% heavier than the Galaxy S22 with a 6.1” display. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra features a 6.8” display and weighs 228g.
What colours does the Samsung Galaxy S22+ come in?
The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is available in Phantom White, Phantom Black, Green, and Pink Gold through Canadian carriers, but not all options may be available at all providers. Additional colours available exclusively through Samsung’s online store include Graphite, Cream, Sky Blue, and Violet. The premium Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is widely available in Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, and a unique Burgandy hue. Colour options exclusive to the Samsung online store include Graphite, Sky Blue, and Red.
Does the Samsung Galaxy S22+ support the S Pen?
No, the Galaxy S22 or Galaxy S22+ do not offer support for the S Pen. However, there is support for the S Pen on the premium Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, including a storage compartment built into the device.
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