[Experience] 'Beautiful Form' S22 Plus vs 'Complete S Pen' S22 Ultra

Samsung Electronics has unveiled the Galaxy S series 'Galaxy S22'. Pre-orders will be held for 8 days from the 14th to the 21st, with the official domestic release on the 25th. The Galaxy S22 series consists of three models: Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus(+), and Galaxy S22 Ultra. We compared and analyzed the Galaxy S22 Plus and Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Galaxy S22 Plus (left), S22 Ultra (right) rear view.

Design

◆ Reporter Cha Min-young (2nd year IT correspondent) = The S21 Plus(+) features a flat design with both front and back surfaces being flat, reminiscent of Apple's iPhone. The aspect ratio is 19.5:9, making it shorter and wider. The actual size is 75.8 X 157.4 X 7.6 mm (6.6 inches), smaller than its predecessor, which seems to satisfy Galaxy fans' craving for a 'compact flagship smartphone.' The back uses matte glass material, which reduces fingerprints and leaves fewer marks. Especially, the pink gold color combined with matte glass evokes a 'peach,' likely gaining strong support from female customers. The side design made of armor metal material offers a sturdy yet sophisticated feel. The so-called 'Contour Cut' design, which smoothly connects the smartphone body, sides, and camera, inherits the previous series but applies a sharper design by reducing curvature. If you usually use a case, the overall feel will likely be more important than the detailed texture.

◆ Reporter Lim Hye-seon (a senior in name only, with half a month of experience) = The pink gold color of the 'S22 Plus' definitely catches the eye. However, the classic design unique to the 'S22 Ultra' is also attractive. It retains the familiar look of the Note with a 6.8-inch size and edge display. The perfectly symmetrical metal frame shows a sense of balance. Especially on the back, the camera design has changed significantly. The floating camera design, seamlessly integrated with the smartphone body, is enhanced with metal processing to give a premium feel. Physical keys like volume are on the right, and the S Pen is on the left. Despite the nearly bezel-less design, it boasts strong durability. It is said to use the strongest armor aluminum among all S series smartphones. I hesitated for 3 seconds to try dropping it once, recalling my past experience replacing screens multiple times after dropping Fold1 and Z Flip. However, since the 'big-eyed camera' lens is exposed as is, it is questionable whether it can be protected from impact.

Camera Performance

◆ Reporter Cha Min-young = My evaluation of the camera features is 'so-so.' First, the moment focusing is an interesting feature. The main camera sensor applies a 50MP ISOCELL GN5 with dual pixel pro technology to quickly capture moving subjects. When I pointed the camera at moving people outside, the face recognition sensor reflected their movements and captured their changed positions every second. It also quickly captured friends entering the selfie frame simultaneously. Thanks to the image sensor, I felt the resolution improved slightly during night shooting compared to before. However, the camera features only support a triple camera setup (ultra-wide, wide, telephoto) as in previous series. Although it supports up to 30x zoom, it did not evoke any surprising excitement. I wanted to try the new photo application 'Expert RAW,' but it will only be officially released on February 25, so early experience was not possible.

◆ Reporter Lim Hye-seon = It's similar, but there are still differentiating points unique to top-tier premium phones. It has a quad camera setup with 12MP (ultra-wide), 108MP (wide), 10MP (telephoto), and 10MP (telephoto). Especially, it features bright and clear photo and video shooting even in darkness. The 'Galaxy S22 Ultra' has a 108MP sensor with a 2.4um size, the largest among all Galaxy smartphones to date. Additionally, nano coating was applied to both the lens and glass to reduce light reflection. This reduces flare phenomena where light reflects on the camera lens leaving round spots or light afterimages on the screen. The large, high-resolution sensor absorbs more light and, combined with multi-frame processing technology, delivers the best night shooting quality. Honestly, for 'IT beginners' who only use phone calls, KakaoTalk, and photography, the 'IT eraser' feature was the best. Using shadow eraser removes shadows that appear when taking pictures of documents. There is also a 'light reflection eraser.' When taking photos inside a car, it magically erases the subject if it is captured together.

Galaxy S22 Plus (left), S22 Ultra (right) side view.

Battery and Heat

◆ Reporter Cha Min-young = The Plus model is very satisfactory regarding battery and heat issues. In my lifestyle as a reporter who does not usually watch many YouTube videos on the smartphone, the battery lasted 4 days. Even while using voice calls, habitual Samsung Pay functions, KakaoTalk, and email checks normally, it held up well. Due to the nature of my job, I feel uneasy when the battery drops below 20%, so long battery life is a very attractive feature. After discharge, charging with the ultra-fast 45W charger took less than an hour to fully charge. For the heat test, I played the high-capacity game 'Genshin Impact' for over 10 minutes, yet hardly felt any heat. The previous top model, the S21 Ultra, was like a 'hand warmer,' but this is much improved.

◆ Reporter Lim Hye-seon = I was often startled while using the Z Flip. When I turned on the mobile hotspot to connect my laptop to the internet, the phone would get hot. I am used to it now, but at first, it was surprising. The 'S22 Ultra' showed almost no heat issues. It applies a thicker new gel to the thermal interface material (TIM) that improves heat transfer between surfaces, making heat transfer 3.5 times more efficient than before. On top of this, a new 'nano-TIM' material was applied to move heat faster to the vapor chamber (heat spreader). This product is equipped with Qualcomm's latest processor, the 'Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.' The 'Galaxy S22 Ultra' has a 5000mAh battery. With just about 10 minutes of charging, it was possible to record videos for 50 minutes.

Choice

◆ Reporter Cha Min-young = The S22 Plus, which returned with a heart-fluttering beauty, seems to have a charm that captivates people. Nevertheless, as a loyal fan of the Galaxy Note series, my final choice is the 'S22 Ultra.' The S Pen, which boasts a smooth touch when writing or drawing, has an undeniably unique charm. It also applies AI technology to recognize faster and more accurately, and watching the S Pen evolve every year is quite enjoyable.

◆ Reporter Lim Hye-seon = If it’s the 'S22 Plus design including the S Pen function,' I would immediately apply for pre-order. (Haha) I think this 'S Pen' is a perfected version. Especially, the writing feel is so close to writing on paper. The S Pen reduces response time by about 70% compared to previous models, making it the fastest and most accurate ever. When I tried writing, the pen tip was soft, and the slipperiness like writing on glass disappeared. It can perfectly replicate my handwriting, giving 100% satisfaction. However, the heavier-than-expected weight is the only downside of the 'S22 Ultra.' Comparing the Galaxy S22 Plus (195g) and Ultra (228g) by holding both simultaneously, there was a clear difference. Still, since we have the 'Note gamseong (emotion),' I strongly recommend the 'S22 Ultra.' Additionally, limited editions such as 'Mercedes-Benz' and 'Mark & Lona' will be released.