Samsung Unveils Galaxy S22 and S22+ upgrade with a great new design
Samsung is on a roll early in 2022. Just a month after unveiling the Galaxy S21 FE and the Freestyle Projector, the tech giant is back with a trio of new smartphones: the Galaxy S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra, all of which offer a refreshed look, improved camera optics and a fancy new processor from Qualcomm — the first-ever Samsung devices to do so.
All three of the Samsung S22 line are up for preorder now, with some special deals available, and will ship on Feb. 25. We’ve spent a little time with both the Galaxy S22 and S22+, so here is our breakdown of what’s impressive, what’s new and what stayed the same. We’ll have full reviews of both closer to launch and you can see our first look at the S22 Ultra here.
Where to preorder the Galaxy S22 and S22+
Samsung’s Galaxy S22 and S22+ are available for preorder and will begin shipping on Feb. 25.
Galaxy S22
Colors: Phantom Black, Phantom White, green or Pink Gold
Storage options: 128GB or 256GB, alongside 8GB of RAM.
Pricing: From $799 at Samsung
Galaxy S22+
Colors: Phantom Black, Phantom White, green or Pink Gold
Storage options: 128GB or 256GB, alongside 8GB of RAM.
Price: From $999 at Samsung
If you preorder an S22 or S22+ by Feb. 24 from Samsung, you’ll be upgraded to the next storage size at no cost. Additionally, you’ll get a $100 Samsung gift card with purchase of the S22 or a $150 credit with the S22+ as a bonus.
Galaxy S22 and S22+: First impressions
Jacob Krol/CNN
The Galaxy S22 and S22+ are finally sporting a truly high-end premium design. Samsung is ditching the cheaper-looking polycarbonate back for an aluminum and glass design. The S22 and S22+ will have a properly matched bump on the back, unlike the accent colors of the S21. There’s also no integrated S Pen or stylus support here. The bottom of the device features a SIM card slot, speaker and USB-C port, while you’ll find a power/sleep button and volume rocker on the right side.Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra hands-on: A giant tablet ready to take on the iPad Pro
The S22 and S22+ felt terrific in our hands, and were definitely a friendlier size for those with smaller hands and just more pocketable. We especially liked the flat design of the 6.1-inch (on S22) and 6.6-inch (on S22+) screens, and that they didn’t slope down on the sides. This felt more uniform and let us get a better grip. Regardless of screen size, you’re also getting that vibrant, sharp display. Yup, Samsung’s using the same Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the S22 and S22+ as on the Ultra.
They’re also powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset with 8GB of RAM. The S22 and S22+ run Android 12 out of the box with Samsung’s latest interface. Both devices were quick to respond during our hands-on and offered a fluid experience. More good news here is that both of these (plus the S22 Ultra) are guaranteed to get four Android updates, which is a great promise and delivery on value from Samsung. It’s still behind Google’s support of software on the Pixel line, though.
Samsung promises all-day battery life on the S22 and S22+ and both devices support wired or wireless charging, with a 3,700mAh cell in S22 and 4,500mAh in the S22+.
Jacob Krol/CNN
The S22 and S22+ share the same camera setup and Samsung is increasing the sensor size, improving the software and sticking with mostly the same megapixel count.
- 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera: This is the same lens as on the S21/S21+ and should deliver crisp, clear shots while capturing a tremendous amount without physically moving. Like the ultra-wide on the iPhone or Pixel, Samsung also uses software to remove any fisheye effect from the corners.
- 50-megapixel wide camera: Like on the S22 Ultra, the main lens will be pinning pixels together for crisper shots that pack in more detail in daylight and lower lighting conditions.
- 10-megapixel telephoto camera: The telephoto lens here powers up to 30x Space Zoom and 3x optical zoom to help capture a clear shot from afar. 30x Space Zoom has been hit or miss in our testing, but generally provides a clear shot at 10x.
The hardware is similar to the S21, which is in itself a top performer in the smartphone camera world. That baseline paired with software improvements — like better nighttime shooting and the improved portrait mode — should lead to less-blurry shots, quicker processing times and more details.
Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+ & S22 Ultra specs
 Galaxy S22 |  Galaxy S22+ |  Galaxy S22 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $799 | $999 | $1,199 |
| Display | 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate | 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate | 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB or 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB | 128GB/256GB | 128GB/256GB/ 512GB/1TB |
| Cameras | 12 megapixel ultra wide, 50 megapixel wide and 10 megapixel telephoto with flash (rear); 10 megapixel (front) | 12 megapixel ultra wide, 50 megapixel wide and 10 megapixel telephoto with flash (rear); 10 megapixel (front) | 12 megapixel ultra wide, 108 megapixel wide and dual 10 megapixel telephoto with flash (rear); 40 megapixel (front) |
| Battery | 3,700mAh | 4,500mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Size and weight | 2.7 x 5.7 x 0.29 inches; 0.37 pounds | 2.98 x 6.19 x 0.29 inches; 0.43 pounds | 3.06 x 6.42 x 0.35 inches; 0.50 pounds |
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