Author: Aries Santos
Expect Samsung to always create a huge buzz regarding flagship phones. Over the years, the company has consistently launched quality phones that can withstand any flagship brand.
Recently, they launched two superfly products; the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, part of the February 2022 unpacked event, and the S21 Ultra, which has been capturing attention since its release date (January 2021).
While the two flagship phones above might sound alike, the design saves some talk.
Design
The Galaxy S22 Ultra has separated camera lenses placed directly at the back, while the S21 Ultra has a stunning camera bump. Both look good and are captivating to the eyes that it becomes a matter of personal preferences.
As for the front, the two flagship phones share similar central punch-hole selfie cameras and curved displays. The distinct difference is the S22 Ultra’s right-angle corners, which is similar to the Galaxy Note series design.
Display
The Samsung S22 and S21 Ultra are not fully identical, however, they are both designed with a QHD resolution, a 120Hz maximum refresh rate, and 6.8 inches size. In terms of power saving, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has an upgraded performance scale of 1Hz to 120Hz. Though the S21 Ultra can also reach the maximum refresh rate of 120Hz depending on the user’s activity.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a clear edge in battling bright sunlight with its combined 1,750 nits peak brightness and Vision Booster over the S21 Ultra’s 1,500 nits.
Cameras
Samsung leveled up the camera for Galaxy S22 Ultra. For starters, it boasts a 108MP primary sensor that features an improved lens and a wider aperture. The pixel-binning process produces 12MP photos, similar to the S21 Ultra but better. The low-light capabilities and image stabilization make Samsung S22 Ultra a better choice. Basically, its captured photos are brighter, sharper, and have more refinements.
Performance and Battery
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset in most countries, while the S21 Ultra has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or the Samsung Exynos 2100 to show.
For bigger pictures, you can trust both for the powerful productivity-focused performance. Nevertheless, the S22 Ultra is superior in power efficiency and can maintain lower temperatures in gaming.
Samsung designed both flagship phones with 5,000mAh batteries and allows wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging up to 15W. The S22 Ultra goes up to 45W fast wired charging, while its S21 Ultra supports 25W fast charging only— quite a game-changer if you aim for less charging time.
S Pen
Arguably, one of the primary differences between the two Samsung flagship phones is the S Pen. Even though both are created with S Pen input, the compatible one for Galaxy S21 Ultra is sold separately. If you aim to buy and not upgrade, the Galaxy S22 Ultra already comes with the stylus and a holster. Also, you can achieve a better natural writing experience as the newer model has lower 2.8-millisecond latency than the S21 Ultra’s 9 -millisecond latency.
Price and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra price starts at $1,200 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. The Galaxy S21 Ultra starts at the same price but offers 12GB of RAM for its base variant.
Specifications
| Galaxy S22 Ultra | Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Android version | Android 12, One UI 4 | Android 11, One UI 3 |
| Display | 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED QHD | 6.8 inches AMOLED QHD |
| Measurements | 163.3 by 77.9 by 8.9mm or 6.43 by 3.07 by 0.35 inches | 165.1 by 75.6 by 8.9mm or 6.5 by 2.98 by 0.35 inches |
| Cameras | 108-megapixel primary, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP periscope, 10MP telephoto
40MP selfie camera |
108MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP periscope, 10MP telephoto
40MP selfie camera |
| Software | One UI 4 / Android 12 | One UI 4 / Android 12 |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB | 12GB, 16GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 256GB, 512GB |
| Water resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes (in-display ultrasonic) | Yes (in-display ultrasonic) |
| Colors | Phantom Black, Burgundy, Green, Phantom White, | Phantom Black, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown
Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium |
The Verdict
Suppose you already own an S21 Ultra, it may not be a smart decision to upgrade to the S22 Ultra, because they possess almost the same features. However, if you are impressed with the S22 Ultra and you need to buy a flagship phone, it is a worthy beast to consider. Overall, you need to consider your budget, needs, and preferences before making a decision.