Alongside the S22 Ultra, Samsung also launched the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+. They don’t have the shiny new S Pen as their bigger brother, but there are significant camera changes here. Compared to the S21 series, these phones put a big focus on taking better photos and videos at night.
A Cleaner Design!
The Galaxy S21 design really flaunted that camera bump, but the two-toned look on the Phantom Violet color wasn’t for everyone. Although both the S22 and S22+ carry the S21 design, they look more refined than their predecessors. The camera bumps are now more coherent with the whole phone similar to the one in the Galaxy S21 FE. Unlike the S21 and S21+ that had plastic backs, we now have glass backs that are Gorilla Glass Victus+. (This applies to the front glass as well.)
A More Refined Focus on Galaxy S22 Cameras
Samsung’s really put a lot of focus on its phone’s cameras in recent years. That’s why I found it quite strange that Samsung had a different set of priorities on the S21 and S21+. There was a 64MP telephoto camera and a 12MP main camera compared to the S21 Ultra’s 108MP main camera and two 10MP telephoto cameras.
This is why I’m happy that Samsung streamlined its cameras across the S22 series. Both the S22 and S22+ get a triple rear camera system that consists of:
- 50MP wide camera with f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel autofocus, OIS, and 85° field-of-view
- 12MP ultrawide camera with f/2.2 aperture and 120° field-of-view
- 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, OIS, f/2.4 aperture and 36° field-of-view
It’s actually nice to see two of the cameras from the S22 Ultra make it way across the line. This also helps Samsung in better refining the camera software features like Super Steady System and Auto Framing.
Market-Leading Displays!
There is one thing that’s undisputed in the smartphone market. It’s the fact that Samsung makes the best phone displays in the market today. That doesn’t change even in the S22 and S22+!
Both the S22 and S22+ get an FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with a Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Unlike the S22 Ultra, both these phones only go down to 10Hz. Both phones have a 240Hz touch sampling rate when in Game Mode. There are also features like Vision Booster that maximize the color contrast based on its surroundings and content. The main difference between the two is that the S22 has a 6.1-inch display while the S22+ has a 6.6-inch display. (Weird that both are down from the 6.2-inch and 6.6-inch displays of their predecessors.) Only the S22+ and S22 Ultra have a peak brightness of 1,750 nits.
Flagship Performance
The S22 and S22+ run on either a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor or an Exynos 2200 processor. Both are based on a 4nm process. (The Philippines will be getting the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.) They both have 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of internal storage. Batteries on the S22 and S22+ are 3,700 mAh and 4,500 mAh respectively. (Both are also down from the 4,000 mAh and 4,800 mah batteries of their predecessors.) The S22 only has support for 25W Wired fast charging while the S22+ has the same 45W Wired fast charging as the S22 Ultra. Both support 15W wireless fast charging and Wireless PowerShare. (You still have to buy a separate power adapter though.)
The S22 only supports Wi-Fi 6 while the S22+ gets Wi-Fi 6E. Both have Bluetooth 5.2 and 5G support.
Pricing and Availability
Both the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ come in four colors: Phantom White, Phantom Black, Pink Gold, and Green. They will be available for preorder on February 9, 2022. The S22 retails for P45,990 for the 128GB model and P49,990 for the 256GB model. Meanwhile, the S22+ retails for P56,990 for the 128GB and P60,990 for the 256GB model.
You can preorder the S22 and S22+ from Samsung.com on February 9, 2022, 11PM until March 3, 2022. If you preorder there, you can get freebies and discounts up to P13,200. (They consist a P10,000 Samsung Online Store e-voucher, a Silicone Case with Strap worth P1,999, and a Lucky Box Strap worth P1,299.)
You can also preorder through Samsung Experience Stores, select Authorized Samsung Stores, Lazada, Shopee, Abenson.com and MemoXpress Online from February 10 – March 3, 2022. If you preorder there, you can get as much as P10,200 worth of freebies! Those include a pair of Galaxy Buds 2 worth P6,990, a Silicone Case with Strap worth P1,999 and a Lucky Box Strap worth P1,299.
The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ will be available on March 4, 2022 in Samsung.com, Samsung Experience Stores, select Authorized Samsung Stores, Lazada, Shopee, Abenson.com, and MemoXpress Online, and telco partners.
