Windows 11 is a breath of fresh air in terms of design compared to Windows 10, and we wholly recommend the upgrade in our Windows 11 review. But truth be told, not every change was a positive one, and one of the things you might find annoying is that you can no longer see the date and time on the taskbar on a second or third monitor in Windows 11. Only the primary monitor shows it, but thankfully, there are ways to work around this.
The good news is Microsoft is already working to change this behavior, and you can try those changes right now by joining the Windows Insider Program. If you don’t want to do that, there are some apps that also restore that functionality. Or, if you don’t mind waiting, this capability should be rolled out to all Windows 11 users in March, so you don’t have to do anything. Here’s how you can add the time and date to the taskbar on your second monitor in Windows 11.
Option 1: Join the Windows Insider Program
We’d say this is the easiest option if you want to add the time and date to the taskbar of the second monitor in Windows 11. Microsoft recently released Windows 11 build 22000.526 to Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview channels, and that means it’s fairly safe to try this out. As you can read in our explainer of the Windows Insider Program, the Release Preview channel is where Microsoft tests updates just before they head out to the stable release. That means they’re usually practically finished, and you shouldn’t run into any big issues.
To get the time back on your taskbar this way, do the following:
Open the Settings app and go to the Windows Update section, then choose Windows Insider Program.
Click Get started, choose a Microsoft account to link to the Insider program, and then choose the Release Preview channel when asked which one to join. Any other option could mean you’ll get unstable builds of Windows 11, so Release Preview is your best option.
Reboot your PC when prompted to do so.
Once your PC is back on, go back to Windows Update and check for updates. You should see a cumulative update labeled as KB5010414.
Let the update install and reboot your PC again. You should see the time and date on your taskbar on all your monitors now.
Once you’ve received this update, you might want to unenroll from the Windows Insider Program. Head back into the respective page to unenroll your PC from getting preview builds, and you’ll be back to receiving the regular monthly updates.
Option 2: Use ElevenClock to customize the time and date on the Windows 11 taskbar
If you don’t want to join the Windows Insider Program, another option to add the time back to your taskbar is using an app called ElevenClock. This app can add back the time and date on all your monitors, but it can also do a lot more than that if you’re interested.
All you need to do is download the latest version of ElevenClock from GitHub and run the installer. Once it finishes installing, you’ll immediately see the time and date on the taskbar of all your monitors. If you want to customize your settings, you can go to your Start menu and open ElevenClock Settings, which gives you tons of options.
You can align your clock to the left of the taskbar, hide the notification badge, and much more. There’s even an option to add seconds to the taskbar clock, which you might find useful since Microsoft also removed that feature from Windows 11. There are plenty of options, so explore them at your own leisure.
In order for the features to work, you’ll need to make sure ElevenClock is running at startup. That’s enabled by default when you install the app, so you just have to make sure you don’t disable it.
And that’s all there is to it. It’s a very simple fix, but if you don’t want to do any of this, you can just wait for Microsoft to release the next cumulative update for Windows 11. The next Patch Tuesday will be on March 8, and that’s when the update will arrive, likely adding this feature back in, though it should also be available earlier as an optional update. That could change if any issues come up, but that’s unlikely to happen. Aside from adding a clock to the second monitor, you can expect a new Widgets button showing the current weather on your taskbar, new features for Teams, and more.
When it comes to choosing their next smartphone, different people look for different things. Some seek the best camera out there to document their journeys to their favorite restaurants the wilderness. Other people care about the operating system (OS) and/or its skin. For example, there are users who won’t buy a device running a heavily skinned version of Android, while others have their own favorite. Similarly, those who are deeply invested in Apple’s ecosystem will likely only consider different iPhones as devices to potentially buy.
This becomes problematic for iOS users because the OS is only available on iPhones. So when the tech overlord doesn’t release satisfying devices, its users can find themselves jealous of people on the other side. The highest-end iPhone 13 Pro Max doesn’t meet your expectations? Tough luck, there isn’t a more advanced iPhone for you to buy and you have to wait for a full yearly cycle to find out if the next one is going to be that much better or just an “S” release. That’s precisely why Apple needs to release a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra competitor. If a buyer doesn’t care about the OS and ecosystem, there aren’t many compelling reasons for them to choose the iPhone 13 Pro Max over the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Overkill Cameras
iPhone 13 Pro Max, main camera
People sometimes complain about modern phones having too many rear cameras. We’ve probably all seen the memes of Pro Max iPhones being compared to stovetops. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s not like these extra lenses are placed there for cosmetic reasons, at least not on iPhones yet. They serve a valid purpose — taking better photos and videos, in addition to advancing the photographic capabilities of the phone.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with more powerful camera features and greater versatility that no iPhone can match
The iPhone 13 Pro Max — Apple’s most advanced phone — only comes with three rear cameras. While the lens count doesn’t always signify better photography, the Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with more powerful camera features and greater versatility that no iPhone can match, thanks to its four rear cameras. For example, the Galaxy S22 Ultra supports 10x optical zoom and 100x space zoom. Apple still doesn’t support the latter, and the former is limited to 3x only. Yes, the iPhone’s camera is more than enough for average users, but there are some professional photographers and hobbyists in Apple’s ecosystem. The company seemingly doesn’t care about that particular audience all that much to grant them with a system that matches this versatility. Apple is doing some things in the video department, but there’s a lot left to be desired for photography, including but not limited to a Pro mode. Samsung not only provides hardware versatility, but there are also several software features like Single Take and Director’s View that Apple should be considering for its Pro phones.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s rear camera setup
Additionally, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is equipped with a 40MP front camera. This allows its users to take crisp selfies and vlogs to post in our increasingly-social online world. The TrueDepth camera on the iPhone 13 Pro Max retains the 12MP from previous-gen iPhones. While it results in some breathtaking selfies — thanks to Portrait Mode — the company could still improve the front camera system.
Give us a Pen(cil)!
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max feature 6.8-inch and 6.7-inch displays respectively. They’re both gigantic phones, relatively speaking. For some reason, though, Apple still doesn’t support its Pencil on iPhones. Phones are no longer tiny, and many use them to doodle and write notes on the go. Samsung had a Galaxy Note lineup for ages, and I used the Galaxy Note 2 LTE for around two years. Having an S Pen conveniently available wherever I go was a game-changer, and S Pens weren’t even as feature-rich at the time — they’ve only gotten better since then.
Apple Pencil and iPad Pro
If the $3 trillion company doesn’t want to spend its limited resources and brains on designing an iPhone with a stylus hole/silo, it could at least add Apple Pencil support to the iPhone screens. While carrying the Pencil separately could be a bit of a hassle, it at least would remain an option for those who really need and want it. The S Pen might not be for everyone, but its placement and features are phenomenal, and the Cupertino giant is long overdue a competitor.
The S Pen might not be for everyone, but its placement and features are phenomenal, and the Cupertino giant is long overdue a competitor
2012 called, they want their port back
Vivo V23 and iPhone 13 Pro
In a perfect world, Twitter offers an edit button all phone manufacturers harmoniously adopt USB-C as a universal charging and data transfer port. We obviously live in a far-from-perfect world, and Apple still stubbornly resorts to its proprietary Lightning port on iPhones. Surprisingly, though, it has adopted the more commonly used port on some iPad models. It doesn’t make any sense to me why the company would green-light USB-C on iPads but not iPhones. I suppose some questions will never get an answer, and we will have to carry around different types of cables for the foreseeable future. Another take on this is that even Samsung is moving forward to faster charging, thanks to 45W fast wired charging support, making the official 18W “fast” charging appear absolutely ancient on the iPhone 13 Pro Max. We’re long overdue for an upgrade, so move over to USB C and USB PD while you’re at it please, Apple?
Speaking of charging, why can’t we have reverse wireless charging, Apple? Most AirPods cases now support Qi charging, and being able to charge them through the iPhone on the go would make life a tad easier. This is one of the main features I’m jealous that Apple hasn’t implemented yet.
We need to see some overkill from Apple
iPhone 13 Pro’s notch (left) is smaller than the iPhone 12 Pro’s notch.
Once upon a time, Apple used to think outside the box. In my opinion, that’s no longer the case — for the most part at least. Yes, Universal Control is magical, and the company does come up with some innovative ideas sometimes. However, when it comes to iPhones, they’ve become pretty mundane. New releases aren’t as exciting anymore — it’s just a costly yet reliable phone that will get your everyday tasks done, with a new feature here and there. A slightly smaller notch is notch what we’re asking for.
It's about time Apple takes some risks beyond the Pro and gets onto some Ultra overkill
Apple claims every year during the keynotes that its devices are designed to help creatives explore, express, and improve their talents. Frankly, I don’t see it, not anymore. iPhones are limiting when compared to phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. The latter truly unleashes the potential of our modern-day technologies and tries to make the most out of them. The former, unfortunately, doesn’t. I don’t see myself leaving the Apple ecosystem, not anytime soon at least, so for the foreseeable future, I will be stuck with very few options when deciding which phone to buy next. On the bright side, new releases aren’t very tempting — considering not a lot changes — and I don’t get the urge to upgrade very often, so my wallet is thankful for that.
Had I not been tied into the Cupertino tech giant’s ecosystem (and had the patience to use Android), I would’ve most likely chosen the Galaxy S22 Ultra over any iPhone. And that’s exactly why Apple should release a competitor to Samsung’s latest flagship. A person who doesn’t care about the OS as much as I do would likely get the Android phone. Apple is only losing potential customers by sticking to its familiar releases. It’s about time they take some risks beyond the Pro and get some Ultra overkill.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is Samsung's top flagship for 2022, bringing over top of the line performance, display and camera capabilities alongside S Pen capabilities to deliver an ultra experience for power users. It's the perfect phone for enthusiasts and power users, and a device that Apple has no competitor against.
Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series is here. Just like the past three years, there are three models to choose from. Unlike the past three years, however, the gap that separates the highest end Ultra model from the other two devices is wider than ever. In fact, the Galaxy S22 Ultra feels like a different phone from the other two. And that’s because it basically is. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is essentially a new Galaxy Note. It looks like a clear evolution of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra than it does over the Galaxy S21 Ultra, from the boxy look with hard corners to the included S-Pen. The standard Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, meanwhile, are clearly Galaxy S21 sequels, with the same camera module design and overall in-hand feel.
This makes this comparison article easier to write than ever before. If you have always liked the Galaxy Note series better than the Galaxy S series, if you actually think the S-Pen is useful, then the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the clear phone to get. In fact, if you care about a stylus at all, you almost have no other choice, as the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the only game in town unless you settle for these mid-range Motorola devices. Yeah, it’s a bit pricey, but you’re getting the absolute best of everything — screen, cameras, processors, etc. It’s the kitchen sink phone.
If you don’t care about the stylus or you want to save a bit of money, then the Galaxy S22 or S22 Plus is for you. The good news is Samsung didn’t cut as many corners with the non-Ultra models this year. Last year’s S21 had a plastic back — ridiculous for a “flagship” phone that launched at $800 — and both S21 and S21 Plus had mediocre 12-megapixel main cameras. This time out, you’re getting Gorilla Glass Victus Plus backplates for both Galaxy S22 and S22 Ultra, and both phones got major camera upgrades to a 50MP main camera. In other words, these two phones don’t feel like afterthoughts.
Get the Galaxy S22, if:
You want a practical-sized flagship
You want great performance, great cameras, at a practical budget
Get the Galaxy S22 Plus, if:
You want a bigger screen and faster charging, alongside great cameras
You are okay with spending extra for the larger size and attached benefits
Get the Galaxy S22 Ultra, if:
You want an integrated S Pen, i.e you want a Galaxy Note
You want an overkill flagship with great performance, amazing cameras
You don’t mind spending money on a large body device
The Galaxy S22 picks up where the Galaxy S21 left off by offering the same great Galaxy experience at a more affordable price, albeit with some choice trade-offs.
The Galaxy S22 Plus does a better job than the Galaxy S21 Plus of bridging the gap between the entry-level Galaxy S22 and the fully-stocked Galaxy S22 Ultra. This year's middle child offers a bigger and better version of the Galaxy S22 experience, albeit it still has some trade-offs vs the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra takes a very good phone from last year, and makes a few tweaks. The same great camera experience remains, but now the Galaxy S22 Ultra can also claim to be the best for productivity as well, thanks to the S-Pen. Ultimately, it brings the very best of Samsung and fittingly continues the legacy of the Galaxy Note line.
Samsung Galaxy S22 series: Pricing and Availability
The Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, and Galaxy S22 Ultra are all available for pre-order now in just about every part of the world. In the US, devices will officially go on sale on February 25th. The official starting retail price in the US is as follows:
Galaxy S22: $799
Galaxy S22 Plus: $999
Galaxy S22 Ultra: $1,199
However, there are plenty of pre-order deals depending on which store or carrier you shop from. Pre-ordering via the Samsung Store, for example, will get you a $200 gift card; meanwhile, carriers like Verizon offer monthly plans that start at as low as $22.22 a month. Be sure to check out our wrap up of deals to get the latest information.
As we said, the Galaxy S22 series feels like two separate phone lines: there’s the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus, and then there’s the Galaxy S22 Ultra that’s almost like its own thing. Let’s look at the non-Ultra devices first. The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus look very similar to last year’s Galaxy S21 series, with the same contour cut camera module that spills over the side of the phone, blending into the aluminum chassis. It’s a look we liked a lot last year, and the sentiment returns this year.
The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus are almost identical, except for these areas where they differ:
Screen dimensions:
Galaxy S22: 6.1-inch, 1080 x 2340 OLED screen
Galaxy S22 Plus: 6.6-inch, 1080 x 2340 OLED screen
Overall dimensions and weight:
Galaxy S22:
146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm
168g
Galaxy S22 Plus:
157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6mm
196g
Battery capacity and charging speeds:
Galaxy S22 has a 3,700 mAh cell that can be charged at 25W
Galaxy S22 Plus’ 4,500 mAh battery that can be topped up at 45W speeds.
Connectivity:
Galaxy S22 uses “just” WiFi 6 standard, and skips out on Ultrawide Band support for precise indoor positioning
Galaxy S22 Plus has WiFi 6E and UWB support
Both the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus screens look great, with brilliant colors and zippy animations. The smaller model feels very small in the hand and should be popular for those who like small phones. But with that said, the Galaxy S22 Plus doesn’t feel particularly big either. Unlike iPhones, which use a wider aspect ratio and with a blocky build, the 6.6-inch screen of the Galaxy S22 Plus still feels easily usable with one hand for most adults.
The Galaxy S22 Plus in the hand.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra, meanwhile, is unapologetically big, with a 6.8-inch display bumping up the phone’s dimensions and weight to 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm and 229g. The screen is curved on the left and right side, however, which helps offset the wider build and gives a smoother, more seamless one-piece feel to the phone. Still, some people will find this phone a bit unwieldy to hold, particularly with the harder corners.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra in the hand.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra also has a new back design not seen in a Samsung device yet: there is no camera island or bump to house the camera lenses, they just sort of jut out from the phone’s back. It’s a minimalistic vibe that some will like, some will not. It’s certainly unique.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s screen is a bit better than the two non-Ultra phones: its refresh rate can go as low as 1Hz (the other two can only get down to 10Hz) which helps it conserve more power, and can go up to 120Hz in the blink of an eye. The panel is also higher res, at 1440 x 3088, which puts it in “Quad HD” territory but to be honest, most people will not be able to spot the “superior sharpness” between the Galaxy S22 Ultra or the Galaxy S22 Plus — they’re all great panels.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra display can also support stylus input for the included S-Pen. Just like the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, the S-Pen is housed in a silo in the bottom right corner. Honestly, the Galaxy S22 Ultra feels almost exactly in the hand as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
The Galaxy S22 Plus (top) has flatter sides than the S22 Ultra and most other Android phones.
The in-display fingerprint reader is identical across all three Galaxy S22 phones — they use Qualcomm’s ultrasonic solution, and thankfully, they’re a bit faster and more responsive than before.
Cameras
The Galaxy S21 Ultra had the most well-rounded and versatile camera system of 2021: and the Galaxy S22 Ultra brings back the same setup, but with significant improvement promised by Samsung. While there are some subtle hardware improvements — the lenses are higher quality, for example — most of the improvements will come via software, as Samsung has built a new computational photography system.
I have only had limited time testing Galaxy S22 Ultra’s camera system so far, but early testing shows it performs better in low light, produces sharper 10x zoom, superior video stabilization, and better bokeh videos compared to the Galaxy S21 Ultra. It almost certainly will be the new standard for smartphone cameras in 2022 for at least the first half of the year.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra rear camera specifications
The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus, meanwhile, have a less capable camera system compared to its bigger brother — it lacks the Periscope 10x zoom, and its main camera is “just” a 50MP shooter instead of 108MP. However, the ultra-wide sensor is identical, as is the 3x telephoto zoom lens. Plus, compared to last year’s vanilla Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus, these cameras are a big upgrade.
Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus camera specifications
Most of the camera upgrades come via software improvements
Most of the camera upgrades will come via software improvements, and Samsung is promising a lot. We have published a complete overview of the Galaxy S22 series’ new camera features, so do check that out if you want all the details. But to summarize here, both the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the non-Ultra models will use some form of pixel binning to produce a shot that has more image information than usual. For the 108MP sensor in the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung uses nona-binning, which combines nine pixels worth of data into one super large pixel — in other words, the final image produced by the Galaxy S22 Ultra is a 12MP shot but with 108 million pixels’ worth of information. The Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus’s 50 megapixel shooter use tetra-binning, which combines four pixels into one for a 12.5MP shot. Pixel binning is not new technology, and Samsung’s Ultra phones have been doing that for years, but Samsung promises it has reworked its computational photography which along with Qualcomm’s new ISP in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 bring significant improvements.
There’s also “Advanced Auto Framing,” where the phones’ cameras will detect the scene, recognize up to 10 objects, and adjust framing, including focal length, to grab a better image.
Samsung Galaxy S22 series: Software
All three Galaxy S22 phones run on Samsung‘s One UI 4.1 over Android 12. One UI is, in my opinion, one of the best Android skins on the market, offering a ton of extra features that Google’s stock Android doesn’t, such as the ability to launch apps in a floating window, while not getting in the way of what Google has to offer.
New to the Galaxy S22 series are some exclusives that Samsung lined up with Google: there’s Live sharing support for various apps including Google Duo, YouTube previews in Google Messages, and built-in Voice Access support. These are features that even Google’s own Pixel phones don’t have yet.
Since the Galaxy S22 Ultra features an S-Pen, it of course has more software features compared to the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus. The S-Pen software experience for the Galaxy S22 Ultra will feel familiar to anyone who have used a Galaxy Note phone in recent years. Pull the stylus out from its slot and the Galaxy S22 Ultra reacts: if the screen is off, you jump straight to Screen-Off Memo, which allows you to jot notes on a sleeping screen without needing to light up the screen. If the phone has already been unlocked and the screen is on when the stylus is ejected, then the floating command menu pops up on the right side of the screen.
One more software feature that’s not new but can be very useful is Samsung DeX. Simply connect any of the three Galaxy S22 phones into a monitor or a smart TV (via a wireless connection or USB-C cable) and you can use the Samsung phone as a computer, with a Windows-like layout. I have used Samsung DeX on the road at hotels to get work done, and it’s just another feature that could make someone’s life easier.
Samsung Galaxy S22 series: Which one is for you?
All three Galaxy S22 phones offer cutting-edge technology and components, and I think they’re all relatively good value for the dollar compared to what Apple is asking. The Galaxy S22 Ultra in particular can do more things than any other smartphone on the market right now. Want to take extreme close-up macro shots? 100x zoom shots? 8k videos? The Galaxy S22 Ultra camera can do that. Want to run three apps on the screen at once? Or use a stylus to sign digital documents? Or use a PC desktop setup? You can do that too. If you have money to splurge and you want the most capable and powerful slab phone, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is it.
All three Galaxy S22 phones are relatively good value for the dollar compared to what Apple is asking
If you want to save a bit of money, or if you simply do not care about the S-Pen or 10x zoom shots, then the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus are worthy candidates. From here on you just have to decide if you want a small phone that you can one-hand use anywhere with ease, or a slightly bigger phone for better media consumption.
No matter what, if you’re on the market for a new smartphone, you owe it to yourself to check out the Galaxy S22 series and at least have it as a contender on your potential purchase list.
The Galaxy S22 picks up where the Galaxy S21 left off by offering the same great Galaxy experience at a more affordable price, albeit with some choice trade-offs.
The Galaxy S22 Plus does a better job than the Galaxy S21 Plus of bridging the gap between the entry-level Galaxy S22 and the fully-stocked Galaxy S22 Ultra. This year's middle child offers a bigger and better version of the Galaxy S22 experience, albeit it still has some trade-offs vs the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra takes a very good phone from last year, and makes a few tweaks. The same great camera experience remains, but now the Galaxy S22 Ultra can also claim to be the best for productivity as well, thanks to the S-Pen. Ultimately, it brings the very best of Samsung and fittingly continues the legacy of the Galaxy Note line.
Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series is here. Just like the past three years, there are three models to choose from. Unlike the past three years, however, the gap that separates the highest end Ultra model from the other two devices is wider than ever. In fact, the Galaxy S22 Ultra feels like a different phone from the other two. And that’s because it basically is. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is essentially a new Galaxy Note. It looks like a clear evolution of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra than it does over the Galaxy S21 Ultra, from the boxy look with hard corners to the included S-Pen. The standard Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, meanwhile, are clearly Galaxy S21 sequels, with the same camera module design and overall in-hand feel.
This makes this comparison article easier to write than ever before. If you have always liked the Galaxy Note series better than the Galaxy S series, if you actually think the S-Pen is useful, then the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the clear phone to get. In fact, if you care about a stylus at all, you almost have no other choice, as the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the only game in town unless you settle for these mid-range Motorola devices. Yeah, it’s a bit pricey, but you’re getting the absolute best of everything — screen, cameras, processors, etc. It’s the kitchen sink phone.
If you don’t care about the stylus or you want to save a bit of money, then the Galaxy S22 or S22 Plus is for you. The good news is Samsung didn’t cut as many corners with the non-Ultra models this year. Last year’s S21 had a plastic back — ridiculous for a “flagship” phone that launched at $800 — and both S21 and S21 Plus had mediocre 12-megapixel main cameras. This time out, you’re getting Gorilla Glass Victus Plus backplates for both Galaxy S22 and S22 Ultra, and both phones got major camera upgrades to a 50MP main camera. In other words, these two phones don’t feel like afterthoughts.
Get the Galaxy S22, if:
You want a practical-sized flagship
You want great performance, great cameras, at a practical budget
Get the Galaxy S22 Plus, if:
You want a bigger screen and faster charging, alongside great cameras
You are okay with spending extra for the larger size and attached benefits
Get the Galaxy S22 Ultra, if:
You want an integrated S Pen, i.e you want a Galaxy Note
You want an overkill flagship with great performance, amazing cameras
You don’t mind spending money on a large body device
The Galaxy S22 picks up where the Galaxy S21 left off by offering the same great Galaxy experience at a more affordable price, albeit with some choice trade-offs.
The Galaxy S22 Plus does a better job than the Galaxy S21 Plus of bridging the gap between the entry-level Galaxy S22 and the fully-stocked Galaxy S22 Ultra. This year's middle child offers a bigger and better version of the Galaxy S22 experience, albeit it still has some trade-offs vs the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra takes a very good phone from last year, and makes a few tweaks. The same great camera experience remains, but now the Galaxy S22 Ultra can also claim to be the best for productivity as well, thanks to the S-Pen. Ultimately, it brings the very best of Samsung and fittingly continues the legacy of the Galaxy Note line.
Samsung Galaxy S22 series: Pricing and Availability
The Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, and Galaxy S22 Ultra are all available for pre-order now in just about every part of the world. In the US, devices will officially go on sale on February 25th. The official starting retail price in the US is as follows:
Galaxy S22: $799
Galaxy S22 Plus: $999
Galaxy S22 Ultra: $1,199
However, there are plenty of pre-order deals depending on which store or carrier you shop from. Pre-ordering via the Samsung Store, for example, will get you a $200 gift card; meanwhile, carriers like Verizon offer monthly plans that start at as low as $22.22 a month. Be sure to check out our wrap up of deals to get the latest information.
As we said, the Galaxy S22 series feels like two separate phone lines: there’s the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus, and then there’s the Galaxy S22 Ultra that’s almost like its own thing. Let’s look at the non-Ultra devices first. The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus look very similar to last year’s Galaxy S21 series, with the same contour cut camera module that spills over the side of the phone, blending into the aluminum chassis. It’s a look we liked a lot last year, and the sentiment returns this year.
The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus are almost identical, except for these areas where they differ:
Screen dimensions:
Galaxy S22: 6.1-inch, 1080 x 2340 OLED screen
Galaxy S22 Plus: 6.6-inch, 1080 x 2340 OLED screen
Overall dimensions and weight:
Galaxy S22:
146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm
168g
Galaxy S22 Plus:
157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6mm
196g
Battery capacity and charging speeds:
Galaxy S22 has a 3,700 mAh cell that can be charged at 25W
Galaxy S22 Plus’ 4,500 mAh battery that can be topped up at 45W speeds.
Connectivity:
Galaxy S22 uses “just” WiFi 6 standard, and skips out on Ultrawide Band support for precise indoor positioning
Galaxy S22 Plus has WiFi 6E and UWB support
Both the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus screens look great, with brilliant colors and zippy animations. The smaller model feels very small in the hand and should be popular for those who like small phones. But with that said, the Galaxy S22 Plus doesn’t feel particularly big either. Unlike iPhones, which use a wider aspect ratio and with a blocky build, the 6.6-inch screen of the Galaxy S22 Plus still feels easily usable with one hand for most adults.
The Galaxy S22 Plus in the hand.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra, meanwhile, is unapologetically big, with a 6.8-inch display bumping up the phone’s dimensions and weight to 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm and 229g. The screen is curved on the left and right side, however, which helps offset the wider build and gives a smoother, more seamless one-piece feel to the phone. Still, some people will find this phone a bit unwieldy to hold, particularly with the harder corners.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra in the hand.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra also has a new back design not seen in a Samsung device yet: there is no camera island or bump to house the camera lenses, they just sort of jut out from the phone’s back. It’s a minimalistic vibe that some will like, some will not. It’s certainly unique.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s screen is a bit better than the two non-Ultra phones: its refresh rate can go as low as 1Hz (the other two can only get down to 10Hz) which helps it conserve more power, and can go up to 120Hz in the blink of an eye. The panel is also higher res, at 1440 x 3088, which puts it in “Quad HD” territory but to be honest, most people will not be able to spot the “superior sharpness” between the Galaxy S22 Ultra or the Galaxy S22 Plus — they’re all great panels.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra display can also support stylus input for the included S-Pen. Just like the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, the S-Pen is housed in a silo in the bottom right corner. Honestly, the Galaxy S22 Ultra feels almost exactly in the hand as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
The Galaxy S22 Plus (top) has flatter sides than the S22 Ultra and most other Android phones.
The in-display fingerprint reader is identical across all three Galaxy S22 phones — they use Qualcomm’s ultrasonic solution, and thankfully, they’re a bit faster and more responsive than before.
Cameras
The Galaxy S21 Ultra had the most well-rounded and versatile camera system of 2021: and the Galaxy S22 Ultra brings back the same setup, but with significant improvement promised by Samsung. While there are some subtle hardware improvements — the lenses are higher quality, for example — most of the improvements will come via software, as Samsung has built a new computational photography system.
I have only had limited time testing Galaxy S22 Ultra’s camera system so far, but early testing shows it performs better in low light, produces sharper 10x zoom, superior video stabilization, and better bokeh videos compared to the Galaxy S21 Ultra. It almost certainly will be the new standard for smartphone cameras in 2022 for at least the first half of the year.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra rear camera specifications
The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus, meanwhile, have a less capable camera system compared to its bigger brother — it lacks the Periscope 10x zoom, and its main camera is “just” a 50MP shooter instead of 108MP. However, the ultra-wide sensor is identical, as is the 3x telephoto zoom lens. Plus, compared to last year’s vanilla Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus, these cameras are a big upgrade.
Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus camera specifications
Most of the camera upgrades come via software improvements
Most of the camera upgrades will come via software improvements, and Samsung is promising a lot. We have published a complete overview of the Galaxy S22 series’ new camera features, so do check that out if you want all the details. But to summarize here, both the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the non-Ultra models will use some form of pixel binning to produce a shot that has more image information than usual. For the 108MP sensor in the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung uses nona-binning, which combines nine pixels worth of data into one super large pixel — in other words, the final image produced by the Galaxy S22 Ultra is a 12MP shot but with 108 million pixels’ worth of information. The Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus’s 50 megapixel shooter use tetra-binning, which combines four pixels into one for a 12.5MP shot. Pixel binning is not new technology, and Samsung’s Ultra phones have been doing that for years, but Samsung promises it has reworked its computational photography which along with Qualcomm’s new ISP in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 bring significant improvements.
There’s also “Advanced Auto Framing,” where the phones’ cameras will detect the scene, recognize up to 10 objects, and adjust framing, including focal length, to grab a better image.
Samsung Galaxy S22 series: Software
All three Galaxy S22 phones run on Samsung‘s One UI 4.1 over Android 12. One UI is, in my opinion, one of the best Android skins on the market, offering a ton of extra features that Google’s stock Android doesn’t, such as the ability to launch apps in a floating window, while not getting in the way of what Google has to offer.
New to the Galaxy S22 series are some exclusives that Samsung lined up with Google: there’s Live sharing support for various apps including Google Duo, YouTube previews in Google Messages, and built-in Voice Access support. These are features that even Google’s own Pixel phones don’t have yet.
Since the Galaxy S22 Ultra features an S-Pen, it of course has more software features compared to the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus. The S-Pen software experience for the Galaxy S22 Ultra will feel familiar to anyone who have used a Galaxy Note phone in recent years. Pull the stylus out from its slot and the Galaxy S22 Ultra reacts: if the screen is off, you jump straight to Screen-Off Memo, which allows you to jot notes on a sleeping screen without needing to light up the screen. If the phone has already been unlocked and the screen is on when the stylus is ejected, then the floating command menu pops up on the right side of the screen.
One more software feature that’s not new but can be very useful is Samsung DeX. Simply connect any of the three Galaxy S22 phones into a monitor or a smart TV (via a wireless connection or USB-C cable) and you can use the Samsung phone as a computer, with a Windows-like layout. I have used Samsung DeX on the road at hotels to get work done, and it’s just another feature that could make someone’s life easier.
Samsung Galaxy S22 series: Which one is for you?
All three Galaxy S22 phones offer cutting-edge technology and components, and I think they’re all relatively good value for the dollar compared to what Apple is asking. The Galaxy S22 Ultra in particular can do more things than any other smartphone on the market right now. Want to take extreme close-up macro shots? 100x zoom shots? 8k videos? The Galaxy S22 Ultra camera can do that. Want to run three apps on the screen at once? Or use a stylus to sign digital documents? Or use a PC desktop setup? You can do that too. If you have money to splurge and you want the most capable and powerful slab phone, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is it.
All three Galaxy S22 phones are relatively good value for the dollar compared to what Apple is asking
If you want to save a bit of money, or if you simply do not care about the S-Pen or 10x zoom shots, then the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus are worthy candidates. From here on you just have to decide if you want a small phone that you can one-hand use anywhere with ease, or a slightly bigger phone for better media consumption.
No matter what, if you’re on the market for a new smartphone, you owe it to yourself to check out the Galaxy S22 series and at least have it as a contender on your potential purchase list.
The Galaxy S22 picks up where the Galaxy S21 left off by offering the same great Galaxy experience at a more affordable price, albeit with some choice trade-offs.
The Galaxy S22 Plus does a better job than the Galaxy S21 Plus of bridging the gap between the entry-level Galaxy S22 and the fully-stocked Galaxy S22 Ultra. This year's middle child offers a bigger and better version of the Galaxy S22 experience, albeit it still has some trade-offs vs the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra takes a very good phone from last year, and makes a few tweaks. The same great camera experience remains, but now the Galaxy S22 Ultra can also claim to be the best for productivity as well, thanks to the S-Pen. Ultimately, it brings the very best of Samsung and fittingly continues the legacy of the Galaxy Note line.
