Samsung launched the Galaxy S22 Ultra as the first real successor of the Galaxy Note series. Yes, the S21 Ultra did support the S Pen, but the new handset has an integrated S Pen slot, unlike its predecessor. Is this the only difference between it and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra? Of course not: there is a lot to talk about when it comes to these two devices and there are important differences that might make it worth upgrading from the older S21 Ultra to the new model. This comparison between the specifications of the latest top-tier flagships from the S series will help to find out the differences.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm,
228 g		 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm,
227 g
DISPLAY 6.8 inches, 1440 x 3088 pixels (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X 6.8 inches, 1440 x 3200p (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X
PROCESSOR Samsung Exynos 2200 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, octa-core 2.8 GHz or octa-core 3 GHz Samsung Exynos 2100 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.9 GHz or octa-core 2.84 GHz
MEMORY 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – 12 GB RAM, 1 TB 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – 12 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 16 GB RAM, 512 GB
SOFTWARE Android 12, One UI Android 11, One UI
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS
CAMERA Quad 108 + 10 + 10 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/4.9 + f/2.4 + f/2.2
40 MP f/2.2 front camera		 Quad 108 + 10 + 10 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/4.9 + f/2.4 + f/2.2
40 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY 5000 mAh, fast charging 45W and Qi wireless charging 15W 5000 mAh, Fast Charging 25W, Qi wireless charging 15W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES 5G, optional dual SIM, optional eSIM, IP68 waterproof, stylus support 5G, optional dual SIM, optional eSIM, IP68 waterproof, stylus support

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with a cleaner design, as well as a more similar shape to the latest devices from the Galaxy Note series. As Samsung officially said, the Ultra variants from the Galaxy S series will replace the Note series which has been officially discontinued. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra does not have a camera module but its sensors are placed directly in the back cover: a lot of people like this solution because the design becomes minimalistic and very elegant. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra looks more original with its camera module and rounder shapes.

Display

If we exclude the difference of a bunch of pixels in the resolutions (1440 x 3200p vs 1440 x 3088p), the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Galaxy S21 Ultra have the same display specifications. They come with 6.8-inch panels sporting a Quad HD+ resolution and the HDR10+ certification. They are LTPO AMOLED panels with an adaptive refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz and they both support the S Pen. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra wins because of its higher brightness (just slightly) and its better Gorilla Glass Victus Plus protection, but these are only marginal details and probably you won’t notice the difference. Both the phones feature AKG stereo speakers and ultrasonic in-display fingerprint readers for authentication.

Specs & Software

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra improves its performance if compared to the Galaxy S21 Ultra thanks to two new chipsets. In some markets, it is powered by the Samsung Exynos 2200 mobile platform: the first mobile SoC with a GPU powered by AMD. In the remaining regions, it is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform, actually the best by Qualcomm. The S21 Ultra comes either with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or the Samsung Exynos 2100. The memory configurations of the S22 Ultra include up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of internal storage, while the S21 Ultra comes with up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of storage. The former ships with Android 12 out of the box, while the latter runs Android 11 but it can already be upgraded to Android 12. However, it will get shorter software support.

 

Camera

The cameras of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the S21 Ultra remain unchanged: they come with a 108 MP main camera with OIS, a 10 MP periscope sensor with 10x optical zoom, a 10 MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, an ultrawide sensor with a 12 MP resolution, and a 40 MP selfie camera.

 

Battery

The battery capacities are the same, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra will probably last longer thanks to its more efficient processors. Further, it provides faster charging speeds.

 

Price

The starting price of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra for Europe is €1249 while it starts from $1200 in the U.S. Currently, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a lot more affordable thanks to street prices: it costs less than €1000 in Europe and less than $1000 in the U.S. However, the new S22 Ultra remains a better choice for everyone.

 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: PRO and CONS

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

PRO

  • Integrated S Pen
  • Great design
  • Gorilla Glass Victus+
  • Android 12 out of the box
  • Faster charging
  • Better processor

CONS

  • Price

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

PRO

  • More affordable
  • Same cameras as the S22 Ultra
  • Up to 16 GB of RAM

CONS

  • Inferior chipset
  • Slower charging

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