Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus Review: first hand Review

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus Review, Let's take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus specifications, features, and other information that is currently available.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus Review: first hand Review
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus (Image credit: letsgodigital)

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus Review

REASONS TO BUY

+  Sophisticated design – if you like a flat screen

+  Smooth software experience from Android

+  The best battery life of any S22 model

REASONS TO AVOID

-  It's pricey!

-  No microSD card slot

-  S22 Ultra adds various upgrades

Samsung's Galaxy S22 line of flagship phones consists of three: the 'baby' of the bunch, the Galaxy S22; its bigger brother, the Galaxy S22 Plus, which I review here. 

But here's the thing: I've been using the Galaxy S22 Plus for a couple of weeks, having already spent a similar amount of time with the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and it's got me scratching my head as to whether actually this flat-screen Plus model will be the more sensible model for many people. So which is it? Read on...

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(Image credit: amazon)

SAMSUNG GALAXY S22+: PRICE AND RELEASE DATE

On March 11, 2022, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus was launched alongside the rest of the S22 series. It was soon available for purchase, with an asking price of £999 in the UK and $999 in the US.

Sure, it's not a cheap phone, but it's not the most expensive in the lineup – that honor belongs to the S22 Ultra, which costs £200/$200 more. Many people may be enticed by the more expensive device simply because the cost of a monthly contract isn't that different – but don't dismiss the Galaxy S22 Plus just yet.

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SAMSUNG GALAXY S22 PLUS: DESIGN AND DISPLAY

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The first thing that struck me about the Galaxy S22 Plus was its flatness. After years of devices becoming increasingly curved, it almost appears to be the new fashion in phones to deliver a flat screen. However, Samsung is hedging its bets because the S22 Ultra is a curved screen device, so if that prospect entices you, it's an obvious alternative.

In fact, I find that a flat screen is often more practical. I've had fewer accidental touches while using the Galaxy S22 Plus, there's no contrast fall-off to the screen's edge (as with a curved display), and I don't mind the increased presence of the bezel because it's not excessive here.

Best of all, Samsung's OLED panel in the Galaxy S22 Plus is a true shining star. It's extremely bright – Samsung claims up to 1750 nits, which is comparable to what a high-end TV set can achieve – and its 1080 x 2340 resolution across that 6.6-inch diagonal measurement has never left me wanting for more. Of course, you can get more elsewhere, with the S22 Ultra's larger still 6.8-inch screen delivering 1440 x 3088 pixels (but the battery drain is worse as a result).

Every Galaxy S22 model has a 120Hz screen refresh rate, so everything looks silky smooth regardless of which model you choose (if any appeals, that is).

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In terms of visual appeal, you might be wondering if my Galaxy S22 Plus review sample, which is dressed in Pink Gold, is the best match for your preferences. To each their own, I suppose. However, there are numerous options: Standard colors include Phantom White, Phantom Black, and Green; online, you can also find Samsung Store exclusives in Graphite, Cream, Sky Blue, and Violet. There are numerous options!

The rear of the Galaxy S22 Plus is made of glass, regardless of color. That's an interesting change, as it replaces the previous S21 models' 'glasstic' finish. I'm guessing it has something to do with Samsung's increasingly environmentally conscious stance, as anything that sounds 'plastic' sounds bad in today's language. Having said that, I'm not sure you can tell the difference between those two finishes in person.

Elsewhere, the design of the Galaxy S22 Plus is similar to that of its predecessor: there's a raised camera lip to the top left on the back, which sits flush with the outer edge, and I think it's quite elegant. Not as much of a design icon as the S22 Ultra, but not everyone will appreciate its free-floating camera design language.

The only other thing I'll say about the Plus is that, due to its flat design, it feels a little thick overall. Because I've grown accustomed to holding phones with curved edges, the lack of such curved fall-off gives the impression of a chunkier phone overall.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S22 PLUS: CAMERAS

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The Galaxy S22 Plus has a 50-megapixel main camera with optical stabilization (OIS), a 10-megapixel 3x zoom (also with OIS), and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide. There are no other unnecessary lenses on the body, which pleases me, and that's all there is to it.

If you need more zoom, the S22 Ultra is the way to go – but 3x is more than enough for me. For an example of the kind of reach, you can get, look at the zoom steps of 0.5x, 1x, and 3x in the gallery below.

Being harsh on that 3x, I must admit that the detail isn't always exceptional, so a higher-resolution solution in the future would be the ticket to greater success (hello, S23?). However, I find the zoom length to be ideal for everyday use, so it's a great camera to have on hand. And it's not like the S22 Ultra can outperform it in terms of resolution on either of its zoom lenses.

Otherwise, the Galaxy S22 Plus' main camera excels in terms of overall clarity, color reproduction, and ease of use. The camera app is simple to use for pinch-to-zoom and touch-to-focus (and adjust exposure), and the shutter button provides haptic feedback to simulate a real camera shutter – which I think is a really nice touch.

There's also a capable Night mode that blends multiple exposure frames to produce clear, bright images. I've found this to be extremely useful in low-light situations, as long as you don't try to shoot moving subjects with it.

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Overall, the Galaxy S22 Plus' camera setup is impressive, but it's not that different from the previous S21 setup – which, to some extent, makes it feel a little behind the curve. That said, this trio of lenses has everything I need, and I'm glad Samsung isn't going down the rabbit hole of producing throwaway cameras (such as the black-and-white or depth sensors so many others peddle).

SAMSUNG GALAXY S22 PLUS: PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY

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Here's an interesting fact: the Galaxy S22 series is powered by Samsung's own Exynos 2200 chipset, so no Qualcomm here (well, not in the UK, but USA customers will get Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 instead).

How does that chipset fare? I've discovered that it works really well, with plenty of power to match the best of them, so loading different apps and switching between them is a breeze. Gamer? No worries, the Galaxy S22 Plus will devour difficult titles for breakfast.

Only in the camera app have I noticed the chipset being driven particularly hard, causing a lot more heat to eminate from the phone's body. It's not so hot that it's uncomfortable to touch, but it is annoying because of the effect it has on battery life.

But, before you think that's a problem, it's not. The Galaxy S22 Plus has the longest battery life of any S22 handset. Based on my experience living with both phones, I believe it will be the more sensible choice for many people. It even outlasts the S22 Ultra.

I've had days where moderate use consumed roughly half of the battery life in nearly 16 hours of awake time, including some ad hoc gaming outside of work time. In my opinion, that's excellent progress.

It does, however, take some time for Samsung's software to achieve a successful balance. Because the system is constantly looking for apps that are installed but not used, it will throttle or turn off some apps to increase battery life – something I found to be very effective and resulted in a significant increase in battery life after the first four or so days of use.

In terms of software, Samsung employs its One UI skin on top of Android. It's fluid, looks nice, and, for the most part, doesn't introduce vexing bugs. It's a little too focused on the Bixby voice assistant, which I quickly dismiss, and there's the oddity of Samsung's own app store, which you'll never need to use, but of all the Android skins available, I think Samsung's is one of the best.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S22 PLUS REVIEW: VERDICT

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With so many options in the Samsung Galaxy S22 flagship lineup, is the Plus the most sensible option? I believe so: its longer battery life, flat screen, and lack of a superfluous S Pen stylus will make it an ideal match for many.

However, the Plus's main rival is Samsung's own high-end device, the S22 Ultra. It's not much more expensive, has a more appealing and modern design, a broader feature set that includes a S Pen stylus and a curved screen, and will be difficult for many to resist.