Samsung Galaxy S22 review

The Samsung Galaxy S20 series has been a popular choice for many people looking to upgrade from an iPhone. But what about those who want the best of both worlds? That’s where the Galaxy S21 comes in, with its excellent camera and performance. With that said, let’s take a closer look at the new Samsung Galaxy S22…

The Samsung Galaxy S22 is a solid phone, with a solid build and decent camera. It’s not spectacular, but it’s also not flaky, either. The only downsides are Express Magazine’s steep list of selling points and the retailer’s steep price. If you’re willing to cough up $650, though, the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G is a solid deal. It has a great camera, plenty of storage, and a comfortable feel. If you’re looking for a solid budget phone and don’t mind paying a hefty list price, the Samsung Galaxy S22 is a good choice.

Design & Build Quality

There are some design changes coming to the Samsung Galaxy S22 compared to previous models. The first is the addition of a new Infinity-O display on top of the device. This means there will be no notch, but it also means you won’t have any side bezels either.

The second change is around the camera module. While we still see the same triple rear cameras as last year’s model, this time the sensor housing is slimmer than before. It’s not quite as slim as the OnePlus 7 Pro though. In fact, the phone feels like it could get away with being slightly thicker if it wasn’t so thin. Overall, the build quality seems solid, which should mean you can expect great longevity out of your device.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Display

As mentioned above, the Samsung Galaxy S22 now features an Infinity-O display. What does this mean exactly? Well, as opposed to having a small cutout between the screen and the edge of the case, the Galaxy S22 uses fullscreen technology to create seamless edges.

So while the front of the phone looks similar to other Galaxy devices, when you turn the phone over, you’ll notice the difference. On the left-hand side, there is a small black bar that houses the notification area. However, unlike other phones, this isn’t a physical button – instead, it’s just part of the display itself.

This is one of my favorite parts of the Samsung Galaxy S22 because I always find myself accidentally touching the notification panel when I’m typing or taking photos. It’s super annoying! Thankfully, Samsung has included a feature called Edge Glow that allows you to customize how much space there is between the screen and the black bar.

You can choose from five different colors, including red, blue, green, yellow, and white. Personally, I would go with red since it creates the most contrast. There’s also a setting that lets you toggle off the bar altogether, but I think it makes more sense to leave it enabled so you don’t lose access to notifications.

One of the biggest benefits of the Infinity-O display is the increase in brightness. When the screen is turned up all the way, you can clearly make out everything without needing to use a torch. This was something that bothered me about earlier Galaxy phones, especially when using them outdoors. Thankfully, these issues seem to have been resolved.

Performance & Battery Life

This year, Samsung has added the ability to run multiple apps simultaneously, thanks to their Always-on Display (AOD) feature. For example, even if you’re watching videos, you can still check emails, play games, and browse through social media.

It sounds like a nice feature, but I found it didn’t work very well. It only seemed to work when certain apps were open, such as Facebook Messenger and Instagram. If I tried to open another app, it wouldn’t load until I closed down the original one.

Another benefit of AOD is that it doesn’t drain battery life. Even though the phone is constantly displaying information, it doesn’t affect my usage patterns too much. Again, this depends on which apps you keep running. I noticed that playing music through Spotify for a long period of time drains the battery faster than usual.

Battery life is pretty good overall. Most days, I got through a full day with less than 30% remaining. That said, I did experience a few instances where I had to charge during the night. This happened twice within two weeks of owning the phone.

I think it’s mainly due to the extra power consumption caused by the AOD feature. As soon as I disabled it, my battery life improved dramatically.

You May Also Like: How to use the Blood Oxygen app on your Apple Watch

Samsung Galaxy S22 Software

The software on the Samsung Galaxy S22 hasn’t changed much since last year. We still have Android 9 Pie, along with several preloaded apps and Samsung’s own suite of utilities. However, Samsung has made some improvements under the hood. One of the main changes is the new camera interface.

Instead of switching back and forth between the rear and front cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S22 will automatically switch based on what you’re shooting. This means that you won’t have to worry about turning your head to shoot selfies anymore. Another improvement is the ability to set custom shortcuts for specific tasks, such as opening Google Maps and dialing contacts.

The Camera UI has received a lot of praise, and rightfully so. It’s easy to navigate and offers plenty of options. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the same level of customization that we saw on previous iterations of the Galaxy S series.

For instance, you can’t edit the background color or add filters. Still, I find it easier to use than other smartphone cameras. There are plenty of settings to tweak, including focus speed, shutter speed, and ISO. You also get the option to take photos in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second.

Overall Experience Of Samsung Galaxy S22

I love the Samsung Galaxy S22. It feels great in hand, and it’s packed with features. The fingerprint scanner is reliable, and the AOD feature makes multitasking more convenient. As someone who uses his phone often, it doesn’t take any time to get used to how the device works. In fact, it took me just a few hours before I felt completely comfortable with it.

If there’s anything that could be improved, it would be the price tag. At $1,000, the Samsung Galaxy S22 isn’t cheap. And while it does come with all the latest tech, the lack of an always-on display and expandable memory slot may put off consumers looking for something different. Either way, it’s not hard to see why people continue to buy Samsung phones. They’ve been consistently improving over the years, and they’re definitely worth checking out.

Image Source: Amazon