We’ve compared the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung’s new flagship, to quite a few iOS and Android phones thus far. Today, we’ll be comparing it with one of its predecessors, a rather dated one. We’ll be comparing the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, in case you’re wondering, was announced back in February 2022. So, it’s over 4 years old at this point in time.
We will first list the specs of both smartphones, as we usually do. Following that, we’ll compare the two phones across a number of categories. Needless to say, things did change over the course of four years, so we do hope that this article will help you decide whether to upgrade, in case you still have the Galaxy S22 Ultra in your possession.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm |
| Weight | 214 grams | 228/229 grams |
| Display | 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display | 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz (adaptive) | 120Hz |
| Resolution | 3120 x 1440 | 3088 x 1440 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 / Samsung Exynos 2200 |
| RAM | 12GB/16GB (LPDDR5X) | 8GB/12GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 3.1) |
| Main camera | 200MP (wide, f/1.4 aperture, 1/1.3-inch sensor size, OIS, multi-directional PDAF) | 108MP (f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.33-inch sensor size, 0.8um pixel size, OIS, PDAF) |
| Ultra-wide camera | 50MP (f/1.9 aperture, 120-degree FoV, dual pixel PDAF) | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixels ize, dual pixel PDAF) |
| Telephoto camera | 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 1/3.94-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) | 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 1/3.52-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size, 3x optical zoom, OIS, PDAF) |
| Periscope telephoto camera | 50MP (f/2.9 aperture, 1/2.52-inch sensor size, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom) | 10MP (f/4.9 aperture, 1/3.52-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size, OIS, PDAF, 10x optical zoom) |
| Selfie camera | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/3.2-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size) | 40MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.82-inch sensor size, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF) |
| Battery size | 5,000m,Ah | 5,000mAh |
| Charging | 60W wired, 25W wireless (charger not included) | 45W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless (charger not included) |
| Colors | Black, Cobalt Violet, Pink Gold, Silver Shadow, Sky Blue, White | Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple |
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Design
If you take a look at the two devices side by side, you’ll see that they’re different, but you can also see that they’re members of the same family, especially because of the camera setup on the back. Both phones have three cutouts in the first column, and two in the second. All those cutouts sit in the top-left corner, and four out of five are reserved for cameras. The Galaxy S26 Ultra does have a camera island on the back, for three of its cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra does not.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has a flat frame all around, and its corners are lightly rounded. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the flip side, has sharp corners, and its frame on the side is curved, while the top and bottom sides are flat. The display types also differ, the newer phone has a flat panel, while the older one has a curved one. Both of them have a centered display camera hole up top, though, and both offer thing bezels.
The power/lock button sits on the right-hand side of both phones, right below the volume up and down keys. Both devices also come with an S Pen stylus, which is embedded on the inside of their bodies, and can be accessed from the bottom. Both devices have a frame made out of aluminum, and glass on the back. Their size is almost the same, and the newer phone is a bit lighter, by around 14-15 grams. You’ll also be glad to hear that they’re IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. Both are quite slippery, though, unfortunately. The in-hand feel is quite different, though. We find the Galaxy S26 Ultra easier to grip and use without a case, mainly due to a flat display and flat sides.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Display
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra features a 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display. That panel supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz), HDR10+ content, and its brightness goes up to 2,600 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 91%, while the display aspect ratio here is 19.5:9. This display has a resolution of 3120 x 1440 pixels, and the Gorilla Armor 2 by Corning protects the display.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the other hand, has a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. That panel has a refresh rate of 120Hz, and it supports HDR10+ content. The peak brightness here is 1,750 nits. When it comes to screen-to-body ratio, it’s at around 90%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.3:9. The resolution this display offers is 3088 x 1440 pixels, while the Gorilla Glass Victus+ by Corning protects the display.
Both of these displays are quite good, but the newer one does have several advantages. The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s display does get brighter, which you’ll especially notice outdoors. On top of that, it’s easier to use because it’s flat, not to mention that it fights off glare much better thanks to Gorilla Armor 2. There’s also a Privacy Display feature which will fight off shoulder surfers if you enable it. The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a better panel, without a doubt.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, a 3nm chip. That is an overclocked version of the most powerful chip from Qualcomm. It is paired with 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 4.0 flash storage is also used here. Do note that the storage is not expandable, though.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the other hand, is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 processor, depending on the model you bought (and where you bought it). Both of those are 4nm processors, though. They’re backed by either 8GB or 12GB of RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. Much like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, this phone does not offer storage expansion.
It’s worth noting that the Galaxy S22 Ultra still offers fine performance. When compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, you can easily see its age. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is snappier in every way. It can open and close apps faster, multitask faster, and do basically everything you can imagine faster. It is also better when it comes to gaming, especailly when it comes to graphically intensive games. None of that is surprising, of course.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Battery
There is a 5,000mAh battery included inside the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Interestingly enough, the 4-year-old model has that same battery capacity on the inside. Both of these are Li-Ion batteries, by the way, Samsung still didn’t make a switch to silicon-carbon tech. The Galaxy S22 Ultra offered good battery life when it arrived, but even if our model was brand new, it wouldn’t be able to compete with the newer device.
Four years of development and optimization did their thing. The Galaxy S26 Ultra has power-saving components and various software optimizations. For the vast majority of people, it will be more than enough to get them through the day on a single charge. You can, of course, deplete the battery in a single day if you really try. There are also better battery life phones on the market, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra can hold its own. We just hope that updates won’t change that, like they did for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, at least on our unit.
What about charging? Well, the Galaxy S26 Ultra offers faster 60W wired, 25W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The Galaxy S22 Ultra supports 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The newer phone can be fully charged in around 45 minutes, while the older one can get there in about an hour. Neither phone ships with a charger, though, so you’ll need to buy a compatible one if you don’t already own it.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra features four cameras on the back. A 200-megapixel main camera (1/1.3-inch sensor size) is backed by a 50-megapixel ultrawide snapper (1/2.5-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV). There is also a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (1/3.94-inch sensor size, 3x optical zoom) and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (1/2.52-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom).
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the flip side, also has four cameras. These are different sensors, though. The main one is a 108-megapixel unit (1/1.33-inch sensor size), while the ultrawide is a 12-megapixel (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV) camera. There is also a 10-megapixel telephoto snapper (1/3.52-inch sensor size, 3x optical zoom), and a 10-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (1/3.52-inch sensor size, 10x optical zoom).
It would be surprising if the newer phone is not a much better camera smartphone, and it sure is. 4 years is a long time. The Galaxy S26 Ultra basically destroys the Galaxy S22 Ultra when it comes to camera performance, and that goes for all of its cameras, regardless of what you’re shooting. The newer and better camera hardware, complemented by Samsung’s processing, does its thing. The Galaxy S26 Ultra may not be the best camera smartphone out there, but it’s really good.
Audio
Both of these phones have stereo speakers included. The ones on the Galaxy S26 Ultra are a bit louder, though, and yes, you can easily notice that when you directly compare them. The sound quality is good from both sets, though.
When it comes to an audio jack, neither phone has it. You can, however, connect your wired headphones to their Type-C ports, if you want. Alternatively, the Galaxy S26 Ultra supports Bluetooth 6.0, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra supports Bluetooth 5.2.
You can also check our Galaxy S26 Ultra review and Galaxy S22 Ultra review for more information.
The post Phone Comparisons: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra appeared first on Android Headlines.
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