Our review

Slightly bigger and beefier than the standard S22, the S22+ packs a little more punch for a higher price.

What we tested

  • Features
    A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.
  • Battery
    A star rating of 4.0 out of 5.
  • Camera
    A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.
  • Design
    A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.
Overall Rating
A star rating of 4.4 out of 5.

Pros

  • Great camera
  • Fantastic display
  • Larger battery than the standard S22
  • Plenty of power

Cons

  • Not a million miles better than S21+
  • No mains charger in the box

The Samsung Galaxy S21 was one of the most popular smartphones of the previous generation, so it's no surprise that the arrival of the S22 range has caused a stir. Our reviewers got hands-on for an extended test of the middle-sibling in the range — the Samsung Galaxy S22+.

Advertisement

The new handset doesn't re-invent the wheel instead, Samsung has made solid improvements to good overall effect. It has all the fantastic assets we've come to expect from Samsung phones of late, a snappy camera, a great user experience, a top display and plenty of features.

The most immediately noticeable difference between the S22 and the S22+ is the size. Compared to the 6.1-inch S22, the Plus is a more sizeable 6.7-inches. For many, this will make it less comfortable and easy to use one-handed. On the upside, that slightly larger display is better for streaming, photo editing and similar visual tasks.

We found few flaws with the S22+ but had to question how it measures up to some of the key competitors, like the Google Pixel 6 Pro — and whether it's a big enough improvement on the Samsung Galaxy S21+ for users to upgrade.

If you are not sure which S22-series smartphone is best for you, be sure to read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S22 vs S22 Plus vs S22 Ultra comparison guide.

Jump to:

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus review: summary

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus handset

While the S22+ might feel like an iterative upgrade rather than something revolutionary, that context doesn't make it any less of a fantastic phone. One or two of its features are market-leading in this price bracket and it competes well across the board.

One of those top-end elements is the S22+'s AMOLED display. It really stands out. The 6.7-inch panel is bright, responsive and a joy to use. It's ideal for streaming content, making video calls and playing mobile games.

Elsewhere, the camera is fantastic and colours pop with that signature Samsung style, but the Google Pixel 6 Pro camera does just as good a job — and a slightly lower price-point.

When it comes to the user experience, the handset's 8GB of RAM and 120Hz variable refresh rate makes for a pleasingly smooth experience. On that HDR10+ display, things look great and Android 12 (with Samsung One UI 4.1 overlay) works well. Everything is pretty intuitive and for Samsung users, everything will feel familiar.

Key features

  • Exynos 2200 chipset
  • Either 128GB or 256GB of storage
  • 5G and Bluetooth connectivity
  • 6.7-inch 120Hz variable refresh rate display
  • Wireless charging
  • Android 12 and One UI 4.1
  • IP68 water resistance rating
  • Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus
  • 50MP wide camera, 10MP telephoto camera, 12MP ultrawide
  • Capable of filming 8K video
  • 10MP selfie camera (shoots 4K video)
  • Good stereo speakers
  • No headphone jack

Pros

  • Great camera
  • Fantastic display
  • Larger battery than the standard S22
  • Plenty of power

Cons

  • Not a million miles better than the S21+
  • No mains charger in the box
  • Can't conclusively beat the Pixel 6 Pro camera

What is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus?

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is the middle sibling in Samsung's new S22 phone range. Compared to the standard S22, it's a little larger and can be purchased with more storage. While both phones have HDR10+ displays, that of the Plus is slightly better. The panel has a higher peak brightness (1750nits) and benefits from that slightly larger size.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus features

Using the S22+ is noticeably smooth from start to finish. Setting up fingerprint or face ID is fairly simple and makes it quicker to unlock your phone. During testing we mainly used the face ID option, which can be set on a speedy 'sign me in quick!' mode, or on a slightly slower, slightly more secure mode. Either way, it was generally responsive and made unlocking the phone simple and fast. It was bamboozled by hats though, amusingly.

Elsewhere, we found the phone was simple to connect to — and use with — a range of Bluetooth accessories. Connecting to earbuds was simple and the connection was reliable. Elsewhere connectivity was similarly reliable, though, of course, this depends on your network. 5G connectivity makes the phone feel a little more future-proof too.

As soon as you switch on the S22+ you'll appreciate the HDR10+ display and it's fantastic for streaming videos or playing games. It produces noticeable bright, vibrant colours, as you'd expect with that impressive 1750nits peak brightness. The stereo speakers are clear too and have a good volume range, though you won't be waking up the neighbours with them. Altogether, it's a great handset for keeping yourself entertained.

How much is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus?

The S22+ will cost you £949 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage or £999 for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

That lowest spec Plus handset is £200 less than the lowest spec Ultra model, which starts at £1149 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Base S22 starts at £769.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus battery

Our main initial concern around the base S22 was its relatively small 3700mAh battery. Thankfully the more expensive S22+ comes with a larger 4500mAh cell. That's much more like it.

We gave the battery a really thorough test, draining the cell from 100% to 0% under intense use and timing the process. The S22+ played videos with the audio played over its speaker, then played music and podcasts through wireless earbuds. We also used the camera, made video calls and tested a wide variety of functions to simulate a day of intensive use. Overall, the S22+'s battery hung in there for 15 hours and 42 minutes.

Under heavy use, that's a reasonably good performance. It's more than enough to last you throughout the day without having to stop and top up.

Our extended test of the S22+ comes before our full test of the base S22. While we have had a short hands-on session with the base phone, we haven't yet used it for an extended period to test the battery. This is potentially one of the key differentiators between the base phone and the Plus, thanks to that larger battery. It could be a key factor when deciding whether to pick up the standard S22, or spend more and get the Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus camera

Showing item 1 of 8

The 50MP wide camera, 10MP telephoto camera and 12MP ultrawide camera come together very well in the S22+'s triple camera array.

There's a wealth of settings and the camera is simple to use, with easy-shooting modes or advanced settings. We were very happy with the detail of the 3x telephoto zoom and there's also a 30x 'space zoom' which harnesses the phone's imaging processing power and uses digital zoom. Of course, detail is reduced in this mode but it's still pretty impressive.

Samsung has also been keen to shout about the so-called 'nightography' feature of the S22 range. Basically, this sees the cameras bolstered with AI that makes low-light shooting much easier and much clearer. So far we're fairly impressed with the low light shooting of the S22+, but it doesn't seem quite as revolutionary as Samsung is claiming. The Google Pixel 6 Pro can still keep pace quite happily.

The S22+ shines when it comes to recording video and it can do so in 8K via the reverse camera or 4K on the front-facing 10MP selfie camera.

Having the ability to shoot 8K video — up to 24fps — with a pocketable phone is still a hugely impressive feat. It uses auto-framing to automatically make sure your subjects are in shot and is fantastic at image stabilisation, so it's easy to film on the move.

You may recognise the auto-framing feature from the reveal of the iPhone 13 when Apple revealed a very, very similar feature at the end of last year. That said, it's still a good feature to have and makes it easy to shoot video on the fly.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus design

The Plus looks exactly like the standard S22, but we think it's a good look. The only real change is that size difference — the Plus is a little larger, packing that bigger 6.7-inch display.

Elsewhere, it's notable that the front and back of the phone are made from Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus. That means it's fantastically hard-wearing, difficult to scratch and will survive most basic drops, bumps and scrapes. All three phones have this feature and it represents a step forward from the plastic back of the S21 Series — both in terms of premium feel and durability.

We recently reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, so this design move was fresh in our minds during testing. Overall, the phone just feels more premium compared to its predecessors. The S22 range is more upmarket.

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is available in black, white, pink and green.

Our verdict: should you buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus?

Should you buy a Samsung Galaxy S22+? That depends. If you're currently using a phone from the S21 Series, you might not necessarily need to upgrade here — unless you're ready to step up to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, that is. However, if you're using an older handset, the S22+ is definitely a viable upgrade option.

We love its display, the user experience is smooth and reliable and there are plenty of top-end features. However, the fact that it can't conclusively outgun the Pixel 6 Pro in the camera stakes is a drawback.

When it comes to handling the phone day-to-day, we slightly preferred the compact form factor of the standard S22 over the larger Plus model. However, this is very much a subjective and personal choice. The Plus isn't necessarily overly large and if you're used to a slightly larger handset, the Plus or Ultra will feel great.

It does beat the S22 when it comes to battery power though, with that 4500mAh cell in the S22+ offering more uninterrupted use than the relatively small 3700mAh cell in the base phone.

Overall, if you're a Samsung fan and you're looking to upgrade from an S20, then the S22+ could be ideal. However, if you're less sold on — or involved in — the Samsung ecosystem, it's still worth considering the Google Pixel 6 Pro as a viable alternative that's a little more affordable, starting at £849.

However, if you're struggling to decide between the two closely comparable handsets, it would be easy to be swayed by the 12 months of Disney Plus and Galaxy Buds Pro that are currently included with the purchase of any S22 phone.

Where to buy Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ is available in the UK from the 11th March. The standard S22 launches on the same day, with the S22 Ultra available from 25th February.

Advertisement

If you're looking for more phone buying options, take a look at our Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review and our best Android phones guide. Or for gift ideas, try our list of the best tech gifts.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement