Samsung Galaxy S22 hands-on review

Released as part of the wider S22 range, the Samsung Galaxy S22 hits the market alongside the S22 Plus and S22 Ultra. It’s the most affordable handset in the range, but it still packs plenty of power and a fantastic line-up of features.

Under the hood, the S22 looks pretty well equipped. It comes with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. In our brief hands-on it performed well, navigating between apps and features is easy and Android 12 – overlaid with Samsung’s One UI 4.1 – is all fairly intuitive. If you’re a Samsung user already, the phone will feel very familiar.

So, with its UK release just around the corner, is the Samsung Galaxy S22 the ideal phone upgrade for you? Read on to hear all our findings from the hands-on event.

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.

Samsung Galaxy S22 release date

The Samsung Galaxy S22 is available to purchase now, from a range of UK retailers and mobile providers.

• Shop S22 Series at Samsung
• Shop S22 Series at Currys
• Shop S22 Series at Virgin Media
• Shop S22 Series at Very
• Shop S22 Series at ID Mobile
• Shop S22 Series at EE
• Shop S22 Series at Vodafone

For more on the wider Samsung Galaxy S22 family, take a look at our Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra hands-on review.

How much is Samsung Galaxy S22?

There are two storage options for the Samsung Galaxy S22 — either 128GB or 256GB of storage. They cost £769 and £819 respectively.

If you like the S22 but have a slightly larger budget, the S22 Plus is a very similar handset with a few spec boosts. That's also available with 128GB or 256GB of storage, for £949 or £999.

When we recently reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE — or 'Fan Edition' — one of our main criticisms was its price-point in the marketplace. The consistently impressive Google Pixel 6 compares well to most Android phones and costs just £599. It will be interesting to see how the S22 compares when we get our hands on one for further testing.

• Shop the Samsung Galaxy S22 now

Samsung Galaxy S22 specs

• 6.1-inch AMOLED display
• 120Hz refresh rate
• 8GB RAM
• 128GB or 256GB of storage
• 3700mAh battery
• Wireless charging
• Android 12 and One UI 4.1
• IP68 water resistance rating
• 50MP wide camera/12MP ultra-wide/ 10MP telephoto
• 10MP front camera
• 5G connectivity

Samsung Galaxy S22 features

The S22 basically seems as feature-packed as we expected. It’s got all the bells and whistles we’ve come to expect from this level of Samsung phone. Notably, that 8GB of RAM is sure to make for a smooth user experience and help the S22 make the most of its cameras.

It's also compatible with 15W wireless charging, so you'll be able to make use of — increasingly common — wireless charging points and keep topped up.

Elsewhere, they're basic features but the fingerprint sensor is always a good addition for security and the IP68 water rating means the phone is resistant to being submerged in water up to 1.5m deep for up to thirty minutes. We wouldn't really recommend testing this out yourself, but it's confident to know your phone is robust.

Samsung Galaxy S22 camera

The Galaxy S22 packs a triple-camera array on its reverse. The fairly hefty camera bump houses a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP telephoto camera, capable of 3x optical zoom.

Typically the photo processing on Samsung phones makes for bright images where the colours really pop. In our brief hands-on with the S22, the camera was very easy to use and delivered that burst of contrast that we expected. There were a wealth of settings to play around with too and an impressively detailed 3x zoom feature.

Solid camera performance was a hallmark of the S20 and S21 ranges — it looks like Samsung has delivered on this promise again and we can't wait to test this camera in-depth.

Samsung Galaxy S22 design

You can see the design roots of this phone at a glance and unsurprisingly, the look of the S22 isn’t a huge departure from the S21. It’s got nice rounded edges and a reverse camera bump, housing that potent three-camera array. In black or white, it looks fairly minimalist. There are also green and 'pink gold' colour options for the standard handset.

As usual, the 6.1-inch base S22 is the smallest handset in the range, compared to the 6.6-inch Plus and the 6.8-inch Ultra.

In terms of look and feel, size difference aside, the standard phone and the Plus are almost identical, while the Ultra looks, feels and works like something else entirely. We liked all three phones but there’s no disputing that the Ultra is a level or two above – as it should be.

We like that Samsung has kept a relatively tight, small form-factor for the base S22 phone though, with so many brands offering larger handsets as standard. It’s nicely pocketable and easy to use with one hand.

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Samsung Galaxy S22 battery life

Unfortunately, our hands-on experience with the Samsung Galaxy wasn’t long enough to test the battery’s limits. When we get our hands on a review sample and undertake a full, rigorous test, then we’ll be sure to let you know how the battery life compares to its predecessor and its competitors.

Notably, though, the S22 only has a 3700mAh battery. When we consider that there are plenty of handsets out there that cost less than half the price of the S22 but pack 5000mAh batteries, that might be a slight concern. However, we’ll hold off on rendering a full verdict until we’ve really put this battery through its paces. For example, the £159 Moto G9 Play packs an impressive 5000mAh battery. For more on this, take a look at our best Motorola phones article.

How to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S22

The S22 is to purchase now from a wide range of UK retailers. Check out the links below for buying info and up to date pricing.

• Pre-order S22 Series at Samsung
• Pre-order S22 Series at Currys
• Pre-order S22 Series at Virgin Media
• Pre-order S22 Series at Very
• Pre-order S22 Series at ID Mobile
• Pre-order S22 Series at EE
• Pre-order S22 Series at Vodafone

The Samsung Galaxy S22 is also available on contract from EE and Vodafone with additional extras such as Galaxy Buds Pro and Disney Plus included with some deals.

For the latest news, reviews, and deals, check out the RadioTimes.com Technology section.