Samsung has begun rolling out the official Android 13 update to owners of the Galaxy S22, bringing the full suite of One UI 5.0 changes.
Android 13 was officially released, starting on Google’s Pixel phones, on August 15, and just days before that launch, Samsung began beta testing the new changes on their Galaxy series phones. After over two months in beta, as spotted by SamMobile, Samsung is now rolling out the full, stable Android 13 release with One UI 5.0, starting with the Galaxy S22 series.
For now, the rollout seems to be limited to Exynos variants of the Galaxy S22 in South Korea and across Europe. Thus far, the Android 13 update has not been made available in the United States, but that is likely to change in the coming days.
To get fans acclimated with the new update and all of the hottest features of One UI 5.0, Samsung has released an official “Introduction Film” highlighting what’s changed. Samsung’s Android 13 and One UI 5.0 video, of course, kicks off with the new lock screen customization, meant to help the Galaxy S22 compete with what Apple brought to iOS 16. Another familiar feature from the iPhone series is the introduction of “Modes,” which quickly set your sound and notification settings to suit your daily activities.
Going beyond matching the iPhone’s feature set, Samsung’s lock screen options allow you to use a video wallpaper or change the artwork periodically. Just like it did for the Pixel series, the Android 13 update for Samsung Galaxy phones gives you multiple vibrant theme options generated from your current wallpaper.
Continuing the theme of customization, Samsung also showcases a new way to “stack” widgets on your homescreen, making them easily scrollable. You can even deeply customize your Galaxy Watch with the Watch Face Studio.
In changes that are less exciting but still quite useful, Samsung’s Android 13 and One UI 5.0 update combines privacy and security settings into one hub. This security and privacy dashboard is designed to be easily read and understood, making it easier to be sure you’re safe in the digital world.
For more on what’s new in the One UI 5.0 update with Android 13, across the Galaxy S22 and the rest of Samsung’s lineup, check out our video from the original beta.
Samsung is on a roll as of late with device updates for a number of handsets. The October 2022 security update is even rolling out for a number of Samsung Galaxy phones and even a few tablets.
Samsung October 2022 security update – here’s what’s new:
No details have been released for the latest Android Security Update Bulletin, but we expect that to change over the coming days as Pixel devices catch up – usually on the first Monday of the month. Samsung has yet to update their own tracker for Galaxy smartphones, but that too will likely be updated very soon.
Some Samsung Galaxy devices are part of the One UI 5.0 beta program, which means that the Android 13 stable should be right around the corner.
Devices with the Samsung October 2022 security update
As is often the case, the Korean tech giant has a fairly consistent approach to updates. It’s usually the latest and greatest Galaxy devices such as the S series get updated first. While it’s not always the case, this seems to be true.
This list will include a note on where the update first debuted and if it is also available in the United States. As usual, the latest additions will be marked in bold.
Galaxy S series
It should come as absolutely no surprise that the Samsung Galaxy S22 series was the very first to receive the October 2022 security update. As Samsung’s flagship non-foldable smartphone, it was expected and likely anticipated. Right at the very end of September, Samsung released the latest security patch for the S22 series in limited regions. The update is likely to head out in more regions as we reach October proper.
Just a few days later carrier-locked versions of the Galaxy S21 series began to be updated. The October 2022 security patch is already hitting Verizon handsets in the United States. Often the latest patches arrive in global markets, so this is a nice change of pace. Those on Xfinity Mobile are also starting to see the Samsung October update on the entire Galaxy S21 series according to SamMobile.
Although technically part of the S21 series, the Galaxy S21 FE was launched just a month before the S22. This means it’s in a strange position of being part of the 2022 cohort while still having a foot in the previous generation. That said, it is still updated promptly with Indian models now starting to get the most recent patch.
Galaxy S21 / S21+ / S21 Ultra — G991USQS5CVI8 (Released first in US)
Galaxy S21 FE — G990EXXU3CVI8 (Released first in India)
Galaxy S22 / S22+ / S22 Ultra — S90xBXXS2AVI7 / S908EXXS2AVI7 (Released first in Europe/Asia)
How to check for the latest OTA on your Galaxy device
If your Samsung device is slated to have been updated already, but the October patch hasn’t arrived for you personally, you can try updating manually. Simply open the Settings app, tap “Software update,” and choose “Download and install.”
The Galaxy S21 series will not go gentle into the night. On the contrary, it will produce one last bang before the Galaxy S22 steals the spotlight. The last of the S21 series caters to the true fans of the brand and combines all Galaxy S21 essentials into one powerful no-nonsense smartphone. Yes, this is the Galaxy S21 FE 5G.
Samsung has focused on three fan-favorite features for this Fan Edition – display, performance, and camera. And it has tried to give more of those for less, a job best suited for the flagship-killer kind. We surely are not calling it that, but the S21 FE does sound quite promising as an almost-there-flagship.
The Galaxy S21 FE updates the display with the S21’s screen panel. It offers a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with native HDR10+ support and a 120Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy S20 FE’s Super AMOLED had no HDR10 capabilities at launch, which was disappointing back then, but these were enabled later in 2021.
Then there is performance – quite expectedly, the Galaxy S21 FE offers the same hardware as the rest of the S21 series – either the Snapdragon 888, or the Exynos 2100 chipset. But the chipset segmentation is reversed here – the international model is the one with the Snapdragon, while Samsung’s silicon is limited to Australia (so far).
Finally, let’s talk about the camera department. It looks like a copy-paste from the Galaxy S20 FE – a 12MP primary, another 12MP camera for ultrawide photos, and an 8MP tele for 3x optical zoom. The selfie imager is likely the same, too, a 32MP one. Samsung is not advertising the hardware as more capable, but it brags with better processing and cool features like Object Eraser – all possible thanks to the new chipset.
The stereo speakers and the UD fingerprint scanner are here to stay, too, but the microSD slot didn’t make the cut. It is one of these fan-favorite features that will not be accepted well among the community, that’s for sure. But on a positive note – the S21 FE now features a proper proximity sensor instead of a virtual one, something that should solve the numerous complaints.
Waterproofing is a vital part of the Galaxy S series, and the S21 FE is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance. Its design resembles the rest of the Galaxy S21 phones, and its build is a match to the vanilla Galaxy S21 flagship – a Gorilla Glass Victus front, an aluminum frame, and a matte plastic back.
Here is a rundown of the specs sheet.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G specs at a glance:
Body: 155.7×74.5×7.9mm, 177g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins).
Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74″, 0.8µm.
Video capture:Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS.
Battery: 4500mAh; Fast charging 25W, 50% in 30 min (advertised), Fast wireless charging 15W, Reverse wireless charging, USB Power Delivery 3.0.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; Bixby natural language commands and dictation, Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified).
The most notable omissions of this new Fan Edition are the 3.5mm jack (not available on the S20 FE) and the microSD slot (available on the S20 FE). We would have liked one of those 10MP AF selfies instead of the 32MP Quad-Bayer snapper, too, but we guess that’s going on the S22 FE wish list instead.
There is no cheaper 4G version of the Galaxy S21 FE, like it was with the S20 FE, which is possibly another bummer for some users. We guess the 5G has become the new norm and cheaper 4G versions in the future are highly unlikely.
Unboxing the Galaxy S21 FE
Apple has started something that Samsung quickly adopted, even though consumers don’t appreciate it. Yes, we are talking about the ‘eco-friendly’ cost-saving retail box, which contains only a cable and some paperwork.
That’s exactly what you get with each Galaxy S21, and that’s what the Galaxy S21 FE 5G retail box contains. The phone supports 25W fast charging, but if you want to enjoy that and you haven’t purchased such an adapter yet, now is a good time to do it.
The good news is that once you buy such a charger, you can use it for your next phone a year or two from now. Plus, it can charge plenty of electronics because of its USB-C port and USB-PD support.
The competition
The Galaxy S21 FE 5G is a well-executed smartphone and a proper sequel to the Galaxy S20 FE. It brings a better display, more powerful hardware, and improved camera performance even if the camera sensors and optics haven’t changed much since the S20 FE. Oh, and we do appreciate the new, S21-like design.
But the one thing that should have been spot-on from the get-go – the price – is all wrong. The Galaxy S21 FE should have offered ‘more for less’ – those are Samsung‘s words, mind you – yet, it’s quite an expensive smartphone at launch with a starting price of €750. And while it arguably offers more over the Galaxy S20 FE and the Galaxy S21, it’s not for less.
Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 FE
See, the Galaxy S21 5G retails at about €650, which is €100 less than this new Fan Edition. Yet, the standard S21 offers a more capable display with a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, more RAM (6GB vs. 8GB). The Galaxy S21 has a different type of 3x zoom, but even if it’s achieved with some trickery, it is pretty good and not drastically different from the FE. We believe many users will happily save €100 and get the Galaxy S21 instead.
Then there is one of our favorite Galaxy phones for 2021 – the Galaxy A52s 5G. It is an equally stylish smartphone, water-resistant as well, with a similar 120Hz AMOLED screen and quite a powerful Snapdragon 778 5G chipset. If you can live without optical zoom and HDR10 support for the paid streaming apps, the 6GB+128GB model of the A52s costs as low as €360 – and compared to the S21 FE’s €750 price – that’s a bargain!
Of course, there are other cool options to consider outside Samsungverse. The Realme GT 5G is €250 cheaper, and it beats the S21 FE with a better AMOLED with a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate (and it supports HDR10). It is not a water-resistant phone and has no zoom camera, but if those are not important, you can spend less and still get what’s important to you.
The Asus Zenfone 8 is €100 cheaper than the FE, but if you are after a more compact Android, you may want to consider this one instead. It has a superb 5.9-inch AMOLED with 120Hz and HDR10+, runs on the same Snapdragon 888 chipset, has powerful speakers, and offers fan-favorite goodies like a 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio, AF for the selfie camera. It may not be rocking a telephoto camera, but its ultrawide shooter has autofocus and can take macro shots. Overall, it’s a great offer worth considering.
Finally, the €480 4G and €530 5G versions of the previous Galaxy S20 FE are still available. They are noticeably cheaper, yet with similar capabilities and identical cameras. If you can live without HDR10 support and put up with the virtual proximity sensor, they are worth considering. Their Snapdragon 865 / Exynos 990 chips are still great performers and part of the flagship crop, plus they run amazingly under 1080p screens. Oh, and they both offer microSD expansion.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE • Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
Our verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is a brilliant smartphone with top-notch features. It excels in the most critical departments – display, performance, camera, speakers, software, even design. For that – it’s a great smartphone.
But it’s not a Fan Edition, not like the S20 FE. For a phone that’s supposed to cater to the fans, ditching the charger and the microSD slot does not make sense. And it doesn’t bring any substantial camera updates, not even AF for selfies or ultrawide, though the improved photo quality could be arguably enough. But these shortcomings are not the Fan Edition’s biggest problem.
The Galaxy S21 FE’s most notable drawback is the launch price. The Galaxy S21 FE 5G costs €750 for its basic 6/128 version and €830 for the 8/256 model. And that’s quite high for the segment the FE’s aiming at.
The Galaxy S21 FE launches mere weeks before the Galaxy S22 premiere, and the expectations are that the regular Galaxy S22 with more powerful hardware and a better screen will retail between €800-€900. And it sure makes sense to wait and see what the Galaxy S22 has in store for us. Meanwhile, there are many phones that are offering similar features for much less, and what’s worse, some of them are Galaxy phones themselves.
So, the Galaxy S21 FE is a powerful and capable smartphone, no two ways about that. But we just cannot recommend it at this price, not without reservations. Once Samsung introduces its first price cut, though, the Galaxy S21 FE should get a spot on the shortlists of everyone looking for a no-nonsense flagship-like smartphone.
Pros
Excellent AMOLED HDR10 screen, 120Hz, superb color accuracy.
Now that we’ve covered the Galaxy S22 Plus, as well as the S22 Ultra in their own respective in-depth reviews, it’s time we take a closer look at the vanilla Galaxy S22 as well.
Most of you are likely already familiar with the Galaxy S22 lineup in at least some extent, but we still feel like we need to preface the review by saying that expectations towards the trio should be moderated. Not regarding the quality of the products. That is still excellent, but rather regarding any major generational changes or innovations. Those are few and far between on the S22 line. Well, perhaps sans for the reincarnation of the Galaxy Note line in the S22 Ultra, but without the legendary “Note” branding.
While arguably getting increasingly boring (or tamer for lack of better words) over the last few years, Samsung‘s flagship offers are nothing if not consistent. That has a lot of merit in itself. Apple proved that much time and time again with its incremental year-over-year strategy. So, what’s new with the S22 this year? Well, summing things up before we dive into the nitty-gritty – you get a new camera setup, new chipsets and slightly less battery that Samsung promises it will offset through better chipset and display efficiency. The displays on the vanilla and plus are now slightly shorter but do promise certain technological improvements.
The vanilla S22, which is the subject of this particular review, has shrunken down in overall size considerably compared to its Galaxy S21 predecessor. So much so, in fact, it can now be considered part of a rare breed of “compact” flagship devices. All in relative terms, of course.
The phone measures 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm and it tips the scale at 167 grams (168 for the mmWave version). Compare that to the S21 and its 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm, 170g, or so, body. The new 6.1-inch display on the S22 has gotten shorter, which is a trend across the entire S22 line. Unfortunately, a smaller body has also mandated a smaller 3,700 mAh battery back. Down from 4,000 mAh last year.
Aside from the obvious move to the latest flagship chipset generation – the Exynos 2200 in Europe and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 pretty much everywhere else, the S22 also has a new main 50MP camera, with a 23% larger sensor than last year’s 12MP model. Also, a new 10MP telephoto with optical rather than hybrid 3x zoom. The ultrawide and selfie cams are carried over from the S21.
Samsung Galaxy S22 5G specs at a glance:
Body: 146.0×70.6×7.6mm, 167g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Armour aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised).
Another thing Samsung has been doing exceptionally well over the past few Galaxy S generations is segmentation. Obviously, the Ultra is in a feature league of its own this year, even if it’s lacking a “Note” moniker. Comparing the vanilla S22 to the S22+, though only reveals a few significant differences. The S22+ is obviously bigger, with a larger 4,500 mAh battery and advertised 45W fast charging support instead of the 25W that the S22 carries forward from older Samsung devices. We’ll get into more detail in the charging section, but, spoiler alert, the 45W omission is hardly significant. The omission of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) support on the vanilla S22 is hardly a deal-breaker too. The difference in display panels between the two is a bit more complex and goes beyond size. We’ll dive into that as well, but the vanilla S22 does miss out on the small yet nifty generational OLED brightness improvements of the S22+ and S22 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S22 • S22 Plus • S22 Ultra
None of these “omissions” in the vanilla S22 are that important and hardly take away from its undisputed and well-rounded flagship nature. That’s what we mean by great segmentation – for most prospective buyers, the choice between an S22 and S22+ will come down to size and, of course, price.
Speaking of budget, Samsung has remained impressively consistent on that front as well. You can check detailed pricing on the entire S22 lineup and the Galaxy Tab S8 here, but the S22 basically starts at $800, €850 or £770, which is essentially the original S21 MSRP. Getting the same price point is not an insignificant feat given the ongoing tough situation regarding supply chain and material shortages in the tech industry as a whole.
Samsung Galaxy S22 • S22 Plus • S22 Ultra
So, that’s the S22 in a nutshell – an incremental boring upgrade for some, a consistently-solid all-around flagship with no unexpected potentially deal-breaking surprises or price hikes for others. As usual, the devil is in the details. Follow along as we dig through them and really see what makes the Galaxy S22 tick.
Unboxing
Just like its S22+ and S22 Ultra sibling, the vanilla S22 ships in a minimal retail box in every sense of the word. In case you were wondering, there is still no charger in the box. That seemingly went away for good with the Galaxy S21 generation. The S22 family ships with a relatively short, sturdy USB Type-C to Type-C cable and a SIM ejector, plus some obligatory paperwork. And that’s it. As barren of a package as conceivable, but that’s the rule of the day.
Of course, there is the ecological angle to consider. The thin and compact two-piece box is made from 100% recycled paper, and Samsung has limited the use of plastics in the packaging as much as it can too. The printing is done with soy-based ink as well, making this among the most ecological retail packages around.
Competition
The Galaxy S22 trio is not cheap by any means. Even so, pricing is mostly unchanged from last year’s models, which should be considered an achievement given the even-climbing prices of materials, scarcity, and other ongoing global economic and relater factors. Plus, the vanilla S22 is naturally the cheapest of the bunch, with an MSRP of $800/€850/£770 for the base 128GB variant and $850/€900/£820 for the 256GB one. As per our price-tracker, as of writing this review, actual retail pricing has even come down a bit in some places.
Beyond being the cheapest of the bunch, which might be alluring to certain customers, the Galaxy S22 has another potentially even bigger thing going for it, pun intended – its size. Very few devices offer a full flagship experience in quite as compact of a form factor. That, coupled with the fact that the S22+ offers almost nothing over the vanilla S22 except for size, battery, and at a notably higher price, convinced us to leave it off of the list. What is a viable option, though, is the older Galaxy S21. It is still a great, all-around flagship. You’ll have to live with the controversial plastic back panel, which is mostly us joking since the S21 still has great build quality. You do also get a bigger battery. Plus, the S21 gets to benefit retroactively from Samsung‘s new promise of extended software support.
The same is also true for the Galaxy S21 FE 5G. It is a great way to get a comparable modern Samsung experience while also saving a few bucks in the process. You do have to be ok with a notably larger device, though, and last year’s flagship chipset and Samsung camera setup, which we have already established, still hold up in 2022.
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G • Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Circling back to the topic of compact flagships, while your options are limited, there are still a few devices to consider. The Asus Zenfone 8 is an interesting device in more than a few ways. It is compact but without skipping on major flagship features, like a great 120Hz, HDR10+ Super AMOLED panel, great stereo speakers, IP68 ingress protection and a respectable 4,000 mAh battery. Asus has its priorities aligned a bit differently than most going out of its way to fit additional hardware like an FM radio, NFC, 3.5mm jack and even a notification LED into the small Zenfone 8. Its ZenUI software is also a particular mix of clean and AOSP-like and highly customizable. The Zenfone 8 does, however, come with some notable camera compromises.
Asus Zenfone 8 • Apple iPhone 13 Pro • Sony Xperia 5 III
The Sony Xperia 5 III places much more emphasis on the camera department. It is also an all-around flagship in most other aspects, with IP65/IP68 ingress protection, stereo speakers, and a Snapdragon 888 chipset. It does have a bit of a “quirky” extra tall, “skinny” aspect ratio and a matching 21:9 display that is also a bit off in its BT.2020 HDR support but still excellent all-around with 120Hz refresh rate and 10-bit colors.
A valid argument can be made that the Xperia 5 III and the Zenfone 8 are “particular” in their own way. That’s pretty much us saying that they are not what we would consider “mainstream flagships” like the Samsung Galaxy S22. Enter the Apple iPhone 13 Pro – arguably the most viable and actual competitor to the Galaxy S22. There is hardly any need to sing the praises of the iPhone 13 Pro. We’ll just remind you that not unlike the S22 and S22+, the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max are basically all-around identical in their excellent flagship features, with size and battery capacity as the sole major differences.
Our verdict
The vanilla S22 is pretty much an incremental update like the rest of the Galaxy S22 line. Samsung is playing it safe yet again – no major breakthroughs or innovation and no jarring and potentially disruptive changes. It uses a familiar formula that has proven effective in drawing in crowds of satisfied, even if often unexcited users.
It’s hard to find any significant faults with the Galaxy S22. We can keep on dreaming of microSD cards and 3.5mm jacks, but that’s clearly not happening. And sure, its battery life could have been better or at least as good as the S21, and perhaps the Exynos 2200 overpromised a bit compared to its initial delivery.
Even so, the entire S22 lineup is as solid as ever. For better or worse, it is kind of the definition of “a safe choice”. Consistency is the name of the game, and it’s arguably the most difficult game to play in the smartphone realm, particularly with flagships. While it’s cool to be disruptive and strive to tread new ground with things like amazing charging speeds or price-defying specs at the expense of other cutbacks, that’s not how you stay on top of the game. The likes of Samsung and Apple have proven time and time again that the key is relentless consistency and extremely calculated moves and incremental upgrades while always building on a solid foundation year over year. That’s how you get the new iPhone and the next Galaxy S device.
The flip side of that reality is that while the S22 is engineered to be as good as possible for as many people as possible, it is pretty boring. Once again, boring in a dependable sense, but still hardly the device that is going to tickle a smartphone enthusiast’s fancy. We definitely wish we could have a more exciting smartphone scene like years past when even titans like Nokia could afford to roll the dice and experiment. Then again, there is something to be said about having an ever-dependable choice in the latest (and greatest) Galaxy S phones. That is a significant draw for many users out there. Plus, the vanilla S22, in particular, has the size aspect going for it, potentially drawing in a crowd seeking a true flagship experience in the smallest possible form factor. And that’s on top of those users simply wanting to pick up the cheapest of the S22 trio.
If you believe you fit nicely into either category getting the Galaxy S22 is a pretty easy decision. If “default” is not your style, there is a vast sea of more interesting and exciting devices out there for anyone willing to explore them.
Pros
Industry-leading build quality with IP68 rating. Small and compact in modern terms. The new flatter and more symmetrical design is still very recognizable.
Excellent 120Hz AMOLED display with great brightness, improved sunlight legibility, superb color accuracy and a great HDR video experience.
Solid all-around hybrid stereo speaker system.
Likable no-nonsense OneUI 4.1 OS with powerful features and extended software support (four OS updates and five years of security patches).
Solid flagship camera experience both in photos and videos. Incrementally better or just as good as the S21 generation, it adds further small refinements here and there, particularly in low-light photography.
Cons
No charger in the box and no pre-applied screen protector.
Worse battery life than last year’s Galaxy S21 5G.
The new RDNA2-based Xclipse 920 AMD GPU collaboration looks promising, but is experiencing some early bugs and we feel its potential is nowhere near fully utilized in practice yet.
It’s that time of year again, and we have the new Galaxy S smartphones in our hands. We’ll start our reviewing spree with the Galaxy S22 Plus.
It’s important to approach this year’s devices with the right expectations. Maintaining the pace of innovation year after year is impossible, so as you’ll see, major changes are rather few and far between. Well, perhaps sans for the reincarnation of the Galaxy Note line in the S22 Ultra, but without the legendary “Note” branding.
While arguably getting increasingly boring (or tamer for lack of better words) over the last few years, Samsung‘s flagship offers are nothing if not consistent. That has a lot of merit in itself. Apple proved that much time and time again with its incremental year-over-year strategy. So, what’s new with the S22 this year? Well, summing things up before we dive into the nitty-gritty – you get a new camera setup, new chipsets and slightly less battery that Samsung promises it will offset through better chipset and display efficiency. The displays on the vanilla and plus are now slightly shorter but do promise certain technological improvements.
The Samsung Galaxy S22Plus 5G is the subject of this particular review. Compared to last year’s Galaxy S21 Plus 5G in a bit more detail, it has gotten a bit shorter and ever so slightly wider and just a bit thinner and at 195/196 grams, also slightly lighter. Those last two bits probably have to do with the battery capacity reduction from 4,800 mAh last year to 4,500 mAh.
This time around, the S22 Plus has 45W fast charging, up from 25W last year. The display, while slightly shorter, gets an impressive brightness boost this year, thanks to Samsung OLED development. Then there is the new camera setup – a new main 50MP camera, with a 23% larger sensor than last year’s 12MP model. Also, a new 10MP telephoto with optical rather than hybrid 3x zoom. The ultrawide and selfie cams are carried over from the S21 Plus.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus 5G specs at a glance:
Body: 157.4×75.8×7.6mm, 195g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Armour aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised).
Another thing Samsung has been doing exceptionally well over the past few Galaxy S generations is segmentation. This year, obviously, the Ultra is in a league of its own, even if it’s lacking a “Note” moniker. Comparing the regular Galaxy S22 to the S22 Plus, however, basically comes down to size and, of course, price. The S22 Plus has a notably bigger 6.6-inch display that does get brighter, which we will discuss at length in the display section. Its body is proportionally bigger and houses a bigger battery, now with 45W charging support, as already mentioned. Though, that hasn’t proven to offer a huge practical advantage over Samsung’s 25W tech in the past.
The S22 Plus also gets Ultra Wideband (UWB) support. Other than that, the two phones are basically identical both inside and outside. This is truly great to see since all the user needs is to pick a size and/or budget.
Speaking of budget, Samsung has remained impressively consistent on that front as well. You can check detailed pricing on the entire S22 lineup and the Galaxy Tab S8 here, but the S22 Plus basically starts at $1,000, €1,050 or £950, which is essentially the original S21 Plus MSRP. Getting the same price point is not an insignificant feat given the ongoing tough situation regarding supply chain and material shortages in the tech industry as a whole.
So, that’s the S22 Plus in a nutshell – an incremental boring upgrade for some, a consistently-solid all-around flagship with no unexpected potentially deal-breaking surprises or price hikes for others. As usual, the devil is in the details. Follow along as we dig through them and really see what makes the Galaxy S22 Plus tick.
Unboxing
Unboxing the Galaxy S22 is not much of an “experience” in the conventional sense. If you were wondering, Samsung didn’t reverse its decision to exclude a charger from the retail box. That seemingly went away for good with the Galaxy S21 generation. The S22 family ships with a relatively short, sturdy USB Type-C to Type-C cable and a SIM ejector, plus some obligatory paperwork. And that’s it. As barren of a package as conceivable, but that’s the rule of the day.
On the flip side, though, there is almost no unneeded stuff in the box. The thin and compact two-piece box is made from 100% recycled paper, and Samsung has limited the use of plastics in the packaging as much as it can too. The printing is done with soy-based ink as well, making this among the most ecological retail packages around.
Competition
If you’re considering the Galaxy S22 Plus – a device that starts at $1,000, €1,050 or £950, as the saying goes, “the world is your oyster”. There’s no point in beating about the bush, that’s a lot of money to give up for a phone, so it better be good enough to live up to pretty much any expectation. Since you are effectively shopping in the top niche of the current smartphone market, phones in this price bracket are as good as smartphones get in 2022.
Premium buyers frequently tend to have at least some degree of “brand loyalty” for any number of reasons, be in pre-existing immersion into a given device ecosystem or experience with customer support or simply fastidious and specific care for any number of very particular aspects and features offered by one manufacturer or another.
Keeping that in mind, if you are in the market for an S22 Plus, it is very likely that you know for a fact you want a Samsung and you already considered and rejected the obvious alternatives of the vanilla Galaxy S22 and the S22 Ultra for any number of potential reasons. That’s what we mean by particular. Allow us to point you in a few less-obvious directions, like the Galaxy S21 FE 5G. It’s sort of the “sensible” alternative. You will have to “settle” for a slightly smaller and not as bright display, without automatic refresh rate switching, the older flagship Snapdragon 888 5G or Exynos 2100 chipset and some slightly-older camera sensors for the otherwise very comparable camera setup. Short of a few niche features like Samsung DeX and minor compromises in connectivity, that’s honestly about the extent of the “downgrade”. All the while, the potential savings are significant.
Beyond that, we have to admit that things are currently a bit weird in the flagship Android realm, mostly since some big-ticket phones are yet to get proper international availability. The Xiaomi 12 Pro’s European release is probably right around the corner, though. It is a great all-around device that comes very close to the Galaxy S22 Plus in terms of overall specs. Its most notable omission is probably ingress protection. Then again, it has many benefits of its own too. Since the older Xiaomi 11T Pro is already widely available and not far off in terms of specs, we’re mentioning it as well.
OnePlus is in a similar boat with the new OnePlus 10 Pro. We are currently expecting its global release sometime before the end of March. It is another solid all-around flagship offer with similar specs to the S22 Plus. Notably, a bigger 5,000 mAh battery, but also no ingress protection. It gets a soft recommendation as a viable alternative, mostly since the OnePlus 9 Pro is very similar specs-wise, widely available and does offer IP68 protection. Unfortunately, with a smaller 4,500 mAh battery.
Naturally, since we are talking about a Galaxy S22 device, arguably the definition of a “mainstream flagship”, we can’t fail to mention that an Apple iPhone is always a viable choice to make. Those do tend to be quite pricy, though, so the notably physically smaller iPhone 13 is probably the best you’ll be able to get off-contract without upping your budget over $1000.
Our verdict
It’s hard to find any significant faults with the Galaxy S22 Plus. We can keep on dreaming of microSD cards and 3.5mm jacks, but that’s clearly not happening. And sure, its battery life could have been better, and perhaps the Exynos 2200 overpromised a bit, compared to its initial delivery. Even so, the entire S22 lineup is as solid as ever. For better or worse, it is kind of the definition of “safe choice”. Consistency is the name of the game, and it’s arguably the most difficult game to play in the smartphone realm, particularly with flagships. While it’s cool to be disruptive, put out a “flagship killer” or go for an enticing title like “the first phone with…”, that’s not how you stay on top of the game. The likes of Samsung and Apple have proven time and time again that the key is relentless consistency and extremely calculated moves and incremental upgrades while always building on a solid foundation year over year. That’s how you get the new iPhone and the next Galaxy S device.
The flip side of that reality is that while the S22 Plus is engineered to be as good as possible for as many people as possible, it is pretty boring. Once again, boring in a dependable sense, but still hardly the device that is going to tickle a smartphone enthusiast’s fancy.
Keeping all of this in mind, the decision to get an S22 device is a simple and equally boring one – do you want and/or need the new Samsung flagship with all of the familiar positives and negatives that come with it? Nothing massive has really changed about this very same question going back at least a couple of Galaxy S flagship generations. The S22 Plus remains an ever-dependable default choice, and for a good reason. If “default” is not your style, there is a vast sea of more interesting and exciting devices out there for anyone willing to explore them.
Pros
Industry-leading build quality with IP68 rating. Perfect weight distribution. The new flatter and more symmetrical design is still very recognizable.
Excellent industry-leading 120Hz AMOLED display with major brightness improvements, improved sunlight legibility, superb color accuracy and a great HDR video experience.
Great all-around hybrid stereo speaker system.
Likable no-nonsense OneUI 4.1 OS with powerful features and extended software support (four OS updates and five years of security patches).
Solid flagship camera experience both in photos and videos. Incrementally better or just as good as the S21 generation, it adds further small refinements here and there, particularly in low-light photography.
Cons
No charger in the box and no pre-applied screen protector.
45W charging is still more wishful thinking that doesn’t translate to real-world gains and the charger situation is poorly communicated by the PR team.
The new RDNA2-based Xclipse 920 AMD GPU collaboration looks very promising, but is experiencing some early bugs and we feel its potential is nowhere near fully utilized in practice yet.
The Note that isn’t a Note, yet it may very well end up being the last Note – Samsung‘s Galaxy S22 Ultra has some big shoes to fill. Attempting to appeal to both productivity-focused stylus lovers and photography enthusiasts, the latest Ultra will either be the ultimate phone, period, or fall short for either group in some way. We’re here to find out which one is it.
The S Pen fans will have little to complain about on the face of it. The S22 Ultra has the same stylus as the Note20 Ultra and, like a true Note, it has a silo for keeping the thing inside the phone – none of that carry-it-separately-until-you-inevitably-lose-it nonsense with the S21 Ultra. The significant improvements in latency also sound promising, not that the old one was bad.
The camera crowd shouldn’t be disappointed either. You’re getting the same quad setup as the S21 Ultra (in principle, at least) and includes a couple of telephotos reaching all the way to 10x zoom, as well as an autofocusing ultrawide (that Samsung insists on keeping exclusive to the Ultra). That’s in addition to the big-sensor nona-binning 108MP main camera, of course.
The lengthy specsheet (summarized below) includes what appears to be the brightest display on a smartphone to date, latest chipsets from Qualcomm or Samsung (depending on locale, as usual), a 1TB storage option (next to a 128GB base tier not befitting the UItra’s stature), and a bump in battery capacity and rated charging power (we’ll see about that).
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G specs at a glance:
Body: 163.3×77.9×8.9mm, 228g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Armour aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised).
The S22 Ultra ships in a black cardboard box that’s now even smaller than before (the environment appreciates it) with a stylized number ’22’ on the lid and a sparkly ‘S’ in a color to match the actual paintjob of the phone inside.
High-end Galaxy unboxings have become simple tasks over the past couple of years since bundled chargers became a thing of the past – the flipside of the slimline box. Inside it, you’ll find the bare minimum – a USB-C cable and a SIM eject tool, and the phone itself. But what a phone it is.
Competition
If you’re eyeing up the Galaxy S22 Ultra, consider yourself lucky – obvious alternatives don’t exist and if the latest ultimate Samsung does it for you, no other phone will. Because the S22 Ultra is both the Note that didn’t happen last year, and the S Ultra that was always coming this Spring. As such, it is, indeed, everything to everyone – or, at least, most things to most people. But just telling you to pick up the Ultra without giving it much thought would be lazy reviewing and we only do that in the peak of summer, so let’s see what your options are.
The last Note by name, the 20 Ultra (rumor has it that there was also a non-Ultra Note in 2020, but nobody has seen it), is dated. It has a two-year-old chipset inside, and even when it came out, it wasn’t cutting-edge in terms of camera hardware. Sure, it does have what is essentially the same S Pen as this year’s model, but we’re not ones to condone buying a 2020 smartphone in 2022, flagship as it may have been at the time.
At 12-months-old, the S21 Ultra just barely passes the relevance test, so we might allow it. Its camera hardware may be superior in some obscure minor ways, but its output, in general, is not, so if the most capable Samsung cameraphone is needed, the S21 Ultra doesn’t cut it. Plus, it’s just a pretend-Note – it supports an S Pen, but has nowhere to store it, so what are the odds that you carry it on your person every time you need it.
You could say the same thing about the Galaxy Z Fold3 and its accessory S Pen. But if productivity is truly why the S22 Ultra is on top of your list, then maybe allowances could be made for the foldable that has 57% more screen area on just one of its screens (consider the other as a bonus), all the while being a mere 19% heavier. The Fold can’t quite compete with the Ultra for camera prowess though, so it’s looking like a classic case of ‘win some, lose some’.
You’d be winning in image quality if you go for another Ultra, the Mi 11 Ultra, even if that one isn’t exactly brand new either. Close to a year after its release, it remains our favorite cameraphone, and if that’s higher on your list than a stylus, it may be well worth tracking a Mi down (they’re not too widely available). There’s also the Mi 12 bunch that should be arriving soon, but we don’t know much about a possible next-gen Mi Ultra.
Last on this list is the iPhone 13 Pro Max, simply because the latest and best Galaxy is always going to be compared to the latest and best that Apple has put out. The Pro Max has neither the camera versatility, nor the stylus of the S22 Ultra, so that makes it somewhat of a tough sell if camera versatility and a stylus are what you’re after the Galaxy for, but iPhones can tickle people in odd and not exactly quantifiable ways.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is in such a market segment that the concept of value doesn’t necessarily apply to it and affect purchasing decisions. So the €1250/$1200 price is little more than just a number.
But the Ultra does, in fact, provide a lot of value. An upmarket phone with a stylus is essentially a Samsung-exclusive offering – competing efforts from Apple, Google, Xiaomi, Oppo, or Huawei simply do not exist. This is the latest and most powerful one and it can carry that S Pen inside it unlike the Fold or last year’s Ultra, so it’s unique even in Samsung‘s present realm too.
It’s not as clear cut when it comes to the camera, where we could come up with potential alternatives – as good, or maybe a touch superior in this or that. But there’s no denying that the S22 Ultra is a superbly capable all-rounded cameraphone, easily Samsung’s best yet.
It’s properly good when it comes to the fundamentals too, unsurprisingly. The brightest smartphone display we’ve seen excels in all other areas as well, battery life is about as solid as you can expect from a modern-day flagship, the software is refined and feature-rich, the design is understated, yet recognizable and stylish.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra may not have ‘Note’ in its name, but deep inside we know it is one, probably the last of its kind. From our Note-loving hearts and level reviewer heads alike, it’s an easy recommendation.
Pros
Traditional Note design with modern premium touches – big display, boxy shape, curved edges, unique camera styling.
S Pen has wide-ranging functionality for work and play, is virtually without competition.
Display is simply spectacular.
Battery life is pretty great, all things considered.
Ultra-grade camera system is one of the best on the market, zooming capability is hard to rival.
Cons
S Pen eats up internal volume and adds weight, which isn’t ideal if you’re in for the S Ultra and not the Note Ultra.
Poorly communicated fast charging capability (actually quite speedy in the Apple-Google-Samsung universe, but others are way faster).
The cheapest 5G smartphone any given manufacturer currently has on the market has become sort of a weird competitive category in itself this year. For Samsung, that used to be the Galaxy A32 5G, which was released back in January, alongside the A52 5G and A72 5G. Now that title has officially been transferred over to the Galaxy A22 5G. Like its higher-tier sibling, the A22 is available in both a 5G variant and regular 4G. And once again, cramming in 5G, without deviating too much from the original price point has necessitated some major downgrades, compared to the LTE model.
For the Galaxy A22 pair goes, in particular, some of the major advantages the LTE model has over its sibling include its Super AMOLED display – slightly lower resolution, but otherwise better all around. Also, slightly better cameras, including an 8MP ultrawide, 2MP dedicated macro and a 13MP selfie cam. As of writing this review, all of this will set you back €209 for the base 64GB/4GB model.
On the flip side, the Galaxy A22 5G has an MSRP of €230, which will require you to settle for a 90Hz LCD display, a 5MP ultrawide, no depth camera and an 8MP selfie cam. However, the Galaxy A22 5G also has quite a few redeeming qualities. One thing that stands out, in particular, is its FHD+, 90Hz LCD display, which is notably better than the basic 60Hz, 720p+ LCD on the Galaxy A32 5G – a device that technically stands higher in the lineup and is still a bit pricier than the A22 5G. That’s what half a year’s worth of developments on the budget mobile scene can result in. Impressive stuff.
Video capture:Rear camera: 1152p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 15W.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); FM radio; 3.5mm jack.
There are plenty of other interesting aspects of the A22 5G to examine beyond that as well, like its Dimensity 700 chipset, which on the surface sounds like just a slight downgrade compared to the Dimensity 720 powering the Galaxy A32 5G, yet has some particular limitations of its own, like a 2K maximum video capture resolution. But, we’ll get to all that in due time.
Circling back to the important bits, just like its siblings, the Galaxy A22 5G is part of Samsung‘s new and ambitious plan for the best-selling Galaxy A family. The new “Awesome is for everyone” tagline fits like a glove. The value proposition is a clear priority on all of these devices.
Offering both 4G and 5G versions of all of the handsets is another way of making the lineup as appealing as possible. Speaking of which, budget or not, the Galaxy A22 5G still gets all the benefits and goodies that come with One UI 3.1, on top of Android 11, as well as Samsung’s better and longer-term software support commitment, as of late.
Unboxing
As a budget offer, the Galaxy A22 5G understandably comes in a rather plain box. Perhaps Samsung can do a bit better for protection during transit.
On a more positive note, at least the A32 5G itself comes well wrapped in plastic all around, including thin strips stuck along the plastic frame, for extra protection.
Speaking of protection, or lack thereof, the Galaxy A22 5G does not have a pre-applied screen protector, nor is there a case in the box. Both are common with budget phones from other manufacturers. What you do get is a basic 15W wall charger (9V@1.67A or 5V@2A) and a simple and fairly short USB Type-A to Type-C cable. At last, there is no proprietary charging scheme at play here, so you don’t necessarily need to stick to the included cable to get the full 15W.
Our Galaxy A22 5G unit also came with a wired handsfree (buds with an inline microphone) in the box. This is a fairly basic Samsung-branded unit, nothing too fancy, though you do get an inline button as well. It is worth noting that this might be a regional accessory that not all packages get because we didn’t get buds with the higher-tier A32 5G.
Competition
At the time of writing, the Galaxy A22 5G will set you back about €250 for the base 4GB + 64GB variant. The A22 5G’s specs sheet appears to have been strategically downgraded to allow for the coveted 5G connectivity to be included while still keeping within the target price point of the A22 series.
The vanilla Galaxy A22 can currently be had for just over €200, while also offering an arguably better 90Hz Super AMOLED, 720p+ display, as well as a slightly-better camera setup. The point here is that 5G clearly comes at a cost. This is the reality all manufacturers currently have to deal with, especially in this price range.
If you don’t necessarily need 5G in your next phone, it is easy to get better overall specs in a 4G handset instead.
You don’t even have to look far either, as the vanilla Galaxy A32 is pretty much comparably priced like the A22 5G. Unlike the A32 5G, which also sacrifices on some specs for the sake of 5G, the vanilla offers things like a notably better FullHD, Super AMOLED, 90Hz display with 800 nits of advertised brightness. Also, a better all-around camera setup, plus a few extra features here and there, sprinkled within One UI 3.1. Better still, unlike the A22 5G, the A32 gets to partake in Samsung‘s new initiative for three major OS updates and four years of security patches.
There is arguably better value still to be had in camp Xiaomi. The Redmi Note 10 Pro costs as much as the Galaxy A22 5G while rocking hardware like a 120Hz, HDR10-enabled AMOLED panel and a 108MP main camera. Also, things like stereo speakers and an IP53 rating and 33W fast charging. Just to name a few. The list is definitely longer.
You can even save some money and go for something like the Redmi Note 10, which tones down many of the specs of the Redmi Note 10 Pro, but still manages to preserve the core experience. It outshines the Galaxy A22 5G in pretty much every hardware aspect. We are also throwing in the Poco X3 Pro for those out there seeking the best raw performance possible on a budget. While its raw power does come with some compromises here and there, a Snapdragon 860 chipset at just over €200 is almost a market anomaly and deserves due attention.
Circling back to the question of 5G, if you absolutely must have 5G for €250 or less, most manufacturers are clearly faced with the same general hardware decisions and compromises, which have resulted in the niche getting occupied by surprisingly similar devices.
Handsets like the Realme 8 5G, Poco M3 Pro 5G and the Redmi Note 10 5G all rock 90Hz LCD panels, just like the Galaxy A22 5G and even use the same Dimensity 700 chipset – the entry-level chip in MediaTek’s Dimensity line. All three also have triple camera setups, with a 48MP main snapper. Also, 5,000 mAh batteries with 18W charging. The list goes on, and it’s almost like some homework copying has taken place. Or rather – this is just currently the budget 5G hardware setup that makes sense. Sure, the Realme 8 5G does have a slightly better selfie cam, but it also costs a bit more than the others. Going for the Poco can probably get you the best value due to its lower price.
Our overarching point here, however, is that your decision on which €250 5G phone to get will mostly come down to subtle differences in specs and the software experience and features. Samsung might just have a leg up there for many, thanks to One UI 3.1.
Beyond that, you might just have to look around really hard, wait for promos or potentially even go for an imported unit, which definitely has its drawbacks. That way, it might be potentially possible to get more for your money. For instance, the Galaxy M42 5G costs about as much as the Galaxy A22 5G, but comes with a Super AMOLED panel, higher-res selfie, a macro camera and a Snapdragon 750G chipset. Its availability, however is pretty limited.
Verdict
Samsung has created a solid phone in the Galaxy A22 5G. While it’s not getting the full benefits of three major OS updates and four years of security patches, like its bigger siblings – A32, A52 and A72, it still gets most of the feature trickle-down. Its FullHD, 90Hz LCD display is not spectacular in terms of performance, but it is still a good neck above what you used to be able to get from Samsung’s previous cheapest 5G device – the Galaxy A32 5G.
The Dimensity 700 chipset delivers solid battery life from the 5,000 mAh pack, as well as modern features and connectivity and plenty of performance for most tasks. Even light gaming is no issue for the A22 5G, with most games we tried successfully making use of the 90Hz refresh rate of the panel for extra-smooth gameplay.
While very simple, Samsung’s software setup and handling for the high refresh rate mode is perfectly functional, which is not always a given with the competition.
In fact, most aspects of the One UI 3.1/Android 11 combo on the Galaxy A22 5G are well-crafted, polished and surprisingly feature-rich. With all said and done, the excellent user experience is a big part of the appeal of Samsung’s cheapest 5G phone. It’s likely the reason some might want to go for it instead of one of the many similar offers from other manufacturers like Realme and Xiaomi.
And that’s kind of leads to the elephant in the room – should you even get a 5G phone for under €250? If you really need 5G in your next device and can’t stretch your budget any further, then the Galaxy A22 5G is worth considering. If you can compromise and settle for a 4G model instead, there is much more overall value to be had from other devices in this price range.
Pros
FullHD+ resolution and 90Hz are a welcome sight at this price point, even if the panel has somewhat disappointing performance. 90Hz mode works great.
Very solid battery life.
Latest Android and One UI, with most features intact.
The MediaTek 700 is a modern, efficient and well-equipped chipset, with decent performance for the price.
Decent main camera performance, including potent and useful Night mode.
Cons
Body feels a bit hollow and there is no ingress protection, no pre-applied screen protector and no official info on display glass protection.
Pretty slow charging.
Just a single loudspeaker with underwhelming performance.
Poor all-round ultrawide performance. No 4K video capture. 2K capture is a mixed bag.
Samsung’siPhone display business is under growing threat from Chinese competitor BOE, which is gearing up to match the production of the Korean supplier …
When Apple launched the iPhone X, Samsung was the only OLED supplier able to meet the Cupertino company’s exacting requirements for both sophistication and yield. Since then, Apple has added both LG and BOE as secondary iPhone display suppliers, but Samsung has retained the bulk of the orders.
A new report in The Elec suggests that could be about to change.
Chinese display giant BOE was in the process of converting its three factories __ B7, B11 and B12 __ to manufacture smartphone flexible OLED panels for Apple, analyst firm UBI Research has claimed.
Because of this, BOE will likely overtake LG Display as the larger OLED supplier for iPhones by 2023, UBI Research CEO Choong Hoon Yi said at an online seminar on Friday.
The Chinese display giant is aiming to become the second-largest supplier of OLED panels to Apple by converting its three factories, Yi said.
BOE’s total flexible OLED panel production capacity will expand from its current 96,000 substrates per month (Gen 6 substrates) to 144,000 substrates per month by the fourth quarter of next year, the CEO said.
This is level with that of Samsung Display’s current capacity of 140,000 substrates per month.
LG is also aiming to double its own production to 60,000 substrates per month.
Both increases will likely see Samsung’s own orders fall as Apple seeks to balance out supply to reduce dependence on a single company.
There will, however, be more Apple OLED business to come. Reports point to the possibility of OLED iPads in 2024, and OLED MacBooks in 2025, en route to the longer-term switch to microLED. (The latest flagship models of both iPads and MacBooks currently use IPS LCD displays with miniLED backlighting.)
Apple this year made some significant changes to Safari with iOS 15, which has been repaginated with a new unified address bar at the bottom of the screen. While this change upset a number of iOS users, Samsung is now following Apple with a new option to move the address bar of its mobile web browser to the bottom — just like Safari.
The new layout was added with an update to the Samsung Internet beta app, which is now available for the company’s Android smartphones.
By going to the Layout and Menu settings in the browser preferences, there’s now an “Address bar position” option. There, users can choose between the classic web browser layout and the new one with the unified address bar at the bottom of the screen.
With the “Bottom” option enabled, the Samsung Internet app looks quite similar to Safari in iOS 15. The address bar is displayed on top of the navigation controls and buttons for managing tabs, sharing, and other app settings.
well gee samsung, I wonder why you suddenly decided to add this option now to your browser, I just can't fathom a guess pic.twitter.com/WTTI98OwQv
It’s worth noting that Apple wasn’t the first company to try out a similar layout for a mobile web browser, as other companies such as Google have tried this years ago. However, Samsung seems to have decided to change the layout of its web browser soon after Apple did so.
After several complaints, Apple let users revert Safari to the old design in iOS 15, although the new layout still comes enabled by default. The company has also released updates to the iPadOS and macOS versions of Safari that reverts the controversial design changes.
The fact that we haven’t seen a stable Android 12 release means that at least Samsung has the opportunity to catch up to Google with their One UI 4.0 Beta 2 update.
Although it’s quite unlikely, we could have a situation where the first stable Android 12 update comes to a non-Pixel device. That would be a real shock, but given that Samsung is only pushing the second One UI 4.0 beta based upon Android 12, we’d be very surprised, to say the least.
Here’s everything notable in the latest Android 12-based update for Samsung Galaxy devices:
Color theme
A huge component of Android 12 on Pixel phones is now available as part of One UI 4.0 Beta 2 but with a few Samsung-ish tweaks in tow. “Color theme,” as Samsung has renamed it, is the Korean firm’s take on Dynamic Color and the “Monet” theming system seen on Pixel hardware.
From your homescreen, long-press in an empty space or pinch to zoom outwards and head to Wallpapers > Color theme. From this new panel you’ll be able to choose a three-color theme based upon your on-device wallpaper. You can leave it as the preset blue, white, and black setup or select one of up to four patterns determined by your device.
You’ll see a nice preview pane above showing just what colors will be adopted across your device too. The effect isn’t nearly as obvious as it is on Pixels, but it does work across almost all core One UI 4.0 system areas — including notification toggles and the lockscreen.
It’s worth noting that the change is very noticeable but not quite as extensive as you might expect. Instead, it’s more of an accent addition that tweaks some UI elements but doesn’t appear to work with any of Google’s recently updated and tuned first-party applications including Messages, Gmail and many more.
You’ll still see the Material You tweaks on those apps, but for now at least, most will just adhere to the stock or standard colors applied. Some apps are fully themed but will depend heavily upon which version you have installed or have updated. A fine example is the Google Podcasts app, which will adjust based upon your wallpaper-based “Color theme” accenting.
Because of the inherent changes to apps as a result of your system accent color, “Color theme” changes just how you’ll experience Android 12 on your Samsung Galaxy device. Google is pushing it hard for Pixel, and it was initially expected to be limited to Made by Google devices but the arrival here in One UI 4.0 Beta 2 is far earlier than expected.
RAM Plus
To explain, “RAM Plus” is a feature that uses a portion of your on-device storage to create “virtual RAM” that ups the limit on your Galaxy smartphone. For higher-end Samsung Galaxy smartphones in excess of 8-12GB of RAM, this probably isn’t even an issue, but for the low-end devices with hardware limits, this could be a real way to expand or improve general performance levels.
In One UI 4.0 Beta 2 you can’t actually disable “RAM Plus” as it’s simply enabled by default. You can see just how much space is being used by heading to Settings > Device care > Memory. Here you’ll be able to clear or free up RAM as well as see just how much “virtual memory” is being adopted where the system deems necessary.
We’re not sure if this will decrease or automatically disable if you lack the available space, but it appears to be capped at 4GB. It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the same as physically adding 4GB of RAM to your device, but it might help if heavy apps are taking up system resources or you want to play more demanding games and are happy to sacrifice other app performance levels. It’s worth noting that this has already been released to some mid-rangers from Samsung, including the Galaxy A52 and even the brand-new Z Fold 3, but joining the main One UI 4.0 build could expand it to all devices.
Enhanced video calling options and effects
When initiating a video call, you have more options at your fingertips as part of the “Video call effects” floating panel after updating to One UI 4.0 Beta 2. These include the ability to adjust background blur effects or add a color/image. Effectively, this simply mimics the kind of things you can already do in the various calling apps like Zoom, Google Meet, and others, but this works on any app that your Galaxy device detects as a video calling app.
Enhancing those controls is a new “Mic mode” option that lets you choose just what audio is picked up when making video calls. There’s a “Standard” mode that works just as you expect, a “Voice focus” option that attempts to cut out any annoying background noise but a neat option for group or family calls is an option labeled “All sound.” When making large group calls — something fairly normal since the start of the pandemic — this might help as it boosts the audio picked up in the vicinity of your phone.
Gallery metadata editing
It’s almost as if Samsung lifted the ability to edit and adjust the time and date metadata from images in the Gallery app right from Google Photos — although it’s simply a highly requested feature. Tapping the overflow menu and then selecting details opens up the metadata menu for any image within the Samsung Gallery app.
From here you’re able to edit everything from the photo name, the location it was taken, and even the time and date — complete with Dynamic Color supporting time and date picker. Not having to upload to Google Photos or use another third-party app is likely a massive added feature for many that use the default gallery app on their Galaxy devices.
Android 12 easter egg with Dynamic Color
Not necessarily a massive update but provided you are using “Color theme” on your device, the Android 12 easter egg will adhere to your preset theme — just like it does on Pixel smartphones running the Android 12 Beta. Is this is an important change? No, but it’s nice all the same.
Should I install One UI 4.0 Beta 2 on my Galaxy S21?
If you want to try this modest set of additional features alongside the previous — and more extensive add-ons — then you’ll need to sign up the One UI 4.0 Beta via the Samsung Members app. At this stage it has only rolled out in the US and UK, but more regions will get access to this Android 12 preview over the coming days.
However, at this stage, we’d suggest holding on a little longer. Although this update includes a number of bug fixes, performance can be quite unstable at times with texture pop-in and lag in certain apps when scrolling. Beta 3 will hopefully add a bit more stability.