Samsung unveils Galaxy S22 smartphone with improved nighttime photography

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Samsung has unveiled its Galaxy S22 smartphone with a smaller screen, improved nighttime photography and the first appearance of the firm’s stylus in the S series.

The latest addition to the Korean tech giant’s S series is available in three models – the standard, starting at £769, the Plus, from £949, and the Ultra, which goes from £1,149 to an eye-watering £1,499 depending on memory capacity. 

For the standard model, Samsung has shrunk the screen size very slightly, down to 6.1 inches from the 6.2 inches of last year’s standard Galaxy S21. 

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Plus has a slightly bigger screen – 6.6 inches compared to 6.5 inches in last year’s S21 Plus. 

Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra, the largest handset in the new family, has a hefty 6.8-inch screen like its predecessor, but it also includes the S-Pen, marking the stylus’ first ever appearance in Samsung’s S-series.

The S-Pen was famously a key feature of Samsung’s Note series, but this series was discontinued in December last year.

Bringing the S-Pen to the S22 Galaxy Ultra – albeit not to the other two smaller, cheaper new models – means users will be able to create everything from shopping lists and study notes, to sketches and signable documents. 

Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus go on general sale on March 11, available in phantom white, phantom black, green and pink gold, while the Ultra, which also comes in ‘burgundy’, goes on sale much earlier, on February 25. 

Pre-orders for the Galaxy S22 series – which runs 5G, Android 12 and comes with Advanced 4nm processing – begin today, February 9. 

‘With the Galaxy S22 series, we designed a smartphone that would redefine its category,’ said Stephanie Choi, chief marketing officer at Samsung Mobile.

‘We set out to break the rules of what you thought mobile technology could do and, in turn, what you can do with mobile technology. 

‘In short, the Galaxy S22 series is for everyone. We want you to take the things you do every single day with your smartphone and make them even more epic. 

‘Like having video calls so lifelike it feels like you’re in the same room, or sharing the clearest photos you’ve ever taken – day or night. 

‘On top of that, the most powerful Galaxy processor and Ultra’s built-in S Pen will take your productivity and creativity to new heights. 

‘The Galaxy S22 series represents a new standard for smartphones, packed with the best hardware and software innovations that offer something for everyone.’

Ideal for ‘content creators and photography enthusiasts’, the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus come with a 50MP ultra-wide camera and 3x optical zoom, with 12MP selfie camera. 

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Ultra goes one step further, with a new 108MP rear camera with and 10x optical zoom, plus a 40MP selfie camera to capture crisp and clear images. 

Samsung’s fastest ever processor powers a form of artificial intelligence (AI) called ‘adaptive pixel technology’.  

The powerful zoom on the S22 cameras could leave photos with blurry imperfections if it weren’t for the AI, which takes into account detail in to greatly improve image resolution. 

The addition of adaptive pixel technology and enhanced AI also means this new Samsung smartphone family has ‘the brightest and most immersive display created to date’, according to Samsung. 

‘It’s interesting to see how Samsung is leveraging AI technology behind the scenes to improve customer experience,’ said Thomas Husson, principal analyst at Forrester.

‘The overall success of the new range of devices will depend on how Samsung will activate its powerful marketing and communication engine to demonstrate tangible benefits into the daily lives of its customers.’    

Another one of the key features of the Galaxy S22 family is improved nighttime photography, for ‘next-level camera experiences’. 

Larger sensors allow the camera to let in more light, draw out details and capture colours that make photography more brilliant, even in the dark.   

In terms of battery, S22 standard model has 3,700 mAh, S22 Plus has 4,500mAh and S22 Ultra has 5,000mAh. 

This compares with 4,000 mAh for the standard Galaxy S21, 4,800 mAh for the S21 Plus and 5,000 mAh for the S21 Ultra from last year. 

Ru Bhikha, mobiles expert at Uswitch.com, pointed out that improved performance in the S22 range does result in an impact on battery life. 

‘Samsung fans will be disappointed to learn that the S22 and S22 Pluis both see a 300mAh downgrade compared with last year’s models.

‘The good news is that the S22 Plus and the Ultra come with up to 45W charging, which should compensate by speeding up recharging.’      

Samsung has also announced three new tablets that form the Galaxy Tab S8 series, which are all focused on making watching films and TV shows on the go more immersive and enjoyable. 

The tablet series consists of a standard model with an 11-inch display, S8 Plus with a 12.4 inch display and the S8 Ultra, with a 14.6-inch display. 

The two smaller models are available in ‘graphite’, silver and pink gold, while the S8 Ultra is just available in graphite.

All three have front and rear ultra-wide cameras, run Android 12 and have superfast charging 2.0 (up to 45W). 

Also included in Samsung’s product announcements on Wednesday was the launch of the ‘Galaxy for the planet’ initiative. 

With this, the smartphone maker is beginning to incorporate recycled materials such as repurposed fishing nets into the design of new smartphones.

Husson said this initiative is ‘good for a start’, but added that there is still much more to do from giants such as Samsung. 

‘Today, most consumers have no clue how damaging it is for the planet to regularly renew their smartphone hardware,’ he said. 

‘Once they realise, sustainability will become a keyway to differentiate between premium smartphone brands.’