Galaxy S22 hands-on: why the battery is a no-go for me
Verdict in brief
The Galaxy S22 impresses with its compact size, low weight, great design and good display. But if you use your smartphone intensively all day, the battery barely gets you through the day. For Jen, that makes it a no-go as a daily driver.
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Pros
- Compact and light, easy to use one-handed (167 g)
- Flat display and angular body with a high-end look
- Sharp display with adaptive 120 Hz
- Good performance without the problems of the Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Many years of updates
Cons
- Battery barely lasts the day with intensive use
- Speakers are not particularly good
- Camera is good, but not outstanding
The Galaxy S22 is the smallest of the three models in Samsung’s S22 series at the time. For me it has the greatest daily driver potential, but unfortunately only the potential. I bought the device myself, so this is an independent hands-on.
Compact and light: the wow effect
The Galaxy S22 is compact and light. One-handed use is finally easy again, and for once I don’t need a PopSocket to hold it securely. At 167 grams it isn’t heavy and is comfortable to carry in a pants or jacket pocket.
Design and display
The flat display and the angular body make the design exceptionally beautiful to me. It looks as high-end as an iPhone. The evenly thin display bezels, which Samsung got really right on the S22 series, contribute to that.
The display with adaptive 120 Hz is crisp and sharp and at flagship level. What’s new is that the S22 series gets many years of updates. For many people that can be a reason to buy, for sustainability reasons.
Performance: no comparison to the S22 Ultra
With my Galaxy S22 Ultra, which I bought in the pre-order promotion, I had massive problems with performance and other bugs. I didn’t notice any of that with the much cheaper Galaxy S22. The performance is really good. It’s fun to pick the device up, because everything is finally within reach with one hand again and it feels light despite the large display.
Points of criticism: speakers and camera
- Speakers: They are not particularly good. It doesn’t bother me, because for videos I mostly use my great-sounding Galaxy Buds. But they aren’t bad either.
- Camera: It is really good, but not outstanding. I want to shoot videos and take good photos on the go for my YouTube channel. For that, the quality isn’t good enough for me in every situation. For the average photographer, for social media and vacation photos, the camera is great. There are differences compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and the Pixel 6 Pro shows that an outstanding camera is possible at this price. I could still live with the S22’s camera in everyday use.
The battery: the grueling point
The real crux is the battery performance. I seriously wonder how you can build such a strong flagship smartphone in design and performance and then put in a battery like this. It’s like preparing a tender filet steak with great effort and then drowning it in curry ketchup.
I’m more of a heavy user. I use the device all day for work, calls, emails, social media and WhatsApp, in the evening for watching YouTube, and for photos and videos for my own channel. With a lot of mindfulness and deliberate frugality, I only barely make it through the day. If you can charge the device in between or use it less intensively, you may not have any problems. But I wouldn’t take it on a business trip without an external battery, for fear that it will die in the afternoon.
Verdict
The Galaxy S22 is a great companion for the day. As a daily driver, the battery is unfortunately an absolute no-go for me. Without this problem, I would swap my Galaxy S22 Ultra for the S22 without a second thought, because I personally just find the design perfect.
Questions and answers
- How is the battery life of the Galaxy S22?
- Weak. As a heavy user, Jen only just makes it through the day with a lot of mindfulness and deliberate saving. She would not take the Galaxy S22 on a business trip without an external battery.
- Is the Galaxy S22 good for one-handed use?
- Yes. At 167 grams it is light and compact, everything is within reach with one hand, and Jen no longer needs an additional grip accessory.
- How good is the camera of the Galaxy S22?
- Good, but not outstanding. In Jen's assessment it is enough for social media and vacation photos, but it is not good enough in every situation for videos and top-quality photos on the go.
- Does the Galaxy S22 have the performance problems of the S22 Ultra?
- No. Jen did not notice the problems of her Galaxy S22 Ultra on the much cheaper Galaxy S22. The performance is really good.
