The Samsung Galaxy S22 series was unveiled at the Unpacked 2022 event on February 9. The lineup includes the Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra. Of the three, the Galaxy S22 Ultra stands out with significant upgrades over the Galaxy S22 and S22+.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra doesn't come cheap. The base model is priced at $1,199 (roughly Rs 89,700), putting the Galaxy S22 Ultra in Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max territory. Let’s see how the Galaxy S22 Ultra matches up to the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Galaxy S22 Ultra
| Model | iPhone 13 Pro Max | Galaxy S22 Ultra |
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 / Exynos 2200 |
| Display | 6.7-inch OLED (1284 x 2778 pixels), 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 1200 nits Peak Brightness | 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x (1440 x 3080 pixels), 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits Peak Brightness |
| RAM | Not Advertised (Rumoured 6GB) | 8GB / 12GB / 16GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Rear Camera | 12 MP, f/1.6 with Sensor Shift OIS + 12 MP, f/2.4 (Ultrawide) + 12, f/2.8 (Telephoto) with OIS | 108 MP, f/1.8 + 12 MP, f/2.2 (Ultrawide) + 10 MP, f/2.4 (Telephoto) + 10 MP, f/4.9 (Periscope) |
| Front Camera | 12 MP, f/2.2 | 40 MP, f/2.2 |
| Battery | Not Advertised (Rumoured 4352 mAh), Fast Charging (Rumoured 27W), MagSafe Wireless Charging 15W | 5,000 mAh, 45W Wired Fast Charging, 15W Wireless Charging |
| IP68 Rating | Yes | Yes |
| Starting Price | $1,099 | $1,199 |
We prefer the back panel and camera layout of the iPhone 13 Pro Max over the Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, when flipped around, the Galaxy S22 Ultra looks like the better phone with just the right amount of curvature and a small hole-punch camera cutout.
Another advantage the Galaxy S22 Ultra has over the iPhone 13 Pro Max is that it offers S Pen support.
Both Samsung and Apple have made little compromise with displays. It is safe to say that you get pretty much the best display of any smartphone whether you buy the iPhone 13 Pro Max or Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a higher pixel density, resolution, and peak brightness.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S22 launched alongside Galaxy S22 Plus at Unpacked 2022: Check price, specifications
When it comes to performance, the Galaxy S22 Ultra uses a 4nm Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max opts for a 5nm A15 Bionic chip.
While Apple doesn’t reveal its RAM configurations, it is still safe to say that the up to 12GB of RAM on the S22 Ultra is significantly higher. However, Apple’s custom A-series Bionic chips regularly surpass their Exynos and Snapdragon counterparts.
While Samsung does offer a bigger battery, iOS handles battery life better than Android, so both phones should be pretty evenly matched. But the Galaxy S22 Ultra does offer faster charging than the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Samsung is also looking to catch up with Apple on the software front, promising four major updates for the S22 Ultra, although Apple tends to offer five years of updates.
In terms of cameras, Samsung offers a quad-camera setup with the S22 Ultra, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max opts for a triple-camera setup.
We haven’t tested the cameras on both these phones, so we’ll just comment on the specifications here. There’s no doubt that the S22 Ultra’s cameras offer more flexibility with a bigger primary sensor and a better zoom camera.
However, Apple’s camera algorithms are undeniably among the best for photos and videos. Samsung also offers video recording in up to 8K resolution.
Our review of the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be out in the coming weeks but you can check out our iPhone 13 Pro review here. It is worth noting that the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max feature the same cameras.
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