A Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Galaxy S21 Ultra comparison shows that Samsung's new phone is more than just an iterative upgrade. That's because the S22 Ultra is essentially a Galaxy Note in disguise, complete with built-in S Pen.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra offers a number of other upgrades over the Galaxy S21 Ultra, including more capable cameras, a faster processor, a brighter display and faster charging. It's definitely gunning for the top spot in our best phones list.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is still a good phone, and it offers the same size display, battery and camera resolution as the newer flagship. It also comes with more RAM than the S22 Ultra to start. But now that Samsung has discontinued the S21 Ultra (at least through Samsung.com), it's clear that the S22 Ultra is now taking the lead.
Read on to see all the big Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Galaxy S21 Ultra differences. And be sure to check out our Galaxy S22 Ultra benchmark results to see how the two phones compare in terms of performance.
Alternatively, if you want to look towards the future, here's what we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy S23, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Galaxy S22 Ultra | Galaxy S21 Ultra |
| Price | $1,199 | $1,199 |
| Android version | Android 12, One UI 4 | Android 11, One UI 3 (upgradeable to Android 12) |
| Display | 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED QHD | 6.8 inches AMOLED QHD |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz | 10 - 120Hz |
| CPU | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 888 |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB | 12GB, 16GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Rear cameras | 108MP (f/2.2) main, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 10MP (f/2.4) 10x telephoto, 10MP (f/2.4) 3x telephoto | 8MP (f/2.2) main, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 10MP (f/2.4) 10x telephoto, 10MP (f/2.4) 3x telephoto |
| Front camera | 40MP (f/2.2) | 40MP (f/2.2) |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging | 45W wired, 15W wireless | 25W wired, 15W wireless |
| Size | 3.1 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches | 6.5 x 2.97 x 0.35 inches |
| Weight | 8.1 ounces | 8.08 ounces |
| Connectivity | Embedded S Pen, Wi-Fi 6E, UWB, 5G (mmWave/sub6) | Separate S Pen, Wi-Fi 6E, UWB, 5G (mmWave/sub6) |
| Colors | Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, Burgundy | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver |
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: price and availability
Starting at $1,199 for the Galaxy S22 Ultra in its 8GB/128GB configuration, pricing for Samsung's new Ultra phone is unchanged from last year's handset. However, the Galaxy S21 Ultra did give you 12GB of RAM in the base model, making it arguably better value.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra comes in black, white, green, but also has a burgundy option. Online you can get the larger phone in Graphite, Sky Blue and red. The S21 Ultra's basic colors are black and silver, but certain retailers and carriers can give you navy, titanium and brown handsets too.
Check out our Samsung Galaxy S22 deals page to get the best discounts on Samsung's new phone.
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: design
Samsung's made it easy to tell the phones apart from the back. The Galaxy S21 Ultra features a large camera bump that overflows onto the edge of the phone, while the S22 Ultra has all its camera lenses arranged separately, and directly on the back of the phone. Both look good in their own way though.
From the front, it's hard to see any difference. Both phones have curved displays and central punch-hole selfie cameras. However, you can just about make out a difference in the corners. The S21 Ultra's corners are rounded, whereas the S22 Ultra's are right-angles, hinting at its Galaxy Note DNA.
You'll find a slot for an S Pen stylus on the Galaxy S22 Ultra's bottom edge. There's no such silo present on the S21 Ultra. You have to get a separate case to store the S Pen for that phone.
For colors, there were only two default choices for the Galaxy S21 Ultra: black and silver. Buying one from certain retailers would also give you the options of navy blue, titanium or brown. The Galaxy S22 Ultra has four options: black, white, green and burgundy, with graphite, red and sky blue being options exclusive to Samsung's online store.
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: display
The Galaxy S22 Ultra and S21 Ultra's screens are similar at first glance, but there are some key differences. Both displays are 6.8 inches, both offer a QHD resolution, and both offer a 120Hz maximum refresh rate.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra's display uses a scaleable refresh rate to save battery, changing between 10Hz and the maximum 120Hz depending on the user's activity. The S22 Ultra has upgraded this to scale from 1Hz to 120Hz, allowing for even greater power savings.
The S22 Ultra also has the benefit of an impressive 1,750 nits peak brightness, making it easier to see the screen in bright light than the S21 Ultra's screen, which is rated for 1,500 nits. The S22 Ultra also gets Vision Booster, which adjusts the colors of the display as the light level around you changes to make sure your content still looks right even in bright sunlight.
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: cameras
At first glance, the cameras on the S22 Ultra and S21 Ultra seem identical. On the back there are 108MP main, 12MP ultrawide, two 10MP telephoto cameras, plus a laser autofocus. On the front it's a 40MP single selfie camera.
However, the wide camera in the Galaxy S22 Ultra now has a larger 2.4 micrometer sensor to capture more light; that's up from 0.8 μm on the S21 Ultra. There's also a new anti-reflective coating to reduce light flares. Other S22 Ultra camera highlights include AI Stereo Depth Map functionality for improved portrait photos and auto framing in video for detecting and tracking up to 10 people.
For pros, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a new Expert RAW app available to use if you want to take shots with greater control over the settings and to save them in a more editable RAW format.
It's also worth remembering that the Scene Optimizer mode is turned on by default in the Galaxy S22 Ultra's camera settings. This mode aims to smartly enhance photos by tweaking white balance, colors, brightness and more. Usually, it would be best to switch this feature off, as it can overcook photos, but Scene Optimizer is now so good in the Galaxy S22 Ultra that you can keep it on.
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: S Pen
Both the Galaxy S22 Ultra and Galaxy S21 Ultra support S Pen input. However, the key difference is that the Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with the stylus and a holster for it in the phone. The Galaxy S21 Ultra's compatible S Pen is sold separately, and has to be stored separately, or in a handful of compatible Galaxy S21 Ultra cases.
Both phones let you scribble and doodle to your heart's content with the S Pen, including writing notes without turning on the phone with Off Screen Memo or signing documents. The S22 Ultra does however boast a lower 2.8-millisecond latency for a more natural writing experience and improved handwriting-to-text conversion. The S21 Ultra has a 9 ms latency.
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: performance
Inside the Galaxy S21 Ultra, you'll find either a Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 chipset, plus 12GB or 16GB of RAM. That's then joined by 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of storage capacity.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra offers a chipset upgrade, using either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the U.S. and Exynos 2200 elsewhere. For RAM, you have either 8GB or 12GB as your choices, a step down from last year. For storage you also get 128GB, 256GB or 512GB options, but also a 1TB option if you need the maximum amount of space possible on your phone.
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: battery and charging
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a large 5,000 mAh battery and managed 10 hours and 18 minutes over T-Mobile's network with the 60Hz mode turned on. But this falls falls short of the 11 hours and 25 minutes we saw from the S21 Ultra, which has spot on our best phone battery life page.
For charging, the S21 Ultra offers a maximum wired speed of 25W, while the S22 Ultra can charge up to 45W. Neither phone comes with a charger though, so getting these speeds relies on buying a compatible power brick. Both phones' wireless and reverse wireless speeds are the same, at 15W and 4.5W respectively.
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: software
Samsung offers Android 12 and One UI 4.1 on both these Ultra phones. However, it ships as default on the S22 Ultra. The S21 Ultra, which started out with Android 11 and One UI 3, can update to it.
In terms of future updates, Samsung is guaranteeing four years of Android updates for both the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, since it's older, that effectively means one less year of updates for the S21.
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: outlook
If you're trying to decide whether to buy the latest Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra phone or save some money and buy the year-old equivalent, you're probably better off going for an S22 Ultra since it's a lot easier to find at its basic price. You get better cameras, a brighter and more versatile display and an S Pen built in.
However, spending another $1,200 just a year after paying for an S21 Ultra seems like a lot even with a trade-in, given the S21 Ultra still offers excellent performance, photography abilities and a great display, plus the option of a separate stylus if you want one.
The S22 Ultra is really best for those who have an older phone and are looking to upgrade. You might be able to find the S21 Ultra for less, but overall we'd go for the S22 Ultra.
