© Courtesy of CNET Lisa Edichiko / CNETThe Galaxy S22 has an improved camera that sees better in the dark and a new design over its predecessor. These are welcome improvements, but Samsung has plenty of room to further improve its flagship smartphone lineup. In particular, I wish the battery lasted longer, more photo features that take advantage of the excellent cameras in the Galaxy S family, and faster charging without the need for an expensive adapter.
Samsung typically releases new Galaxy S devices in the first two months of the year, and early rumors suggest the company will stick to that schedule in 2023. A Korean newspaper JoongAng Daily reported that the Galaxy S23 could arrive as early as February.
According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung leads the smartphone segment with 21% of the global market in the second quarter of 2022. Upgrading key features like the camera and battery could help it stay ahead, especially in the face of increased competition from Apple and Google .
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Longer battery life than the standard Galaxy S23.
© Courtesy of CNET Galaxy S22 Lisa Edichiko / CNETBattery life can never be this long, but the standard Galaxy S in particular needs a boost. The 6.1-inch Galaxy S22 generally lives up to Samsung's claims of all-day battery life, but sometimes barely. After using it for a month straight, I noticed that the battery level dropped by about 30-40% by 9 pm, even when the screen is always off and the screen refresh rate is set to standard. It's enough to get you through a work day, but you'll probably want to pack a charger if you have plans after work or a long drive home.
The Galaxy S22 has the smallest battery (3700mAh) of the three phones in the Galaxy S22 lineup, and it shows. For example, I was pleasantly surprised when my 6.6-inch 4500mAh Galaxy S22 Plus lasted about a day and a half when I reviewed it in February. I also set the refresh rate to high, which drains the battery faster. With a 6.8-inch display and a 5,000mAh battery, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a similar battery life.
It makes sense that the smallest phone in the Galaxy S22 lineup also has the smallest battery. But hopefully Samsung will find a way to improve the battery life of the 6.1-inch Galaxy next year, either through improved power efficiency or a bigger physical battery. After all, Apple made updates to the iPhone 13 Mini that improved battery life by two to three hours over the iPhone 12 Mini. Battery life is my biggest gripe with the Galaxy S22 and the update that will make the Galaxy S23 a more attractive option for Android fans who prefer smaller phones.
Korean newspaper The Elec claims that this could indeed be the case, noting that Samsung is aiming to increase the Galaxy S23's battery capacity by around 5%.
Smart Camera Features
© Courtesy of CNET Galaxy S22 (top), Galaxy S22 Plus (center), and Galaxy S22 Ultra (bottom) Lisa Eadicicco / CNET CameraThe Galaxy S22's 50MP camera and the Galaxy S22 Ultra's 108MP camera capture incredibly colorful and detailed photos. I wish you could do more with these cameras when it comes to editing and software features.
The Galaxy S22 series offers shooting options such as panorama, night mode, portrait mode, slow motion, super slow motion and director's view, allowing you to record video with two different lenses at the same time. Next up is the Single Take feature, which allows you to capture multiple photos with a single press of the shutter button. You can also download the Expert Raw app for better control over image settings.
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But little has changed between the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22 in terms of camera features and shooting modes. I wish Samsung could take a cue from Google, which regularly adds great camera tricks that look practical, not useless. For example, Google has introduced a new feature in the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro called Photo Unblur, which sharpens low quality photos, even those taken with an old camera. Photo Unblur is based on Face Unblur, a previous Pixel 6 and 6 Pro camera feature that I also love. As the name suggests, Face Blur freezes moving elements that might otherwise appear blurry.
Features like these show that Google isn't just thinking about camera quality, but also about ways to fix the day-to-day problems of mobile photography. On the other hand, many of Samsung's updates are aimed at giving content creators more tools to capture different types of photos and videos.
While the Galaxy S23 will likely not hit the market for another two to three months, Samsung is already making improvements to the cameras of existing Galaxy phones. The company has just added a new feature to the Expert Raw app that helps astronomers take better pictures of the constellations, similar to Google's Astrophotography feature for Pixel phones. There's also a new Camera Assistant app that lets you toggle certain features on and off, like faster shutter speeds or automatic lens switching.
Samsung has made some improvements to how its phones take photos in the dark with the Galaxy S22 line. This photo of a cocktail in a dark bar was taken with the S22 Ultra.
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© Shown by CNET The Galaxy S22 Plus (left) and Ultra (right) support 45W fast charging. But the adapter must be purchased separately. Lisa Edichiko/CNETThe Galaxy S22 range supports up to 25W fast charging for the Galaxy S22 and 45W for the Galaxy S22 Plus and Ultra. But for this you need to buy a separate charger. Samsung charges $50 for a 45W charger and $35 for a 25W charger , though you can often find them cheaper at stores like Amazon and Walmart. In some scenarios, I also didn't notice much difference between the 45W Samsung charger and the cheaper Samsung 25W charger when you turn on the Galaxy S22 Plus, which you can read about here.
With the Galaxy S23, I would like to see a significant improvement in charging speeds, as well as more convenient charging options. For example, the OnePlus 10 Pro offers 65W or 80W fast charging depending on region, both of which are faster than what Samsung offers on paper. OnePlus also includes a compatible power bank.
Samsung and Apple have stopped including power adapters in product packaging to reduce waste, which is an impressive reason. But I wish Samsung would at least let you choose an optional discounted compatible fast charging adapter when ordering a new phone, just like it lets you choose a storage option or add Samsung Care Plus.
If the rumors are true, the base model Galaxy S23 could have the same 25W charging speed as the Galaxy S22. This is reported by Ice Universe, a Twitter account that has a history of tweets detailing unreleased Samsung products.
Samsung is already doing very well with the Galaxy S22, especially when it comes to software support and display quality. But as smartphone improvements become more than revolutionary year after year, it's more important than ever to focus on important things like the camera and battery.
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