Honor 500 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: A Deep Dive into Flagship Power

The smartphone landscape is fiercely competitive, with the Honor 500 Pro (a China-exclusive powerhouse) now entering the fray against established giants like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. This comparison isn't just about specs; it's about understanding how the Honor 500 Pro’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite and aggressive charging stack up against Samsung’s mature, globally-available offering.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

For users prioritizing raw performance and charging speed, the Honor 500 Pro emerges as the winner. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite, built on a 3nm process, offers a significant architectural advantage. However, the S22 Ultra retains its crown for broader availability, established software support, and a refined camera experience.

PHONES
Phone Names Honor 500 Pro (China) Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bandsLTE1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bandsSA/NSA1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL)
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 -1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2025, November 242022, February 09
StatusAvailable. Released 2025, November 27Available. Released 2022, February 25
Body
BuildGlass front, aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame
Dimensions155.8 x 74.2 x 7.8 mm (6.13 x 2.92 x 0.31 in)163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight201 g (7.09 oz)228 g / 229 g (mmWave) (8.04 oz)
 -IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus, 2.8ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro)
Display
ProtectionAluminosilicate glassCorning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Resolution1264 x 2736 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density)
Size6.55 inches, 105.4 cm2 (~91.2% screen-to-body ratio)6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeAMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 3840Hz PWM, HDR Vivid, 6000 nits (peak)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak)
 -Always-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (2x4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M)Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROW
ChipsetQualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm)Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW
GPUAdreno 830Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW
OSAndroid 16, MagicOS 10Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM
 -UFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesColor spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panoramaLaser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Quad-108 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video
Triple200 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.4", 0.56µm, PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.4, 68mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.51", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 117˚ (ultrawide), AF-
Video4K, 1080p, gyro-EIS, OIS8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single50 MP, f/2.0, (wide)40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF
Video4K, 1080p, gyro-EIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack -No
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 -32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth6.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LHDC 5, Auracast, ASHA5.2, A2DP, LE
Infrared portYes-
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1C+B2a+B2b), GALILEO (E1+E5a+E5b), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L1+L5), GLONASSGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0, OTGUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display), accelerometer, gyro, compass, proximity (ultrasound)Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 -Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery
Charging80W wired 50W wireless, 28% in 15 min 5W reverse wired Reverse wireless45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeSi/C Li-Ion 8000 mAhLi-Ion 5000 mAh
Misc
ColorsBlack, Silver, Blue, PinkPhantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple
ModelsMEP-AN00SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS
PriceAbout 440 EUR€ 397.07 / $ 269.98 / £ 304.99 / ₹ 63,899
SAR-1.18 W/kg (head)     0.98 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-1.05 W/kg (head)     1.58 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life-Endurance rating 108h
Camera-Photo / Video
Display-Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker--27.3 LUFS (Good)
Performance-AnTuTu: 968359 (v9) GeekBench: 3657 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Honor 500 Pro (China)

  • Significantly faster charging (80W wired, 50W wireless)
  • Cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite processor (3nm)
  • Potentially superior thermal management
  • Reverse wired and wireless charging

  • China-exclusive availability
  • Limited software support outside of China
  • Camera specs currently unknown

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G

  • Global availability and support
  • Mature software ecosystem (One UI)
  • Versatile and well-regarded camera system
  • Excellent display quality

  • Slower charging speeds (45W wired)
  • Older generation processor (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200)
  • Potential for thermal throttling under heavy load

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts a peak brightness of 1266 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Honor 500 Pro’s display specs are currently unknown, Samsung’s display technology, with its infinite contrast ratio, is a known quantity. The S22 Ultra’s adaptive refresh rate (LTPO) likely contributes to better power efficiency, a factor not yet quantifiable for the Honor device. The S22 Ultra’s larger screen size and established color calibration profiles give it an edge in overall display experience.

Camera Comparison

Both devices feature capable camera systems, but details on the Honor 500 Pro’s camera are currently limited. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra excels in versatility, offering a range of lenses and advanced image processing. While the S22 Ultra’s camera is known for its vibrant colors and detailed images, the Honor 500 Pro could potentially leverage a newer image signal processor (ISP) within the Snapdragon 8 Elite to offer improved low-light performance and dynamic range. Without specific sensor details for the Honor device, it’s difficult to make a definitive judgment, but the S22 Ultra’s established reputation and feature set give it a current advantage.

Performance

The Honor 500 Pro’s Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite, fabricated on a 3nm process, represents a leap forward in mobile silicon. Its octa-core CPU, featuring Oryon V2 Phoenix cores, promises substantial gains over the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s Exynos 2200 (Europe) or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (ROW), both built on a 4nm node. The 3nm process inherently offers better thermal efficiency, potentially mitigating throttling during sustained workloads. The Oryon architecture is also designed for higher IPC (Instructions Per Clock), translating to faster real-world performance. The S22 Ultra’s CPU configuration, while powerful, is architecturally older and less efficient. The Honor 500 Pro is expected to dominate in CPU-intensive tasks.

Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra achieves an endurance rating of 108 hours, indicating solid battery life. However, the Honor 500 Pro’s 80W wired charging is a game-changer, capable of adding 28% charge in just 15 minutes. This significantly surpasses the S22 Ultra’s 45W charging. While the S22 Ultra offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless, the Honor 500 Pro counters with 50W wireless and both wired and wireless reverse charging. The Honor 500 Pro’s faster charging mitigates concerns about battery capacity, potentially offering a more convenient user experience despite a potentially smaller battery size.

Buying Guide

Buy the Honor 500 Pro (China) if you need uncompromising processing power for demanding tasks like gaming and video editing, and if you value the fastest possible charging speeds. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G if you prefer a globally-supported device with a mature software ecosystem, a versatile camera system, and a proven track record for reliability, even if it means sacrificing some raw performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Exynos 2200 in the S22 Ultra suffer from overheating during prolonged gaming sessions?
The Exynos 2200 variant of the S22 Ultra is known to exhibit more thermal throttling than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 version, particularly during extended gaming. While Samsung implemented software optimizations to mitigate this, the Honor 500 Pro’s 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite is expected to offer significantly better thermal efficiency, reducing the likelihood of performance drops.
❓ How does the 80W charging on the Honor 500 Pro compare to the 45W charging on the S22 Ultra in real-world usage?
The Honor 500 Pro’s 80W charging is substantially faster. While the S22 Ultra takes over an hour to fully charge, the Honor 500 Pro can add a significant charge in just 15 minutes, making it ideal for users who need a quick power boost. This difference is particularly noticeable for users who frequently run out of battery during the day.
❓ Is the Snapdragon 8 Elite's Oryon CPU architecture a significant upgrade over the Cortex-X2 in the S22 Ultra?
Yes, the Oryon V2 Phoenix cores in the Snapdragon 8 Elite are designed for higher IPC (Instructions Per Clock) than the Cortex-X2. This means the Honor 500 Pro can execute more tasks per clock cycle, resulting in faster overall performance, especially in CPU-bound applications and multitasking scenarios.