Honor Magic V vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: The Ultimate Flagship Face-Off

The smartphone landscape is brimming with contenders, but two stand out: the innovative Honor Magic V, a foldable marvel, and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, a perennial flagship powerhouse. This comparison dives deep into their strengths and weaknesses to help you decide which device deserves your hard-earned money.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

The Galaxy S22 Ultra offers a more refined and consistent experience with its exceptional camera and software. However, the Magic V's foldable display provides a unique versatility. If you prioritize camera and software, the S22 Ultra wins; if you crave innovation and a larger screen, the Magic V is compelling.

PHONES
Phone Names Honor Magic V 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 bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China1, 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 / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2022, January 102022, February 09
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, January 18Available. Released 2022, February 25
Body
BuildGlass front, glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame
DimensionsUnfolded: 160.4 x 141.1 x 6.7 mmFolded: 160.4 x 72.7 x 14.3 mm163.3 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)
Weight288 g / 293 g (10.16 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
Protection-Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Resolution1984 x 2272 pixels (~381 ppi density)1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density)
Size7.9 inches, 200.5 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio)6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeFoldable OLED, 1B colors, 90Hz, HDR10+Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak)
 Cover display: OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 6.45 inches, 1080 x 2560 pixels, 431 ppiAlways-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)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 SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm)Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW
GPUAdreno 730Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW
OSAndroid 12, Magic UI 6Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM
 -UFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesLaser AF, Dual-LED dual-tone 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
Single42 MP, f/2.4, (wide)-
Triple50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), PDAF 50 MP, f/2.0, 20mm (wide), PDAF 50 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 122˚, (ultrawide)-
Video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDR, panoramaHDR
Single42 MP, f/2.4, (wide)40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF
Video4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 -32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD5.2, A2DP, LE
Infrared portYes-
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5)GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.1, OTGUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compassFingerprint (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
Charging66W wired, 50% in 15 min 5W reverse wired45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 4750 mAhLi-Ion 5000 mAh
Misc
ColorsTitanium Silver, Black, Burnt OrangePhantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple
ModelsMGI-AN00SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS
PriceAbout 1400 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 Magic V

  • Innovative foldable design
  • Larger screen real estate
  • Fast 66W wired charging
  • Reverse wired charging

  • Software optimization could be improved
  • Camera not as strong as S22 Ultra
  • Foldable screen durability concerns

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G

  • Exceptional camera system
  • Bright and vibrant display
  • Polished software experience
  • Excellent battery life

  • Design is less innovative
  • 45W wired charging is slower than Magic V
  • Reverse wireless charging only

Display Comparison

The Honor Magic V boasts a foldable 6.5-inch inner display and a 6.4-inch cover display, offering versatility. The S22 Ultra features a stunning 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1266 nits, making it exceptionally bright and vibrant. While the Magic V's foldable screen is impressive, the S22 Ultra's display is arguably more refined and consistent.

Camera Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra's camera system is a major selling point, featuring a versatile array of lenses including a 108MP main sensor, an ultrawide lens, and two telephoto lenses. It excels in both photo and video quality. The Magic V's camera is capable, but doesn't quite reach the S22 Ultra's level of detail, dynamic range, and overall consistency. The S22 Ultra's zoom capabilities are also significantly better.

Performance

Both phones are powered by high-end chipsets. The Magic V uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, while the S22 Ultra utilizes either an Exynos 2200 or a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 depending on the region. Performance is generally excellent on both, but the Snapdragon variant of the S22 Ultra often edges out the Exynos in benchmarks and real-world usage. The Magic V's software optimization might not be as mature as Samsung's.

Battery Life

The S22 Ultra boasts an endurance rating of 108 hours, indicating excellent battery life. The Magic V's battery capacity is competitive, but the foldable display can impact battery drain. Both offer fast charging, with the Magic V having a slightly faster wired charging speed (66W vs 45W) but the S22 Ultra has wireless charging.

Buying Guide

The Honor Magic V is ideal for users who want a large screen experience in a more compact form factor, enjoy the novelty of a foldable design, and are willing to accept potential software quirks. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is perfect for those who demand top-tier camera performance, a polished software experience, and a reliable flagship device.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Is the Honor Magic V durable?
Foldable phones inherently have durability concerns. While Honor has made improvements, the hinge and screen are still more vulnerable than traditional smartphones. Careful handling is recommended.
❓ Which phone has better software support?
Samsung generally offers longer and more consistent software updates than Honor. The S22 Ultra is likely to receive updates for a longer period.