Honor Magic4 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Which Flagship Reigns Supreme?
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing raw performance and faster charging, the Honor Magic4 offers a compelling package. However, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G’s superior display brightness, more refined camera system, and S Pen functionality make it the better choice for power users and creative professionals.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic4 | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, February 28 | 2022, February 09 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, March 30 | Available. Released 2022, February 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 74.5 x 8.8 mm (6.44 x 2.93 x 0.35 in) | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 199 g (7.02 oz) | 228 g / 229 g (mmWave) (8.04 oz) |
| IP54, dust and water resistant | 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+ |
| Resolution | 1224 x 2664 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~431 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.81 inches, 113.5 cm2 (~93.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-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 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW |
| OS | Android 12, Magic UI 6 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser 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 |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1.22µm | - |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF 50 MP, f/2.2, 122˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.5" 8 MP, f/3.4, (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10, 10-bit video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1.22µm | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit audio stereo recording | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired 5W reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4800 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Cyan, Gold | Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple |
| Models | LGE-AN00 | SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS |
| Price | About 900 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 Magic4
- Faster 66W wired charging
- Potentially better thermal performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
- More affordable price point
- Likely less refined camera system
- Display not as bright as the S22 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
- Brighter, higher-quality display
- More versatile camera system with superior zoom
- Integrated S Pen for enhanced productivity
- Slower 45W charging
- Exynos 2200 variant may experience throttling
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1266 nits, compared to an unstated peak brightness for the Honor Magic4. This translates to superior visibility under direct sunlight. Both utilize advanced panel technology, but the S22 Ultra’s infinite contrast ratio suggests a more vibrant and immersive viewing experience. While the Magic4’s display quality is likely excellent, Samsung’s display is demonstrably superior in peak brightness, a crucial factor for outdoor use.
Camera Comparison
While both phones are advertised as having excellent camera systems, the S22 Ultra likely holds an edge due to Samsung’s extensive image processing expertise and a more versatile lens array. The context data doesn’t provide enough detail to compare sensor sizes, but Samsung’s history suggests a larger primary sensor. The S22 Ultra’s zoom capabilities are a significant advantage, offering superior optical zoom range compared to the Magic4. The Magic4’s camera is likely very capable, but the S22 Ultra’s system is more comprehensive and refined.
Performance
Both phones utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (in ROW variants of the S22 Ultra and the Magic4) and the Exynos 2200 (in European S22 Ultra models). The CPU configurations are nearly identical – an octa-core setup with 1x Cortex-X2, 3x Cortex-A710, and 4x Cortex-A510 cores. However, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 generally exhibits better thermal efficiency than the Exynos 2200, potentially leading to less performance throttling during sustained workloads like gaming. The S22 Ultra’s advantage lies in its potentially better-optimized software and cooling system, mitigating the Exynos’s thermal tendencies. Both devices feature LPDDR5 RAM, ensuring snappy multitasking.
Battery Life
Both the Honor Magic4 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G share an endurance rating of 108 hours, suggesting similar overall battery life despite potentially different battery capacities (not specified in the data). However, the Honor Magic4’s 66W wired charging is significantly faster than the S22 Ultra’s 45W charging, allowing for a much quicker 0-100% charge. The Magic4 also offers 5W reverse wired charging, while the S22 Ultra provides 4.5W reverse wireless charging – both are useful for topping up accessories, but the Magic4’s wired reverse charging is faster.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor Magic4 if you need a flagship experience without the ultra-premium price tag, and value fast 66W charging for minimal downtime. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G if you prioritize a best-in-class display, a versatile camera system with extensive zoom capabilities, and the added productivity of the integrated S Pen, even if it means a higher cost and slightly slower charging.