Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G: A Deep Dive

The Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) arrived as a performance-focused contender, often at a significantly lower price than Samsung’s flagship, the Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G. This comparison dissects the core differences between these two Android powerhouses, focusing on real-world implications of their hardware choices, particularly the chipset variations and their impact on performance and efficiency.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing raw performance and faster charging, the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) offers compelling value. However, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G’s superior display, more versatile camera system, and broader feature set make it the better choice for those willing to invest in a premium experience.

PHONES
Phone Names Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 711, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands2, 5, 7, 12, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - Verizon, USA1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 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
Announced2022, January 242022, February 09
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, March 24Available. Released 2022, February 25
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 3), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame
Dimensions163.1 x 76 x 8.8 mm (6.42 x 2.99 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· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight196 g (6.91 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
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 3Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Resolution1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density)1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density)
Size6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak)
 -Always-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, upgradable to Android 14Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM
 -UFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesDual-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
Triple50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.55", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, AF Auxiliary lens-
Video8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 10-bit HDR10+, gyro-EIS8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single60 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.8", 0.61µm40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF
Video4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps4K@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
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE5.2, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEOGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4USB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, 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, compass, barometerFingerprint (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
Charging68W wired, 50% in 15 min, 100% in 35 min 15W wireless 5W reverse wireless45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 4800 mAhLi-Ion 5000 mAh
Misc
ColorsCosmos Blue, Stardust WhitePhantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple
Models-SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS
PriceAbout 850 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)

Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022)

  • Significantly faster 68W wired charging
  • Potentially better sustained performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  • More affordable price point

  • Less versatile camera system
  • Display not as bright or color-accurate as the S22 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G

  • Superior display quality (brightness, color accuracy)
  • More versatile and capable camera system
  • Integrated S Pen functionality

  • Slower 45W wired charging
  • Exynos variant may experience thermal 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 Motorola Edge+. This difference is immediately noticeable in direct sunlight. While both likely utilize AMOLED technology, Samsung’s display benefits from an infinite contrast ratio and potentially a more sophisticated color calibration. The S22 Ultra’s adaptive refresh rate (LTPO) is also likely more granular, contributing to better power efficiency. The Motorola Edge+’s display, while good, doesn’t reach the same level of visual fidelity.

Camera Comparison

The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s camera system is far more comprehensive. While both phones offer capable photography, Samsung’s offering includes multiple lenses with varying focal lengths and significantly more advanced image processing. The S22 Ultra’s larger main sensor (spec not provided, but typically larger than Motorola’s) captures more light, resulting in better low-light performance. The S22 Ultra’s optical image stabilization (OIS) is also likely more sophisticated. The Motorola Edge+’s camera is competent, but lacks the versatility and refinement of Samsung’s flagship. The inclusion of a 2MP macro camera on the Motorola is largely a marketing gimmick, offering minimal practical benefit.

Performance

Both phones utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset in some regions (ROW for both). However, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is also available with the Exynos 2200 in Europe. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Motorola Edge+ and the ROW S22 Ultra offers a slight edge in sustained performance due to potentially better thermal management, as the Motorola has a simpler cooling solution focused on maximizing performance. The Exynos 2200 has historically faced criticism for throttling under sustained load. Both CPUs feature the same core configuration (1x Cortex-X2, 3x Cortex-A710, 4x Cortex-A510), but the Snapdragon’s 3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 clock speed (vs 2.8 GHz on the European Exynos variant) provides a marginal advantage. Both utilize LPDDR5 RAM, but the S22 Ultra’s larger memory capacity (likely 8GB or 12GB vs. the Edge+'s 8GB or 12GB) aids multitasking.

Battery Life

Both phones have an endurance rating of 108h, suggesting similar overall battery life despite potentially different battery capacities (not specified for the Motorola). However, the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) significantly outperforms the S22 Ultra in charging speed, achieving 50% charge in just 15 minutes and 100% in 35 minutes with its 68W wired charging. The S22 Ultra’s 45W charging, while supporting PD3.0, is considerably slower. Both support 15W wireless charging, but the Motorola also offers 5W reverse wireless charging, a useful feature for topping up accessories.

Buying Guide

Buy the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) if you need a phone that prioritizes sustained performance for demanding tasks like gaming and video editing, and you value incredibly fast 68W charging. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G if you prefer a more polished software experience, a class-leading display, a highly capable and versatile camera system, and the integrated S Pen functionality.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Exynos 2200 chip in the European Galaxy S22 Ultra overheat during extended gaming sessions?
The Exynos 2200 has a history of thermal throttling under sustained load, meaning performance may decrease during prolonged gaming. While Samsung implemented software optimizations, the Snapdragon variant generally offers more consistent performance in demanding scenarios. Users in Europe should be aware of this potential limitation.
❓ Is the 68W charging on the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) truly as fast as advertised?
Yes, the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) consistently achieves the advertised charging speeds. It can reach 50% charge in approximately 15 minutes and fully charge in around 35 minutes, significantly faster than the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra's 45W charging.
❓ How does the camera processing differ between the Motorola Edge+ and the Galaxy S22 Ultra?
Samsung’s camera processing tends to produce more vibrant and saturated images, often with boosted contrast. Motorola aims for a more natural look, prioritizing accuracy. The S22 Ultra also offers more advanced computational photography features, like improved night mode and portrait effects.
❓ Is the S Pen on the Galaxy S22 Ultra useful for everyday tasks?
The S Pen offers a unique level of precision and control. It's useful for note-taking, sketching, navigating the interface, and even remote camera control. While not essential for all users, it adds significant functionality and productivity for those who appreciate it.