Samsung Galaxy S7 vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The S22 Ultra is the clear winner in almost every category – display, camera, performance, and battery. However, the S7 remains a surprisingly capable device, especially for budget-conscious users seeking a reliable Android experience. It's a generational leap, but the S7's legacy shouldn't be dismissed.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S7 (USA) | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - G930A, G930V | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41 - G930A | 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, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (3CA) Cat9 450/50 Mbps, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 17, 25 - G930R | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2016, February. Released 2016, March | 2022, February 09 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2022, February 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 4), glass back (Gorilla Glass 4), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm (5.61 x 2.74 x 0.31 in) | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 152 g (5.36 oz) | 228 g / 229 g (mmWave) (8.04 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | 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 4 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~576 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.1 inches, 71.7 cm2 (~72.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core (2x2.15 GHz Kryo & 2x1.6 GHz Kryo) | 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 MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 (14 nm) | Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW |
| GPU | Adreno 530 | Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW |
| OS | Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo), TouchWiz UI | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | No |
| Internal | 32GB 4GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-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/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS | - |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., OIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 5 MP, f/1.7, 22mm (wide), 1/4.1", 1.34µm | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | - | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | microUSB 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| ANT+ S-Voice natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | 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 | 15W wired, QC2 Wireless | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black Onyx, Silver Titanium, Gold Platinum | Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple |
| Models | SM-G930A, SM-G930P, SM-G930V, SM-G930T, SM-G930R, SM-G930F, SM-G930U, SM-G930R4, SM-G930T1, SM-G930VL, SM-G930AZ, SM-G930R6, SM-G930R7 | SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS |
| Price | About 320 EUR | € 397.07 / $ 269.98 / £ 304.99 / ₹ 63,899 |
| SAR | 1.24 W/kg (head) 1.59 W/kg (body) | 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) |
Samsung Galaxy S7 (USA)
- Compact and lightweight
- Still functional Android experience
- Affordable price
- Outdated performance
- Lower resolution display
- Limited camera capabilities
- Slower charging
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
- Exceptional display
- Flagship performance
- Versatile and high-quality camera system
- Long battery life
- Fast charging
- Reverse wireless charging
- Expensive
- Large and heavy
- Software bloat (potential)
Display Comparison
The S22 Ultra boasts a stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 1266 nits and an infinite contrast ratio. It's significantly brighter and more vibrant than the S7's Super AMOLED display. The S22 Ultra also features a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate for smoother scrolling, a feature absent in the S7.
Camera Comparison
The S22 Ultra's camera system is a game-changer. Its 108MP main sensor, multiple telephoto lenses, and advanced image processing capabilities deliver exceptional photo and video quality. The S7's camera was excellent for its time, but it simply can't compete with the S22 Ultra's versatility and image quality.
Performance
The S22 Ultra's Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset (depending on region) offers a massive performance advantage over the S7's Snapdragon 820. Expect significantly faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and better gaming performance on the S22 Ultra. The S7, while still usable, will show its age with demanding applications.
Battery Life
The S22 Ultra's battery life is exceptional, achieving an endurance rating of 108 hours. The S7's battery life was decent for its era, but it pales in comparison to the S22 Ultra's longevity. The S22 Ultra also supports 45W wired charging and reverse wireless charging, features not available on the S7.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S7 (USA)? Users on a tight budget who need a functional Android phone for basic tasks. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G? Power users, photography enthusiasts, and anyone wanting the latest and greatest Samsung has to offer.