iQOO 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S22+: A Deep Dive into Performance and Charging

The vivo iQOO 9, primarily aimed at the Chinese market, throws down a gauntlet with its blistering 120W charging and competitive Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. It challenges Samsung’s globally available Galaxy S22+, a more polished and refined flagship experience. This comparison dissects the key differences to determine which phone delivers the best value and performance for your needs.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

For users prioritizing charging speed and raw performance, the iQOO 9 is the clear winner. Its 120W charging fully replenishes the battery in under 20 minutes, a significant advantage. However, the Galaxy S22+ offers a more mature software experience and potentially better camera processing, making it ideal for mainstream users.

PHONES
Phone Names vivo iQOO 9 (China) Samsung Galaxy S22+ 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 411, 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, 41, 77, 78 SA/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 / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 CDMA2000 1x 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2022, January 052022, February 09
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, January 12Available. Released 2022, February 25
Body
Build-Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame
Dimensions164.5 x 76.7 x 8.4 mm (6.48 x 3.02 x 0.33 in)157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6 mm (6.20 x 2.98 x 0.30 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight206 g (7.27 oz)195 g / 196 g (mmWave) (6.88 oz)
 -IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised)
Display
Protection-Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Resolution1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~388 ppi density)1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~393 ppi density)
Size6.78 inches, 111.0 cm2 (~88.0% screen-to-body ratio)6.6 inches, 105.3 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeAMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10, 1500 nits (peak)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, OriginOS OceanAndroid 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1.1
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
 UFS 3.1UFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panoramaLED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Single16 MP, f/2.5, (wide)-
Triple50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.57", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 47mm (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 120˚ (ultrawide)50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
Video4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single16 MP, f/2.5, (wide)10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with dual speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 24-bit/192kHz audio32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive5.2, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSSGPS, 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, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), 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
Charging120W wired, 100% in 19 min 10W reverse wireless45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
Type4700 mAhLi-Ion 4500 mAh
Misc
ColorsWhite (BMW M branding), Orange, BlackPhantom Black, White, Pink Gold, Green, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, Cream, Bora Purple
ModelsV2171ASM-S906B, SM-S906B/DS, SM-S906U, SM-S906U1, SM-S906W, SM-S906N, SM-S9060, SM-S906E, SM-S906E/DS, SM-S906L
PriceAbout 560 EUR€ 236.99 / $ 194.37 / £ 349.00
SAR-1.19 W/kg (head)     1.08 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-0.57 W/kg (head)     1.40 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life- Endurance rating 97h
Camera- Photo / Video
Display- Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker- -26.0 LUFS (Very good)
Performance- AnTuTu: 722495 (v8), 886916 (v9) GeekBench: 3528 (v5.1) GFXBench: 68fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

vivo iQOO 9 (China)

  • Blazing-fast 120W charging
  • Potentially higher CPU clock speed
  • Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 offers strong gaming performance

  • China-focused software experience
  • Limited global availability
  • Camera specs are unknown

Samsung Galaxy S22+ 5G

  • Globally available with full software support
  • Brighter and more color-accurate display
  • Refined camera system with versatile features

  • Slower 45W charging
  • Exynos 2200 variant may exhibit throttling
  • Less impressive charging speed compared to iQOO 9

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ boasts a brighter display, reaching a measured 1214 nits, providing superior visibility in direct sunlight. While the iQOO 9’s display specs aren’t detailed, it’s likely to be a high-quality panel, but it won’t match the S22+'s peak brightness. Both phones likely utilize AMOLED technology for vibrant colors and deep blacks, but the S22+'s 'Infinite' contrast ratio suggests superior black levels. The S22+’s display benefits from Samsung’s established display calibration expertise, offering potentially more accurate color reproduction.

Camera Comparison

Both phones feature capable camera systems, but detailed sensor information for the iQOO 9 is lacking. The Galaxy S22+ benefits from Samsung’s extensive image processing algorithms, known for producing vibrant and shareable photos. While the S22+ likely excels in versatility with multiple lenses, the iQOO 9 may focus on delivering strong performance with its primary sensor. Without specific details on the iQOO 9’s camera hardware, it’s difficult to make a definitive comparison, but Samsung’s established camera reputation gives the S22+ an advantage in overall image quality and feature set.

Performance

Both the iQOO 9 and the Galaxy S22+ (ROW variant) are equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm). However, the S22+ also comes in an Exynos 2200 variant (Europe). The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 offers a slight edge in sustained performance and thermal efficiency compared to the Exynos 2200, meaning the iQOO 9 and S22+ (Snapdragon) may exhibit less throttling during extended gaming sessions. Both CPUs feature the same core configuration – 1x Cortex-X2, 3x Cortex-A710, and 4x Cortex-A510 – but the iQOO 9’s Cortex-X2 is clocked slightly higher at 3.00 GHz versus the S22+'s 2.8 GHz (Europe) or 3.00 GHz (ROW). This difference, while small, could translate to marginally faster single-core performance. Both phones utilize LPDDR5 RAM, but the iQOO 9’s potential for faster RAM speeds (depending on configuration) could further enhance its gaming capabilities.

Battery Life

The Galaxy S22+ achieves an impressive endurance rating of 97 hours, indicating excellent battery life despite its relatively modest capacity. The iQOO 9’s battery capacity is not specified, but its standout feature is its 120W wired charging, capable of fully charging the device in just 19 minutes. This is significantly faster than the S22+'s 45W charging, even with PD3.0. While the S22+ offers 15W wireless charging (Qi) and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, the iQOO 9 counters with 10W reverse wireless charging. The iQOO 9’s charging speed is a game-changer for users who frequently need to top up their battery quickly, offsetting any potential capacity disadvantage.

Buying Guide

Buy the vivo iQOO 9 (China) if you need the absolute fastest charging available, prioritize gaming performance, and are comfortable with a China-focused software experience. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S22+ 5G if you prefer a globally supported device with a refined user interface, a more versatile camera system, and a longer track record of software updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Exynos 2200 chip in the European Galaxy S22+ overheat during demanding tasks like gaming?
The Exynos 2200 is known to run hotter than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, potentially leading to thermal throttling during prolonged gaming sessions. While Samsung has implemented cooling solutions, users may experience reduced performance over time compared to the Snapdragon variant.
❓ Is the 120W charging on the iQOO 9 safe for the battery's long-term health?
vivo employs multiple safety mechanisms to mitigate the potential impact of fast charging on battery health. While fast charging can generate more heat, the iQOO 9's charging system is designed to regulate temperature and prevent overcharging, minimizing long-term degradation.
❓ What kind of software experience can I expect on the iQOO 9, given it's primarily a China-market device?
The iQOO 9 runs vivo's OriginOS, which is based on Android but heavily customized. It may include pre-installed Chinese apps and lack full Google Mobile Services (GMS) support without manual installation. This means some apps may not function correctly or require workarounds.
❓ Does the Galaxy S22+ support 90fps or 120fps recording in all video modes?
The Galaxy S22+ supports 8K video recording at 24fps, 4K at up to 60fps, and 1080p at up to 60fps. While it doesn't natively support 90fps or 120fps across all modes, it offers Super Steady video stabilization for smoother footage.